Q1. Where did you move to and when?

I went to work in Barcelona, Spain in May 2013.

Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?

I was there for two years at the same secondary school in Bangkok. To be honest, it was my intention to work for just one year and then move on, but the head teacher - who I had a great relationship with - persuaded me to stay on for a second year. She told me I was the best teacher the school had ever employed but I think she said that to all the teachers when she caught wind they were thinking of going on to pastures new.

Q3. What was your main reason for moving?

I was bored of the routine. Simple as that. I desperately needed a change of scenery. To make a bit more money, I was working weekends at a private language school as well as my regular Monday to Friday school gig. OK, the language school work was only three hours on a Saturday and Sunday morning but it meant I never or rarely got a full day off. There I was surrounded by all that wonderful Thai culture and umpteen places to go at the weekend - and I was just too busy working to enjoy any of it.

In a moment of clarity, I thought 'hold on, what's the point of earning all this money when I haven't got time to spend it?"

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

Well, I work for a private language school in Barcelona. I worked here for a couple of years in the early noughties so it's a city I love and know well, plus while I would hardly call myself fluent in Spanish, I can certainly hold a decent conversation. I guess I feel a lot less like a fish out of water than I did in Bangkok. And of course it's only a couple of hours away from my family in London if I suddenly feel like hopping a cheap flight.

The thing I love most about living in Spain though is that you get to experience the changes in the weather. I didn't think I would ever miss Winter in Europe but I did.

Spain is not a great country for an English teacher though. Even making a living in Madrid or Barcelona can be tough if your face doesn't fit or you don't make the right contacts. I make about 800 baht an hour (if you want to convert it back to Thai currency) It sounds reasonable but there are days when you might only have 2-3 hours work.

Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?

I miss the simplicity of life out there. You can get by on very little money if you're forced to. And when you move around and interact with people in a large European city like Barcelona, you realise how friendly, welcoming, tolerant and helpful the Thais are. I don't think you always appreciate it when you're living there - I know I didn't.

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

Oh without a doubt. Even if you only experience Thailand for one year - just do it!

Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?

I may come for a holiday but there are actually a few other countries in that area I would love to see like Laos and Vietnam. Perhaps I'll do one sooper-dooper Southeast Asian tour one day and stop by in Bangkok to say hello.

Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?

I was born in London, grew up in London and worked in London for a good few years. I've also worked in Glasgow, Paris and now Barcelona. I'm a big city person - but there isn't a big city like Bangkok! I worked with many teachers in Bangkok who really couldn't handle life in a big city and would have been far better off somewhere a bit less hectic. If you're going to look for a teaching job in Bangkok, make sure you're someone who can handle the hurly burly of a chaotic Asian capital.

Q1. Where did you move to and when?

I moved to Delaware in 1999 to work at a large well known internet sales warehouse...for the stock options. Later, on I went back to teaching ESL in Philadelphia and South Korea. I also enlisted in the US Army, where I worked as an Instructor.

Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?

I taught at a bi-lingual school in Ratchaburi, Thailand in 1998. I worked for a Thai import company in Wilmington, Delaware USA from 2000 to 2006 and made several business trips to inspect working conditions at Thai vendors and insure products met US Customs safety & legal standards.

Q3. What was your main reason for moving?

I got married to a Thai - the math teacher to be precise. We decided that getting her a green card and later her US citizenship, (which we got by me doing a three-year enlistment in the US Army)..would be better in the long run, even though it was a long drawn out, expensive, complicated process that took almost 15 years.

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

Money. USA and South Korea have the cash boom boom that is hard to come by in Thailand. But advanced countries can be expensive..

Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?

In Thailand we never did without. If you see something and want it, in most cases you can afford to buy it. We are always saving up to buy things for when we go back to Thailand. It seems like in Thailand we just enjoy life and worry about tomorrow.....tomorrow.

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

It seems like Thailand is both good for a new teacher and a place to retire. Not so much to make a career in ESL. To work in South Korea and take a yearly vacation allows you make serious money and still enjoy Thai culture a bit.

Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?

Yes, the 'some day' when we eventually go back to live in Thailand is coming .. someday

Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?

If you don't go to Thailand to teach, at least go there on vacation. If you can't go to Thailand on vacation at least go have dinner at a Thai restaurant.

Q1. Where did you move to and when?

I recently moved to Hanoi and then to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.

Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?

Two years. I did a six-month contract with an agency at a public secondary school in Ratchaburi. Then a one year contract at a university. Finally, I moved to Bangkok and did another six-month contract at a Thai high school.

Q3. What was your main reason for moving?

I was tired of the Thai education system and I needed to make some better money.

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

First, people are held accountable a lot more. Also, people actually learn to speak English as opposed to just going through the motions of learning. You can actually have a meaningful intellectual conversation with Vietnamese students. There is still a lack of critical thinking skills in Vietnam but it isn't as extreme as in Thailand. Lastly, the money is double what I made in Thailand.

Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?

Walking around freely without worrying about being safe. Also the food and friendly people. I've never been invited to anyone's home for dinner in Vietnam. I was invited to EVERYONE'S home when I lived in Thailand.

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

If you're looking for fun and adventure for a year, then by all means go to Thailand. Vietnam can be as adventurous as Thailand, but there are a lot more Thai holidays than in Vietnam and you meet other young people in the same situation. I made lifelong friends in Thailand. Vietnam is a little more serious than Thailand, but there are other benefits to being in Vietnam, such as the pay, having a motorbike, and most language schools are relaxed. You don't have to work 8-4 everyday. I only go in when I have a class and you don't have to deal with any workplace 'mind games' BS.

Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?

I visit for holidays all the time but I would only work in a foreign-run international school if I ever went back to Thailand to teach again.

Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?

The social life in Vietnam is better than that in Thailand I've found, especially in Hanoi.

Q1. Where did you move to and when?

I moved to Bangkok in 2004 and stayed there for a year with my then-girlfriend (now my wife) whom I had met in Australia in 2000. After that I went back to the Philippines and tried getting a job as a designer -- that lasted three months due to shitty wages and equally shitty management. So I went back to Bangkok and stayed with my wife and eventually got a job in an English program at a government secondary institution 30 minutes away via the beaten-up-blue-bus-system : )

Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?

I worked there for eight years. Lived there for nine-ish.

Q3. What was your main reason for moving?

On my seventh year of teaching I did a distance PGCE from the UK which made me realise the evils of the Thai education system (and other systems around the world for that matter). Because I had two sons with my wife at this point, I realised that it would probably be best if they were educated abroad rather than succumb to the institutional brain-washing that Thailand uses to keep its people in their designated place. It was like an epiphany.

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

I'm now in the USA, and there are a few things that are better. For one, you have 401k's, insurance and all the other benefits Americans are used to. Unfortunately for me I've never lived long enough in the States to build up my credit and all -- so currently I'm the equivalent of someone fresh out of college (minus the thousands of dollars of debt in student loans). Eventually I will get to the level where I'll enjoy taking out loans for cars and houses and the sweet life of paying all those off. As a foreigner you can't do that in Thailand, unless you want to risk ending up as another statistic splattered on the front page of ThaiRath.

Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?

The simple life I guess. There's a lot of crap being said about Thais, like how they drive and how they cheat people but I don't think that's fair or specific to Thais. Here in the USA I've had my debit and credit card information stolen FOUR times in less than six months (I've been here eight). I've also had to deal with the craziest people I've ever met in my entire life -- here in the USA. I've had some frustrating experiences in Thailand for sure but the reverse culture shock I've experienced here in the USA trumped so much that at one point I wanted to go back to Thailand (also because my kids and wife are still there).

I guess the biggest thing I miss in Thailand is the spontaneous nature of things. You will experience the most bizarre things everyday. Oh and the malls! Those are the best... the ones here in Virginia don't even begin to compare!

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

I would definitely advise it for single people. For people who have to support families though, if they're lucky enough to get into an International School that supports their kids, then why not?

Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?

Definitely. I would definitely like to retire in Thailand. As I have in-laws and property there, I can live MUCH more comfortably in Thailand and my retirement savings will go a much much longer way than it would in the US. The beaches are better, the tourist destinations better and all more affordable. There's no doubt I will return to Thailand when I'm old and wrinkly and single again ; ) You can still live the life of a 30-year old at 60 as long as you have the cash.

Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?

Thailand is a great place for single people to experience the best Asia has to offer, whether that be crazy politics, entertainment or technology (and for men... women). It's a great place for a family vacation, but not a great place to bring up a family. Thailand has a reputation for its bars and girls for a reason, and rightly so. This isn't because foreigners give it that reputation, but really it's what the Thai government itself creates: without freedom of expression and proper education, the Thai people are limited in what they can achieve in life -- and the government knows full-well that there's money in population control, which is why Thais will never be able to break out of this stereotype, if left in their lands. Many expats debate over it and fool themselves into thinking that it'll ever change: it never will. So if you're bringing your family over, stay, be safe, and leave. Otherwise let the single budding teachers and the old retired expats enjoy what Thailand has to offer to its long-term residents.

Q1. Where did you move to and when?

Ireland at the end of September 2013.

Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?

Six months

Q3. What was your main reason for moving?

The main reason I left is because I wanted to move to Australia and to do so I needed to go back to Ireland for a few months to save money for my move as I found it difficult to save anything whilst living in Bangkok. Also because I am now approaching my late 20s I felt like I needed to settle somewhere and that somewhere wouldn't be Thailand. As good an adventure it was I was only there for a short lived experience which I definitely got :)

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

Well since I'm currently still working here in Ireland at present I would say the biggest factor is the lack of communication barrier. This makes life a lot easier obviously. I am not currently teaching here I am working in childcare but I would say there is definitely a lower amount of unnecessary paperwork that needs to be completed. The amount of paperwork that needed to completed at the school I worked at in Bangkok was ridiculous and wasted a lot of valuable time (obviously its not like that in every school). The wages are also higher but then the cost of living is also higher so that obviously balances things out.

Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?

The weather, the food, crazy nights out on Khoasan road, carefree living (most of the time), friends, meeting people from all locations and walks of life almost daily. Also knowing your only a couple of hours away from a dream Island location. The feeling that everyday living in Thailand was an adventure - you would never know what would be in store for you each day.

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

I would advise someone looking to teach abroad just for the experience and also looking for an adventure to definitely come and spend some time in Thailand teaching. But to those serious about teaching I have always been told to go Japan or South Korea where they actually take teaching seriously. I found they don't take education very seriously here and as a teacher, that can be very frustrating, especially when you spent hours creating lessons plans, checking work etc. If you really want to get a serious teaching job in Thailand I would advise coming here with full teaching qualifications from your native country along with some experience and you could easily land yourself a job in one of the International schools - which are very well paid.

Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?

On holidays or as a backpacker, most definitely yes. To teach? Probably not - but never say never!! :)

Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?