The Thai Floods

When tomorrow never comes

31st October 2011

With the Asian Tsunami of 2004, the lack of a decent education, the rampant corruption, the near civil war last year between the Red and Yellow Shirts, and now the floods, you have to feel for the average Thai who seems as a resilient and flexible as on old leather bag. No sooner has one disaster come and gone, but another floats along like an abandoned Styrofoam tray.

A fishy tale

What happens when your pet fish become part of the family.

6th October 2011

Sometimes I'm reminded what a great country Thailand is to live in, especially when I encounter a level of customer service that I would never imagine possible.

The land of good samaritans

Sometimes you can find help when you least expect it

7th September 2011

What happened to me last November has given me the impression that there are indeed a lot of good samaritans in Thailand.

The teacher’s diary revisited

One teacher's descent into madness. Now updated for 2011

4th July 2011

The diary is the heartbreaking four-week journal of Mr Jim Elmdon - a teacher who came to Thailand and failed miserably. Keep a box of tissues handy.

Mr. and Mrs.

How many points would you and your significant other score?

4th March 2011

If you or your wife were asked ten questions about each other’s likes, dislikes, favourite food, colour, smell, or what irritates you both etc., how well do you think you would score?

May I see your passport?

The joys of international travel with a Thai partner

28th February 2011

Despite the fact my wife already has three Schengen visas and three UK visas in her passport from past visits, applying for a visa to visit a new country is always stressful.

How well do you know your Thai spouse?

Gruesome accounts of Thai wives who kill for money

31st January 2011

With recent newspaper reports showing a number of unsolved deaths of expats in Thailand, and with the finger of suspicion pointed squarely at their spouse, how concerned should you be that it could happen to you?

It’s a lawless land

Who can you complain to in Thailand when you've been truly wronged?

14th January 2011

This is a country where I'm convinced you have to let many incidents go and chalk them up to experience. Pursuing things ‘legally' and going down what you feel are the appropriate channels will just lead to frustration and despair. This is Thailand. It's a lawless land.

House of horrors part three

An update on the perils of having your own house built in Thailand

18th December 2010

After returning to Thailand, I found a contractor I thought was committed to building my house the way I wanted it. Finding someone to complete what had been started by another person, I knew would be difficult, but nevertheless I thought I had found the right man.

The courage of Arpaporn

In defense of exclusion, discrimination, and xenophobia

8th December 2010

I would like to say that my latest writing assignment given to my grade 10 and 11 classes has given me hope; but I can’t. While some of the writing showed ‘glimmers of hope’, at least in my eyes, many of the opinions my students shared unfortunately matched the biased, ignorant, and bigoted statements made incessantly by many Thai adults.

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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.

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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.