Back story. Gai and Mai, the tuk tuk taxi family, have been struggling to make ends meet because their primary livelihood comes from tourists. Three facts have meshed to slow the tourist traffic: 1. political instability leading to an army coup, 2. violence in the southern beach country which has been widely publicized in Europe and Australia, and 3. the collapse of the Russian rouble which has stopped the sizable Russian tourist traffic. Therefore, Gai/Mai's daughter, also named Mai, had to drop out of school to go to work. She does have a good job, McDonald's, which pays 42B per hour, or about $10. for an 8 hour day. Incidental that's what Poe, the university grad. in the house where I stay, makes and is a typical adult Thai wage.
Today we went to the school, much like a community college, to register Mai. Tuition for a year plus the necessary school uniforms cost $600. I'm also working on plan to help the family so she will not have to drop out of school to work. She will work part time while she's in school.
The school has an enrollment over 1000 students. Her first year will be general courses after which she can specialize She's interested in pursuing hotel management. She will turn 17 in three weeks. She's shy, serious and a good worker. She's happy in McDonald's kitchen.
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| Mai registering for school |
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| The school |
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| ATCC are the initials of the school. |
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