The Great Escape

Q1. Where did you move to and when?

I moved to Lancaster, near to where I was brought up and where my family still live, in May 2008.

Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?

Worked in Chiang Mai for 18 months after visiting as a backpacker and meeting my then girlfriend who is now my wife.

Q3. What was your main reason for moving?

Mainly financial. I was a little bit naughty and used my overdraft to fund my move to Chiang Mai and after over a year of no payments, the bank was sending nasty letters to my parents' house! Wanted to catch up with my friends and family too as well as giving my wife the opportunity to see where I come from and get to know my family.

Needed to also top up my HND into a degree which I completed this year.

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

Obviously you get paid more money, which allows you to save for the future. The problem with Thailand is although you can live quite well, it is very difficult to fund a trip home, so many farangs don't get to see their homeland for years on end. Also there are real prospects for promotion and a career, although right now that does not motivate me.
Not dripping with sweat is also nice but I would swap it for being battered by rain and wind on my walk to work or falling over on the ice in winter!

Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?

The simple things really, like going shopping for food at the local market; riding my Honda Dream in my shorts with the warm air blowing against you as the sun drops; drinking a few Leos whilst catching ridiculous -sized catfish a local fishing lake; meeting chilled-out and happy people wherever you go; and eating 'aroi' food wherever and whenever. Basically I miss it all, apart from the pollution and the sunburn!

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

Thailand is definitely a place to 'cut your teeth' so to speak. It is easy to find work with relatively few qualifications and experience and you are usually left alone to learn on the job.

Kids don't always want to learn but usually want to have 'sanuk.' So don't expect too much from them but at the same time put as much effort as you can in to getting some fun activities together that teach a little bit to everyone each class.

Teaching young adults employability skills in the UK is actually quite similar but may be a tougher gig to start with. I have found that if you have the carrot of a job opportunity for the learners you can motivate them to learn quite well.

Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?

Although living in the UK is OK and my wife has settled in really well (many folk at work actually think she is a born and bred Lancastrian!) I have a definite plan to return to Chiang Mai in around 15 months time to build a small house on my wife's land and probably stay and teach for at least a year.

Ultimately I want to take a PGCE in the UK and also buy a house to rent out. Then I can return to Chiang Mai and live my days out in financial security with the house acting as a 'nest-egg' for when I retire. Long way off though - I am only 29!

Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?

Two points: if you are in the UK and have considered teaching in Thailand, but have not bit the bullet, do it! I moved over with no experience, very little money and managed to get a TEFL, get teaching and earning a decent wage within three months and may have still been there if it wasn't for the bank catching up with me!

If you are in Thailand and are worried about coming back or want to show your Thai partner where you come from etc; then again, it is probably worth biting the bullet too. Living back in the UK has been good for our relationship as my wife can now understand a lot more about me and my life before I met her. I joke with her that she is currently three years into her PhD in Northern English. In two years she will be fully qualified and ready to return to Thailand to act as much like a farang as me!