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...
Jay
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
Saudi Arabia - two months ago.
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
Six years over three stretches.
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
The small salary with no yearly increase. I got married two years ago and got a child last year. Even though my wife and I had a joint monthly income of just over 50k baht in the semi-countryside, we were always just surviving with a slowly but constantly increasing credit card bill. We decided to get a car to make things easier and for taking care of the baby. We also lived in a spacious five bedroom house (monthly expenses left just 22k for my wife and I and our nappy-happy baby). We lived Thai-style so managed to keep it generally even month-to-month.
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
Teaching expectations (rules, curriculum, disciplinary support, weekly lesson-pacing schedule etc.) very clearly set out. The general level of English is much higher than in Thailand, so problems can be discussed with management/concerned parties directly, also without shyness and shame playing an overwhelming role. Problems are discussed maturely and generally and openly with the staff, and in the classroom, students are not afraid to make an effort to use what English they have.
The salary is three times higher here (around 100k Baht+ for an English-related degree holder with TEFL), with a return flight each year, fully paid luxury accommodation/bills included with a gym, recreation area and swimming pool. Generally the only thing you need to pay for is food and personal toys such as computers, tablets, books, etc. so it is easy for a single person to save 70-80% of their 100k Baht salary each month.
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
The open social interaction. Even though Saudis are on the whole very polite, calm, friendly and respectful, they are very private. Everything happens behind high walls and there is a strict code of public behaviour - women have to be covered from head to toe and may generally not interact with men other than their own family. There are separate areas in restaurants/banks etc. for single guys and women/families. Basically all your friends will be in a family or be single guys. It's possible but tough for women to come to Saudi alone. That being said, things are generally very relaxed in the foreigner compounds (little villages where foreigners live) and even Saudis follow an unwritten rule that you're allowed to do what you like as long as it's in the privacy of your own home and not seen.
So I miss the eye candy and general freedom found in Thailand compared to here. It's also strange having to get back in the kitchen after six years of great Thai market meals, but it is nice to have all the western foods available again.
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
Thailand would provide a suitable testing ground to be able to make forgiven mistakes while you get used to the teaching profession, but the general lack of structure and clearly visible expectations, redundant work tasks and passing failed students, etc. might leave a sour taste in one's mouth. I would advise this only for a short-term learning experience - there is generally not a lot of money in teaching in Thailand, hardly any rewards (it could actually be seen as a disadvantage) for staying at the same school and learning the language.
Saudi Arabia gives the structure (schedules, books, communication lines) to be able to work things out, communicate and self-educate yourself. It is quite difficult to get into Saudi, and it's not for everyone, schools seem to have some difficulty in finding teachers and so that does make it slightly harder to get laid off at a whim. If you don't have ulterior motives and genuinely want to teach, I would advise seeking work in Saudi - the benefits are superb, money is good, problems are solved respectfully and they have salary reviews and rewards for people who re-sign contracts.
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
Definitely. We have farmland in Thailand so would at least go there on holiday / to check up on things. It is still undecided as to where we will live after Saudi Arabia, as my wife and I would prefer for our son to grow up in a less restricted society. We will be fine until he reaches grade 1 (6-7 years old) as before this time kids in the kindergarten are not segregated. If I get my teaching degree sorted in the next 5 years, I would certainly look at working in Thailand again - at an international school or university with a higher salary and proper benefits packages.
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
A lot of this great escape information is from what I hear from colleagues, but also my personal experience over the last two months.
I'm quite happy here in Saudi. It offers the perfect opportunity for teaching career advancement (I have heard that having Saudi work experience on your CV is also recognised favourably in Thailand), the possibility of saving up tons of money, loads of free time in the afternoons (work at my school is from 7.30 to 3pm with no more than five 40 minute lessons per day) to spend time on other projects such as studying for a masters/Ph.D, exercise, online work/blogging.
Petrol is incredibly cheap (150 baht to fill up a 40 litre tank), but it can get insanely boring for people who need mixed social interaction. You can go on trips to alcohol free night clubs with other single guys if it comes to that (it hasn't yet for me, despite my colleagues' gloomy predictions, but I don't expect it to!) - on the other hand, it's perfect for internet/gadget/movie junkies or new families taking care of babies/toddlers.
Michael
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
I moved to Taiwan about a year ago.
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
I worked for one year in the south of Thailand.
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
I'd had a great year in Thailand, but needed to move to a country where I could begin saving up some cash.
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
The biggest advantage is that I'm on twice as much money as I was on in Thailand. The other big advantage is that education is taken very seriously in Taiwan. I was simply stunned by the level of English my students possess. I have a lot more resources at my disposal, and I get to see my students make real progress. Classes are pretty easy to plan, as the students are proficient enough to chat with me.
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
The holidays! Most jobs in Taiwan are with 'cram schools'. That means you get usually 9 days paid holiday a year. One week of those days usually HAS to be taken at Chinese New Year, when everyone else is off work too. This means everywhere is either closed up or rammed with people. Even when you do get a bank holiday, the Taiwanese government will sometimes stipulate that you have to 'work back' that day by coming into work on Saturday!
I miss the general craziness of Thailand. Taiwan is a lot more Westernised and has killer public services, but occasionally I just wish I could see an elephant nonchalantly walking down the street like I did in Thailand!
I also get very nostalgic thinking about the late-night rides home I used to take on the back of a motorclycle-taxi after a night of partying.
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
I'd definitely recommend Thailand to a first-time teacher. Go there, give it a try and see if the TEFL lifestyle is for you. You'll have an amazing year; the experience of living and teaching in Thailand is simply brilliant.
