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FTC Educational services

FTC Educational services review: Bad employee 26

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3:40 pm EDT
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This agency is run by a South African man named Arthur Wood. The company are great with first impressions- putting their staff up in plush apartments for the first month, making all sorts of promises and future prospects look likely. However, after a month or so of being employed, the employees of this company soon realise the real FTC and the real Arthur Wood.
FTC educational services, is a huge company based all over Asia in Hong Kong, China, Thailand and Japan- operated illegally I may add via its main office in a back alley of Pakkret, Nonthaburi. Employing people without visas, encouraging people to work on tourist visas in order for Fat Cat Arthur to not have to pay governmental taxes.
The director of the company is Arthur's wife, whose nickname is Jib. She is the most frugal woman you will ever meet. Constantly trying to deduct wages from the teachers whether it be for electricity, attendance or any other excuse she can make up.
There is nothing professional about this agency. Their main port of business is their facebook page, Arthur rarely responds to emails and never answers the phone. Instead, he hands his phone over to his wife who pretends to act as though he isn't there at the moment. I've been present when this has happened- so I have seen it first hand.
Arthur has a lot of money, whether from a business or from South Africa/his home - I'm unsure but he uses this to create impressions and flashes it around in front of his staff so that they feel secure but as soon as he has you in his grasp via a shabby, meaningless contract- he will begin to mess with you.
If you decide to leave the agency, because you have some level of self respect, and you tell Arthur- he will not pay you your final salary. People have to sneak around and wait patiently for their salaries before they can leave, knowing full well that he will steal it from you unlawfully but say it's because you didn't give notice. However, even if you do give notice he will go out of his way to keep your money and slander your name across the board.
One friend of mine managed to get out of FTC whilst he could, but Arthur got wind of the new school he was intending to go to after securing employment. Arthur went to the school and convinced them that my friend was unworthy of employment, to which the job offer was retracted and my friend was left unemployed.
If you confront Arthur about anything, he will turn on you. He is an evil evil man with no morals and hopefully one day- he will get his comeuppance.
I cannot believe that there are no other complaints on this forum about this horrendous agency.

Do not work for them. They are useless, unprofessional and will employ you illegally.

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Update by ajarn123
May 11, 2012 12:49 pm EDT

Your daughter would be a FOOL to work for this man. It's nothing to do with disgruntled employees. He is renowned for scamming people of their money. Does your daughter have a degree?

Update by ajarn123
May 11, 2012 12:51 pm EDT

A perfect example of Arthur's lack of professionalism is his facebook page. His sharing of inappropriate material for an education provider and his lack of communication from his staff. He sacked one member of staff for no reason over facebook! The changed his mind and took said member of staff back without an apology. I cannot explain to you enough just how much this man will make a misery of her experience in Thailand. I'm not talking crap because I was disgruntled, I left on my own accord to find a better job but I had to do it all in secret!

Update by ajarn123
May 11, 2012 12:52 pm EDT

https://www.facebook.com/ftceducationalservices- his business page

However, it is his personal page that conveys his true character.

Update by ajarn123
Jun 24, 2012 9:03 pm EDT

I'm slightly confused 'Kevs' about the relevance of your post?

26 comments
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itismeagain
ZA
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May 06, 2012 8:25 pm EDT

I agree 100%

I was stuck in Nonthaburi in that grotty [censored]hole for over a month, with no pay (after I worked about 60hours) and then they charged me 3500baht for “utilities” (I only had a bed and a dresser in my room – no aircon, fridge or TV).

Then I got transfered to Tha Phra where I sat for a month not working at all, after numerous promises of extra teaching jobs. When I finally got to the school where I was supposed to teach, I found that the school is paying that fat idiot (Arthur Wood) 38000baht a month for each and every of his students (more or less the going rate in Thailand), but he only offered me a salary of 22000baht, so he pocketed a nice 16000baht for every teacher from just that one school.

As for the workpermit and visa (I wanted to do it the right way), he offered to “advance” me the 8000baht for a ticket to Kuala Lamphur to apply for the visa. I paid my own visa (I didn’t mind paying the 2200baht for that), but a month later he wanted to charge me 11000baht for the ticket to Malaysia. When I asked him where he got that amount from, he said he had it on file. The receipt that I got from his money grabbing wife (Jib) the day before I left was only for 8000baht. A few weeks later i found out that on exactly the same flight from the same airline, the ticket actually only cost 4800baht as they had some or other special running at that time. So another 6200baht he tried to steal from me.

