Q1. Where did you move to and when?

I moved back to Macclesfield, England in April 2017.

Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?

I was there for about a year, working at a large secondary school in Khorat.

Q3. What was your main reason for moving?

My parents are getting on in years and both beginning to suffer from serious ill health. I felt more than a little guilty that the responsibility of looking after them was falling on my sister's shoulders. She already has a full-time job to hold down and three kids to take care of. Me lazing around on a beach and living the life of Riley in Thailand just didn't seem fair with my sister having so much on her plate so I made the decision to return home.

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

Well, I haven't actively looked around for any work yet. I'm kind of taking things day by day and seeing how things unfold. I'm living rent-free with my parents at the moment and my needs are few. I can't carry on like this indefinitely though.

In my early twenties, I used to do evening and weekend bar work. I wonder if history might repeat itself?

Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?

Is there anything I don't miss? I dream about Thailand and being back there every night.

I was very lucky to work for a great school and they really looked after me. There were only three foreign teachers including me. The students were great and I didn't do all that many classroom hours to make a 32,000 baht salary (which was enough to live on in Khorat)

Life outside Bangkok is not for everyone but I really enjoyed it. After several months, a foreign teacher in a rural town becomes something of a celebrity. I enjoyed that aspect of things if truth be told. I met some great Thai people during my time there and I can't bear the thought of never seeing them again. We will meet again one day!

I loved the simplicity of life in Thailand. OK, the visa and red tape stuff can be a pain, but it's like all you have to worry about most of the time is having a roof over your head and food in your belly. I've been back in the UK only a matter of weeks but life seems so much more complicated - and far less fun. I realise that my current situation is contributing to that though.

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

Oh absolutely! Don't hesitate. Go with a positive mindset, don't let the small stuff irritate you, and you'll have a blast.

Had my parents not fallen ill, I could have seen myself staying for three or four years at least. I feel like I only scratched the surface and Thailand has now become 'unfinished business' to me.

Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?

I would go back tomorrow.

Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?

As much as I loved Thailand as a place to live and teach, I wouldn't consider it a long-term gig. I met with several teachers from other schools who had been there for between five and ten years and I got the impression most if not all of them felt 'trapped'. They had burned their bridges back home wherever they came from and it was almost like they had no option to return. I wouldn't want to ever be in that situation. That said, I think if you go with the intention of making Thailand your home for one or two years, you won't go far wrong.