The Thai education system

Postbox letter from Dr John Smith

Education Minister Phongthep Thepkanjana admits that the Thai education system is unsatisfactory and behind other countries in the ASEAN region. To tackle the problem, the ministry has drawn up some measures to restructure the system.

Enough is enough

Postbox letter from Annoyed

I have just left Thailand after 10 years of teaching, my wife and two children are in the process of getting their passports and visas to follow me here in the next couple of months. Why? Enough is enough,

Back to civilisation?

Have I really been away for two and a half years?

I need a little intermission from Asia, from being abroad, from the frustrations. It's time to remember why I moved away again, time to take a step back and get out of the bizarre madness that has become my life.

Talkin' bout my situation 2012

More worried teachers and their complex situations

More situations from teachers who plan on coming to teach English in Thailand and are looking for hard answers and stone cold facts rather than hearsay and barstool opinion.

Farang ajarn cover letter

Postbox letter from Mel

I wasted my time and my life of quiet TEFL desperation at an all-girl’s government school off the Hua Lamphong BTS station sweating direly in dreary and dilapidated non-air-conditioned classrooms beneath depressing rows of old, broken-down fans babysitting on average 40 bored, clueless, and mediocre mathayom students

I've given up looking too

Postbox letter from Sir Heath

I made the mistake of bringing some first year students' problems to the attention of the head of the section last year. By September, after four and half year at this university, despite 'an excellent record of work' the university decided to let me go.

Thailand is no longer a place to teach

Postbox letter from James

I do still look on Thailand as my ‘home’ and have a wife and house there, so my post is not sour grapes against the country itself but rather at the reality of what’s going on.

A canteen lunch the only benefit

Postbox letter from Lisa

I notice a lot of schools have gone from paying monthly salaries to only offering hourly wages with no benefits other than a canteen lunch.

Hello from Sri Lanka

Postbox letter from Sam McNally

I've been teaching at a small, boutique English teaching facility in Colombo for 9 weeks, directly off the back of the Ajarn website. My employer is a good guy, really decent and has looked after me well so far. All our communication is sensible and what's more he sourced me from the Ajarn site as I mentioned.

Is the grass greener on the other side?

Postbox letter from Christian Brookes

The first six months in Thailand is spent re-adjusting. Thai culture, lifestyle, climate, food and working environment are alien to most. Some days I found myself getting annoyed and frustrated at the smallest issues. I spoke about this to a friend. I was quickly reminded of life back home - the pressures, weather, cost of living, attitude, food and climate.