Are you a teacher who once taught in Thailand but decided to seek out pastures new? Has the grass been greener on the other side? Maybe you swapped Thailand for the financial lure of Japan or Korea? Read about those who have left Thailand, and their reasons for moving...
Cass
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
I moved back to the UK in 2018. I intended to work in education but my teaching certificate from Thailand (University of Perpetual Help, Las Pinas) did not count for anything, so I became a teaching assistant. That was a tough move as I felt like I had to bite my tongue most days. Then covid hit.
Fortunately the school I worked for saw my potential and employed me as an unqualified teacher while I completed my on-the-job training. Being in my 30's, I found some of this process very patronising considering I have taught for 8 years and studied for one.
I am now fully qualified, finally.
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
I moved there in 2010 and worked in Sawangdaendin, in Sakon Nakorn for 6 months. I gained a TEFL with a company called 'Teach Abroad Thailand' and 'Media Kids' who secured the Essan placement. It was lovely there but very far away from everything. I Christmassed in Bangkok with other teachers from the same company and heard about amazing places they had travelled to. I decided after 6 months, I would go to Chiang Mai and search for a.position there.
Luckily, I bumped into a friend from the company who had a position in Lamphun: there was still one opening so I went for an interview.
I successfully worked there for one year however, in the meantime, I would spend many of my weekends in Pai, Mae Hong Son. I fell in love with that place so that, after a year, I decided to move there and approach the school. I did and was successful, I volunteered for.a term before moving back to the UK for winter in 2013.
I spent the Christmas with family but had always intended to move back to Thailand, in particular Pai. I had made many friends there, who I am still friends with today, and it felt to me like home. I approached the school again and they agreed to take me on. I was only receiving 10,000 baht a month at that point!
I stayed there for a further 5 years as well as helping out the local NGO project: Kwah Dao who supports Shan children in Pai. I developed my own curricula for Kwah Dao and the high school which is very etensive and has helped me in my qualification status here in the UK.
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
Unfortunately, my auntie was sick with lung cancer and I couldn't know what was going on, being so far away. I decided to move back to the UK to be close to family. It was a hard decision to make.
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
Now I work in a middle school in Dorset. There are many advantages and disagvantages: pay is considerably more but the cost of living is also; no language barrier; centralised planning - this can also be seen as a disadvantage as takes away the creativity; time and extra duties- unions fight for your extra time, however, I struggle to get everything done and work long hours.
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
Food!! Definitely food!! English quinine is very mundane. Luckily, my partner is a chef and loves Thai food, however, it still is not the same.
I miss the mai pen rai attitude. The welcoming feeling I got from everyone. I miss not being judged and the freedom of expression.
I miss the heat of the dry season. Living in Pai, it would.get chilly in the winter time so I experienced my fair share of chilly nights by a fire, with some Scandinavian friend traipsing off into the undergrowth to obtain more.wood to burn.
I miss being able to live where you pick; being able to afford it; not being held to ransom for everything.
I miss riding a motorbike, albeit a Honda Dream, I still miss that mentality of popping to the market and squeezing everything into the basket.
I miss the people. Even though we were from different countries, there was a strong sense of acceptance and friendship and that is something I do not experience in Dorset unfortunately.
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
Both. I would recommend someone to experience a different reality and to make their own minds up about which one they prefer.
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
I will return to Thailand in the future, but I feel obliged to stay close to family at the present moment.
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
Please contact me if you have any questions: cassandra.watters@gmail.com
Graham
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
I moved to teach in Hanoi, Vietnam in May 2023, so I've been here about half a year.
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
I taught at a school in Khorat for two years and then its partner school in Bangkok for a further two years.
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
I simply needed a change of scenery and felt as if life had got a bit too routine. I'd heard good things about teaching in Vietnam from a couple of ex-colleagues and they invited me over to join them. It wasn't a step into the complete unknown though because I had been to Vietnam a couple of times before. However, as we all know, living and working somewhere is entirely different to being a tourist.
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
I'm kind of in the honeymoon period so I'm still enjoying the change. Hanoi tends to be a bit cheaper than Bangkok in terms of everyday expenses like food and transportation, plus the school pays for my accommodation. I didn't have that luxury when I worked in Thailand. It's a lovely apartment as well.
