Jonny Jon, I'm merely providing information for gap year students who want to come here. Gap year students do come here and as Ajarn.com is the largest teaching website for Thailand I guess some of them will find this site and as such find this information useful.

Arguments about teacher quality, visas and whatever could go on for years without everyone agreeing. There are all sorts of teachers who work here with and without work permits.

I've been writing articles on Ajarn long before my book came out. I've been here pretty much six years so I know a fair amount without being hit but the bluntness and bitterness of some long term expats who seemingly like to take a dig at everything which isn't in their echo chamber. Also it seems a lot of people prefer a 283 page book with everything in one place plus 13 expat interviews, pick up a copy, I'll even sign it for you if you want ;)

By Richard, Bangkok (14th September 2018)

Clearly Richard this article to promote your book, but seriously one has to wonder how much you really know about this place. Your book could have been written as a one page blog about what to expect in Thailand, of which there are many.

These backpackers are an agencies dream teacher, who pay bottom rates for 9 months of the year and could care less about the quality of education in Thailand. They are just in it for the money and is the last thing this country needs is unqualified backpackers who have come to try their skills in the classroom. Also the 2 time in and out rule means that after the 2nd visa run they will not be allowed back into Thailand and will be stuck at the border, so I have to wonder what your real objective is? To promote your book, give the agencies lot of cheap options for that government school that no-one cares about, or a serious consideration about Thailand needs in it progression to make it an advanced nation.

By Jonny Jon, Bangkok (9th September 2018)

Anyone ever stop to consider the fact that it's illegal to teach if you are only an 18-19 year old with no degree?

By Marty, Phuket (3rd September 2018)

Did you know that Thailand has the highest foreign teacher turn over rate in SE Asia?
It's not because of the other friendly and nonjudgmental teachers.
It's not because of the highly organized education system.
It's not because of the more than adequate high salaries which also includes many benefits.
It's definitely not because of the friendly and polite manner foreigners are treated with here.
I think the reason why Thailand has the highest teacher turnover rate is because they never invest in a pair of rose colored glasses.

By john doe, Bangkok (2nd September 2018)

I think a lot of you missed the point of my article, Matt included.

This article is not about the merit of gap year teachers, it is merely giving potential gap year teachers advice. This site surely attracts all kinds of people - professional teachers, non-native teachers, gap year teachers etc - why not write an article to give advice to one of these groups? As Mark said schools that have no chance of getting "professional" teachers are happy to get gap year teachers as they still have skills and are better than having nobody (or even some long term teachers).

Jonny - the pay argument doesn't matter for gap year teachers. They will likely either have savings, money from family or be up for "roughing it". Long term teachers who stay on 10 month contracts at 30-40k a month is a totally different argument unrelated to gap year teachers.

By Richard, Bangkok (2nd September 2018)

Johnny Jon
I think a lot of these gap-year kids have the bank of Mum and Dad to fall back on when cash reserves run low. That's generally the way the world works.

By Philip, Samut Prakarn (2nd September 2018)

Fortunately these guys and gals are being caught by Immigration on work related offenses and if you cannot prove where your money is coming from you will not be allowed back into Thailand. Most agencies are reluctant to provide visas and work permits simply because of the cost and the hassle involved and most are reluctant to go through that. Added to that most do not have degrees and so they are happy to ride on the tourist visa until it runs out. Thinking about their next weekend, the next full moon party it seems these young guys have no interest in anything else. After working with these guys for a few months, most of them were lazy, just in it for the ride, had nothing to offer, would not do the exams, and would do no preparation for the classroom. One wonders Richard after your **whopping 3 months experience** in Thailand what makes you think you have the right to criticize other people who have chosen to make this place their home.

Also new so called newbies (not teachers) let’s be honest they have no right to call themselves teachers without a day of experience in the classroom, will not get 400K, they will get 30K or less. This is the agencies dream come true, young good looking teachers willing to work for bottom dollar. What could they want more? So you have experienced teachers with 10 years’ experience and if they have the misfortune not to have moved on through these schools are stuck to work with these airheads with no work experience. Most of them are nice guys but that does not mean the TEFL industry should be screwed up by a few guys with no interest or passion for their jobs other than providing agencies with low paid and low motivated newbies with no direction other than their next party.