So please people, do not work for this man, I am sure he is related directly to the devil (if he is not the devil himself…)

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thinkngal
Nambour, AU
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May 11, 2012 8:32 am EDT

Oh boy! My daughter is very keen to sign up with these people, she met Arthur last week and was charmed. My husband went with her as he can usually smell a rat but came away pleased that all seemed well. I told my daughter what I've read here and she is of the opinion what do I expect from disgruntled ex employees but I am really worried she will end up going and have a terrible experience. If there is any more information you can give me please do!

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teachnonthaburi
TH
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May 13, 2012 9:56 pm EDT

Hopeless, illegal agency. Unlike your daughter, I went for an interview and saw the immediate signs. Small grotty office in the middle of nowhere, low hourly rate for private work, trying to get me to sign a contract before I'd even seen a prospective school, Arthur and his wife were 80 minutes late for an interview THEY organised and did not pick up the phone when I tried to contact them and find out where they were.

Made promises they couldn't keep, I'm glad I didn't bother following it up and went to another agency - you should know they recently lost a lot of contracts with schools because of poor business ethics. Unless your daughter does not have a degree, which would mean she could not work legally as a teacher in Thailand anyway, she should go elsewhere.

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GJW2107
TH
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May 20, 2012 8:23 pm EDT
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I also had a shocking experience with Arthur and FTC. I was promised a job and a transfer to Bangkok to begin work. I gave up my accommodation expecting the promised tickets to arrive. Arthur was all of a sudden unreachable and when he was available quickly promised to rectify the situation the following day. This situation persisted for several days causing me immense distress and aggravation as it was high season on Koh Samui and I was essentially homeless for this period due to everything being fully booked. Clear communication was all that was required and he was incapable of it. I eventually decided that this was not the sort of person I would want to have a professional relationship with and wrote him a message to that effect. The vitriol I received in reply was unbelievable. I was honestly shocked at his response but also quietly relieved that I had actually managed to 'dodge a bullet'. As the months progressed more and more stories of his fraud and neglect continued to emerge. Hearsay being what it is, I can only relate my own personal experience and would strongly advise any prospective student to steer well clear of him. I have a wonderful position now that I procured through a highly professional and efficient agency. There are good people out there! Arthur, however, is certainly not one of them.

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kevs
TH
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Jun 24, 2012 7:10 pm EDT

Not a nice thing to do to anyone hope your daughter can get over this set back, can be hard if there confidence has been destroyed by others, in the past making another abuse situation very sad. i have had some losses in my life that only a few people have understood and it is good to find someone who will spend time with you. Hope your daughter finds such a person and that she is able to trust them with personal events. Nice people who look past the hurt that your feeling are so important to you and when you lose them it leaves you feeling lost and hurt as when the trauma happened. I hope this does not happen to your daughter and that she is allowed to have a friend she trusts and does not have her chance to be helped poisoned by those who selfishly destroy a wonderful healing process, that goes deep beyond the normal mundane one level relationship, where both can share and both can feel the pain the other is suffering. You are a wonderful supportive parent and person and have a deep understanding and if allowed too would be a able to be a woman who would risk all to help a true friend who really needed you. Hope you keep up yur good work and look forward to reading more posts.

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1teacher1
Clemmons, US
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Oct 10, 2012 5:09 am EDT

I recently came to work for him at a school in Changping, China. He told me that I would be teaching 20 classes per week and that I would be in a fully furnished apartment. When I got there the schedule changed and I had to teach over 30 lessons a week. I tried to call arthur to talk about paying me extra because i was working a lot more than he originally said i would, but he never would return my emails. The name of the school is St. Lorraine. Its a good school and the kids and staff are great but unfortunately the school works with a criminal who cheats and steals from the teachers so I only worked there for 1 month before I quit and went to work at another school. If you work for arthur wood, be careful. He is a liar and a criminal. He cheats the teachers and the schools and the innocent children suffer the most because no good teachers will stay at the school for longer than a month or two

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thinkngal
Nambour, AU
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Oct 27, 2012 5:02 am EDT

All I can say so far so good, although the promised air ticket did not arrive and we paid her fare to BKK. She is hoping for reimbursement but after reading your posts I'm not so sure she'll get it. So far he has been very charming and she had a class today as an introduction and starts her job on Monday 8.30 - 3pm with offer of work on weekends if she wants it. She is finding her way around, making contacts etc. so maybe if it turns out an untenable situation with FTC she will be able to get another job. She has a graduate degree in education so I don't see that she'll have much difficulty getting work. I will keep you informed!

