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...
Rob
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
(Presumably Rob moved to Jakarta, Indonesia fairly recently - Ajarn)
I moved to Bangkok in 2021 during the pandemic. My first location was in the Bang Kapi/Minburi area. After that, I worked in Sathorn. To be honest, I thoroughly enjoyed living in both areas. Each had their own merits and qualities. In Asok/Sathorn, it was much easier to go out to bars, watch football matches and meet up with friends after work. However, I much preferred living on the outskirts, as there was a greater sense of community, friendliness, stress-free public transport and some world class parks to enjoy, without all the craziness and hassle you get living in the centre of Bangkok (although, I know some people prefer that).
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
I had previously done a stint as a TEFL teacher back in 2014 for a couple of years, but this was my first time working in Thailand with QTS at an international school. So I guess with both stints, that would take my time working in Thailand to around 5-6 years.
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
Many international schools are gradually moving over to become IB schools, which is arguably where the future lies in post 16 education outside of the UK (where I come from). Gaining experience teaching IB and a nice bump in my take home pay each month was the main motivation for leaving. Unfortunately, international schools in Bangkok are now starting to communicate with each other to drive down salaries, benefits, insurance and flights home etc, with 90% of schools being highly profit driven business models. Don't get me wrong, teachers are paid handsomely and can live fantastic lifestyles in Bangkok and Thailand, but I feel this is probably best taken advantage of when you have some significant savings behind you and a nice investment portfolio ticking away in the background.
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
To be honest, there isn't too much to do in Jakarta, but the Islands surrounding Indonesia are world class and match up with some of the best beaches in Thailand. As previously mentioned, it's also been useful to gain some experience at a non British A-level school, which has an incredibly generous, tax-free package. This is knocking years off my financial independence age. Apartments are also much cheaper, so it's nice not having to pay through the nose for a shoebox in central Bangkok.
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
Great public transport, exploring cool little districts, walking around finding new restaurants and coffee shops, live football, cheap beer, the music scene, the amazing parks, being able to travel each weekend to the beach should you wish to...so many things. Thailand is a really cool place to live in and I'll definitely be back at some point.
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
Get qualified. Doing a stint as a TEFL teacher is great - you develop so many amazing skills e.g public speaking, organisation, confidence in the classroom etc. But to make sure you can live internationally, over the long term, look into getting your QTS. There are so many alternative routes. You can't put a price on security and your health, but getting into these international schools will cover your back in terms of being able to tuck away some coin, medical insurance, flights home to see relatives. Don't be the person that lives pay check to pay check. Loyalty means very little to Thai employers, who out of the blue will cast you aside for a fresher face when you least expect it. Luckily, this has never happened to me, but I've heard stories.
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
Yep, absolutely. Some incredible schools in Thailand. I intend to return when the time is right, but that won't be for a few years yet.
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
No
Bobby
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
I left Thailand two and a half years ago and moved back to where I grew up in rural East Anglia, England.
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
I was in Thailand for 13 years. Six years in Bangkok and seven years in Kanchanburi with my wife and two kids. I taught in a college in Bangkok, a Christian school in Kan, and finally an alternative school for four years in Nakhon Pathom.
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
High Schools. I was happy with the primary I worked in for my kids to attend but we were limited in our options for high schools. We did not earn enough to pay international school fees, and we didn't really want to move back to Bangkok for a greater choice of schools but having to live in a city.
So we decided that England would provide my daughters with a better education. While the system here is pretty broken, it's turned out to be a great decision as both girls have thrived. They love it here! My oldest has just started high school and is really achieving so much in such a short period of time.
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
When I came back I didn't really know what to do. There are a couple of large employers near my village but I really wanted to continue teaching. So I set up as a sole trader and I am teaching Thai kids online. I still had a few students left from the Covid days so got right into it. Mostly though word of mouth, I was able to build up. I currently have 48 students who learn in small groups and I teach four hours a day Monday - Friday, which gives me plenty of time to take my daughters to school. I also do four evenings at Tesco stacking shelves which I love. It keeps me busy and I have made some good friends doing it. I think working for myself has been brilliant. I always loved teaching but had become bored of working in schools with all the Thai bureaucracy. This has been a great way to stay in touch with my students and I guess it's my career, having done it for 13 years now!
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
I miss a lot. If it was just myself and my wife, we would still be there. We miss the beaches, the mountains, eating out. Life in the UK is stressful. There's so much to remember to do and to pay for. Thailand was very chilled out. However, I do not miss the schools. I see my students struggling with high school and I am so glad my girls don't have to go through it.
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
If anyone tells you that you can't make money in Thailand, ignore them! There's so much money to be made in English teaching in Thailand. You just have to be a good teacher. Learn a bit of Thai, talk to parents, there are so many opportunities. I live in England on a Thai wage plus stacking shelves at Tesco to top up (my wife is a cleaner on minimum wage) and we can afford to live here. We are not rich but we have a pretty good life here and are able to save. If we were still in Thailand we would be very, very comfortable.
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
Absolutely. We are helping my parents-in-law with their retirement house in the north and we plan to return there and retire when I am 57. My Tesco work is also being used to start a private pension which I can get at 57. It won't pay a lot but it will be enough for a simple life in rural Thailand. Obviously plans may change but we really want to settle in Thailand once my daughters finish university or get a job.
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
Can't wait to get back to Thailand next Songkran for a 3-week holiday!
Gee
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
Back home in 2020 (during COVID) and then to Cambodia in 2023.
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
I was in Thailand from 2015 - 2020 (a total of 5 years).
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
I started a family. Working in the government schools and earning 32-38K a month wasn't something I remained comfortable with as I started thinking about the future. I also didn't have a degree in education, therefore the higher tier schools were out of reach.
