Jake Marshall
Jake is a former copywriter who quit his ad agency job after burnout and one too many pub chats. He took a TEFL course on a whim, booked a one-way flight, and never looked back (except for Christmas). He's been teaching English in Thailand for five years.
What first brought you to Thailand, and how long did you plan to stay originally?
Honestly? I was supposed to be here for six months. Classic cliché. I was bored, burned out, and needed something, anything, that didn’t involve pitching slogans for toothpaste. So I Googled “TEFL courses + warm weather + cheap beer,” and here we are.
What's one moment in the classroom you'll never forget - for better or worse?
One of my students drew a very elaborate comic strip of me riding an elephant into school wearing a cape and yelling "Let's learn tenses!" It was worryingly accurate. It’s still on the staffroom wall.
What’s the biggest cultural surprise you experienced in your first year teaching here?
How indirect everything is. You could be on fire and people would still smile and say “mai pen rai.” Took me ages to learn that “we’ll see” sometimes means “absolutely not, but I don’t want to upset you”
If you could magically fix one part of the Thai education system overnight, what would it be and why?
Stop treating English like a subject to memorize and start using it like a tool to express real ideas. My students are brilliant - they just need permission to take risks and be heard.
What do your students really think of you and how do you know?
They think I’m weird but funny. One of them called me "Mr. Farang Style" in a poem. Another drew a picture of me as a banana. I take it as affection.
What’s your go-to phrase in Thai and how did you learn it?
"Mai dai duay" which means “I can’t do that.” I learned it from a market auntie who refused to sell me grilled intestines. Bless her.
How do you handle the moments when you're totally misunderstood - culturally or linguistically?
I’ve learned to just pause and smile. Then try again with gestures, drawings, or Google Translate. There’s a weird beauty in the struggle. It makes you humble.
What’s one thing you wish every new teacher knew before arriving in Thailand?
You’re not here to “fix” anything. You’re here to learn just as much as you’re here to teach. Be useful, but be humble.
Have you had any unexpected connections or friendships with locals that changed your view of Thai life?
Oh, 100%. My landlord, Khun Lek, brings me mangoes and unsolicited life advice. He once told me, “If you love someone, don’t make them spicy food.” That broke my brain a little.
What’s your ultimate guilty pleasure or “escape” on a tough teaching day?
Scooter ride to the waterfall with a Leo beer in my backpack and hip-hop blasting through my earbuds. Instant reset.
What do you miss most about home besides family and food?
Sarcasm that lands. And being able to say “grand” and have someone know exactly what I mean.
In one sentence: what keeps you here?
This country gave me a second chance at a life that doesn’t feel like a Monday morning - and that’s hard to walk away from.