Then once you've got a bit of experience and you're in-country, you can look at finding a better-paid position. Or you could do like I did and look at moving to one of the Asian countries that offer higher salaries.
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
My current plan is to go home maybe next year and complete a teaching qualification in the UK. After that, I'd say Thailand would be an option.
However, as a fully-qualified teacher I'd be looking to get one of those jobs you only ever hear rumours about. You know the ones: 'oh a friend of a friend is on 120k a month, free shuttle-bus to work, free lunch, free massages, the classrooms are paved with gold.....'
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
I run a blog focusing on teaching ideas for kindergarten-age students. It's updated weeky and is available at: http://michaelplews.wordpress.com/
I am the co-author of 'The Essential Guide to Teaching English and Living in Thailand'. It's available to buy on Amazon. If you're thinking about giving TEFL a go in Thailand, then give it a read!
Dan
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
I've been working in the cities on China's east coast since August 2012.
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
Two years
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
Various reasons.
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
Obviously the pay. I get the equivalent of 72,000 baht per month plus a free flat and free lunches. There is so much work available all over China.
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
I miss the awesome beaches. Plus it's easier to get around on your own with a motorbike. Thailand has better food. And it's more adjusted to the Western style of life in the expat meccas there.
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
Depends. If you are a legitimate degree holder, then I would advise working in China, and use South East Asian countries as your places to visit during the holidays - much like Americans and Canadians use Mexico and the Caribbean to stretch the dollar for decent holidays.
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
Absolutely! Its possible I may purchase a simple condo and live there from time to time. But I do worry about any future visa rule changes and how they will affect foreigners.
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
Many Chinese women are very devoted to their family and will pick their decisions over yours (most of the time). Also the "bride price" for a wife is still in effect here, which can be quite costly. Lastly, even though China has developed phenomenally in recent years, with an ever growing middle-class, their mentality is still stuck in their old ways. Be prepared for toddlers crapping anywhere in public (even on buses!), constant staring (due to curiosity, and especially if you are black), and spitting (even in public pools, nasty!).
Kenneth
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
I moved back to my home in the industrial north of England at the beginning of the year (2013)
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
I worked at two different secondary schools for a total period of about three years.
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
I came here as a gap year student originally and only intended to stay for one or two years at the most. I loved the school I was working at and they persuaded me to stay on for another year. It was never my intention to work for a third year in Thailand but I did it mainly to help the school out.
I suppose my main reason for returning though is simply that I didn't see a long-term future as a teacher in Thailand. I didn't want to become one of those burnt-out expats who have been here donkey's years and forgotten the reasons why. I worked with far too many of those folks. Perhaps I felt the 'real world' calling me back.
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
I seriously can't think of any other than perhaps being closer to my family. I returned to England thinking it would be easy to find work but I was unemployed for several months before I landed a fairly mundane job at a marketing company. I'm sad to say that I have now slipped back into that rather dull and grey existence that so many people have in this country. Go to work, come home, watch TV - repeat the next day and the day after that.
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
There probably isn't enough room on this page to write everything down. I felt alive when I lived in Thailand. It's something of an old cliche but every day was an adventure. I miss the weekends travelling to some island. I miss feeling peckish at ten o clock at night and walking to the end of the soi to have some 'khao man gai'. It's definitely the little things that you miss most. When I'm sitting watching TV at night and my mind wanders back to Thailand, even the things that annoyed me now seem so trivial.
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
I think Thailand would be very difficult to beat for someone looking to teach English for a year or two. OK, the salaries aren't that great but it has so many other things going for it.
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
I will certainly come back for a holiday. If I had enough spare cash around me, I would probably come back at least once a year. I won't be returning there to work though. I have no desire to be an English teacher again - in any country!
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
If you are thinking of a teaching career in Thailand, then go with a very open mind and a go-with-the-flow attitude. If you're the kind of person who likes everything to run smoothly and be either black or white, you will hate every minute of your time in Thailand - and I saw many new arrivals get completely overwhelmed by the lack of organisation, not only in schools but in almost every facet of Thai life. The country is 'organised chaos' and I happen to think the Thais like it that way. You're certainly not going to change it.
James
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
Northern China, the end of 2011.
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
Two schools. One government school and one private school for a total of two years.
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
The corruption, overworked, underpaid. The thought of going back to teaching the maximum 24 hours, across four grades in three different subjects, plus extra activities, compulsory summer camps still makes me shudder!
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
Shorter hours, near double the pay, all utilities including accommodation free, plus air flights, plus holidays where the word ‘holiday’ actually means free time. The chance to actually teach and not just entertain.
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
I don’t. I still regard it as my home and with three months paid holidays a year I’m able to return twice a year and actually enjoy the time I spend there with my wife.
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
Get the experience in Thailand and then move on. Many people work in the west for six months and then live in Thailand for six. It’s quite possible to do that in Asia also.
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
Thailand is both my twice annual holiday choice and my retirement destination.
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
Some countries have good living amenities and some are ideal for work, but rarely do you find both in one place. I think the secret is to find a place to earn a decent amount of money and a place to settle. As much as I enjoy living in Thailand, given the burned out offerings on show in many of the schools, the overwork, the low salaries and the continual stress, it’s a teacher’s graveyard.
Thailand will suck you in and burn you out in record time, with legions of unwary backpackers ready to take your place at a moments notice. Long term, it’s best left to those who believe the dream package utopia hype.
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