Q1. Where did you move to and when?

I moved from Thailand to China, a couple of hours outside of Shanghai, this past September.

Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?

For three years - mainly at one school in Khon Kaen

Q3. What was your main reason for moving?

I guess you could say I just got tired of the Thai runaround that goes on at most schools such as the lack of clear, direct communication. Also got tired of the big emphasis on appearance with the lack of any real substance behind it. But at the same time I am grateful for the teaching experience it gave me during those three years and the connections I made with some of the students while there.

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

Well first of all I teach 16 classes a week at a government university and I only have to be there when I am teaching. The rest of the time is my own. Another plus is the students here are very well behaved so I do not have to put really any time and energy into dealing with their behavior like you usually have to do in Thai schools.

I am paid about the same as when I was teaching in Thailand but they provide me with excellent free housing on campus that includes electricity and internet so my only real expense is food. I already have a private student and I get $30 an hour which for the most part is the going rate here on the more developed coastal areas of China. Also so far my communication with the Chinese administration here has been great. If I have any questions they answer it clearly and directly. Also if there is anything I need for the classroom or the house I live in they quickly provide it.

They really seem to want to keep me happy while I am living and working here while sometimes in Thailand it would feel like the opposite. So overall it is much more professional environment then in Thailand. But at the same time one has to be careful coming to China to teach for the first time. It is a huge country so the environment and the condition of the jobs here can really vary. Probably the best way to get your feet wet here is to find a university job somewhat near the developed coastal areas of China then go from there, which is what I am doing.

Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?

I miss the weather, (it is cold here) the culture (the Chinese culture revolution did a job on their culture) and the women (most Chinese women are not so dark and slim like a lot of Thai woman are). So on a personal level there are some things I do miss at times about Thailand but on a professional level, it is actually a relief not to be working in Thailand - for now at least. Oh yeah, I do not miss the crazy way Thais drive or even how they cross the street. In the part of China I am in, they actually obey the traffic laws and drive as good as they do back in the West - which has really surprised me.

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

Thailand is actually not a bad place to start out teaching but long term I am not so sure, unless your fortunate enough to find one of those few "paradise" type of jobs you hear about now and then. So if you can move on to something else or somewhere else after a few years it is probably best. But not everyone is able to do that, especially if you are tied down with the wife, the kids and the dog. Then you just have to make the best of it. But during my time in Thailand I would always hear people say 'Thailand is a great place to go on vacation or retire to, but to live here and work as a teacher is another story. And from my experience, that is definitely true.

Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?

Oh yeah for sure. I love Thailand. I still have Thai and foreign friends back there and I am planning to spend my two-month summer vacation during July and August there. But going back to Thailand to teach? No, thanks.

Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?

In general we all have three basic choices in difficult or challenging situations in life - change it, leave it or accept it as it is. In my case I could not change the situation that was going on at the school I was teaching at and I think that is true of most schools in Thailand. And then I got to the point were I could no longer accept it as it was so I decided to leave and go teach in China.

The worse thing to do is to stay in a situation and just complain about it instead of making one of those three choices because you'll just end up making yourself and others unhappy. So those are my last little words of wisdom and good luck to all past, present and future teachers in Thailand because teaching and living there can be both heaven and hell - but enjoy the ride.