Thai teacher condemned for looking down on a student's dream - they want to serve in the US military

[rooster59]

Thai teacher condemned for looking down on a student's dream - they want to serve in the US military

 

Image: Sanook

 

A wave of criticism followed an online post that featured a Thai student's "dream" job form.

 

The student had stated that they wanted to serve in the US military but the teacher had marked in red "change it, put down something that you could realistically do".

 

Many took this to be a teacher with poor experience who was slapping down a student's legitimate aspirations for the future.

Netizens pointed out that you didn't need to be a US citizen to join the military - many had already. 

 

The post was made by a friend called Punyawee and was widely shared and commented upon. She said her friend was interested in the military and guns.

 

A non-citizen of the US can enlist in the military though federal law restricts becoming commission or warrant officers.

 

People must have a green card and be permanently residing in the States, online information suggests.

 

Source: Sanook

 

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[BobBKK]

Every cloud... at least the student did not say 'Thai Military' 

[keith101]

Just a notation advising the student to do an internet search on non US citizens joining the army would have sufficed instead .

[Nsp64]

Yes Teacher.....mustn't allow the youth to have aspirations or goals in life,  must we ?

Stand to attention and sing a few more songs, they'll soon forget it.

[Nsp64]

6 minutes ago, keith101 said:

Just a notation advising the student to do an internet search on non US citizens joining the army would have sufficed instead .

That would have been too constructive and allowing the student to self-explore their ambitions. Never happens, "we tell you your ambitions, and they mustn't be greater than mine "

[NCC1701A]

maybe the teacher knows the student will not be able to buy ocean front property like people in the Thai military do. 

 

 

[OneMoreFarang]

It seems his dream was to invade other peoples' countries.

Good that the teacher blocks such dreams.

[ThreeEyedRaven]

I give the teacher a fail for this. The question was, What is your dream job? The student answered the question. 

I don't see provisos attached to the question that would make the answer incorrect.

[AndyFoxy]

22 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

It seems his dream was to invade other peoples' countries.

Good that the teacher blocks such dreams.

Hopefully it motivates the student to be even more determined in following their dream.

[Taswegian23]

4 hours ago, BobBKK said:

Every cloud... at least the student did not say 'Thai Military' 

 

 

Well, I expect that's something to be grateful for.

 

[BangkokReady]

29 minutes ago, ThreeEyedRaven said:

I give the teacher a fail for this. The question was, What is your dream job? The student answered the question. 

I don't see provisos attached to the question that would make the answer incorrect.

 

Haha.  True!

 

"What is your dream job?"

 

"Be more realistic please."

[Jingthing]

Does this student have a personal family tie to the United States such as an American father? If not, its really a strange answer. Imagine if growing up in the USA I would have stated that my dream is to be Brazilian soldier but no connection to Brazil. Time to refer for psychological testing. Now if he had said astronaut that would be very different.

[BritManToo]

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

Does this student have a personal family tie to the United States such as an American father? If not, its really a strange answer. Imagine if growing up in the USA I would have stated that my dream is to be Brazilian soldier but no connection to Brazil. Time to refer for psychological testing. Now if he had said astronaut that would be very different.

Kid probably just watched Rambo.

[sanuk711]

I was surprised to know you can join the USA Army not being American--then I remembered that we (Britain ) had a world boxing champion (we don't get that many) who done 2 years in the Marines, before he came back to Britain and won the Middleweight world title in the 60s.......got to be old to remember listening that fight on the radio................

[Tim207]

23 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Does this student have a personal family tie to the United States such as an American father? If not, its really a strange answer. Imagine if growing up in the USA I would have stated that my dream is to be Brazilian soldier but no connection to Brazil. Time to refer for psychological testing. Now if he had said astronaut that would be very different.

 

Not really so strange. TV shows, movies, video games could be the inspiration. It could also be a rural kid coming into contact with US soldiers doing a rural development project in his village. 

[Jingthing]

6 minutes ago, Tim207 said:

 

Not really so strange. TV shows, movies, video games could be the inspiration. It could also be a rural kid coming into contact with US soldiers doing a rural development project in his village. 

Yeah its probably from movies and video games. 

[LomSak27]

Just now, BritManToo said:

Just now, Jingthing said:

Does this student have a personal family tie to the United States such as an American father? If not, its really a strange answer. Imagine if growing up in the USA I would have stated that my dream is to be Brazilian soldier but no connection to Brazil. Time to refer for psychological testing. Now if he had said astronaut that would be very different.

Kid probably just watched Rambo.

 

Finding non US citizens serving in the US armed forces was not uncommon in the 80's, let alone today.

 

If they serve honorably for five years they stand an excellent chance of getting US citizenship. And if they put in twenty they would qualify for a military pension which would set them up if living in Thailand. They probably know of someone who has done it.  

I bet it does <deleted> the teacher off. I recall the Mexican police got strappy about a US marine funeral in Mexico. Perhaps they need an emotional support animal?! 

