In March I was offered a job through a teacher placement agency. They offered a great package which included free accommodation, a great placement, a decent salary and 50% insurance. This gave me another opportunity to live and work in Thailand; a country that I love. However, it it turned into a nightmare that I will never forget.

I had visited Thailand once before in October 2008. I did volunteer work for three months and I was desperate to return after several months living back in the UK. I did loads of research to get the right information on the company and I got friends to double check on this research. At the time everything looked fine. I sent off for all the documents I needed to start the job, signed the contract and received the Non-B visa. I was finally ready for a fresh start in Thailand and to continue my work as an English teacher. I booked a one-way flight not knowing when I would be returning.

I arrived in Bangkok a few days prior to the training course to settle in. The agency had already arranged the hotel so I started to relax. A few days later I met the agency staff and the training course commenced. The first day of the training went fine, however on the second day around 2pm, they asked to speak to me in private. At the time I thought this was odd. They sat me down and told me they didn’t like me and that they wanted me to leave.

After speaking to some friends, they liased with the agency on my behalf and the company managed to find me a suitable position. However, they were unable to tell me the conditions of work. On arriving at the workplace, I was told that I’d be working 30 minutes a day for 4 days a week and for a salary of just 5000 baht per month. I have been struggling to find work ever since and as a result I am returning home to UK next month. This is an important lesson for me and I hope that others don’t make the same mistake.
MP

Phil’s comment - Please note that under no circumstances will ajarn.com actually name names in postbox entries of this nature. So the post will be edited accordingly. You have to appreciate that I only have one side of the story and the company concerned rarely / never has the right of reply.

MP