Q1. Where did you move to and when?

I moved to Milan, Italy at the beginning of the year (2014)

Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?

I worked in Thailand for five years at two different secondary schools and also taught literally hundreds of private students at the weekend.

Q3. What was your main reason for moving?

I just got up one morning and felt like I needed a complete change of scenery. I had recently split from my Thai partner of five years and I would be lying if I said that the break-up didn't have a lot to do with my decision. It was an extremely difficult parting of the ways but she was forging ahead with her career and I felt as if I was holding her back. I wanted to experience teaching in Europe again as well. I taught in Spain and Poland for several years and really enjoyed my time in both countries.

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

I thought I would struggle to pick up teaching work in Italy and I didn't have a huge amount of savings behind me, but I've found plenty of private language schools here, all looking for an experienced teacher. Within two weeks of arriving I had picked up enough hours to live on. I'm earning in the region of about 60,000 baht a month, which is enough to rent a small apartment and eat well enough. At the end of the day, it's a major European city though, so your money is never going to go as far as it does in Thailand.

Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?

The life out there is just so easy isn't it? OK, the actual teaching and dealing with the school administration can be stressful at times but once your working day is over and time is your own, life is so simple. Wherever you are, you can reach out and touch a food vendor. Everything is taken care of from your laundry to cheap motorcycle repairs. I miss the simplicity of life in Thailand. I made a lot of good friends too and I'm trying to keep in touch with as many as I can via Facebook, etc.

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

Go for it! You'll have a great time.

Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?

Not at the moment. I'm enjoying life in Europe and it's giving me a chance to really recharge my batteries. I wouldn't mind eventually giving somewhere like Vietnam or Cambodia a try but I just know that if I decided on SE Asia as a TEFL destination, the lure of Thailand would be too great and I'd probably end up back there.

Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?

As much as I loved my five years in Thailand, you can never feel truly settled. You never knew when there were going to be changes to the teacher licencing laws or the immigration rules, etc. That always worried me (as it did many of the other teachers I worked with) I think it's less of a problem for a 'free spirited' single guy because they can just move on to another country, but it's a lot harder for those who have put down roots and married a local and maybe had a child or two. I wouldn't fancy dealing with the day to day uncertainly of only ever being a guest in the country and having no rights as such.