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thinkngal
Nambour, AU
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Nov 18, 2012 9:11 pm EST

Ok, here's the update. I'm now in the picture regarding Arthur. He is making my daughter's life a living hell. She overstayed her visa by 3 days unknowingly and he says don't worry! She renewed and payed 3000 Bart fine but was only giving another 7 day visa. Authur says he will get her flight to Kualu Lumpur either tomorrow or wednesday. She is seriously considering returning home, her enthusiasm has been destroyed. It's so sad, when there's no need for her to be treated this way. Btw there's been no reimbursement for plane ticket, as I suspected. She is hoping to be paid but I'm begining to wonder if that'll happen. Where is his honour?

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Concerned catholic
TH
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Nov 24, 2012 7:13 pm EST

A human slavery scam on a mass scale. Interpol need to be notified.

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thinkngal
Nambour, AU
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Dec 01, 2012 10:09 pm EST

I would love to hear which agencies others have found to be reputable...if you know of any please let me know.

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sunny2012
Leicester, GB
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Dec 04, 2012 4:31 am EST

I second that - me and a friend were thinking about spending a bit of time whilst travelling working for this man, as we heard good things about him and the company previously.. however reading this makes me think twice and would like to know if anyone has found better companies to work for, what these companies are and where they are located. Thanks a lot.

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FTC Management
CN
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Dec 04, 2012 5:52 am EST
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John Law, Sian overstayed her visa on her own...we do not keep teachers passports...her colleagues reminded her to check her passport..our staff did likewise...she failed to follow through...FTC Management told her prior to coming out, not to come to Thailand in October as it is our mid-term break...she failed to follow through and paid her own way...we arranged accommodation for her...FTC Management bought her an airticket to Hong Kong...step one to sort her visa out and to follow and get her Non Immigrant B visa and then the Work Permit...she cancelled the trip to KL ...seems like we are not hearing the same story...she said that you had a double heart attack and was comatosed...was thinking of emailing you to wish you a speedy recovery...and for Paul Tomasello...the school you taught at informed FTC that they paid you for fir all the extra hours you did...

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FTC Management
CN
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Dec 04, 2012 5:57 am EST
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FTC...the most popular English Training Centers...we haven't lost any contracts...so that comment was irrelevant...we are expanding ...

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Rufus Firefly
US
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Jan 11, 2013 5:45 am EST
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It's obvious what this guy cares about - his making money and not the situations he leaves people in. Best to avoid this "business" at all costs.

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FTC Management
CN
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Jan 14, 2013 3:30 am EST
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Ajarn123 and Rufus Firefly..to each their own...why do people open up langauge schools and businesses...we are not a charitable institution...if you were to a ertain degree an academic or intellectual you will notice that the person who started the first post...wrote ' FTC Educational Services-Bad Employee"..she is totally confused...should read 'Bad Employer"...we know her...there are other institutions in South East Asia..like Inlingua..Wall Street..etc..etc...you can ask them for work...not all of our teachers are gullible...believe everything that they read or hear...the proof of the pudding is in the eating of it"

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FTC Management
CN
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Jan 14, 2013 8:16 am EST
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FTC English Training Centers and FTC English Play Spaces are very much popular in Thailand.Reputable...'The Biggest and the Best teaching team in Thailand! FTC Educational Services!

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FTC Management
CN
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Jan 15, 2013 12:15 am EST
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Teacher's Weekend Away...Teachers get together Dinner Functions...

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FTC Management
CN
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Jan 15, 2013 1:22 am EST
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Happy Teacher's Day to all of our wonderful FTC teaching staff!

