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...

Graham

20th April 2014

Q1. Where did you move to and when?

I moved back to South Africa in December of 2013, just before Christmas.

Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?

I worked in Thailand for almost exactly 2 years (teaching at 2 different government schools in Isaan for a large and well respected agency). I also completed a contract for 3 months in Burma at an international school during the summer holiday in Yangon. This was by far the most rewarding teaching experience I had in Asia.

The staff at the Thai schools I worked at never even entered my classroom to see what I was doing. They couldn't have cared less about my qualities as a teacher. It was all about my appearance and being rolled out for the obligatory photo-shoot on the important days.

Q3. What was your main reason for moving?

I could not tolerate the working conditions anymore and ended up being fired for essentially speaking my mind at the school A big no-no but this was the second year they'd stuffed me around with the October break and I was in danger of not seeing my family again due to being unable to book flights without firm dates. I couldn't contain my ire and was sacked the next day.

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

If my current employer had treated me the same way I was treated by my agency I could've taken a year off with the compensation I would've received. I'm taken seriously and now enjoy what I do every day. I don't miss teaching at all. It's also great to be earning some real money again. 35 000 Baht a month was barely enough to cover my costs, even up in Isaan. Living hand to mouth without savings is incredibly stressful.

Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?

I miss the food and the low cost of living, I miss the beautiful women and parts of the culture. I'm lucky enough to live in a very beautiful city now (Cape Town) so I don't want for a trip to the beach when I need it.

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

Only for a short period, perhaps a semester or two, and only if you don't have the qualifications to secure a better position elsewhere. Thailand is best experienced as a tourist in my opinion. I was much happier there when I was one!

Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?

I do, I'm planning a holiday there in December and can see me spending more time there when I stop working in 10 - 15 years. Annual holidays at the very least. I love Thailand I just didn't enjoy working there as a teacher.

Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?

Being treated as a second class citizen becomes tiresome after a while. The double pricing, the police constantly trying to find ways to extort money from me and being referred to as a 'Farang' (which I feel to be insulting) also wore me down. I also found some aspects of Thai culture to be distasteful. The racism and xenophobia combined with an inability to admit wrong were constant areas of concern for me. Even had I not been fired, I had had enough, I spent a year too long there in my opinion.

Having said that, I had some of my loveliest experiences in Thailand when I first arrived. This was no doubt due to the novelty and beauty of the islands. I hope I feel the same way again when I return on holiday. It's sad how badly teachers are treated at government schools in Thailand. Until things change (which I doubt they will) I could not recommend it as a viable long term move.

Stuart

14th April 2014

Q1. Where did you move to and when?

Back to England in 2013

Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?

4 years
The first year I taught at a Prathom school which was very modern and had beautiful facilities.
The last 3 years I taught at a secondary government school.

Q3. What was your main reason for moving?

I simply fell out of love with Thailand, teaching and the lifestyle.
I went through all the emotions that im sure many other teachers and expat residents have gone through.
The first year was amazing. New life, new place, new work experience etc.
Second year still enjoying new things but then after you scratch the surface in Thailand and realise a few things are not what they seem to appear on the surface you soon become frustrated, annoyed and start to dislike many things about living here.
I also was here during the yellow shirts takeover of the airports, red shirt riots in BKK and the floods where I was stuck in my condo for 5 weeks surrounded by chest high water.
I missed family and REAL friends and had enough of the laid back do nothing but smile lifestyle.
Living in Thailand slowly started to drag me down so decided it was to time to go home.

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

Well im not teaching anymore but in general there is simply no comparison of working conditions of Thailand to London.
Working in Thailand is very limited for career progression, wage increases and benefits.

Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?

Cheap food and living.
I miss the pool and gym in my condo.
I miss the beautiful women.
I miss my motivated students who genuinely wanted to learn.

I dont miss the political BS that seems to be non stop every year with all the different coloured shirts protesting.
I dont miss trying to teach English to unmotivated people.
I dont miss wearing a shirt and tie in 35oC weather.
I dont miss being called a farang

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

Errr yes but only for a short period of time as you will only get frustrated with it.
I was there for 4 years.
2 years too much imo.
If I had left after 2 years I would probably have a better view and opinion about teaching and living in Thailand but as I said after a while you really start to see things in a different light and realise that unless you have nothing else in your life get the hell out while you still have your sanity.
Thailand can make you a very unmotivated person if you let it and get sucked in.

Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?

No.
Even though I lived there for 4 years and had some great times, spent time learning the language I was still treated as a farang tourist and had to always be on my guard for being scammed and ripped off.
Normally after speaking Thai they would realise I was not a tourist and give me a normal price but having to constantly be aware of being ripped off starts to P'ss you off after a while and you soon start to fall out of love with the country and the people.

Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?

Thailand is good for a first time teacher who wants to have fun for a year or two.
Serious, qualified teachers stay away.

Finally I do worry about the future of Thailand with the current round of protests with PDRC and red shirts back on ths streets.
Having lived here through the last yellow and red shirt violence in 2009 and 2010 I would be very careful about coming to Thailand to teach right now as things can change very quickly.

Sam

12th April 2014

Q1. Where did you move to and when?

Erzurum city, Turkey. March 2014

Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?

2 years

Q3. What was your main reason for moving?

Needed a change of scenery and some fresh ideas

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

I get free accomodatıon, food and flight refunded plus i feel like a real teacher here as opposed to being a dancing circus clown in Thailand.
The students here actually want to learn and i actually feel like teaching while ın Thailand, the system just grinds you down and takes away your enthusiasm.

Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?

The weather and its good location in order to travel to other Asian countries and i enjoy speakıng the language

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

Go to Thailand to cut your teeth then when you are ready search for a serıous job.

Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?

Maybe if i get desperate for work.

Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?

Take everythıng Thais say wıth a pinch of salt. And don't take your job too seriously otherwise you will burn out asThais get a kick out of making the farang dance.

Mark

11th April 2014

Q1. Where did you move to and when?

I moved to China about 4 years ago.

Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?

About 2 and half years or so.

Q3. What was your main reason for moving?

Much better opportunities in other Asian countries.

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

Three times more money, no BS involved with getting visas, work permits, not having to check in with immigration every 3 months. Also, better facilities, good students, full medical/accident insurance provided free of charge, a free apartment and the list goes on and on and on...

Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?

The weather, cheap golf, cheap food and the friendly people.

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

I would advise any new teacher to avoid Thailand. These days almost every other country in Asia offers a much higher salary, advancement opportunities and a more or less hassle-free visa. Thailand seems to be going backward in terms of recruiting foreign teachers. From what I gather, the salaries haven't really increased at all in the past 10 years or more but the cost of living certainly has. Plus many school directors are very corrupt, they get a budget to hire foreign teachers and rarely pay them the amount given to them by the government(ministry of education) and pocket the rest for themselves instead. It's like their own personal retirement fund. It's so common that almost every school is doing the same and it's the students who usually get a raw deal in the end. Same reason why so many schools now hire Filipinos, they still get their budget and pay them even less than a western teacher.

Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?

Only to retire. My wife is Thai and she was also a government school teacher but she gave that up long ago and started two businesses. Most Thai teachers only do it for the benefits such as a pension, health care, interest free car loans and very low interest mortgages, long holidays, etc. and nothing more.

Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?

Thailand is a wonderful country to visit and explore but working there is a completely different story. My advice would be to work in either China, Singapore, Korea or the UAE and save up a ton of money. Then return to Thailand and retire. Working as a teacher in Thailand long-term will never afford you a comfortable retirement there, or anywhere else in the world.