The Great Escape

Q1. Where did you move to and when?

I moved back to my hometown of Cambridge, Massachusetts (a suburb of Boston) last July.

Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?

I worked in Bangkok for six and a half years. I worked at several different places and lived in a few different parts of the city. Thinking back now, it's actually pretty hard to believe I was there that long. I guess time flies when you're having fun as they say.

Q3. What was your main reason for moving?

I had a few reasons to move back. First, I was ready to enroll in an MA TESOL and I didn't want to do an online course or a Thailand-based grad program. Second, my wife was interested in graduate and/or other education for her in the States, and wanted to experience life abroad. Third, I was simply feeling 'ready for a change' and a little bit worn out/down by Bangkok life. So, here we are. The visa process was a bit of a hassle and it was certainly tough to uproot from a life I had begun to feel very settled into, but I'm glad we did it.

Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?

I work at a place called The Boston Language Institute. There are several things I really like about it. The management is great. I'm listened to, changes are made when needed, and there's a sense of teamwork in the air. It's a friendly place with an overall good atmosphere. There are plenty of teaching materials and they've order several new books upon my suggestion.

I really like teaching diverse populations. I could count the non-Thais I taught in the LOS on two hands. Here, I've been teaching Chinese, Iranian, Georgian, Slovakian, Brazilian, French, Haitian, Japanese, Korean, Colombian, and Saudi students. It just makes things much, much, much more interesting.

The Boston area is extremely expensive and I'm not making much more per hour than I was before I left Bangkok. This math ain't good. If I didn't have a supportive family network here, things would be more dire.

Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?

I miss the food, the buzz on the streets, people everywhere. I got used to that. I miss the usual stuff. Certainly the getaways to beaches and waterfalls, etc. There are great spots around here, but it just ain't the same. I also miss being able to practice speaking Thai. I fear I'll lose my Thai eventually.

Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?

I'd say Thailand because there are more jobs and the quality of life is better if you're suited to it all. Why not take off and get away from all this American political crap and lack of delicious spicy food? There is plenty of ESL work in and around Boston as it's a major international education hub. But it's almost all part-time and short-term. You can make 24,000 dollars a year or so running around teaching classes here and there.

Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?

I'm pretty sure we'll be back. I didn't leave for any negative reasons at all. I miss it a lot already. I think once both my wife and I are topped up educationally and have some more 'time away' to scheme and plan for return plans we'll know if and when the time is right to come back. We don't have kids yet, so that may change things. But I invested a lot in Thailand and find it hard to imagine getting stuck back here in the West forever.

Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?

I don't know...there's the feeling of getting 'stuck' in Thailand. I got familiar with that for stretches of time. There's all the endless entertainment and cheap activities, and the overflow of potential work. It's so easy to put off leaving, even if it makes sense to. My advice is to just bite the bullet and go where you need to go. Thailand will always be there, waiting for you to come back. That said, if you're happy with your lot in the LOS, enjoy and appreciate it...and have a nice steamy plate of pad krapow at bahg soi for all us deserters around the globe just pining for a little honest two-dollar streetfare.