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...
Jay
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
I moved from Bangkok to a small town in Japan's Ibaraki prefecture in July 2015.
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
I lived and worked in Thailand for exactly three years. Prior to that, I lived and worked in northeast China for two and a half years.
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
It was simply time to move on and experience a new country. Nothing against Thailand really, but that initial excitement of living in the country had already long faded away, and I was also growing tired of all things Thai. I was having the exact same feelings towards Thailand earlier this year as the ones that I had towards China way back in early 2012.
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
I make exactly twice the salary here in Ibaraki than I did back in Bangkok. I pay into a pension system, as well as a national healthcare system. Things at school generally run quite smooth, and everything I need to know is usually quite clear. My school provides me with a car to get around, making this the first time I've ever had a vehicle in Asia. My school also supposedly subsidizes part of my apartment cost, a practice that's virtually unheard of back in Bangkok. I can easily save around 40% of my paycheck here in Ibaraki, as it's a semi-rural part of Japan. There's not much temptation to spend here unlike in flashy Bangkok.
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
I may make twice as much here in Japan, but I have to work two to three times more than I did in Thailand. The work is exhausting. I got about four months paid vacation a year at my school in Bangkok, whereas I only get one month here. I taught 16 classes a week in Bangkok, but I teach 32 here (exactly double). I honestly think I'd rather have the extra time off than the extra money.
As for non-work related life, I miss the excitement of Bangkok. It's easy to forget while you're already there, but Bangkok really is a fun and exciting city. Even more fun than I had in second-tier city China. Bangkok is hectic, sure, but boring it is not. As crazy as it may sound, I miss riding my bike all around Bangkok. It's not a bike friendly city at all, but my life in Bangkok drastically improved after buying a bike.
I also miss the room for error that's generally found in developing countries like Thailand and China. Here in Japan, the people seem to expect everything to go smoothly and as planned, so life feels somewhat robotic in this regard. There also seems to be an extreme "better safe than sorry" mindset where I'm living, which makes the place and people kind of dull.
I also miss the photo opportunities to be had in Bangkok. I love photography, and I've traveled to many places in Asia, so I can firmly say that Bangkok is a great place for street photography. Obviously, It's just not the same here in small town Japan. To be blunt, I also miss the dating/sexual opportunities in Bangkok. Bangkok really is a great place to be a young bachelor. Here in Ibaraki, it's all married soccer moms, factory workers, and old folks. Local single women are scarce (I'm sure Tokyo must be quite different though).
And finally, I miss my favorite restaurants from Bangkok - the Saturday night vegetarian buffet at May Kaidee, Sunrise Tacos on Silom and Sukhumwit, Beirut Lebanese at Sala Daeng, the Tuesday night Mexican buffet at Bourbon Street, the Saturday lunch Mexican buffet at Señor Pico, and so on. I also really miss Thai sweets. Lots of good eats - both local and foreign - in Bangkok.
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
I think it's too early for me to make a judgement call on my current school and locale, but I have a question to ask reader's out there who might be considering Thailand and Japan: is your goal to have a fun and exciting experience or to make some money and live a quiet life? If your goal is the former, by all means go to Bangkok, but if your goal is the latter, then by all means come here to Ibaraki. The dynamics of the two places are totally different - apples and oranges.
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
Of course. I'm not anti-Thailand now that I'm not living there any more. I left China for Bangkok back in 2012, but I've revisited China countless times since my departure there. Bangkok is like a second (or maybe third) home to me now, as I'm so familiar with the city and had countless experiences there. I didn't make many Thai friends while living there, but I would still definitely like to revisit in the future. I already miss the place a lot, and of course I'll never forget it.
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
It may sound cliche, but there's no perfect country to live and/or work in this world. Every place is gonna have its advantages and disadvantages. Your own individual personality, where you're currently at in life, your own personal tastes, and your travel experience are what you should use as a guide to decide where you want to live/work. For example, where I'm at here in Japan might be boring as sin to a young, extroverted twenty-something Western bachelor, but it could be just what the doctor ordered for a middle-aged, introverted married Western guy.
Do your research, consider who you are as an individual and where you're at in life, travel to the places your considering to work/live, make a decision, and then take the plunge. Online reviews usually don't tell the whole story. Experiencing a place for yourself is always more valuable than reading second hand reports.
