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...
Maria
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
I moved back to England in February of last year (2022)
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
I worked there for three years. I did one year at a university in Bangkok and then moved down south for a quieter life (and less money) at a private school in Nakhon Si Thammarat.
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
Both of my parents were getting on in years and not coping too well with life. Because I'm an only child, I felt duty bound to return home and take care of them, or simply to be there if they needed me.
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
Fortunately, I'm a fully qualified teacher so I've been doing some supply teaching at various secondary schools in the Bolton area (my hometown) and doing some freelance editing work. There's plenty of 'bits and pieces' work in the UK if you put your mind to finding something but it's very often 'feast or famine' and impossible to budget from one month to the next plus of course you don't get the benefits that you'd receive from a full-time position. I can't commit to a full-time job at present though because of the parent situation.
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
The simplicity of life, especially the two years I lived down south. I often float off into daydreaming mode and I'm back in Nakhon Si Thammarat. It's a warm, sunny day and I'm riding my trusty motorcycle to the beach wearing t-shirt, shorts and flip-flops. I can sit on the beach, under an umberella with a good book, and it feels like I haven't got a care in the world!
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
It's horses for courses. I saw many foreign teachers come and go during my years in Thailand and some loved it and many just couldn't cope. I think in many cases, new arrivals have expectations that are too high and they get stressed when things don't go smoothly (as they rarely do in Thailand). You have to go with the flow and not get fazed by the bumps in the road.
England is England and while it has its faults, I still think it's a great country to live in. I hate the cold Winters though!
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
I'd go back in a heartbeat but unfortunately it's a case of letting nature take its course and having to wait until I have no family ties. I'm mindful though that I'm now in my mid-forties and it won't be that many years before I could be deemed as 'too old' to work in Thailand. You have to be realistic about things.
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
Perhaps I just got lucky but Thailand was very good to me. I made some great friends (both farang and Thai) that I still keep in contact with. In fact several of them have visited me on trips to England. I worked at fabulous schools with great admin staff and teaching assistants, etc. I never had many problems at all while I was there. I know some teachers aren't so lucky but I noticed those teachers that struggle are very often in bad situations of their own making.
Selina
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
I went to teach in China in January 2023. New year, new career path and all that.
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
I worked there for two years at a large government school in Si Saket.
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
I needed a change of scenery and to start earning a bit more money. When I hit 40 years old, I started to think about my future more. If I was going to stay as an English teacher then 40,000 baht a month for the rest of my working days wasn't really going to cut it. Although 40,000 baht was more than enough to live on in Si Saket, it didn't really allow for wild trips home or wild trips anywhere to be honest.
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
The salary is almost double what I made in Thailand and I don't have to be in school as much (only when I have classes plus a little bit of prep time on top) The school simply values its teachers more and we have weekly meetings to make sure that everyone is happy with their lot and especially the new teachers are settling in OK. There are regular workshops that teachers are encouraged to attend and you just feel as though you're improving as a teacher all the time. In Thailand, you're pretty much left to your own devices and I suppose there's good and bad in being left alone. But career-wise, you get the feeling that time is just standing still.
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
Probably the simplicity of all. In a quiet rural backwater like Si Saket, if you have a good school administration department that takes care of all the visa and work permit stuff, then life on 40K is relatively stress-free. That brings its own issues though in that one day can just blend into another and your life lacks challenge. I certainly miss the terrific students and some great Thai colleagues, who I always found so helpful and willing to give up their time in my rare hours of need.
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
Oh, without a doubt. I think it's an amazing country to get some TEFL experience under your belt. And as long as no one is complaining, you can just get on with life. Be careful about getting too comfortable though.
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
I don't think so, although I certainly plan to return for holidays.
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
Go to Thailand with an open mind and go with the flow. Don't try and change the system. Let the Thais do things their way, even if it might not be your way. Keep all that in mind and you'll have a blast! It's just a shame that besides the top jobs at international schools, Thailand just doesn't pay well enough to live, travel, and plan for retirement comfortably.
Kevin
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
I moved back to England in early December 2022.
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
I was there for just over a year and worked at a government school in Pathum Thani, on the outskirts of Bangkok.
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
I wanted to teach English in SE Asia for a year to see if teaching was really for me. I don't think it was.
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
Well of course I've only just got back and I wanted to spend Christmas and New Year with my family before making any decisions on my future. It was nice to be home again. I'm not sure I'm the kind of person who could become a long-term expat on the other side of the world. There is just too much I miss about Sheffield!
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
I would say the Thais themselves. They are generally so easy to get along with and also very helpful if you have any kind of problem. I was always amazed at how much they'd go out of their way for you. I also miss a lot of the cheaper aspects of living in Thailand like the massages and buying fresh food from the local markets. Living in Thailand feels like every day is an adventure (though perhaps 'challenge' would be a better word on most days)
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
I've seen this said on Ajarn many times so I'll just add one more voice. Thailand isn't a place to build a career and plan for the future as a teacher unless you're well-qualified and can snag a position at a top international school. I was earning north of 40K a month but would want at least three times that if I was taking living in Thailand for the long term seriously.
