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...
Brian
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
I moved from Thailand to Shanghai, China then back to the UK.
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
I worked in Thailand on and off for about three years mostly in government schools.
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
Better career options. I felt I had gone as far as I could go as regards the teaching scene in Thailand and wanted to try another country to experience something new.
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
Well right now I'm back in the UK and have been struggling to look for meaningful work. So I've decided to become a full-time student again and embark on a career in social work for a new challenge.
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
Almost everything: the weather, the people, the lifestyle and the excellent quality of food. I also miss being able to be on an beautiful beach only a couple of hours away from where I used to live.
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
I would advise a new teacher to gain a starting position in Thailand and possibly stay for one or two years but don't stay too long as you can get stuck in a bit of a rut. At least that is how I found it at a government school. Maybe it is a little different working for an international school.
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
Yeah, certainly. Myself and my partner plan to return to Thailand on holiday but not sure if I would like to teach in the country full time again. Almost everyday I think about returning for a few weeks in order to recharge my mental state.
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
I think Thailand is a great place to begin your teaching career but don't stay too long in the one position. If you are planning on staying for the long haul I would recommend doing the PGCE and trying to gain a position in an international school. I would also recommend China if your fancy a change of pace and scenery. It is a country that is so diverse and has a lot to offer the new or mid range teacher. On the whole I found the teaching environment to be a lot more professional and student focused.
My last piece of advice would be not to return to the UK without a real career plan in place. I thought I would pick up work quite easily with my experience but it has proved to be a long difficult slog and something I would not want anyone else to make the mistake of repeating. Also the reverse culture shock is something that has hit me hard and to a certain extent effected my mental health.
Lynken
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
About 7 years ago, I decided to move to mainland China from Thailand.
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
I worked in Thailand for about 3 years before moving to China. I was an ajarn at Mahidol University.
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
I wanted to learn Chinese.
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
Well, I actually just left China, but the advantages were - much higher pay, free housing, a plethora of high-paying job opportunities so that one can never really be out of work (unless you are very picky), a chance to save quite a bit of money, and the chance of learning a more international language. There were many disadvantages as well.
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
I missed the food scene in Thailand the most, not just Thai food, but also the international cuisine which is present everywhere in Bangkok. I also missed the comparative politeness of the Thai people, and the cleanliness in Thailand in terms of food preparation and the general state of the bathrooms etc.
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
It depends on your goals. A teacher can save a great deal of money in China, as the salaries are, on average, much higher than in Thailand, and they offer free housing in China (as I mentioned). However, the management in China is often problematic. You must look at every line of the contract very carefully. Also, as I've mentioned there are serious issues of sanitation in China, which are present in Thailand but to a much lesser degree.
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
Yes, I am currently planning on working in Thailand this coming school year.
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
Not at this moment
Denis
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
Back to the UK in September, 2013.
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
About 6 years
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
I had no degree and my school could no longer work their magic in getting me another waiver. They had their methods, all of which were legal, but these loopholes disappeared. The school also offered to keep me on (if I worked on a non O without a work permit), but I didn't fancy that.
I returned to do a degree in Education. I graduate in a few months time and plan on returning to 'do things properly'.
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
Well, I only work part-time as I'm a full-time student. Main advantages are no red-tape with visas/permits etc. And what the boss says, is usually true (no grey areas, like in Thailand). However, the only part-time work available for most full-time students in the UK is bar and shop work.
Having old pals seeing me stack shelves in the local supermarket (after they thought I had it made etc) has been a bit soul destroying, but I just remind myself that I'm about to graduate with a degree in Education to console myself.
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
1. My wife. I couldn't afford to bring her over on a student's income. She works in a school in Thailand as a receptionist (not one I worked at). The separation has been really tough for us both.
2. The weather.
3. The food.
4. Old friends (Thai and western).
5. And of course...teaching in Thailand in general! (not for everyone, but I loved it).
6. Riding to work on my Honda Wave (seeing the monks collecting alms on the way to work etc).
7. The friendliness of Thai people in general.
8. Footy Saturday nights (beer and watching Premier League footy with friends)
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
Depends. Overall, I think a young teacher would be better off getting a few years experience teaching in their own country and then applying for a job at a top international school in Thailand.
For older guys (over 40 or so) then I would try and get a degree in Education (or post grad in Ed) and try for some of the lower level inters or Bilingual schools. Perhaps even a few years in the middle-east (although that is getting risky nowadays) if the retirement fund needs sorting out?
I would always recommend Thailand over the UK as a place to live, but you need to be earning a decent salary for it to be worthwhile. At least 60k per month in my opinion. This may include private work/second job in a language centre a few nights a week for many in Thailand.
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
This year. Probably in September (to live and work, of course).
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
Thailand now has some of the toughest requirements in the world for foreign teachers. The days of teaching with no degree and doing visa runs is well and truly over.
Don't cry and moan about it (like I did at first). Thailand owes you nothing. It is what it is. Life is about sacrifices and to stay in Thailand long-term (as a teacher), you'll need a B.Ed or PGCE/M.Ed or similar. A degree in Business Studies won't do anymore (long term).
If you love teaching in Thailand, don't wait for your waivers to run out. Get on a course as soon as you can (by distance learning or at a Thai university if you really don't fancy going back 'home').
And if you are teaching with no degree and are not making moves to do a degree (in Thailand/by distance or at a university in your own country), then your days are well and truly numbered unless you take your head out of the sand.
Thomas
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
I returned home to Australia in March 2016.
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
I was there for two years. I worked for a small government school in Bangkok for the first twelve months and then moved to a larger government school for my second year. The second school was an agency job. The first school was a direct hire.
