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...
Natalie
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
I returned to my home town of Braintree in Essex, UK last month (October 2021)
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
I was there for just under two years, working at a private school in Khorat.
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
While still in my mid-twenties, I wanted to get back on the career ladder in England probably for fear of growing older in Thailand and not having enough money to take care of myself. Although 50,000 a month was more than enough to live comfortably in Khorat, it didn't allow me to save for the future and it was something that constantly played on my mind. I only came out to Thailand initially to teach for a year anyway but ended up staying two!
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
I haven't started a new job yet but I've had plenty of offers, especially in the real estate and property business, which is where my background lies. I've actually been quite surprised at how many job vacancies there are here. On a personal side, it's nice to be back among family and also friends that I can have a conversation with. I made tons of friends in Thailand but relationships can be very fleeting and superficial there. Plus of course there are the language and cultural barriers.
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
I loved living in Khorat. I think it's a wonderful place to live, work and base yourself. I miss zipping around the city on my little motorcycle and going on day trips to the beautiful surrounding countryside whenever I had the time. And of course I miss the students and their parents. Many of the parents were very good to me, often inviting me to their homes for meals and sorting out any minor problems I had.
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
Thailand is wonderful. The teacher salaries are not great but if you can make enough to cover all of your daily needs with a bit left over, you'll have an amazing time. The visa and work permit red tape, etc can be annoying but it all seems to get sorted out in the end.
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
Difficult question to answer because I only just got back. If things don't work out for me in the UK, then who knows. It's comforting to know that Thailand is always there if I need it.
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
Come to Thailand with an open mind and just go with the flow. It's a terrific place to live if you don't let all the small niggles get on top of you.
Brett
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
I moved to China in October of 2020.
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
I worked in Thailand for nine years. I taught high school and kindergarten.
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
Thailand was a fun place to live but hard to save money. I would work in language centers, teach privates both face-to-face and online. You can certainly make extra money but you have to double your workload. In China I make over 165K baht per month.
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
The city is very high-tech with less noise pollution. It's right near a bay so it's a great place to go for walks.
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
I miss my friends. I miss Thai food. I also miss the mai bpen rai attitude.
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
I would say yes, give Thailand a try but really do your research before going.
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
Yes, I would love to come back to visit old friends.
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
No.
Karl
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
I moved back to my hometown in the West Midlands, England. I arrived back in June 2021, so I've only been back for a few months.
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
I lived in Bangkok for four years, then moved to Hanoi in Vietnam for eight months, then returned to Bangkok, where I stayed for a further three years. So an enjoyable seven years in total.
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
Simply because of the Covid situation. I'm very close to my immediate family and it was almost impossible for me to come back to England for a short visit. Also, I have an 8 year old dog and I wanted to get him back to the UK before he became too old to endure the long-haul flight.
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
I can't really make much of a comparison. I worked in a high school for 4 years in Bangkok earning 50k baht a month. I enjoyed teaching there and I was happy with the life that my salary gave me. For my last 3 years in Thailand, I was teaching online earning between 70k-100k per month. I've continued teaching online since being back in England but the online teaching industry has been devastated by new regulations in China (where a huge proportion of the market is) so I'm teaching less and earning far less. I've done some extra work for my family's business since being back, have a good amount of savings, and I'm not paying any rent as I'm staying with my family, so things are pretty good.
An advantage of living here at the moment is that international travel is much easier than in Thailand. I recently went to Malta for 6 nights and I have plans to go to Germany, Portugal, and Greece in the coming months.
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
Most of my friends in Bangkok are Thai (I wasn't into the expat social scene) and I miss them dearly. I would go for drinks with different Thai friends several times each week. The most I do here is go for a couple of pints with my dad before dinner. I really miss my social life in Bangkok! I miss my apartment in Chatuchak and walking to the local market to get delicious, fiery Thai food. I miss the cute girls and smiling faces. I miss being able to buy super fresh and chilled fruit off the street. I miss the hot climate, especially now summer is over in England. I miss sitting next to the Chao Phraya River to photograph the sunset. I could go on, but I'll leave it at that.
