Ajarn.com documented the story of one female teacher as she prepared to give up life in her homeland and head out to Thailand to teach English. Hopefully her journal gave inspiration and information to those about to embark on a similar journey. We began at the beginning with Julia introducing herself and carried on from there.
Julia’s Journey
Articles
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Let’s all make a difference in Thailand
Make a difference with Design for Change
You can change the lives of your students and improve the quality of life in Thailand by spending just a few hours a week organizing a Design for Change contest at your school.
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Take part in a school film tour
New film highlights the stigma associated with HIV-infected orphans in Thai
Living with the Tiger focuses on two of the kids as they take an emotional journey back to the families that had once left them to die at a hospice. Some of the family members are even shocked to see that the children are still alive.
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The house of horrors
The nightmare of building your own home in Thailand
Some long-term teachers make one of the biggest decisions of their life and decide to have a house built in Thailand. But what happens when it all goes wrong? Read Ralph Sasser's nightmare story of bent lawyers, jail threats and the construction company from Hell.
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Low teacher salaries
Is ajarn.com partly to blame?
No, ajarn.com isn't responsible for low teacher salaries - at least not according to Louis Minson. Louis says that not presenting a realistic picture of the overall job situation would be sweeping things under the carpet.
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An Indian teacher in Thailand
Bobo Meitei faces the perils and pitfalls of finding a teaching job
Bobo gets to grips with sliding pay scales and agents bemused by his pseudo-American appearance. Well worth a read!
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A Thai student’s diary
What it feels like to be a Thai student studying English in school
A foreign teacher contacted ajarn wanting to share a diary that one of his English program students had written. Although the student is only a youngster, the diary is a very frank account of what it's like to study at a Thai school. Top work!
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Colored education
The road to becoming a teacher
Bobo Metei came to Thailand as a fresh graduate on the lookout for different things. So being a young man with little money in his pocket, he decided to take up teaching.
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Interview at The Ministry of Education
John Quinn asks the probing questions
John Quinn, the senior TEFL trainer at SEE, spent a morning at the MOE office in Chiang Mai to try and get some answers to questions teachers have regarding employment in Thailand. John has very kindly allowed ajarn.com to put the main points of the interview on-line. Some of the answers may well surprise you.
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No magic bullets
Dave Patterson would most certainly like a word
Dave Patterson, who is a teacher at the Prince of Songkhla University in South Thailand, says it's about time Thai students took studying English seriously. And it's about time schools got serious about taking care of their students.
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Teaching in Chiang Mai
A bit of info on Thailand's Rose of the North
All the information on this page is courtesy of our friends at One Stop Chiang Mai. If you see something inaccurate - complain to them.
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Bangkok vs Chiang Mai
How do the two biggest cities in Thailand measure up?
Read a terrific account from a teacher who gave up the Chiang Mai lifestyle to go and work in the capital Bangkok. It's very much a tale of two cities - and how one dedicated teacher fared in both.
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My TEFL career
The ups and downs of over fifteen years 'in the game'
It's a been a long and often painful journey, but here's an account of 15 years in the Thailand TEFL business. My careers officer never once told me that it might turn out like this.
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The teacher’s diary
One teacher's descent into madness
The diary is the sad and heartbreaking four-week journal of Mr Jim Elmdon - a teacher who came, saw, and failed miserably. Keep a box of tissues handy.
Featured Teachers
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Asger
Certificate (3)
Dane (male, 41 years old, native Danish speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Noel
Certificate (3), BA (1)
American (male, 48 years old, native English speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Jeff
Diploma (1), BA (1)
Canadian (male, 36 years old, native English speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Guillaume
BA (1), Certificate (1), Diploma (1)
Ivorian (male, 41 years old, native French speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Natalia
Certificate (1), BA (1)
Russian (female, 22 years old, native Russian speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Volodymyr
Diploma (1)
Ukrainian (male, 31 years old, native Ukrainian speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Yemisi
Certificate (1), BEd (1)
Nigerian (female, 33 years old, native English speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Stanley Go
Diploma (2), Certificate (2), MA (1)
British (male, 43 years old, native English speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Massih
Diploma (1), BSc (1)
British (male, 30 years old, native English speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Richard
Certificate (2), PGCE (1), BSc (1)
British (male, 30 years old, native English speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
About Ajarn.com
Ajarn.com was started as a small hobby website in 1999 by Ian McNamara. It was a simple way for one Bangkok teacher to share his Thailand experiences and pass on advice. The website developed a loyal and enthusiastic following. In 2004, Ian handed over the reins to Phil Williams and 'Bangkok Phil' has run the ajarn website ever since.
Ajarn.com has grown enormously and is now the most popular TEFL site in Thailand - possibly even South East Asia. Although best-known for its vibrant jobs page, Ajarn has a wealth of articles, blogs, features and help and advice. But one principle has always remained at Ajarn's core - to tell things like they are and to do it with a sense of humor. Thailand can be Heaven or Hell for an English teacher. It's always been Ajarn.com's duty to present both sides of the equation. Thanks for stopping by.
