It's not Thailand's fault you're still on 35K
Thailand didn't trap you; you just stopped moving.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: if you’re still earning 35K after half a decade, the problem probably isn’t the system - it’s you. Is it really the school holding you back? Or is it the fact you stopped climbing?
Can we just shut up and teach, please?
Surviving the staffroom one complaint at a time
I’m not saying we need to be all sunshine and lotus blossoms. But how about just a little balance? A few positive comments to go with the griping. A moment to appreciate the good things - the student who improved, the lesson that landed, the joke that actually got a laugh.
Is this what's called burnout?
Postbox letter from Martin
What happened? It wasn’t one big thing. Just a thousand little ones. Unpaid overtime. Vague contracts. Schools that ask you to smile more when a parent screams at you for giving their child a B+. Being told to teach a lesson on Shakespeare to a class of M2s who can barely spell their own name in English.
How teaching online made me hate my job (and myself)
And somewhere in that blur of Google Classrooms, Zoom links, and Line group hellscapes, something in me broke
Teaching online broke me. And I’m still trying to put the pieces back together.
Why I stopped smiling at the school director
Pay me on time. Treat me like a professional. Stop using me as a mascot. Then maybe you’ll see some teeth.
I’m Louise. I’m 34. I’ve been teaching in Thailand for six years. And I’m tired of pretending everything is “sabai sabai” when I’m being treated like a decorative plant.
Too old to teach? says who?
46 and still able to stand at the whiteboard
I’m Kenneth. I’m 46. I teach English in Thailand. Apparently, that’s now too old.
Most teachers just don't care!
Postbox letter from Jim
In my opinion 80% of teachers don't care and never will. Paying them more than 35K per month is just money in the bin. 10% care somewhat and 10% take it on as a career and profession.
Why online teaching isn't for me
Speaking to students online just isn’t the same as being in a classroom face-to-face
Like many teachers out there, I found myself suddenly teaching online at home without much preparation time. By the end of week one, I had run into several issues.
The accidental whistle blower
Distance learning TV and the toppling of Kru Wang
If we're going to be pointing a condescending finger at one teacher in one video at one moment in time then we should maybe look into a mirror and point it at ourselves, too.
The good, the bad and the virtuous!
By just being here, you are making the education system better.
I've isolated the most compelling reasons why people teach long-term in Thailand and there are four of them as far as I can see... we like doing it, we can do it, we get paid for doing it, and 'purpose'.
