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...
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.
Sally
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
Auckland, New Zealand, July 2012
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
I was in Thailand for a total of two months
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
I was overwhelmed I think by the culture shock and not ready for it as I was also dealing with a bereavement at the time. It was too much for me to take on.
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
I've had a 10-month job with a council organisation, my contract kept getting extended, my wage is weekly and double that in Thailand. I know what I'm going to get every day and I get to experience lots of different cultures in one office. I'm also treated as a team member rather than an outsider
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
Some of my friends who are still there, they were the true treasures that I found in Thailand and I do miss some of my students who made my time there worthwhile
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
I wouldn't say not to work in Thailand, everyone's different, some people I met have loved it, others not so much. Give it a go and see what happens. Just be wary of teacher agencies
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
Maybe one day in the future, I'd like to see Chiang Mai and some of the more obscure places - but I'm not in a hurry to go back.
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
If you don't like where you are in Thailand, it's not the end of the world. It doesn't make you a bad person. It just means it's not right for you. I gave myself a hard time over leaving Thailand and eventually made my peace with it. I'm also blogging about my Thailand experiences at http://www.wanderfearless.com
Sam
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
I worked in Korea for three months over the summer of 2012, as a test prep instructor, and am now in a second-tier city not far from Shanghai in China. I came here one month ago.
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
6 months, from November 2011 to May 2012.
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
I wanted to work with students planning on studying in the US or Europe, and there are far more schools catering to these students in China and Korea.
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
(1) Pay is about 65,000 baht per month, and a nice apartment is included.
(2) Students have a different kind of motivation - most of them are enthusiastic about preparing for overseas study - which I am able to cater to.
(3) I find the expats here a bit more like "normal" people from back home, easier to befriend and so forth.
(4) I have also found it easier to make local friends who have connections with western countries, such as having studied in the west or planning to move there. It is easier to make good friends with people who are familiar with both the eastern and western mindsets.
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
(1) Life in semi-rural Thailand is, as you'd expect, definitely more easy-going than life in a Chinese metropolis.
(2) The sense that, in Thailand, everything is provided for, and there is nothing to stress about. There's always good food, always work available, etc. I think of the country as "the temple" since it seems like it's very focused in the present moment, rather in the past or future.
The Chinese, in contrast, have developed a more hardcore and driven mindset as a result of the various famines, invasions, etc., they've experienced over the past century.
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
You can get a good taste of the Asian educational system in either country. China and Korea both have substantial numbers of students that are planning to study in the west for university, and jobs working with these students can be rewarding both emotionally and financially. You won't find as many students planning to do this in Thailand, but the students there also can be rewarding to work with.
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
Yes, I have friends I want to see in Isaan, North Thailand, Bangkok, and South Thailand.
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
Be prepared to accept the fact that the Thais (and the Chinese, and the Koreans, and presumably all Asians) have a good idea about how their country - and its education system - should be run. Just focus on helping individual students out, and you'll have a much nicer time.
Jay
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
I moved back to the UK and trained to be a primary school teacher in 2007. Now in an International School in Ukraine teaching Year 5 of the English National Curriculum.
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
Four long years.
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
Money, purely money and career opportunities. I was loving living in Thailand but the thought of growing old in Bangkok earning 40,000 baht for the rest of my life really got to me. I was approaching 30 and had basically enjoyed life in Bangkok. But it wasn't a career. With my rent, bills etc and putting a little aside each week there wasn't much left.
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
Money, career opportunites. I earn a UK salary here, with a free apartment and tax-free income. I have two flights per year and one month's salary bonus per year. Three months off a year and I mostly teach European children now with a few British kids thrown in. Trust me, that makes life easier. I have a pension and recently qualified for an expat mortgage to buy in the UK. It was the best decision I ever made becoming a fully qualified teacher.
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
Food, sun and my swimming pool!
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
I would say go to Thailand but don't get trapped. Many men do. Life is easy and it can suck you in. Best practice is if you want to be a teacher for a good deal of time, then train as a 'teacher teacher' then go back to Thailand and work for an international school where the packages are amazing.
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
Why not...
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
Enjoy ESL teaching but know its not a career in Thailand. It's an experience...a great one, but don't plan your life around it. ESL teaching in Bangkok is underpaid and under appreciated.
Louis
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
St Petersburg, Russia -- about a month ago.
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
A pretty short time actually. Just 6 months
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
Some teachers on here are really nostalgic for the place, and that's cool. On the other hand I can see why some people don't stick around (even for one year). I gave it a go, and there were things I loved about Thailand. However, in the end, it just was not the right place for me. I feel too restless to be in a place so relaxed.
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
First of all, Russia pays very well. Sure, its more expensive, but I end up working less (no office hours), and saving more. They push you harder in Russia, but I feel like it makes me a better teacher. Everything has to be better, more fun, more efficient. At first I resented it, but I can tell how much I've improved. Finally, I have to say there is nothing wrong with a country filled with tall, beautiful, aggressive women.
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
One nasty thing about Russia is their love of paperwork. I kind of miss some of the simplicity of Thailand (and Asia in general). I'd have to add that other than that, I don't miss much, because I feel like I can always go back as a tourist.
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
That's up to him or her. But before they go, they should ask themselves honestly if they want the Thai life. For me, I didn't really listen to myself, and I decided I should* like the Thai life. The truth is, a lot of teachers out there would prefer a tougher country, or maybe a faster country, or maybe a country more similar (or different) to their own. Thailand isn't the mandatory springing board to ESL teaching.
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
As a tourist, of course!
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
I first went to Japan, and when I went there I missed things about the US. Then I went to Korea and missed things about Japan. The cycle continued in Thailand, and even does now as I sit in St Petersburg. Every place has something special. So, for the new traveler: just pick a place. Whether you love or hate it, you're adding to yourself. Good luck.
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