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
So many reasons but I'll give you just three.
1) When you work as a teacher in Thailand, there are just too many grey areas. No one seems to know the right answer to anything, be it something to do with visas or something to do with work permits. The red tape just wears you down eventually.
2) I had already had two teacher licence waivers and I didn't fancy applying for a third and going through the pain of it all again. I felt there was no way I would keep getting granted a licence waiver and I didn't have the funds to study for a degree.
3) I was constantly struggling to make ends meet on a government school salary. I realize that it was partly my fault for choosing to live in a big city but I really didn't fancy teaching at a rural school purely to make my salary go further.
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
Well I haven't settled into any regular work yet but obviously once I'm back in the system, I'll be entitled to all the benefits you receive as a citizen working in your own country.
I've had several job offers already but I'm taking my time over the next move - and no, I won't be going back into English teaching.
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
I made a lot of good friends while I was there - both foreign and Thai - and I'm sure I'll keep in touch with all of them on social media.
I miss the weekends away. Every so often a group of us teachers would have a wild weekend in Pattaya or Hua Hin. A lot of fun times and great memories there!
I'm already missing that delicious Thai food of course. My neighborhood in Bangkok had some fantastic cheap eateries and because I was a regular customer, they always looked after me.
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
Yes, but it's something I would only do for a year or two. Don't make any long-term plans, especially if you don't have a degree because it's getting tougher and tougher for those without. That said, I think the Thai culture is fascinating and well worth your time getting to know. You will also meet and connect with some great people (you'll work with some unbelievable oddballs too)
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
For a holiday, definitely. There is still so much of the country that I haven't explored. But it would be nice to go back as a tourist, with a pocketful of spending money instead of trying to stretch things out on a teacher's salary.
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. If you're a methodical planner and like everything to run smoothly and just so, then Thailand will push you to your limits and it will make or break you.
Josh
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
I moved back to the UK in March 2015; initially to Staffordshire and then later to Manchester.
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
For 1 year and 8 months. I started with the company who I did my TEFL course with and was placed at a sports school in Surat Thani. I then moved onto another agency, again in Surat, working at a much larger secondary school. I then moved to a bilingual school in Phuket to be closer to my girlfriend and also be able to teach the UK curriculum.
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
I was certain that teaching was something I wanted to make a career out of, so I moved back to complete a PGCE and gain QTS to give myself the best training available and the best opportunities in the future. I was more than content with my life in Phuket. I had been given the pick of the best classes at my school, I was earning a very respectable wage, and my personal life was great. However, the lure of being offered a PGCE programme at the number one university for education and the long term benefits were too great - even if it meant almost a year and a half away from my girlfriend!
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
I am currently on my second placement school so I think I'm well placed to answer this. Advantages include being mentored, managed and generally being led by people who are actually competent at what they do and have the qualifications and experience to match. In Thailand, it was becoming increasingly frustrating being told what to do, or taking advice (patronisingly so) from some people who had no better qualifications (degree & TEFL) or experience than I had - in some cases even less! Looking back on some of that now, it's clear how incompetent some of them really were!!
Generally, students in the UK are able to access high order thinking skills more than their Thai counterparts (sorry for the sweeping statement). They can be more critical in analysing and evaluating which I noticed Thai students can struggle with. On the other hand, Thai students are far more diligent in what they do and their respect and behaviour levels are, on the whole, significantly better than UK students.
Lastly, not having a daily fear of death commuting to and from school is something which has, naturally, been an advantage of moving back!
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
First thing that comes to mind is the kindness and welcoming spirit of the Thais. People in the UK are so depressed, angry and doggedly competitive; it's as if someone is always out to get you. The weather and food is another thing I miss a hell of a lot; it definitely has an impact of people's moods and general happiness, although, living in Manchester has allowed me to keep myself topped up with half decent Thai food! Unquestionably, the biggest thing I miss is my girlfriend. We have stayed together throughout this period and we are both counting the days until I'm back in Thailand to stay.
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
I would say that Thailand is a great starting place for new TEFLers. There are plenty of others in the same position and most areas have a good community of expats and locals to socialise with. A lot of teachers in Thailand have an axe to grind against the teachers who are clearly not there for teaching/career purposes, rather, to just have an extended holiday. For me, as long as they were doing their job properly then I didn't care what their primary motive was for being there.
So I wouldn't discourage these types from going to Thailand and teaching, as some Thais don't exactly take education too seriously themselves, particularly in some of the less established schools(I'm thinking of teaching techniques such as copy copy copy, and playing on smartphones at the front of the class). Just be respectful, be prepared to work hard when needs be and for things to rarely go according to plan.
If you haven't committed yourself to Thailand fully after 3-4 years - i.e. getting into a relationship, buying property etc., then I would suggest moving elsewhere as a TEFL teacher or becoming a qualified teacher, as the benefits (wage, working conditions) in Thailand are not very competitive with other countries.
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
Yes, absolutely. One of the main reasons for becoming a qualified teacher was to be able to go back to Thailand and work in an international school. I was very close to securing a position at a very good British school last month but lost out to a guy simply because he had a partner who could fill another position at the school - annoying but I'll keep plugging away!
I'm also returning in a few weeks for the Easter holidays.
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
Do as much research as you can into schools/agencies that may offer you a position before you arrive in Thailand. There are a lot of cowboys out there. The company I came out with ripped me and the others off quite a bit. Also, don't worry if you haven't got any friends to join you. I came by myself and you soon find lots of others in the same position as you. It's a great adventure!
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