Q1. Where did you move to and when?

Left in 1999 to Bangladesh and after a brief stint back in 2001 moved on to Indonesia, Kuwait and finally England in 2017 after short stops in Pakistan, Kazakhstan and Egypt. Since I've been back, still managed short gigs in India and Kyrgyzstan

Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?

About 7 years

Q3. What was your main reason for moving?

I used to commute across Sydney Harbour Bridge and I used to say to myself once I got bored with the view I'd pack my toothpaste and move on. Similar with Thailand. Once the nightlife got boring and the skytrain pylons looked real, it was time to look elsewhere

Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?

I work from home when I want and how much I want. No inane meetings or daft dress sense code. A fish and chip shop a 2-minute walk away, a park and a river to stretch my legs nearby. The weather may be shitty at times but when the sun is shining and the sky is blue, there is nowhere better

Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?

Not much really. I loved my weekend breaks in Kanchanaburi and street food but that's about it.

Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?

Thailand is great for younger folks. I used to look at the older people in bars or staff rooms and pray to myself I wouldn't end up like them!

Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?

Once Air Asia took off I would often fly round the region travelling or watching football. Now I'm in England, I've got 30 plus years of catching up to do in Europe so trips to Slovakia, Hungary, Germany etc sate my wanderlust

Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?

Working abroad is brilliant and I had a blast mostly despite a few crappy jobs and some proper woeful accommodation but the me of 2023 would tell the me of 1987 to either get a proper teaching degree or do some football coaching badges. I left England in 1987 with a few quid in traveller's cheques, a one way ticket to Australia and a vague idea of 12 months overseas but found myself drifting around countries and jobs and too often a hand to mouth existence