Diary of a Thai football season

Diary of a Thai football season

2023 / 2024 Fixtures

Hopefully this won't be another nail-biting season at the wrong end of the table


Samut Prakan City's second season in division two will be another 'tour of Thailand' and will include away trips to Nakhon Si Thammarat (twice) Chiang Mai (twice) Nongbua, Lampang, Phrae and Krabi.

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Phil Roeland

Phil Roeland

How to motivate students

Keys to improving language learning


Motivation can either be internal or external. Students who are internally motivated usually learn English because they want to, because they enjoy learning or because they want to achieve a certain goal, not because they have to. Examples of personal goals could be pursuing a promotion at work or planning to enrol in a foreign university’s graduate programme.

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Mark Newman

Mark Newman

Why you are fantastic!

10 reasons why teaching English has made you a fantastic person


Ricky Batten

Ricky Batten

Three tips for expat teachers seeking medical care in Thailand

Moving to Thailand to teach? As you’ll need to access medical care at some point, it’s best to be prepared beforehand.


Richard McCully

Richard McCully

Strict discipline at Thai schools

Teachers aren't afraid to dish out the punishment if a student steps out of line.


The topic of school discipline came up in one of my classes a couple of weeks ago and it was pretty illuminating to me what happens in some schools here. I talked about it with some Thai friends over the weekend and they had pretty mixed views

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Ben Bartee

Ben Bartee

The Thai ESL agent hustle

Thai ESL agents are largely unhindered in their business practices by morality.


When personal and working relationships between school staff and agents come under pressure and scrutiny because of good old-fashioned kickback schemes.

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Rob Newman

Rob Newman

The enigma of lesson plans

Why do teachers hate them?


The students are the ones that benefit most from a well prepared lesson plan. By the teacher preparing a lesson plan, the teacher is organizing their thoughts and ideas along with a coherent follow on from previous lessons.

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Adam Crittenden

Adam Crittenden

Keeping a positive teacher mindset

Coping with the demands and frustrations of teaching


Stay positive and view issues pertaining to Thai education with a broad mind. Balancing your concerns, with a deeper understanding of how Buddhist values reverberate in the local community is the way to go!

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Bangkok Phil

Bangkok Phil

Renewing a UK passport in Bangkok

A fairly painless procedure


Like many bureaucratic processes in Thailand, advance preparation is key. In terms of paperwork, it's all about getting your ducks in a row so that the actual application day goes as smoothly as possible.

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Richard Constable

Richard Constable

Not a Mister Chips among them

EFL teachers I've known over the decades, who didn't always wax their tracks as serious educators.


I chosen to write about some of the teachers I've worked with down the years who I found to be the most amusing and likeable, well, apart from Nick.

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Stephen Louw

Stephen Louw

The first days of the new school year

A new term usually means meeting new students


As you move into a new year with new classes, you may be considering what sort of impression you want to make on the students when you have your first lesson. What exactly should a teacher do in the first few lessons considering that these first impressions are so important?

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John Wilson

John Wilson

Are TEFL qualifications necessary?

Let's consider what can go wrong after TEFL courses.


One argument against qualifications is that teaching experience itself is enough to guarantee a good teacher. Not so. I have recently been learning French in an institution where my intermediate classmates are often poor performers in their out-of-class interactions. And for what reason?

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Mark Beales

Mark Beales

Why become an English teacher?

A job that brings challenges and rewards every single day


When it comes to picking your dream job, some options just leap out at you. Wine taster, travel writer, movie critic: who wouldn’t fancy any of those? Teaching, on the other hand, is a more maligned profession.

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Sam Thompson

Sam Thompson

Tolerance

One aspect of Thai culture that must be the envy of the world


We foreigners may see some aspects of Thai culture as idiosyncratic, but it truly warms my heart when I see even young people in Thailand getting along in spite of personal differences

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David Walters

David Walters

Keeping your job application out of the bin

How to stand out from the job application crowd


Applying for jobs is always tedious and can take up copious amounts of time especially if you are tailoring each application for specific positions. I can't speak for all employers but for anyone applying for jobs I can offer advice based around what I look for when filling any position.

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Parvez Amlani

Parvez Amlani

Why education reform in Thailand is imminent

The Thai MOE surely has to begin the formal development of rules and regulations.


If the Thai education system was in fact reformed where certifications and teachers qualifications were vetted, then so-called teachers would indeed have to resort to “flipping burgers” in their native countries simply because they have no real qualifications to represent themselves as teachers.

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Lee Lepper

Lee Lepper

Life itself is irony

A teacher's journey - different countries, different jobs.


Believe me I am thankful to be a teacher in Thailand today. Ironically I had to leave Thailand to get the best job I have ever had here.

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Megan Swanick

Megan Swanick

Grammar vs speech

Differing techniques inside the classroom


In my experience, students recite a grammar rule or know the rule or learn the rule and maybe even vaguely understand the rule, but then you ask them a basic question and they don't understand.

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Sion Binalon

Sion Binalon

In loving memory of Kuya Ben: A teacher and a friend

I met Kuya Ben (Kuya means older brother) through a co-teacher a month after I arrived in Thailand.


We had our last dinner in one of those makeshift restaurants that come alive only at night along Thailand sidewalks. The buzzing sound of cars and passers-by made me listen hard as to what he had said. Lost in his thoughts and blank gaze, he told me that life is short. The past should not hold me back from life and its kindness.

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Karisa Blake

Karisa Blake

Failures in sarcasm

When a lesson plan can all go horribly wrong


Even when I try to tone down my sarcasm, those rascally comments still slip from my lips! I know that my students are vaguely aware of sarcasm but they don't quite understand it and they certainly would never use it on their own.

