The Ajarn Postbox

This is the place to air your views on TEFL issues in Thailand. Most topics are welcome but please use common sense at all times. Please note that not all submissions will be used, particularly if the post is just a one or two sentence comment about a previous entry.

Latest Letter Received: "The new possibility of getting a teacher licence upcountry" (sent in by John Penney)

Hot Seat

Loads of hot seat interviews for you to peruse, and the full list includes academic directors, teacher trainers, happy teachers, disillusioned teachers, and a whole plethora of characters that play their part in the exciting world of Thailand TEFL. If you've got a story to tell - why not put yourself in the ajarn.com hot seat?

Recent Hot Seat interviewees include Neil McDonough, Marek Lenarcik, Marko Cunningham and Jason Alavi

Ajarn Competitions

We've got two ajarn competitions running at the moment. You can either win a sporty white ajarn.com polo shirt or enter our Macmillan Education competition and take home some EFL textbook goodies. Or why not enter both and try your luck?

Phil’s Memory Lane

A light-hearted look at some of the things Bangkokians once took for granted but are now nothing more than a distant memory. Your contributions welcome.

Is it doom or gloom?

Job vacancies seem to be down on this time last year and we're hearing stories of some government schools slashing budgets and not being able to take on foreign teachers next term. In addition the corporate job market seems to have hit rock bottom. What do you teachers think?

House of horrors two

Teacher Ralph Sasser has now returned to America. After being duped by building contractors here in Thailand, it's the only way he can save enough money to get the job finished and realize his dreams.

People without formal teaching qualifications

Some would say controversial words from 'Oooh that hurts'. What is it about untrained teachers that really gets his goat?

The Great Escape

Are you a teacher who once taught in Thailand but decided to seek out pastures new? Has the grass been greener on the other side? Maybe you swapped Thailand for the financial lure of Japan or Korea? Read about those who have left Thailand, and their reasons for moving...

The latest escapee was James Vincent

Dave’s Journey

(updated 10th March 2010)

Inspired by our story about Julia, we’re also tracking the progress of Dave Montgomery as he prepared for life in Thailand as a teacher. Dave’s situation is slightly different to Julia’s. He’s married to a Thai lady already and he intends to teach in the city of Udon Thani - up in the North East of Thailand. And his father-in-law is also a teacher!

Julia’s Journey

(updated 14th January 2010)

Ajarn.com is documenting the story of one female teacher as she prepared to give up life in her homeland and head out to Thailand to teach English. Hopefully her journal will give inspiration and information to those about to embark on a similar journey. Let’s begin at the beginning and let Julia introduce herself.

Phil's Front Page Comment

One of the hottest topics for new teachers in Thailand (and long-termers) is how to find good apartment accommodation. In our latest ajarn hot seat interview, Neil McDonough of EasyHomes in Bangkok explains why a good percentage of his clients are teachers and even if you are looking for something on a limited budget - a good property agent is never going to turn his nose up. And for those who follow our Dave's Journey feature, for a fleeting moment it actually looked as if Dave was going to lose his job at the school he loves.We've also announced the winners of our Macmillan Education competition and we've got new blog articles from Tom Tuohy and Tony Dabbs, ajarn.com's health insurance expert.

The Ajarn Guide for Newbies

New to Thailand? If you've just arrived in Thailand or you're sitting at home thinking about coming to Thailand -- then the newbie FAQ is a good place to start.

The Cost of Living

Find out how different people survive on their teacher salaries. Is it possible to burn through a fortune on entertainment alone? Will 40,000 baht a month get you a much better standard of living than 30,000 a month? Phil has the answers. You decide how much you need to survive either in the rurals or in big bad Bangers.

Our latest interviews break down Gareth's 35-55,000 Baht per month/month income and Barry's 50,000/month income

The Work Permit and Visa FAQ

Thailand has quite possibly the most complex visa system on the planet. Ask ten different people about a certain visa and you'll probably get eleven different answers. We'll do our best to give you the most accurate information possible with the help of the FAQ and our 'visa guru'

Not long ago we answered the question Do I have to return to my own country to obtain a work visa?

Health Insurance

Be prepared for the worst - with Thai health insurance options. So many teachers live and work in Thailand without any kind of health cover whatsoever. What are your insurance options if you suddenly find that youth is passing you by and you still see your long-term future here? And are schools that offer you 'free health insurance' really offering you something worthwhile? Read Phil's article on Thai health insurance.

Region Guides

Only the ajarn.com region guides are written by teachers... for teachers. If you are thinking of teaching out in the boonies, then find out about various towns and cities around Thailand by reading our unique guides. Is there a supermarket? And will it have Jaffa Cakes? The Lonely Planet books can't always be trusted you know.

Recently information on the Phang Nga and Ayutthaya regions was brought up to date.

Your Questions Answered

We've totally re-organized the 'question' section so hopefully it should be easier to find what you're looking for. We have eight sections including visa issues, legal issues, worriers, working and surviving in rural Thailand, etc. Take a look.