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...

Stephen

26th June 2012

Q1. Where did you move to and when?

I still live in Thailand but I don't teach anymore

Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?

Four years

Q3. What was your main reason for moving?

I stopped teaching because of the agents. When I first started in 2007 you could still get good jobs for between 35,000 and 50,000 baht. The agents destroyed that. They take 50% of your salary. The only people who will work for this money are young travellers with no real teaching experience who dont mind slumming it. It's not fair on the kids, the real teachers who want to live in Thailand or the Thai teachers. I worked too hard, got paid too little and the other farang teachers were embarrassing: mainly drug addicts, sexual deviants or at least scamming at being a teacher and lying about their credentials.

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

I own a cafe and a salon in Pattaya. It is like moving away from Thailand, Thailand is a different country when you are not teaching, completely different. You have more money, more time, more happiness and more self esteem.

Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?

I miss the kids from the schools, I loved every class I taught and I loved to see the kids grow and learn. It was heartbreaking leaving them.

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

TEFL teaching is a scam. It is run by agencies who are ripping off the Thai schools, So no do not teach in Thailand unless you can get employed directly by the schools or in an international school. The Thai government should ban many of the agencies. Agencies are destroying opportunities for good teachers and making it easy for lowlifes who wouldn't normally aproach a Thai school to get jobs, ripping of the thai kids with crap teachers and stealing money from the Thai education system.

Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?

I love Thailand and I want to stay here for as long as possible.

Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?

Just watch out for those agencies.

Matthew

19th June 2012

Q1. Where did you move to and when?

I moved back to the UK in 2003

Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?

Three years

Q3. What was your main reason for moving?

The lack of opportunities in Bangkok and of course definitely the money. The pay was simply too low. Even 30,000 baht ten years ago didn't cut it. Lord knows how teachers survive on that kind of money nowadays.

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

I now work in Cairo. I went back to the UK, trained to be a teacher and it was the best decision of my life. My job opportunites increased hundred-fold. My jobs came with flights, housing, bonuses and huge paid holidays. International school teaching can be the only way forward if you are going to teach abroad and make a carrer out of it.

Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?

It's a great place for someone in the early twenties - as I was when I was there. It's a great place for a holiday too. But I am 34 now. I couldn't imagine working there again. It would simply be for a holiday.

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

By all means work in Thailand because you'll have a great experience. But don't stay more than a couple of years if you are teaching English. I have friends still in Bangkok that I met in 2001. They are still ekeing out the same existence, earning a pittance. But they are addicted to the easy life and the girls, etc. Don't get yourself trapped like that. You will waste your life.

Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?

My girlfriend and I go every year for a vacation.

Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?

Go to Thailand for a few years, relax and enjoy it. But if you are teaching English and not working in an international school, don't make a career out of it! You might not be lucky enough to escape.

Jock Strappe

9th June 2012

Q1. Where did you move to and when?

I moved back to Scotland in April this year.

Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?

I arrived in Thailand in 1992 and after 6 weeks of travelling I looked for a teaching job to tide me over when the money started running out.

Q3. What was your main reason for moving?

I'm now past the 50 mark, and it was increasingly obvious that there were fewer jobs around for people my age, so it was not a hard choice to make that I should return home.

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

If I had a job, it would be that I was earning more than I did in Thailand. As it is, I am on the dole and living with my nephew's family in Dundee for the time being.

Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?

The girls, the bars, the food, the atmosphere of the rooms where all the teachers huddled together and laughed and complained in equal measures.

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

Well, there's almost nothing to do here in Dundee, so I would advise a new teacher to go to Thailand and live the life I did for a few years. But don't get rooted to the place. Stay 1-2 years and then look for another teaching job in a different country.

Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?

Until I get enough money together - which looks unlikely - that seems a distant dream for now. But, I hope that one day I can return, even if it's only for a two-week break.

Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?

Yes, enjoy your time in Thailand, because when it is finally time to leave, you should have no regrets.

James

7th June 2012

Q1. Where did you move to and when?

I moved to Sri Lanka in early 2011

Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?

8 years

Q3. What was your main reason for moving?

I had simply had enough. I ended up working in Bangkok and realised that I was actually getting sucked into the rat race, Thailand had lost some of its charm and a lot of friends had moved on. It was time to make a change.

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

I got a two-year working visa and no questions asked when I arrived, no tax, ten weeks paid holiday, excellent training and professional development. My salary is about 80,000 baht a month. Living costs are much lower than Bangkok. And Sri Lanka does what it says on the tin when it comes to contracts, laws and all those grey areas you have to navigate in Thailand.

Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?

Most things really, just not the hustle and bustle of Bangkok, I miss speaking the language, the culture, the people and though I never thought I would say this - the 'mai pen rai' attitude. I still regard Thailand as home.

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

If you are young and starting out, then Thailand is great, I dont regret any of my time there and I moved up from 'enterteaching' to academic management which gave me the skills to do the current job that I have. In Thailand one thing you can say is that you will get a job and learn as you teach - which is a godsend in this economic climate. If you want to really save some money and work at a professional place then Sri Lanka is better than Thailand. The general level of English is very high and the kids here are immaculately behaved. All that and Thailand is just three hours and a cheap flight away.

Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?

Thailand is not far away. I can leave my house and be in Bangkok for a late lunch. Perfect!

Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?

Yes, most jobs I see advertised in Thailand are in the 30,000 baht a month bracket. That's an awful salary if you are going to live in Bangkok. It seems that Thailand is going to continue to make a mess of its native speaker recruitment for years to come judging from all I hear on this site. Well, mai pen rai eh!

Rolando Tomasse

18th May 2012

Q1. Where did you move to and when?

I moved to Jeddah Saudi Arabia about a month and a half ago.

Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?

I lived in Thailand for one school year (two semesters) or about eleven months.

Q3. What was your main reason for moving?

The short answer? Money. Don't get me wrong, I love Thailand very much, but unfotunately I hate 'bein' broke' even more. The whole time I lived there I realized that I was always the only teacher on campus who actually had a bachelor's degree that didn't come from Kao San Road. Insult was added to injury when I found out that those teachers where getting paid more than me; they knew the scams, they knew that they had to nail the agent down to a higher salary. I just thought she was such a nice lady, I thought I could trust her and I got screwed.

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

The short answer? Money! I make about 100,000 baht a month out here, and that is actually what they pay you when they are 'ripping you off' in this country!

Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?

I miss my friends and the culture, the entire Thai aesthetic. I am living under strict Sharia Law now, so I definitely miss girls and beer, nightclubs and movie theaters. All of that is illegal out here.

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

I would tell any new ESL teacher to understand Thailand for what it is: If teaching English overseas were a board game (and for most of us it is at times) then Thailand would be the first square on the board - the starting point. So you should start your ESL career in Thailand, but you should never finish it there.

Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?

Well I am only eight hours away and the semester here ends at the start of Ramadan (in August) so yes, I will be back in the land of smiles in just over two months. As luck would have it, I met a nice girl on my last night in Bangkok, so I am looking forward to seeing her and catching up with friends. Except this time I will be staying at the Baiyoke Tower instead of some crappy 200 baht a night guesthouse near Koa San Road.