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FTC Management
CN
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Jan 15, 2013 3:16 am EST
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Happy Teacher's Day! To our vibrant and dynamic team of teachers!

Cocoscent
Cocoscent
FR
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Feb 04, 2013 8:26 pm EST
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This place is a nightmare like Freddie Kruger once you get sucked into it your lights will dim and darkness will surround you on your prison days! Arthur Wood is the most dishonest lying creature I have ever come across and he made me suffer for to the point where I saw Doctors due to stress because of him! I started working under him (FTC) in September 2009 and build up an immaculate working record at my schools Yeam Sa Ard Kindergarten in Lad Prao. At first I did summer camps at Kindergarten running the Fun Language under Khun Pink and later ran it at Yeam Sa Ard Primary also situated in Lad Prao. Things went well, I had a well structured attendance record and good reviews always from the parents and especially the kindergarten staff and school. In the mean time while I blooming in my career my boyfriend who was also promised a job still struggled on and on and our money was running out as I was the only one to support rent, food, visas, living...We were constantly fighting due to stress and eventually I lost him and he returned after 7 MONTHS without a job promised to Arthur. Yes he didn't have experience but Arthur promised in house training and well...that training involved other inexperienced "Farangs" doing their thing.

Don't even get me started on his in house 'classes' he teaches the students. This man has no business concept and don't give a damn about those students and their progression. I've been directed to a shelf full of English books and been told, there...chose what you wanna teach for the day! Are you serious?!...Like I said before he only wants peoples money, there is nothing honest and sincere about this place.

So anyway my boyfriend left and I stayed on doing what I love..teaching and taking opportunities that came my way. One of those included working some weekends in Hong Kong at a place called Nice Studio in Kowloon Tong. I did some Mock Interviews on weekends, would fly back on Sundays and resume work on Mondays as per norm. I did this in 2010 and 2011 working for my ticket back to South Africa to visit my family. This was the deal, Arthur said, U work at Nice and I pay your ticket home to visit, paid leave and you expect a Christmas bonus for your outstanding work. I thought ok sounds fair and I get to travel to Hong Kong and experience new things. I haven't seen my family for two years and missed them very much. It was an easy deal for Arthur to make knowing how I struggled in BKK in the past.

My ticked was booked without me having a say when is convenient for me and my family and I already felt dim about the trip. Arthur said he bought a return ticket for me which he did but he knew I couldn't get back without purchasing another return ticket when I leave South Africa. He didn't pay me for my leave, it was a lie and no bonus. The teacher who substituted for me was given half my salary and I was stranded back in South Africa with pennies for my holiday. I was ignored on most emails regarding my money and I was told, getting back is your obstacle and you must over come it! I was furious as I have worked hard to build a new life and a good reputation at my school and couldn't understand why he is doing this tom me, I thought I was safe, my things, my job, but I never expected this!

I made it back on time without a return ticket, I have overcome that obstacle and demanded an explanation from this man. His excuse for not paying me was some story about the Thai Law that has changed their policy paying over the Christmas period the country being a Buddhist country and all . Such ### in my life I never heard how convenient at the time I'm supposed to get my money!

So eventually after I saw I was yet again fighting a losing battle I gave up and focused on my work so I can get on with my life.
Nice Studio contacted Arthur about needing a teacher and that's where I came in. The process was VERY cunningly planned by Arthur Wood. He asked me I said yes I want to Move to Hong Kong and work at Nice as I loved the place and they are organized and have a very attractive premises. I liked the Principal and the new boss and the staff seemed friendly and helpful, all reasons to say yes! I was promised a $12 000 salary as shown in the contract, which he left me rushed to sign last minute the night before I depart!
$6 800 "living away allowance" where he put me in a room so small I could barely move with continuous undergoing construction sometimes drilling until 9 pm in the evenings. He promised me there were other teachers working under him in Hong Kong and that he would arrange a three bed roomed house with a nice kitchen, two bathrooms, living room and we could split the rent and utilities and live comfortably...I am still waiting for that comfort. A few weeks down the line when I asked him about it he said he's still looking and when I met him in Hong Kong he said he's going to look at places today. He would always leave Hong Kong dodging me.