Unlike my teaching gigs in Thailand, we have a lot of tech at our disposal in Vietnam and we use martboards, cool apps, and online tools to make lessons more engaging and fun. The school here is dialed in to help teachers grow, it encourages sharing and innovation, and has more resources. Not that the students really need 'entertaining' because they are far more motivated to learn than Thai students. That said, they aren't as much 'fun'.
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
Firstly, I made decent money in my job back in Europe so I have considerable savings behind me. I say this because if you can work in Thailand and not have to worry about money, you can focus purely on all the wonderful things Thailand has to offer and not get hung up on costs. I had an amazing four years there, I made some great friends, travelled around the country as much as I could and despite its downsides, I have so many positive and happy memories.
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
Everyone's situation is different. I'd advise anyone to teach for a year and see if they like it. Thailand is not for everyone and I worked with many teachers who tried to live a 60K a month lifestyle on a 35K salary. That's never going to work. Always live within your means.
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
Oh for sure! Thailand is where my heart is. As the days go by in Vietnam, I see more and more why Thailand has so much appeal.
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
It's been said before in these surveys, but the teachers who fare the best in Thailand are the ones who go with the flow and don't let setbacks get to them. Your life in Thailand will be very different to the life you left behind. You have to embrace it.
Warren
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
I moved to Madrid, Spain at the end of last year, so I'm coming up to a full 12 months here. I'm not a teacher anymore though.
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
Just over three years. One year was spent in Chiang Mai engaged in TEFL activities followed by a couple of years in Chiang Rai involved in an EP program at a government school.
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
I didn't transition directly from Thailand to Spain. After exploring Southeast Asia sufficiently, I returned home for Christmas. My intention was to continue teaching English as a foreign language, and I was curious to see if securing a teaching position in Europe would be as straightforward as it was in Thailand. I ended up abandoning the teaching idea and went to work for a computer software company.
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
The pay is obviously higher, but that's expected. Living costs and demands are higher here, so it kind of balances out. If I want to put away some cash, this place beats Thailand, but since I love traveling, stretching my salary has proven to be tougher. Back in Thailand, lots of places targeted expats and tourists, which got annoying. But here, it feels more like everyone's part of the same group, with no outsider vibe.
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
The people, for sure. I guess I got used to being in those northern towns where there were plenty of young westerners teaching and exploring. Thailand was definitely a breeze to live in; that's what everyone says, and there's a solid reason for that. Everything else—like the food, the weather, and the relaxed pace of life—was pretty fantastic too!
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
For a new, probably younger teacher, I'd recommend Thailand, especially up North in places like Chiang Mai. It's more geared towards the younger crowd. However, if you're aiming for a significant career step forward, unless you're a fully qualified teacher, Thailand might not offer the best opportunities. But if your focus is on lifestyle and overall quality of life, Thailand wins hands down every time.
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
I'd never rule it out completely. There are plenty of other countries on my list to visit, but I can't deny how much I loved my time in Thailand. So, yes, I'd head back there to work again if a decent opportunity came along. Plus, it feels like a missed opportunity if I don't put to use what I learned during my time there.
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
If it's feasible, it's definitely better to acquire the proper teaching credentials from your home country before starting a teaching career abroad—unless you're absolutely certain that teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) will only be a short-term adventure lasting one to three years.
Steve
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
I initially moved to the UK and then took a job at a university in the Middle East, after 7 months of being back.
In Thailand, I refused to be experimented on in 2021 and as a result, I haven't had any issues with my health. Due to making this decision, a friend and I were shown the door, right before Christmas, from our so-called 'international' school.
When I got to the UK, things were bad. I found myself living in my brother's garage and wages were stagnant and inflation was high. I was also shocked by the state of schools in the UK and by the standard of education there, nowadays.
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
I was there for just over 8 years. Initially, I arrived with nothing more than a diploma and a TEFL certificate, but I managed to do a BA in TESOL and an MEd, during my time there. I worked in a range of different schools from kindergarten to high school. I also worked in all the low-end establishments and also through agencies. plus I worked for private schools and at government schools.
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
Apart from having the audacity to make decisions about my own body, I was sick of the appalling management, the lack of gratitude and respect for foreign teaching staff, and the hardnosed sense of entitlement from Thai schools.
