Quite literally a lucky career break

Be bold and ask your boss for a career break

21st June 2011

Like many of you I work a regular job. For the last 8 years I've been a psychiatric nurse working for the NHS. Life is pretty good, I've never had as much job satisfaction as I do now (I'm not lying, honest!). But the lure of adventure is just too much.

What a long, strange trip it’s been

The downsides and the 'rewards' of living life as an independent expatriate

2nd October 2010

Becoming an "independent" expatriate requires far more self-reliance and ability to adapt than does staying in your home surrounded by family and friends or being a traditional expatriate and being supported by an organizational structure that usually spans both the home country and new location.

Dreams do come true

Gumban's story

28th June 2010

Gumban once thought, “Is it love for travel or is it mere coincidence that I am here in Thailand as a teacher? “Is it force of circumstance or matter of choice?” “What has really brought me here?”

Don’t sweat the small stuff

Sent in by Ralph Sasser

11th November 2007

When preparing to come to Thailand, just take things as they come.

Speaking on ESL in Mid-America

Sent in by Terry Hawkins

1st June 2007

I sure enjoyed speaking about the great 8 years I lived and worked in the place that has become my second home and am looking forward to going back in 2 years to work and be with all my friends again in the exotic tropics

Culture shock

Adjusting to a new life abroad

7th November 2006

The transition to life in a new country means adjusting to a foreign culture. But what is culture? What is it that we are confronted with? Culture is a set of shared, accepted behavior patterns, values, assumptions and common experiences. It defines the social structure, the expectations and the norms of communication for a society.

I finally made it

Snapshots of my first month in Thailand

1st February 2005

Let’s start with this one, the moment I landed at Don Muang airport and officially changed my status from Gaijin to Farang. Notice the naively enthusiastic smile.

Why I came to Thailand

Let's consider the real reasons

1st December 2004

How can life best be lived? Simply by living it. By grabbing life by the balls befo re life grabs yours! I walked into a travel agency and bought myself a one way ticket to Bangkok. I considered it an early birthday present.

Sweet grandchild of mine

The incredible journey and how it all unfolded

9th May 2001

A semi biographical tale of the journey from supermarket shelf stacker to respected teacher

Those were the days

Why I chose Thailand of all places

2nd May 2001

Stuck for something to write so a bit about myself - most of it true, figure out the embellishments for yourself

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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.