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...
Dexter
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
I am originally from Metro Manila and I moved to Bangkok in 2006. I moved again to Adelaide, South Australia in 2008.
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
Two and a half years.
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
I was not comfortable with the fact that I was going to be a foreigner there forever. I am gay so marrying a local is not an option for me.
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
Of course, I am earning more in Australia and I am now a citizen of this country. Curricula here have more structure so it is easier to lead the students to their pathways. I have a more diverse classroom as I teach people from migrant and refugee backgrounds. I learn more about the world from my students here in Australia.
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
I miss the food and how cheap it is. I also miss the convenience of the comprehensive public transport system.
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
Thailand is a great country to live in. Being a foreign worker there (teaching English) has a lot of perks so one can have a more luxurious lifestyle than the locals. It is also easy to find friends as the country exudes a vibrant energy of friendliness.
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
I would love to return for a holiday as I spent most of my time working there. I was not able to visit Chiangmai and the more popular beaches. I also have some friends that I would be ecstatic to hug again.
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
Thailand holds a very special place in my heart. It will always be a part of me.
Yoona
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
I left Thailand recently. That's all I'm going to say.
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
I worked for a private school for three years and then I moved to another city and worked for three years in a language school. The last three years meant being posted to different local schools and organisations and this really helped me in my development as I taught across a range of English levels.
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
I was worried about being at the same level in Thailand for many years to come, so to improve my lot I needed to get out. Coupled with I had a desire to further my education and see my family, I returned 'home'. I also became increasingly aware of how low I was actually being paid, in comparison to the same job in other countries, despite never spending my monthly salary and actually being able to save!
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
I now teach in a language school in a busy city and the adjustment to teach a variety of nationalities was hard. The English level of the students is higher, they are more motivated to study, they demand more from their teacher, so there was (and still is) adjustment going on to meet their needs.
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
I miss the simplicity of daily life and being in awe of a culture so different than my own. Of course the food gets a mention, as does the sun factor, and the beautiful smiles.
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
Sure! No matter how long one teaches there, it will be a memory they never forget. It can be an easy entrance into teaching as the demand isn't a high as some other countries. Beware of getting stuck though!
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
I haven't returned yet, but I will one day. I am trying to avoid that being in a professional capacity, so my next visit will be a holiday.
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
It's an amazing country and despite many of the honest comments here , I personally didn't see many of the problems that some people have mentioned. I feel that my success there was down to how enthusiastic I was in the job. Go with an open mind, try to understand why things are done a certain way, be prepared to give, and don't get caught up in school politics.
Janet
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
I moved back to my home in Greece in February this year
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
I worked for eight months in Thailand, although I had a three year contract.
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
The international demonstration school I worked at did not keep the promises it made to me. They promised to pay for my Master's degree but they took back the promise. My qualifications were ignored so I was not paid for my years of experience or extra qualification. They kept changing my working hours and days and would suddenly tell us we were working at weekends and during holidays, to make up for time lost due to the political situation.
One of the main administration people was American and he kept applying crazy rules that were impossible to stick to in Thailand. He seemed unable to do his job, which is not surprising since he had no experience of administration. Many complaints were made to the main university about him but little was done.
The school had also promised to insure my partner but they then refused to cover him with health insurance. When my partner became ill we thought it best to return home . I had also had enough of the stress caused by the ineffective administrator.
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
I work from home now and I can spend more time with my partner. The long hours working in Thailand in the heat were sometimes exhausting, but the pointless hours spent at staff meetings when nothing actually changed was worse! It is lovely that I no longer have a vindictive administrator making my life a misery with pointless emails sent late at night or over the weekend.
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
I miss the Thai people , who were wonderful. I miss the other staff at the school, particularly the Thai staff. I miss the street markets and the street food. I also miss the amazing temples as I became a Buddhist while I lived in Thailand.
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
There are very few jobs teaching in Greece where I live and you are expected to have a qualification in the Greek language before you can get a teaching permit here. Thailand can be good experience for a new teacher.
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
I will go back one day, but as a tourist.
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
The visa situation in Thailand is very confusing. I had to report at immigration every 90 days, which is difficult when you are working such long hours. My husband, who had a year long multi entry visa was made to report every 30 days and every ninety days they made him leave the country! It made life more stressful and difficult for us both.
I loved the Thai people and it was an amazing experience in many ways. I brought lots of good things back from Thailand, including my belief in Buddhism. The Thai people were very welcoming and they have an amazing mentality that I loved. I left a piece of my heart with the Thai people when I left the country. I wish them peace and happiness in the future and hope the political situation is sorted out soon. Namaste.
Gareth
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
I moved back to the UK in April 2014
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
I was there for one year (two semesters) and worked at the same government school for that duration.
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
I only ever intended to teach here for one year and even though I would have happily stayed longer, I just felt it was time to leave.
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
I've gone back to work in the family furniture business. My father owns a large discount warehouse and after leaving university I wasn't ready to join the 'family firm' without first travelling and working abroad a little. But I guess I'm ready to go back and knuckle down and join the 9 to 5 brigade.
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
Wow! I don't really know where to start. I miss the Thai beaches, the food, the freedom to do what you want when you want and without any parental pressure. I made a lot of good friends in Thailand as well - both Thais and expats. Hopefully I'll keep in touch with many of them through Facebook.
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
I would certainly recommend doing a 12-month contract out there (if you are lucky enough to be offered one) Many teachers used to bang on about how much more money you could make in countries like China or Japan, but I was never tempted. A year of teaching was enough for me. I enjoyed it while it lasted but never fancied making a long-term career out of it.
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
Hmmmm.........not sure about that one. The world's such a big place and there are so many places to see. But never say never.
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
If you're just going to do a year in Thailand, enjoy it as much as you can. There are plenty of other teachers that have become negative about living and working there and spend too much time around them and that negativity can start to rub off on you. I refused to let that happen. I made friends with 'like-minded spirits' and generally hung around with those kind of people. And life in Thailand was all the better for it.
Graham
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.
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