Ruamrudee International School Bangkok

antitravolta · Post by **antitravolta** » Thu Nov 01, 2012 7:29 am

Anybody have any recent updates on the school? Sounds like a lot of transition from the reviews a year or so back. Any idea if things are getting better or worse? Bangkok's one of my top places I'd like to go, but sounds a bit chaotic there.

buffalofan · Post by **buffalofan** » Thu Nov 01, 2012 2:57 pm

I know people who have recently worked there. Definitely not a top tier school, though I don't think it pretends to be one. Good luck dealing with the "brothers" who run the place, I have heard a few stories...

You'll have to weigh up how badly you want to be in Thailand. Bangkok is on a lot of peoples top places to go list, but the majority of the international schools there leave a lot to be desired. Once you weed out the religious schools and the for-profit sweatshops with Thai admin, there is not a lot left to choose from.

indogal · Post by **indogal** » Thu Nov 01, 2012 2:58 pm

If you want to go to Bangkok, you should know that Rumardee is VERY far from central Bangkok. Also, its student body is about 99% Thai. Not a bad thing & seeing as you are from the US, maybe not a bad place to get started teaching abroad. But if you have great certification (IB physics, or calculus something like that) you may want to look into NIST, which not only has a better reputation, but is more centrally located.

dpurple · Post by **dpurple** » Thu Nov 01, 2012 7:12 pm

Yes, Ruamrudee is a long way from "town" and yes, there is some disorganisation, and interference and lack of support from the Fathers; but the students are polite and respectful, and teaching is generally relaxed. More like 85% Thai.
First tier?? Probably not, but as someone who has worked in Bangkok's Tier 1 schools previously, students will get an education on par or superior to the "top" schools, as seen in IB/AP results.

antitravolta · Post by **antitravolta** » Thu Nov 01, 2012 7:41 pm

I really appreciate all the feedback. This sounds like it would be very far from my image of living in Bangkok (sitting downtown eating lots of yummy street food for example) and a bit of a sacrifice in some other places too. I'm looking for my first spot so I expect to make a sacrifice or two and I expect some challenges. Just not sure which challenges I'll prefer. Lots to think about.

durianfan · Post by **durianfan** » Thu Nov 01, 2012 10:27 pm

Definitely not top tier, but still pretty good I think. But it's very far from central Bangkok - out in the middle of nowhere.

aisha · Post by **aisha** » Thu Nov 01, 2012 11:31 pm

If you are a type A personality, who loves spending most of your time at school and have your life revolve around school then 'top tier' schools will suit you.

The money is great, the kids are wonderful, I have all the resources I need and I have learnt loads. Just being at school each day is professional development.

Some of the teachers here came from other 'top tier' schools eg. JIS, Aramco, and more or less it seems the workload and the amount of time given to the school is the same.

So because this isn't a top tier school is not necessarily a bad thing.

antitravolta · Post by **antitravolta** » Fri Nov 02, 2012 8:00 am

What is the lifestyle like there. When I pictured living in Bangkok, I figured I wouldn't need a car. You'd need one here right? Is this suburb type living Thai style?

durianfan · Post by **durianfan** » Fri Nov 02, 2012 9:34 am

It's far. You would need a car to get to central Bangkok - a good hour away if there's no traffic. Could be double that if there is traffic. The good thing is that it's really near fashion island, where you can find pretty much everything in terms of food and shopping. Best to talk to current teachers to find out what the lifestyle is like.

Zezima · Post by **Zezima** » Sun Jan 06, 2013 11:34 pm

You do not need a car to work at RIS. Many teachers live in the safe (boring?) estate which is next to the school, called Perfect Place. Some live a little further out (25 minute commute) in a local Mooban and some choose to do the long taxi commute from downtown. The area by the school is OK, but not exciting in terms of varied nightlife or restaurants. I agree with aisha that the pressure is off when you are not in the topmost tier. It depends what your career plan is and just how much time you want to devote to your job. RIS kids are very easy to work with. HS Principal is not everyone's cup of tea.

vsp200 · Post by **vsp200** » Tue Jul 30, 2013 3:52 am

RIS is not a tier 1 school. They offer terrible benefits like sub-par insurance that will not cover more than $100 a day as an outpatient and you can only use the insurance in Thailand. They are not generous at all. Airfare is tightly controlled and you have to fly the cheapest airline available home each summer. Dr. Peter, the current director, moves people around as he wishes and does not post job openings for the most qualified person. He is famous for the 5 pm Friday email notifying staff of personnel changes.

RIS is a good place to work if you want a working vacation in Thailand. Just come, have fun, enjoy yourself, and look at it as a vacation. Don't take the school too seriously or you won't be happy.