Submit your own 'Great Escape' »
Alison Empey
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
Sancheong City, South Korea. March 31, 2006.
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
A little over a year in both Bangkok and Suratthani.
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
Weary of putting off the uni debt-collecting shysters back home. Thai wages just wouldn't cut it.
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
Money. Gaining a renewed appreciation for Thailand - for even some of the things that drove me mad when I lived there.
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
The beauty and exoticness of the land, the fun-loving and laid-back nature of the people, the fantastic food, the cost of living, the students that caused my face to actually hurt at the end of the day from excessive smiling - I shit you not, my mates, the Thai whisky, the weather, the spontaneity and unpredictable daily adventures.
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
I would drag my naked body through broken glass and follow it up with an acid bath before recommending my worst enemy seek work in rural South Korea. I've aged five years in one from being in such close quarters to intensely anal, controlling, and close-minded people. Cities are less intense but would only even suggest it for short-term money-hoarding gigs.
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
Well....that's a tough one.
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
17 days remaining. Thailand, here i come.
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Ajarn Guests
Fear of change?
In Thailand the government has set 2012 as English Speaking Year with a goal of encouraging students to converse in English every Monday. Such policies are useful but the major leap of enacting legislation to make English an official language for Thailand is also needed
Software for student tests
The integration of internet and computers with education and English learning is something students find normal, and classrooms without some access to educational software may seem quaint. Some students may even feel they can get more ‘professional' teaching from the numerous online ELT sites if a school is behind in IT.
Whatever happened to the shopping mall teacher?
They are the shopping mall English teachers - gliding like pale, undernourished phantoms amid the hordes of weekend Thai shoppers. The main reason I empathize with the shopping mall teacher is because I was once one myself. I know how desperate and soul-destroying it can be.
Most recently answered question:
Are there any teaching agencies in Bangkok that I can just walk into?
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.
