Money matters
Are you financially sound?
Without any savings or benefits from either a public or private pension scheme in your old age, you might be forced to opt for the ‘Go Native scheme’ (the fried rice & Sangsom approach), the ‘Bangkok Pension Plan’ (wait for moneyed relatives to expire) or go out with a bang aka ‘The Flying Club’.
Phil Roeland's Tag Cloud
Previous Articles
- 9th June 2010: Travel phrasebooks - blessing or curse?
- 27th May 2010: It does matter if you’re black or white
- 14th March 2010: Learner autonomy
- 31st January 2010: Death by worksheet
- 3rd January 2010: Time flies
- 1st December 2009: My great escape
- 2nd November 2009: Bear Hugs
- 2nd October 2009: Great Expectations
- 2nd September 2009: Ni Hao
- 2nd August 2009: The Golden Land
- 1st July 2009: The Ideal Student
- 1st June 2009: ESL Printables
- 1st May 2009: Things To Do Before You Die
- 1st April 2009: Making The Move
- 1st March 2009: The Ideal Teacher
- 2nd February 2009: The Growing Pains of the TEFL Industry
- 4th January 2009: 2008 - A Year To Forget
- 2nd December 2008: Interviewing Foreigners
- 1st November 2008: Vietnam: failed, Cambodia: passed
- 1st October 2008: Bangkok getaways - Petchburi
- 1st September 2008: Goodbye Thailand
- 1st August 2008: Bangkok getaways - Lopburi
- 1st July 2008: Ignorance or arrogance?
- 1st June 2008: Back to school
- 1st May 2008: My songkran escape
- 1st April 2008: Bangkok getaways - Kanchanaburi
- 1st March 2008: Ways to improve Thai education
- 1st March 2008: How to motivate students
- 1st January 2008: Goodbye 2007, Welcome 2008
- 1st December 2007: Land of a million elephants
- 1st November 2007: The tools of technology
- 1st October 2007: Sightseeing in Bangkok
- 1st September 2007: An inconvenient truth
- 1st August 2007: Full-time teacher, part-time thief
- 1st July 2007: My friend he sick
- 1st June 2007: I go to shopping
- 1st May 2007: Belated April fool’s jokes
- 1st April 2007: Songkhran getaways
- 1st March 2007: Gogo loves neeps and tatties
- 1st February 2007: The academic debate
- 1st January 2007: Thailand 101
- 1st December 2006: Teachers and textbooks
- 1st November 2006: Thai news
- 1st October 2006: Where is Brian?
- 1st September 2006: Rubbish!
- 1st August 2006: Holiday in Thailand
- 1st July 2006: How to land a job
- 1st June 2006: The Filipino issue
- 1st May 2006: Water wars
- 1st April 2006: Person of odd jobs
- 1st March 2006: My teacher is a computer
- 1st February 2006: Teaching the kiddies
- 1st January 2006: How to improve your English
- 1st December 2005: Rote learning and Thai schooling
- 1st November 2005: The magical land
- 1st October 2005: Whinging farangs
- 1st September 2005: TOEFL woes
- 2nd August 2005: A bit of culture part two
- 1st July 2005: A bit of culture part one
- 1st June 2005: Never mind fluency
- 1st May 2005: What’s in a nickname?
- 1st April 2005: Sit fetch and roll over
- 1st March 2005: Clock, peanut and frog
- 1st February 2005: Wishes
- 1st January 2005: Monty Python returns
- 1st December 2004: A teacher’s lot
- 1st November 2004: The visa run
- 1st October 2004: Heaven and Hell
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.
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.
Friends of Ajarn
The cost of living
How much money does a teacher need to earn in order to survive in Thailand? We analyze the facts.
E-mailing for jobs
E-mailing potential employers in Thailand can be a very frustrating experience. Teacher Chris is on hand to give you some top tips.
The Region Guides
Fancy working in Thailand but not in Bangkok? Our region guides are written by teachers who actually live and work in the provinces.
Hi, I’m Tony Dabbs
I was a licensed life and health agent in the USA for many years and now I'm ajarn.com's health insurance expert.
Fun Quiz
Find out how employable you are in Thailand as an English teacher. Is it a case of 'welcome aboard' or "Mom, I need you to send some money again"
Fancy teaching freelance?
How easy is it to cut out the middlemen and rake in the cash teach students at their own homes?
Renting an apartment?
Before you go pounding the streets, check out our guide and know what to look out for.