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, LomSak27 said:

 

Finding non US citizens serving in the US armed forces was not uncommon in the 80's, let alone today.

 

If they serve honorably for five years they stand an excellent chance of getting US citizenship. And if they put in twenty they would qualify for a military pension which would set them up if living in Thailand. They probably know of someone who has done it.  

I bet it does <deleted> the teacher off. I recall the Mexican police got strappy about a US marine funeral in Mexico. Perhaps they need an emotional support animal?! 

Yes I'm well aware of that. Mostly Mexicans and Central Americans. Not usual for Thais.

[LomSak27]

Just now, Jingthing said:

Not usual for Thais.

 

Maybe they were more visible in decades past. I have ran into ex US military a number of times out in isaan. These were not Vietnam war era per se, but they might have got a job at an airbase, or a father or relative did, then were able to join the army later on.

 

There was a guy who had a restaurant right by Khon Kaen bus station, retired. However he had spent too long in the US. He did not like it back home. Too much corruption. Definitely not joking.

[Artisi]

3 hours ago, ThreeEyedRaven said:

I give the teacher a fail for this. The question was, What is your dream job? The student answered the question. 

I don't see provisos attached to the question that would make the answer incorrect.

Correct, answered the question, I don't understand all the cr*p about green cards,  citizenship etc - <deleted> to do with what was asked. 

Edited March 6, 2021 by metisdead
Profane acronym removed.

[Fex Bluse]

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

Does this student have a personal family tie to the United States such as an American father? If not, its really a strange answer. Imagine if growing up in the USA I would have stated that my dream is to be Brazilian soldier but no connection to Brazil. Time to refer for psychological testing. Now if he had said astronaut that would be very different.

 

Close, but no cigar, as the expression goes 

 

There are but a handful of reputable militaries on earth in modern history 

 

UK, USA, Japan 

 

That's basically it

 

Brazil... Do they even have one? 

 

At least this Thai kid didn't say People's Liberation Army! 

[Jingthing]

8 minutes ago, Fex Bluse said:

 

Close, but no cigar, as the expression goes 

 

There are but a handful of reputable militaries on earth in modern history 

 

UK, USA, Japan 

 

That's basically it

 

Brazil... Do they even have one? 

 

At least this Thai kid didn't say People's Liberation Army! 

Pretty rude question about Brazil. 

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_Armed_Forces

 

 

Brazil's armed forces are the second largest in the Americas, after the United States, and the largest in Latin America by the level of military equipment, with 334,500 active-duty troops and officers.

 

Edited March 6, 2021 by Jingthing

[Captain Monday]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

Kid probably just watched Rambo.

Maybe he watched Tropic Thunder. Parents and teachers should not be crunching dreams. Rejecting everything I was told when I was a teen was the best thing I ever did. Certainly there is a way, perhaps get into a US college first.

US Military service offers even a fast track to citizenship.

 

[bermondburi]

1 hour ago, sanuk711 said:

I was surprised to know you can join the USA Army not being American--then I remembered that we (Britain ) had a world boxing champion (we don't get that many) who done 2 years in the Marines, before he came back to Britain and won the Middleweight world title in the 60s.......got to be old to remember listening that fight on the radio................

Not so strange. Commonwealth citizens can join the British army. 

[tifino]

I can see the teacher getting into trouble more for basically implying that Thai Education itself is  ot good enough for the student to reach sufficient recognisable qualifications...

[DavisH]

2 hours ago, ThreeEyedRaven said:

I give the teacher a fail for this. The question was, What is your dream job? The student answered the question. 

I don't see provisos attached to the question that would make the answer incorrect.

I thought the point of 'dream jobs' is that, by and large, they are unrealistic. 

My son did a project on this just this week. He want's a be a bow hunter in Montana or some such place. He's into archery. But he has foreign teachers, so no problem with that:) 

[DavisH]

And is it no wonder why Thai kids don't ask questions or express opinions. If you do meet one, they probably didn't have Thai teachers for their formal education. 

[Bluespunk]

32 minutes ago, Fex Bluse said:

There are but a handful of reputable militaries on earth in modern history 

 

UK, USA, Japan 

Considering the war crimes, atrocities and brutality of the imperial Japanese forces in the 30s and 40s I would hardly say they were reputable...

[AlfHuy]

A friend just told me the following, her friend of friend did tell her:

 

A kid in the USA was asked which career he is dreaming about.

 

He: To become a military or police officer in Thighland, not because he likes this kind of career but because of the financial "extra" rewards, wearing a uniform.

 

Smart kid.

[AlfHuy]

21 minutes ago, DavisH said:

I thought the point of 'dream jobs' is that, by and large, they are unrealistic. 

My son did a project on this just this week. He want's a be a bow hunter in Montana or some such place. He's into archery. But he has foreign teachers, so no problem with that:) 

I was dreaming about being a "women's hunter" and now, later in life, starting to live my dream.