Bangkok Ian
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
I moved back to the UK after being interviewed by phone to York In the UK. I returned in February 2009.
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
I worked in Thailand from 1999 until 2009. Both my kids were born here and I still have a house in Nonthaburi.
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
My main reason for moving was to get a job with a liveable salary. At that time teachers employed by the British Council were limited to about 4 years as the BC was on charitable status with the Thai authorities. I'd done 4 years and about 5 or 6 months on rolling temporary contract.
When I looked for work elsewhere the salary was half what I'd been earning locally and no pound sterling supplement paid to the UK. Shock to the system to say the least. I notice that the advertised salaries have not changed in the last 5 or 6 years either.
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
I can buy from a selection of reasonably priced cheeses and drinkable wine is available from about 300 baht a bottle. Everything else is on a par. Oh, and bread in the UK has no sugar in it. Look at the label of the cake you bought today labelled as bread and you will see it contains between 5-12% sugar. Why? Flour is imported and therefore expensive, sugar grows everywhere and is promoted by the government.
I wonder if the hospitals are prepared for the explosion in type 2 diabetes that it will bring in few years.
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
Certainly not the beaches or the shopping malls. They lost what little sparkle they had for me after a couple of years. Nothing really, it frustrates me more than pulls me to it.
As another escapee put it - any country that needs to tell you it's amazing can't really be that amazing.
I have the immigration stamps of more than 70 countries in my passports and Thailand doesn't figure in the top ten of either 'favourites' or 'never agains'. It's just a country between Cambodia and Burma.
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
Thailand certainly draws the newly qualified. Use it to get some experience. As others have said it is not likely to be helpful if you want to make a career out of TEFL. See it more as a few rungs on the ladder.
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
I'm writing this from my parents-in-law's house in Kanchanaburi. I've taught a few lessons in the local primary school on a volunteer basis. For the next few weeks I'm going to keep things ticking over with a few IELTS preparation intensive courses in Bangkok.
I'm here because my wife runs an education agency in the UK and we introduce Thai students to schools, colleges and universities in the UK and offer home-stay tuition too. I'm going back to the UK at the end of August to teach a Chinese girl at home. She is studying on a master's course in the UK in October and needs some EAP first.
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
I suppose I could return here and 'work from home' I work for the British Council marking exams and do more than 50% of my work online using Skype anyway so location is not really an issue.
While I'm here 'on holiday' I've helped online students with essays and dissertations and they have had no idea where I was working on them.
Thomas
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
In September I am returning back to the Middle East to the school where I used to teach after I first left Thailand years ago.
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
I worked in Thailand from 1998 – 2009, exactly nine years too long. I returned on holiday in January this year and happened to meet one of my former employers who asked if I would like to do a few special ESP course development projects for the university; I agreed, but only for a short time, Thailand is not a career path choice.
Doing one or two years of English teaching in Thailand to get your feet wet as an ESL newbie is fine - it is all the country has to offer for the most part. After that, if you are a dedicated professional educator on a career path, Thailand has few opportunities to allow you to develop professionally and even less where you can be paid a reasonable wage.
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
There are several reasons why Thailand does not work for me but these are the two foundation reasons. Foremost reason is teaching is my career, and a serious one at that. Thailand is, unfortunately, dominated by unprofessional “educators” at all levels, Thai, “Falong” and “Others”. Sorry, I’ve got better things to do with my life than sit around a high school mentality bubblegum chit chat gossipy office knifing people in the back and then smiling at their face as they pass by.
The next reason is the pathetic, insulting really, salary on offer in Thailand. Paying foreign teachers stagnated salary rates of 15 years ago while virtually every cost of living item has doubled in price in that time is simply abusive, especially as Thai government teachers enjoy a 6% cost of living allowance pay increase every year.
Add in the fact that many schools refuse to pay a full 12 months of salary, I feed my children 12 months a year thank you very much, and work permits and non-B visa extensions are increasingly cut out of contract benefits, it bewilders me why any teacher would teach in Thailand.
In a nutshell, unprofessional work environment and money are the reasons I am not interested in teaching in Thailand.
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
The list is somewhat extensive, so bear with me here. Administration is organized, professional and supporting of all staff from teachers to LMS development teams, from janitors to cafeteria ladies; dignity, respect and concern for the needs of all team members are the order of the day.
