Skirting around the problem
Why focus on issues that have nothing to do with problems in education?
Why are these banal topics regularly raised when so many critical and more pressing problems are evident in the Thai education system? What about the huge shortfall of qualified teachers? The embarrassingly low salary offered to them?
Two heads are better than one (sometimes)
some reasons why the education sector in Thailand is so poor
Some of you may have seen the well-written and interesting article by Sirikul Bunnag in The Bangkok Post recently. It was entitled - "School heads lack English, ICT skills - Poor survey showing surprises authorities"
Native vs non-native speaking teachers
Who would you employ?
If you were a language school owner, who would you rather employ – a non native speaker with experience and good qualifications at 30,000 baht, or a native speaker with little or no experience and no formal qualifications at 40,000 baht?
Featured Teachers
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Mark
Certificate (3), BA (1)
British (male, 53 years old, native English speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Mbu
BEd (1)
Cameroonian (female, 29 years old, native English speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Giovanni F
BA (2), MA (1)
American (male, 41 years old, native English speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Martin
Certificate (3), Diploma (2), BSc (1)
British (male, 57 years old, native English speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Stephen
Certificate (1)
American (male, 26 years old, native English 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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Sary
Certificate (2)
Spaniard (female, 33 years old, native Spanish speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Nicholas
MA (1), Certificate (1), Diploma (1), PGCE (1)
British (male, 38 years old, native English speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Jennelyn
Diploma (1)
Filipino (female, 32 years old, native Tagalog speaker). Currently living in Thailand.
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Stephen
MA (1), BA (1), Certificate (1)
American (male, 43 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.
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.
Fancy teaching freelance?
How easy is it to cut out the middlemen and rake in the cash teach students at their own homes?
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.
Renting an apartment?
Before you go pounding the streets, check out our guide and know what to look out for.
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.
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"
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.