The paying arrangement was for him to pay me on the 8th every month as my school pays him on the fifth. Every month it would be a few days late and when I addressed him about it it started involving weekdays being a reason for late payment on some public holidays falling on a weekday and so on. This I could understand but later it became a week, and then working itself up to two weeks late payment. This was unacceptable as his excuse for paying me two weeks late is he was in China! Not an excuse! During the months of September, October, November of 2013 he paid me on the 20th up to the 25th via Western Union. He paid me short for November and told me he has reached his daily limit for payments at Western Union and will transfer the rest shortly, He never did till this day and is withholding my salary for December and January.
Whenever in the past I tell him Arthur I need my money, he would say to me..I quote" You should learn to work better with your money"...yes sure when I'm not paying 9400 to Bradford for my Business studies!

Arthur Neil Wood is an empty creature with no regard to people and his actions. He's a fat cat living of other's suffering and people keep falling into his traps! I most sincerely hope you will NOT WORK FOR FTC, and spread the word to protect the innocent people who come so far for a dream and it's ripped away from them by Arthur Neil Wood. The DEVIL himself.

Feel free to contact me on my email (lloydjessica8@gmail.com) for any additional information or proof to save you from making the biggest mistake in your life regarding FTC and Arthur Wood.

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Vsop118
CN
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Feb 08, 2013 3:48 am EST
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FTC Educational Services in Thailand is a extreme bad Company! They just cheating the salary from the teachers, the fat man don't respect the labour and always lie to the teacher! Don't work for FTC Educational Services anymore, most of the schools already knows his behaviours, every time when the people give him any bad comments, he just said how professional of his company, he always post some gathering dinner photos to cheat the people to believe him. WHAT THE ****!

Remember! Don't trust him even he tell you how he can provide any qualified course to you, how he can provide any welfare to you, and how he can support you to do anything, he JUST cheating you! He will theft your salary step by step.

Do you all know how many victims now?

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Tippu
IN
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Feb 08, 2013 10:48 pm EST

I am finding you a reference today since it has been a few weeks, and it may taking you a little longer to seeing a position.

Thank you so much!

Have a good weekend,

http://www.viewdocsonline.com/document/gqt2z2

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oriel
ZA
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Feb 23, 2013 2:47 pm EST
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Arthur wood has no money in south africa. Went over to australia to work.unfortunately things did not work out and visa expired and he continued to work with no visa but to him it was normal. He is so canniving that he reported one of the other guys aand this guy and his family was deported. I left him before my ticket expired with my one year old son and pregnant. For the past 15 years he has not supported his children or even seen them. Made no effort to support them but enjoyed good times and gambling and women. Then had another child with a irish woman. Don't know if he supports that child. Later met this thai woman whose family suppose to be rich that's why he sticks like glue cos he knows where his bread is buttered. Cos its her money she makes all the rules. As a mother she will not do the noble deed and pay for child support as she is aware by now of his sons in south africa. My son was recently in a accident and he refused to assist with medical costs. Tell me what kind of parents are they. I am sure if it happened to their precious daughtet all red lights would be switched on. They are the most selfish people who looks out for themselves only as if no one else exists but them. You know what he will have his day. The saying is that every dog has his day! So you see he can't look after his own flesh and blood what makes the teachers any more important. He can do it to family who are you guys.

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Sanndwitch Makar
SO
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Feb 23, 2013 10:32 pm EST

oh my goodness me, I have just had a most splendiferous expeerience in a center in Pakkret. Although it is humbly entitled 'FTC', reflecting the benevolent karma of it's benefactor, uncle arty, it is teacher center worthy of shiva himself and if it were any better, fat cat himself would pay you to go to his most divine establishment. The highest teachers at the Taj in Bombay are not worthy of teaching cat’s pistorius excrement, but that is why he was most unfairly criticized. Why indeed most enlightened reader, come to enjoy a teaching experience at FTC, most best and fabulous in all of Pakkret township.

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somying
CH
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Sep 15, 2013 6:21 pm EDT
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""most best and fabulous in all of Pakkret township"" Bit to late for that now?! Sounds a bit like Pathumanun's pathetic Axiom, Edknovate, Smartkurve, Exact Academy and Quest language school scams or scam...

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somying
CH
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Nov 03, 2013 10:01 am EST
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