Every educator is respected and treated as a professional. We are provided with every possible resource to deliver high quality instruction to our students. That includes smart boards in every classroom, broadband WiFi, Apple MacBook Pro laptops for all teachers and all students, professionally designed curricula and syllabi, an LMS that supports student learning as well as teacher and administrative management of assessments, attendance, etc.
Our salaries are set at a level higher than our home countries to account for the fact that we have expenses back home that must be paid while living abroad. We receive a $5,000 USD relocation allowance to “welcome” us to our new host country and help us get settled in comfortable, this is not a loan -- it is given to us.
Annual airfares are paid for teachers and their dependents, school tuitions are paid for our children, world class medical care is provided free of charge,
Christmas is given as time off out of respect for our cultural values and religious beliefs. We are in an Islamic country so think about that for a moment.
We get a full two months summer semester paid break to go home, travel, whatever.
Thailand offers none of the above. Why, Thais have an inherent built-in psyche that “Falongs” should and shall never “benefit” in Thailand, Thailand is for Thais and only Thais shall “benefit” in Thailand. “Falongs” are simply resources utilized to facilitate the securing of “benefits” for Thai people.
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
I really do not miss anything about “life in Thailand”. Why people perceive Thailand to be something so special or unique is beyond my scope of understanding.
Perhaps they have not lived in other countries and experienced the same smiles and hospitality that Thais seem to proclaim as proprietary rights of the Thai culture.
In fact, in most countries I have traveled to and lived in the people have been welcoming, friendly, helpful, and polite. The reality is, it is fair to say that the inherent demeanor of most human beings is something that is closer to universal nicety and that Thailand has done little more than to “market” the welcoming smile.
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
A “new” teacher would not be offered a teaching post in the ME, they hire only experienced professional educators. “Newbies” should teach in Thailand where all parties concerned get what that need and deserve, a “play time for Bonzo” teaching and learning experience.
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
On holiday, maybe, but even then, “been there done that”.
The world is a big, beautiful place and Thailand, at the end of the day, is really not as special as the Thais proclaim, “market and promote”, it to be. Any place that has to pound its chest so hard and yell out so loud to tell the world how “Amazing” it is, is likely not telling us the whole story.
To teach, never.
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
Teaching is a serious responsibility. As educators we hold the transfer of knowledge and the development of students in our hands. We all need to take that responsibility seriously and fulfill our obligations to our students.
Thailand’s educational administrators, teachers, parents, and foreign teaching staff leave much to be desired in the contributions they offer to the students in this country.
There is little here in Thailand for the professional career path foreign teacher. Best to stay out of Thailand and teach where the pros teach, it is much more rewarding in every sense of the word.
Descartes
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
in October 2013 I decided to move to Vientiane, Laos, to teach at a private bilingual school.
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
One term.
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
I was working at a wonderful government school in Pathum Thani, but I became frustrated with the large class sizes, and the lack of resources and support. The teachers I worked with were great and so were the students, but the lack of structure and support from the school management took its toll on me and I became very frustrated. During the holidays I took a trip to Northern Thailand and after looking across the Mekhong River to Lao, I became intrigued, and decided to follow up on a vacancy in Vientiane.
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
My fantastic school in Lao has small class sizes, it's well equipped with a proper structure and syllabus, and there is lots of support from fellow teachers. But be warned ... there is bugger all to do in Vientiane. Saying that I seem to have fallen in love with the place, as I've been here for two years now.
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
The cheap food and the weekend nightlife. Also public transport is either crap or non-existent in Lao (and the tuk tuks are way over-priced!). I definitely miss the cheap taxi vans and train travel in Thailand!
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
I think Thailand is a great place to start a TEFL career, but I wouldn't recommend staying for years (of course that's only my humble opinion). I certainly loved living near Bangkok as there was so much to do, and of course, it's well connected to the rest of SE Asia if you like travelling.
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
All the time. Whenever I have a school vacation I generally head down to Bangkok on the Nong Khai to Bangkok night train. It's very cheap and comfortable and there is good food available too!
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
I should warn you about the heat and humidity. It can be overwhelming at times, and it came as a bit of a shock during my first year (compared to inclement England).
Ewen
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.
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