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
To teach English? No. It was something I wanted to say I'd tried and done. Mission accomplished. Although it was enjoyable for the most part, TEFL doesn't strike me as something I could do for years on end.
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
I worked with many foreign teachers who seemed to have little choice but to float around SE Asia - a year here, a couple of years there - teaching for little more than survival wages. At 24 (the age I am now) it's not too late to change direction but at the wrong side of 50 with no real savings, no pension plan and all your bridges burned back in your homeland, it's a very different landscape. You don't want to be one of those people.
Sylvia
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
I moved to teach in Croatia in August 2022.
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
I was there for about two years and loved every minute, but I did work at a very well-managed school that valued its foreign teachers. Other foreign teachers I befriended in our small southern Thai town were not so lucky.
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
I just fancied a change of scenery and to immerse myself in a bit of European culture again. I'm a woman in my late 50s and feel I need to grab every life experience I can while there's still town. A good friend had been teaching in Croatia for a year and absolutely loved it. I thought why not give it a try.
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
I don't think there are really any advantages...it's just a different environment. I earn about 25% more than I was earning in Thailand and the cost of living doesn't seem to be that much higher so I probably have slightly more spending power. Accommodation would probably be my biggest expense here but my employer provides a free apartment and pays for the utilities. Actually had that not been part of the deal, I wouldn't have come here anyway and probably stayed in Thailand. Oh, I should probably add that I'm enjoying the fresh air and the nature trail walks without dripping in sweat after a few hundred metres.
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
Thai food! I don't think I ate a western meal in the two years I was there. And I miss the friends I made at the school.
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
I haven't really been in Croatia long enough to offer advice. But as for Thailand, I think it's a great place to teach English for a 20-something who doesn't perhaps have many prospects. It's a glorious chance to spend a few years enjoying life and getting some international experience. It is also a great place for those changing careers into teaching later in life.
However Thailand doesn't offer a large number of opportunities for those seeking advancement and a professional career. I am not saying professional “success” cannot be found in Thailand, but there are limited opportunities for foreigners, at least as far as paid work goes for those wanting a career outside of being an English teacher. Thailand is what it is and has the opportunities it has. If this fits your career plans and opportunities, then it is a great place to live.
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
I'm certainly eyeing up Thailand as a potential retirement destination but I can't see that being for another ten years or so. God willing.
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
Working in Thailand was a great experience and I'm never sure it makes much sense to compare one place with another. Instead it is better to enjoy what each country has to offer. My advice is to take all advice, including mine, with a pinch of salt and realize the “right” place to work is an individual matter based on personal preferences, opportunities and career plans.
Seb
Q1. Where did you move to and when?
Well, it was my intention to move back to the UK last June but I got rather sidetracked and have spent the last three months in Turkey.
Q2. How long did you work in Thailand?
I was there for about three years. I worked at a boys school in Bangkok, then moved to work at a secondary school in Ayuthaya and finally, I did a year at a school in Kanchanaburi. I certainly moved around in search of those 40K salaries.
Q3. What was your main reason for moving?
I got bored of teaching. Every day started to become a battle to motivate myself and I could feel teaching just sucking the life out of me. There just comes a point when you've had enough of standing up in front of classes where not one single student really wants to be there...and what use is English to them anyway? Plus of course the general back-biting that goes on between Thai staff and foreign staff and don't even get me started on late salary payments.
Q4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?
I'm doing some part-time work at a pal's travel and tour company in Turkey. It doesn't pay a great deal (just enough to cover rent and food and a few drinks at the weekend) but at least I feel appreciated.
Q5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?
Outside of the classroom and the general school environment, I absolutely loved Thailand. There is an unbelievable amount of stuff I miss, from riding a scooter along dirt roads skirted by mile after mile of rice fields to late night drinks at some Thai cowboy bar on the dangerous side of town. Every day is an adventure when you live in Thailand.
Q6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?
Yes, I think it's a great place to gain teaching experience and gain confidence standing in front of large groups. Let's face it, if you can keep a class of 30-40 bored teenagers entertained, then not a lot is going to faze you. Also, the barrier to entry is pretty low. As long as you turn up on time, wai when you're supposed to and keep the parent complaints to a minimum, you'll become the star of the show.
Q7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?
I would certainly come back for an extended holiday because I had always planned to tour South Thailand but never quite made it. As for ever teaching there again? No chance!
Q8. Anything else you'd like to add?
I'm dreading going back to the UK. The more I read about how things seem to be going rapidly downhill, the more I wonder if it might be worth giving TEFL in SE Asia another crack. Just not Thailand again.
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