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James Humphries

James Humphries

Be honest with yourself

Every teacher has made mistakes - including you!


I've read many teaching blogs down the years and I generally enjoy hearing about other people's experiences. However there is one thing I'd like to see more of - honesty

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Mickey Sheehan

Mickey Sheehan

All hail the mighty khao pat gai

Boring yes, but never a dish to be underestimated


Rachel Diamond

Rachel Diamond

Finding a job in Thailand - the basics

From one newbie to another


If you're considering coming to Thailand on your own to find work as an English teacher, I promise you can do it.

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Phil Hall

Phil Hall

Getting a job interview - part 3

Legwork and salary negotiations


I was finally being offered teaching roles but the salary was typically around the 20,000 mark and that was just too low to consider. On the other hand, in most cases I would be the only Westerner at the school.

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Jesse Sessoms

Jesse Sessoms

Species extinction

Reflections on how technology has changed the way we travel


We have lost our identities; we are lost to ourselves. We are but a series of endless reactions to online stimuli. Before we have time to think and form our own perspective on anything, we are looking to see what our family, friends, and peers said; what the reviewers said; what the online influencers said; what the experts said.

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Steve Schertzer

Steve Schertzer

The selfish generation

Covidiots and their dangerous ways


Unfortunately, the coronavirus has not brought out the best in us. To the contrary, it has brought out the worst in us. It has thrown the curtains wide open to reveal a human population so scientifically ignorant, many seem to be regressing back to a time of human sacrifice.

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Mark Brown

Mark Brown

Beta testers wanted!

Testers who provide useful feedback will be given additional free materials as they are developed


California Accent provides over 300 TEFL lessons organized into 16 courses and 5 curriculums. These lessons are intended to be used by TEFL teachers in Thailand to supplement (not replace) the standard teaching materials issued by the provincial administrative organizations.

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Tom Tuohy

Tom Tuohy

Teaching in Thailand post COVID-19

The 'new normal'


What does the future hold for education in Thailand? With the “new normal” in full swing, a “tourism reset” on the way, will there be any other meaningful changes in education, as some are hoping for?

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Kylie Millar

Kylie Millar

Five myths about being a TEFL teacher

I'm sick of the moaners.....I really am!


I am sick and fed up of people coming out to Thailand with stupid misconceptions and then moaning about how awful it is to live in Thailand. Shut up and go home then!

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Parin Hemtanon

Parin Hemtanon

How to gain teaching experience when you have none

Could lack of experience be the reason why schools aren't replying to your job applications?


When I realised that I was an inexperienced teacher, I decided to create my own life-changing “teacher training program”. These are things I did to pack my resume with relevant teaching skills and experience, which I believe helped secure my first teaching job.

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Nick Tarver

Nick Tarver

The pee, the nong and the wai

Aspects of Thai culture


Although ajarn.com has never shirked from handing out some just criticism on Thai education and culture I felt it was only fair to balance worthy criticism with worthy praise.

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Kink Bundy

Kink Bundy

My experiences of working in a college in Bangkok (part 7)

Poor facilities and poor student attendance make teaching difficult.


Many of the students had taken out loans to come to this school. The loans could often be too much for their families to repay and they’d need to drop out for financial reasons, and end up leaving the school with no degree and a staggering pile of debt that their families would struggle to repay.

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Charles Green

Charles Green

The teacher mindset

English teachers are all business owners


In Thailand, I have found that people quickly get labeled and categorized as either good or bad, helpful or unhelpful, good teachers or bad teachers, etc. Then once you are labeled it is a long and difficult process of changing your projected image.

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Jessica Watson

Jessica Watson

Dealing with the troublemakers

Discipline: tips on control in the classroom


Troublemakers. We have all seen them do their thing, causing mayhem and disorder in the classroom; perhaps you were even one yourself at some point during your time as a student. Troublemakers are the bane of every teacher's existence and they make our job go from difficult to pounding headache and hair-tearing proportions.

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Dr. A.E Schneider

Dr. A.E Schneider

Things I learned about recommending students for graduate and professional school

Ways to truly support students’ path forward


Once applicants have accurately assessed their skill set, standing out amongst the crowd of outstanding applicants is surprisingly straightforward and achievable with enough hard work and preparation.

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Jocelyn Pollak

Jocelyn Pollak

Three fun warm-up activities

Games designed to get students focused on using English and getting comfortable with their classmates.


Have fun with these games and consider joining in with your students! Great EFL warm-up activities really set the tone for a great class. Enjoy!

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John V

John V

Excuse me, haven’t we met before?

A satirical look at TEFL personality types


If you’re just an average teacher struggling along in a sea of two legged sharks trying to do your best give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back, because you sir or madam are gold dust.

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The Hot Spot


Need Thailand insurance?

Need Thailand insurance?

Have a question about health or travel insurance in Thailand? Ricky Batten from Pacific Prime is Ajarn's resident expert.


The dreaded demo

The dreaded demo

Many schools ask for demo lessons before they hire. What should you the teacher be aware of?


Will I find work in Thailand?

Will I find work in Thailand?

It's one of the most common questions we get e-mailed to us. So find out exactly where you stand.


The cost of living

The cost of living

How much money does a teacher need to earn in order to survive in Thailand? We analyze the facts.


Air your views

Air your views

Got something to say on the topic of teaching, working or living in Thailand? The Ajarn Postbox is the place. Send us your letters!


Teacher mistakes

Teacher mistakes

What are the most common mistakes that teachers make when they are about to embark on a teaching career in Thailand? We've got them all covered.


The Region Guides

The Region Guides

Fancy working in Thailand but not in Bangkok? Our region guides are written by teachers who actually live and work in the provinces.


Contributions welcome

Contributions welcome

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