A ticket to happiness

How saving bus tickets can save your day

3rd January 2012

In the past I never paid any importance to my environment. Whenever I rode buses, I would crumple up bus tickets. I would play with them like a ball, fold them into a paper plane and let them fly. Sometimes I would fold the ticket into a neat triangle and insert it into the back of someone’s seat. But I guess I’m not the only one who does this right?

Is Ratchadaphisek the new Sukhumvit?

An area of Bangkok that is rapidly gaining in popularity as a place to live

25th August 2010

So what has happened to Ratchada to transform it into this now arguably superior status? Well obviously it has benefitted immensely from the MRT stations and metro line and this has given Ratchada not only a new lease of life, but has encouraged others to come and live in the area.

Phil’s Memory Lane

Now you see it, now you don't.

8th February 2010

A light-hearted look at some of the things Bangkokians once took for granted but are now nothing more than a distant memory. Your contributions welcome.

Something’s afoot

Pedestrian perils in the big mango

25th September 2008

The whole footpath and re-paving conundrum is rather like Thailand in a microcosm. It's a kind of 'organised chaos' - the begrudging acceptance of second-class results with little or no regard for the end user. All I'm saying is surely there's someone somewhere in the this kingdom who knows how to lay a proper footpath.

Life on the ocean wave

Getting out and about on the mighty Bangkok rivers

22nd May 2008

As both a non-swimmer and someone who listens to far too many stories of people falling into polluted Bangkok waters, I've made avoiding boat travel one of my missions in life. Perhaps it was time to conquer the fears that had built up inside me for so long.

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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.