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
Yes, definitely! I had a blast living and teaching in Thailand. It's not for everyone but I felt right at home in Bangkok.
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
Absolutely! I'm hoping to go back to Bangkok for a month next year to catch up with friends. Currently, I don't have plans to live there again but I'm most definitely not ruling it out.
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
If you're interested, you can see how much I was loving life in Bangkok from this cost of living survey that I did in July 2015 https://www.ajarn.com/help-and-guides/cost-of-living/karl1
Brian
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
Los Angeles in 2018
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
Nine years.
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
I had enough of working in Thailand. There was a lack of a social cohesion in the workforce and it was quite hard to have a good conversation on a daily basis. I was feeling extremely lonely. Teaching at a university was too political with decisions not being made on a meritocracy. I was told I would never teach anything but the 100 and 101 Level classes.
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
I can chat with people on a day-to-day basis. I don't have to deal with the extreme heat or the pollution of Bangkok. I feel more connected to society and can save more money for retirement while giving my children a better education.
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
I miss riding the bike, the street food of course, fresh fruit, the ambience of the market. I miss people who are kind and benevolent.
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
No, Thailand is not a place to build a career. At best you will be tolerated. Educating the youth of Thailand is valuable, but it doesn't appear to change the opportunities available to those youth nor the overall power dynamics of the social structure. Many Thai students are too focused on grades and don't really care about knowledge for knowledge's sake. Reading a book is taboo!
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
Perhaps for retirement. Thailand should be enjoyed. We cannot change the society and working in its web is too messy and not worth the short time we have in life.
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
I enjoyed a few great years in Thailand and met many wonderful people.
Barry
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
It was hard to leave Bangkok, but when I finally decided enough was enough I travelled back overland to England. Now I’m settled in Seville, Spain.
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
Even though I was only in Thailand for about 8 months, a mere fraction of time compared to my eight years in Spain, my time there will always be special.
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
There were a few reasons I left. The main one was because I’d been away from England for nearly two years. Before teaching in Bangkok I’d taught in Ecuador, Brazil and Australia and so I felt it was time to go home and see family and mates, especially after the Tsunami.
I’d also grown tired of the noise, pollution, and hectic lifestyle in Bangkok. I felt suffocated and needed a change. The school where I worked was run poorly and the strict catholic nuns kept us on our toes. I’d also become disappointed with the whole farang versus Thai teacher relationship. I tried to get on with Thai teachers but there was always a ‘them and us’ feeling in the air.
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
The advantages of working in Spain are that I have full rights as a resident and annoying visa runs are a distant memory. I’m married to a Spanish lady without me worrying that she’s after my money (several of the guys I met in Thailand told me this after they’d been married a few months) and I can buy property in my name. The main pro is that I’m close to home and can pop back whenever I feel like it.
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
I miss loads of stuff. Being able to live like a king on a teachers’ wage, the Thai food, the smell of the spices, weekend trips to Koh Samet and Koh Chang, the buzz of Khao San Road, crazy nights out on the beers with other teachers and expats, and the buzz of the unknown and adventure.
Mostly I miss the class I taught. They were a group of 11 and 12 year olds and they will always be the nicest and most polite class I’ve ever taught. I got to know them well over the 8 months and they were a joy to teach.
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
I guess it depends if you want to settle down or not. I think it’s hard to settle and have kids in Thailand, I might be wrong, but I got that impression when I was there, you’ll always be a farang and will never be treated equally.
Spain is a great place to live, but it has its problems, especially at the moment. I’d definitely recommend Thailand though as a great place to have an adventure, see some amazing places and meet some honest fun people.
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
Not at the moment. My wife wouldn’t eat Thai food and we’ve got a baby on the way so I’m guessing we’ll be staying put for a while. I’d like to go back in the future though, just to eat pad thai again.
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
If you’re thinking of going to Thailand then just do it. I had a great experience and it really opened my mind, even if it did make me realised that I wanted to settle somewhere closer to my family. I’ll always miss Thailand, but life goes on.
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