Better the devil you know

Sent in by Mr. Russell Park

18th November 2011

At this moment in time, I find myself teaching in a small town close to Nakhonsawan. I've been teaching here for four months and at first I thought I wouldn't last because the town is small and very rural.

What damage exactly?

Sent in by Peelie

13th August 2011

The damage that unqualified foreign teachers do to the Thai system is minimal. All the damage is done by the Thais themselves.

Teaching in Issan

Sent in by Man in Issan

10th August 2011

The letters about teaching in Issan without degrees are wide of the mark. For one thing Issan isn't the "out in the sticks" place that it used to be.

The great Isaan teacher shortage

Sent in by Bob The Black Poet

9th August 2011

The reality is that there is a severe shortage of teachers up there in Iassan and schools, in a state of almost desperation, will bend the rules to hire teachers. That's the reality of life in poor areas.

Should I stay or should I go?

Getting to grips with life as a teacher in Thailand

27th July 2011

I flew in to Bangkok and spent four amazing days and nights there. I was about to head out towards Ubon to start looking for work when I was tipped off with a potential opportunity in the Si Sa Ket province of Isaan.

Does Thailand want us here or not?

Sent in by Mr. Russell Park

3rd July 2011

I came here to work, help, and try and make a difference for Thai children. Thailand is not in the G8, it is still a very young country when it comes to education. It is ranked 81st in the world regarding IQ levels, only African states are below them.

Thai English teachers from Hell

Sent in by Keith Evans

2nd July 2011

I started teaching at the school in the Chaiyaphum Province about two months ago. Everything seemed to be OK at first. The students were polite and the Thai teaching staff were friendly.

Bangkok or up-country? Which is best?

Are you a city boy or a country bumpkin?

15th March 2011

Ajarn.com attempts to answer that burning question - is it better to live and work as a teacher in Bangkok or out in the boonies? We've decided to divide Thailand into two sections - Bangkok and everywhere else. Even the Thais refer to every city, town and village outside the capital as 'up-country' so who are we to argue?

All about Isaan folk

What keeps them smiling exactly

26th February 2009

What are Isaan folk like to work with? There are always going to be exceptions and I have worked with one scallywag outfit myself. But, on the whole, people here don’t go in for back stabbing or office politics. In my office we speak a mixture of English, Thai and Chinese and we always have a good laugh.

The burden of being fun

Why many ESL environments are so nightmarish

1st October 2007

At its very worst, teaching is the kind of job you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy. When the students couldn’t care less about what you have to say, and are determined to just make fun of you, the ESL classroom can literally become a living hell.

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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.