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Stephen Emge
American Stephen Emge has nothing really to do with teaching English in Thailand, but he’s come up with an internet-based idea that just might appeal to a few teachers in Thailand and help them earn a little ‘money on the side’
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Lucie Redwood
It’s often said that Thailand can be a tough place for a female teacher. Well, Lucie Redwood has been here fifteen years already and is more than happy to tell us how she’s survived.
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Scott Walker
Scott Walker originally came to Thailand for a holiday because of his interest in Buddhism. He then quickly made plans to return here for a longer period. He tried the teaching game for a while, decided it wasn’t really for him - and has now started his own business.
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Phil of ajarn.com
In this edition of Hot Seat, ajarn.com’s very own Bangkok Phil jumps from the frying pan, right into the fire. Phil arrived in Thailand as a teacher in 1990 but since then, his entrepreneurial spirit has helped him to become a relatively well-known figure in Thailand’s TEFL industry. He’s certainly carved his own path and Phil believes the secret to his success has been the fact that he tells it like it is. True to his word, he doesn’t disappoint - Eric Haeg
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Alex Cattle
Alex Cattle is something of an ajarn.com icon. He was the inspiration behind the ‘teachers looking for work’ page on the ajarn website and like so many other foreign teachers in Thailand, Alex was struggling to find work without a degree certificate. However, good things always come to he who waits. Alex’s story is one of personal triumph. It’s a story about overcoming the odds.
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Patrick Vella
‘Edutainment’ is a word I have always despised but there’s little doubt that bringing drama into an EFL lesson is never going to be a bad thing. Patrick Vella makes a living training teachers on how to use drama in their classroom and demand for his programs is growing fast.
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David Fahey
What a treat it was to get an e-mail from David Fahey. Dave was one of our very first hot seat candidates over six years ago. Since then he has returned to the UK along with his Thai wife and built a whole new life for himself. It’s surely time to put him back in the spotlight.
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Phil Dunne
You’ve heard the story about a man who liked the product so much that he bought the company. Well this is the story of Phil Dunne, once a teacher at a very well known Bangkok language school, and now the proud owner of Island TEFL on Koh Samui.
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Jorge Jo
Jorge’s story is a simple one of a good, honest teacher giving some of his best years to Thailand’s education system and then deciding that the new teacher licensing laws were the final straw. It was definitely time to leave!
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Andrew Stark
He took an international school to the Thai labor court. He studied for a master’s degree in ELT at a Thai University. He now lives and teaches on the Burmese border and knocks up teakwood furniture in his spare time. Let’s have a chinwag with Andrew Stark.
Featured Teachers
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Maria Chri
Diploma (1)
Filipino (female, 26 years old, native Tagalog speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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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.
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.