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
There is much easier access to international schools, which is honestly great as you can grow your career in an international school environment while you further your studies in education. However, I will say that job availability is a lot less compared to Thailand. In Thailand you can work at any government school and get a job quite easily. Here however, it is only the private schools and international schools that hire foreigners and most of the private schools are fake schools that only care about making a profit and they're not great to work at.
The local staff at the schools are a lot friendlier towards their foreign colleagues. I remember how hostile the Thai staff at the schools would be towards the foreign teachers without any cause.
I would also like to add that my child is able to attend the international school I work at. If I was still in Thailand, I would not be working at an international school nor would I be able to afford the tuition fees.
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
Everything. Literally everything. The people, the atmosphere, the food. Thailand just has that thing that I can't explain. I love Thailand and its people.
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
If you have a degree and you have no one to financially support then Thailand for sure. Cambodia is okay as well but I feel that job availability here is a lot more difficult and I see people being sold on promises of how easy it is to get jobs but end up searching for two months after they arrive, with no success.
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
Definitely! Once I have completed my degree I will be returning to Thailand.
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
If you plan on going to Thailand to teach, then have an end game plan or an exit plan. What I mean by this is that you don't want to end up getting stuck at a 30K baht paying job year after year and you've ended up wasting so much time that making any positive changes in your career in Thailand or back home will be difficult. Either come for a short stint (a year or two) or further your studies so you can get the better paying jobs. What made me leave Thailand was really the fact that I had older colleagues with Thai families that were still working in government schools and basically scraping by. I didn't want to end up the same way. So have a plan on how long you will be in Thailand for and what your next move is. For the youngsters, make sure you always have enough money for a return flight home.
James
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
Back to Canada in 2023.
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
Four years at the beginning of the 21st century and three years from 2021 to 2023.
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
Thailand changed. Children are the best reference foreign teachers can get in Thailand. After the first four years, I moved to Canada with my wife. We had an incredible life but left Canada and returned to Thailand when the Covid years arrived. I began to teach because I could, not because of any money shortage. The first year was fantastic, but then I got an increase in my salary, and the other foreign teachers got nothing. They created a plot against me that I eventually had to report to the police. Nobody will ever make me teach in Thailand's schools ever again. Just one month before my contract ended, my room teacher offered her students home tutoring in my place. I was teaching those students until the day before my departure. Despite the lies and reputation, my student's parents and the one class teacher trusted me. Soon after returning to Canada, I began teaching them online.
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
I don't teach in Canada. I am a physiotherapist who took early retirement.
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
Only the fruit and endless beaches.
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
As I said, Thailand changed. I advise everyone to stay out of Thailand because 'other foreign teacher elements'. Thai ESL teachers are better than many of those foreign teachers combined, but the foreign teachers present themselves as superior to everyone. My brother-in-law is a retired governor. Thanks to him and proper investigations, I did not end up in jail or deported.
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
Yes, certainly. Soon after my 65th birthday. I don't mind supporting the Thai economy in my retirement years.
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
There is an unbelievable shortage of native English-speaking teachers. Unfortunately, that's because our experiences drive us out of Thailand. Certain foreign teachers make money and send it back to their home country. Native speakers make money and spend it travelling "Unseen Thailand," supporting the Thai home economy. Think about it.
Chris
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
I returned to my home city of Sydney, Australia in March 2024.
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
I was there just under two years at a large private school on the outskirts of Phuket City.
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
I think there were three main reasons. Firstly, my parents are getting on a bit and aren't in the greatest of health. I'd been travelling around in Asia for about six years (working in some places and just bumming around in others) and it was probably time for me to come home for a while. Secondly, it was difficult to earn enough money to survive in Phuket (I earned 40K a month in my first year and 45K in my second) I suppose I was the classic TEFLer, looking to make a dramatic change of career in his late 40s. Finally, I just got a little bored of the day-to-day school routine, teaching the same half a dozen lessons to low-level learners.
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
It's nice to have real conversations with real people again, rather than stilted conversations with Thai staff and talking about the same old shit with teaching colleagues and listening to the same old moans. Although the job market isn't that great in Australia at the moment, I've had the chance to try new things career-wise and actually been given some decent opportunities. Most of all, I want to find hope and a sense of purpose again, to feel like life is worth living and there’s room to grow.
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
Although I complained about lack of money earlier on, one thing I do like about Thailand is how you can seriously downgrade your lifestyle and live much more cheaply if you fall on hard times, or money is running a bit short at the end of the month. That isn't always easy to do outside of Asia. I had days when I lived on a couple of hundred baht and managed OK.
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
I haven't heard anyone say this in these cost of living surveys but if you're a lowly TEFLer (like me) and you're looking at earning in the ball-park of 40K a month, don't go and live in the big cities or the tourist places like Phuket, Pattaya and Bangkok. You either won't survive or you'll be full of regret and bitterness about what you can't afford. Choose somewhere like a quiet town in the north east where you don't have the temptations and your money will go further. OK, you might get bored easier but that's better than having no money. On 40K a month, be absolutely sure what you are signing up for by teaching in Thailand and where you stand in the grand scheme of things. Those big cities can be expensive!
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
Certainly not to work, but as a holiday destination with plenty of spending money in your pocket, Thailand is hard to beat. I would never rule out coming back for a holiday.
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
There are rarely yes or no straight answers in Thailand. Every answer has strings attached or perhaps an element of doubt and uncertainty. Nothing is black and white. If you're a planner-type person who craves a semblance of order and predictability, Thailand will push you to your limits. Of course, others will see that as part of some great adventure.
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