Q1. Where did you move to and when?

I moved to Vietnam in May 2015.

Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?

I did just over 12 months at a large private school on the outskirts of Bangkok.

Q3. What was your main reason for moving?

I think the novelty of being in Thailand just started to wear off and I was hearing good things about Vietnam from a couple of ex-colleagues, so I thought why not give it a go?

I really loved the first six months of my new life in Thailand. I'm from a small village in England and the bright lights and buzz of Bangkok just blew me away. But as often happens, familiarity breeds concept and a lot of small things, too numerous to mention, started to wear me down. I still wanted to stay in Asia though.

The school I worked at generally offered good support to the teachers and the students were great - but talk about a revolving door! I lost count of the number of different teachers I worked with in a 12-month period. The school was constantly hiring new teachers who really had no clue what they were doing or any business being in a classroom. So much of your time was spent unraveling the mess that other teachers created (failing to teach the correct lessons, not turning up for work, etc)

I always prided myself on doing a good job but you get to the stage where if no one else can be bothered, then why should you be!

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

Well I haven't been here long but I can already see that the students are much sharper and willing to learn - plus they can tell a good teacher from a bad one. You don't get away with 'winging' lessons here. Not at my school anyway. The pay is about 25% more than I made in Thailand and I teach fewer hours. But I spend quite a lot more time on preparation.

Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?

Moving to Vietnam has made me realise just how friendly and welcoming the Thais are. Not that the Vietnamese are particularly unfriendly but Thais are just so easy to get along with.

It's easier to get things done in Thailand as well. You can pick up groceries from the numerous mini-marts, hand in some dry-cleaning, go for a massage. If you live in a relatively busy neighborhood, then everything is convenient. I probably feel this way because I'm yet to find my way around my Vietnamese neighborhood at the moment.

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

I think 12 months is enough to decide if Thailand is for you or not. I think it's an OK country to start with if you plan on making a career out of being a TEFLer.

Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?

Not sure about that right now. I don't want to fall into the trap of moving from one country to another at the end of each school year and hoping for better things. I would like to stay somewhere long-term and for it to become a place I can call home.

Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?

Thailand doesn't really value education. It can be very disheartening to put your heart and soul into your English lessons and the students don't really see the point in learning the language. I do sympathize with them a little though. When the only time of the week you use English is in school, it must seem like a terrible waste of time.