Some teachers work in Thailand for a number of years and then become worn down by the red tape and relatively low salaries. One solution is to return to your home country, study for a PGCE and gain qualified teacher status (QTS) Once you have this qualification, the objective in most cases is to apply for teaching jobs with much better pay. We chat with Andre Park. one teacher who has decided to go down this route.

Mark is a great example of a teacher who has risen through the ranks. He started as a TEFLer back in 2004 but quickly worked out that better qualifications would lead to better paying jobs. Now he finds himself in a top position at an international school in Vietnam. He's extremely well-traveled, has written many articles for leading publications, interviewed some world-famous names and written a book for new teachers. This guy is going to be worth talking to.

Back in September 2019, we did a hot seat interview with Mark Newman. The interview got a lot of interest because stories of long-term expat teachers deciding to jack it all in and start a new chapter back in their homeland always get a lot of interest. Well, seven months have passed since Mark returned to the UK. It's time for a follow up.

He's one of Thailand's best known and most respected cartoonists. His artwork is edgy and challenging and always right on the money. And now he's released a hardback collection of his cartoons that every fan will want to treasure.

Dave 'Pep' Anderson was a coal miner, a butcher and a welder's mate (among many other things) before becoming a teacher and then a deputy head teacher at a school in the UK. However, his burning passion has long been poetry for children. In 2020, Pep will be bringing his unique poetry workshops to Thailand, where kids are surely in for a lot of fun. 

We chat to Dean Roberts of Swan Education about the new PGCE (Professional Graduate Certificate of Education) in conjunction with the University of London.

We keep hearing stories of long-term expats/teachers who are leaving Thailand. In a number of cases, it's the TM 30 requirement that has been the final straw. But I was still shocked when Ajarn blogger, ex-colleague and great friend, Mark Newman, messaged me a few weeks ago to say he was heading back to England. Surely not. Surely not Marko! I had to get the full story.

We wanted to chat to an actual job-hunter in Thailand to find out how things really are on the front-line during the busy recruitment season. How many jobs have you applied for? Is applying by e-mail the way to go? Are you usually required to do a demo? So many questions to ask. Perhaps teacher Frank can supply us with some answers.

Corrie T has been a teacher at an Islamic school in Pattani Province since October 2018. Let's find out what's it like to work there compared to a regular Thai school.

Shrewsbury International School in Bangkok is recognized as one of the top international schools in Thailand. They have recently opened a new campus on Rama 9, the City Campus, to accompany their well-established Riverside Campus on Charoen Krung Road. Ajarn is honored to chat with the recently-appointed Riverside Principal, Mr Chris Seal.