Q1. Where did you move to and when?

Moved back to Phoenix, Arizona in March of 2018.

Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?

Worked in Bangkok for one year at a private school near Rama 2 teaching two classes of each grade, grades 2nd-6th. Worked doing English camps and commercial extra gigs for about 6 months, also in Bangkok. Lastly, a little more than one year teaching business English to hotels on Koh Samui island. I was in Thailand for 2 years and 6 months altogether.

Q3. What was your main reason for moving?

While living in Koh Samui, I met a girl, we got married and had a baby boy. Together we decided we would like to raise our child in USA.

Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?

I make a lot more money, and it's not very expensive here. We have a very nice home in Arizona, the weather in AZ, other than the summer time is better than Thailand. My job here is much easier also than teaching children, however I do miss teaching at hotels because it was fun. In AZ I audit insurance companies, and reviewing files is not fun, but easier than delivering a good class to young students. At times I felt like a clown in Thailand when teaching, as English was just for fun at my Bangkok school, and I was cool with that but on days when I was hungover, it got old.

Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?

I miss the food and the daily fruit shakes. Thailand parties are great and just making adventures out of everything. I never stayed home while I was there, I always had a ghetto apartment in Bangkok within walking distance to Siam Square. I was all about going out and hanging around with people. I made many friends from Bangkok International college on Ekamai and between the 10-20 people I knew from there, I was always able to go out and socialize.

Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?

For sure if you like having fun. If you think you are going there to mold the minds of your students, you will need to be lucky with the school you land or program they have going. A lot of schools are not serious about English and for me I could appreciate it, but at times got frustrated. For sure there are plenty of good jobs out there though where the experience would be very different. Mine was an expensive private school and fun came first there. Teaching in Thailand is the best because you can land a job very easily if you have a bachelor degree, and you can travel all around using Bangkok as your hub, with cheap flights to many countries.

Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?

Yes, I still go every year in the summer when it's hot here in AZ. We typically visit Nakhon Si Thammarat (wife's hometown) and Koh Samui (our old haunt). So yes I plan to do that forever.

Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?

Thailand is the best. I really love that country. I look forward to my retirement and spending six months in USA and six months in Thailand. I will rent a place there and that should give me the freedom to travel around Thailand and SE Asia.