In the 8 years I worked there, I worked at many schools, even spending a couple of years as a substitute teacher at an agency. In all that time, I only visited a couple of schools where either I wasn't abused in some unnecessary way or I didn't witness the abuse of other foreign staff. You're often made to feel unwelcome.
In addition, to the contempt and the passive aggressiveness, you also have to contend with the lack of resources provided and you're often expected to fork out from your own paltry salary.
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
I am paid at least 3 times what I was making at a supposed 'international' school in Thailand.
My expertise and experience actually means something where I work now.
I don't have to deal with archaic, feudalistic management. The managers here have their egos in check.
The local staff aren't passive-aggressive and are unlikely to stab me in the back.
You get paid for overtime and extra work.
Pay rises are a thing here.
You can actually get promoted where I am now and progress in your career.
I'm not expected to compete in the job market with people who have the same level of English as my students.
Almost all of the teachers here are NES and there's no bitching and moaning about nationality or ability.
I don't know what the government thinks of foreigners here because they don't try and make outsiders feel unwelcome. The same can be said about the local press.
I'm not constantly having to fork out and grease palms.
Visa runs are few and far between and are paid for.
The rules aren't changing every five minutes.
My apartment and utilities are provided free of charge.
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
I miss the food more than anything else. The nightlife has become quite expensive and is no longer what it once was. I also miss riding around on my motorbike.
The banks are a lot better these days in Thailand.
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
No, absolutely not.
5 years ago, I would have recommended to a teacher without a degree that they enrol in the same programme that I did. However, that course is now twice as expensive and salaries are basically the same as they were 20 years ago. I would recommend that new teachers think about other regional countries to start their careers or take their gap year. They would likely be paid more and treated a lot better. Most of the things that allure would-be teachers to Thailand can be found in neighbouring countries.
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
I have been back twice and plan to go again at Christmas. My girlfriend works there as a Filipino teacher and has just been hired at a top international school.
I cringe at the thought of having to work there again in a Thai-managed school. There's basically no stability and it only takes one vindictive member of staff to ruin everything for you.
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
I think that there's a massive sense of entitlement in most schools in Thailand. You're offered crappy, stagnant salaries and schools have no shame in demanding the most prestigious of qualifications to apply for such roles.
Many schools are more interested in your age or appearance than your qualifications and experience.
When I arrived, 10 years ago, most foreign teachers were native speakers, who could at least speak English fairly well.
I basically only survived the first 5 years because I was on an Ed visa and could walk out of a school that day if the games started.
Over 8 years, I watched the standard of foreign teachers drop considerably.
Many of the places I used to work are still advertising the same salaries they were offering a decade ago.
For these reasons, I don't see salaries rising and I would urge NES with qualifications to consider looking elsewhere. Have a bit of self-respect because there are much better deals abroad. Don't get sucked in.
Cathy
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
I moved back to England in July 2023
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
I was there for just one year, working at a large primary and secondary school in Chiang Mai.
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
I never really felt settled and friendships were too transient. You would make good friends with someone only to see them move on to somewhere else after a term. It's also well-known of course that the pollution in the north is awful and Thailand doesn't seem to have a solution. I didn't want to experience all that wheezing and coughing for another burning season. I would also add that a 35K salary didn't quite stretch as far as I thought it would. There are a lot of temptations to spend money in Chiang Mai.
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
More security and stability and I can put away some money for the future. Being close to family instead of the other side of the world is nice too.
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
Not as much as I thought I would. I guess Thai street food would top the list and of course I miss many of my students and seeing their smiling faces in the morning.
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
I would certainly recommend any teacher to consider travelling and working abroad but be sure to do your research on the schools before you start work there. Try and talk to the current foreign staff if at all possible but avoid any obvious negativity from teachers who have been worn down by years and years in Thailand. Always have an open mind
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
I'd certainly include it on any travel plans around Asia and hopefully I'll do that some day. Would I work in Thailand again? Probably not.
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
Try and seek out the positive foreigners as friends. Negative people can suck the life out of you. Thailand suits some people and not others. I'd always recommend it as a place to visit and, if you can look past the many challenges, it's an amazing place to spend a longer time.
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