Nice take on that – will be provided with a 9 month or 10 month contract so they have lots of time to party. Let’s hope so. Because your 30K salary will only take you so far. 30K a month = a 1000 a day if you do not have an apartment back in Bangkok and want to haul all your shit around with you, you could have 24K or less to “play with”. That includes beers, smokes, travel, and accommodation. I hope that you are good at it, because 30K spread over 9 months will leave you gasping for air. I hope you have rich parents or savings from back home because without it, you will be nursing that last Leo on some beach wondering what you are doing there. Good Luck.

By Jonnny Jon, Bangkok (2nd September 2018)

Thailand is a great place. It is filled with promising educational standards and ideas that meet fruition.
Most students are eager to learn and well disciplined. Teachers are professional, most overly qualified and humble. Salaries are more than adequate with lots of benefits and a promising future. Politeness abounds. Please enjoy a gap year and experience all the wonderful things Thailand has to offer.

By bob johnson, bangkok (1st September 2018)

A constant revolving door of inexperienced, immature, backpacker (1 year wonders) teachers is exactly why the Thai education system (ESL) is a shambles which funnily enough in your last overly positive post you were championing saying again how wonderful it all is.

While I admire your seemingly always "glass half full" positivity, approach to life is commendable you yet again fail to weigh up the negatives of the impact of having teachers coming here for a fun year of being no more than edutainers instead of educators and showing no long term commitment to the job.

This is a schools worst nightmare but an agencies dream as they don't have to pay these backpackers more than the minimum wage.

You need to be more balanced with your writing instead of just saying how wonderful everything is instead of looking at the downsides.

By Matt, Bangkok (1st September 2018)

Spot on Mark. I 100% agree with you on all you say.

Gap year teachers aren't probably taking the prime jobs in the best areas, they will be in the sticks at schools that struggle to find teachers. They also probably won't be the best teachers in the world but may be better than some here already

A year for a gap year teacher will give them real skills and won't be a blot on them as Jim states. How can experiencing a new culture, working in a real environment and gaining confidence for a year be a bad thing? If they're here for three or four years and not doing anything that's another thing....

Gap year teachers aren't a threat to us full time professional teachers, there's plenty of space for everyone here in Thailand.

By Richard, Bangkok (1st September 2018)

It doesn't make sense to hire lazy foreign students in Bangkok because there's a decent pool of expats who are here for the long-term and willing to take the job seriously. Also, in general, education matters more in Bangkok than it does in the rest of the country.

But in rural Thailand and most places that aren't Bangkok, there's a desperate shortage of manpower. So... are these rural places and smaller cities better off with nobody at all?

I don't think so. Most of the 'gap year' kids I have met aren't sex-crazed, unreliable drunks. They aren't teachers either, but they are mostly pretty good natured and enthusiastic to be here.

And for the kids, it's a bit of fun and a valuable cultural experience to see the pale humans with the hairy forearms that need to be stroked! They can scream 'Good Morning' at them at three in the afternoon and race off giggling to their chums in the playground. Parents will feel pretty good that there's a real farang that's at least making some kind of effort to get their kids off and running towards that job translating in the UN.

Sure, the 'gap street boys' (and girls) aren't going to change much academically - but then again, even those of us that take our jobs more seriously are very probably overestimating our achievements!

Chill out, Jimbo. There are worse things that can happen to kids at school than have a teacher who you don't approve of!

By Mark, The Land of Barely Concealed Rage. (1st September 2018)

The absolute worst hire imaginable, the milennial or even milennial +10. Anyone with designs to teach one year and then blow on out of Thailand has to be a long-term, professional teacher's nightmare.

They bring nothing to the job, not even their interest. Endlessly absent, late. No concern about grades, exams or how to prepare them. It's just a week by week existence of endless shitty games and immaturity.

Clueless to Thai culture and the classroom anyone that hires this lot should be terminated themselves.

As reported many times on this very website, time teaching in Thailand is a negative NOT a positive back home.

The British 'gap year' thing, isn't that time off in between undergrad years? Would these idiots not be illegal hires anyway?

Wow, what a bad idea.

By Jim Beam, The Big Smoke (31st August 2018)