Thailand, the sick man of ASEAN

Postbox letter from Russell

I relocated to Vietnam to see if the grass was any greener over there. Whilst I was in Vietnam at the beginning I wrote an article saying what a breath of fresh air it was from the idiocy of Thailand. But after one year I came to realize the grass was not that green after all.


New teacher scam alert

Be on your guard for anyone asking for an interview fee

We removed a bogus job ad from the ajarn.com job listings today for an international school in Bangkok. The job ad had unfortunately been on-line for several days and was offering attractive salaries of 50k plus. The scammer had gone to considerable trouble and even included the name of the actual person responsible for hiring teachers at the school.


TOEIC and other tests

Postbox letter from Dr John Smith

There is a lot of debate regarding the TOEIC testing for non-native English speakers and in my opinion it is a double edged sword and cuts both ways.


Teacher of the week

Put yourself in Thailand's biggest TEFL shop window

Having trouble finding a teaching job? Just arrived and having no luck opening doors? Send us your photo and a resume and we'll do our best to put your name up there in lights.


Another demo lesson fiasco

Postbox letter from Lauren

I had a similar situation where I attended an interview with a reputable agency and was sent to do a demo lesson at one of their schools (not the school they needed a new teacher for). I was told to give a 40-minute demo from a book.


A lack of professionalism

Postbox letter from Tommy

I recently went for a job interview and was shocked by the lack of professionalism shown by a school with a good reputation. I was applying for a math teacher position and I have had experience teaching maths to Mattayom 1 and 2


Who does my job ad appeal to?

What can you do when filling your teacher vacancies becomes impossible?

If you've been around teacher recruitment in Thailand for as long as I have, then you'll know that by insisting on too many requirements, a school is narrowing its field down to almost non-existent


Let go of the past

Postbox letter from Mike

Stories where teachers and teaching agencies have come into conflict are all too common and allegations (on both sides) are difficult to prove/substantiate. Also, there are always two sides to every story.


Choosing the right employer

The joys of working for a teacher agency

I wouldn't say I have a "horror story" per se, but rather a three-ringed circus. I found the whole ordeal quite amusing for the most part, although the never getting paid on time or the correct amount, along with the constant harassing emails from whom I can only assume to be a mentally imbalanced employer did get a bit tiresome by the end.


Interview oddballs

Some of the stranger folks I've come across during interview procedures

One applicant that I won't forget was a certain Mr G. Glitter who applied for a primary school homeroom teacher position in 2006 and claimed to 'love working with kids'. The application came complete with a picture of the glam rocker in full 1970s rock regalia


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Featured Jobs

Early Years Teacher

฿60,000+ / month

Bangkok


Primary Science Teachers for MEP Program

฿33,000+ / month

Maha Sarakham


Part-time NES Summer Camp Teachers

฿450+ / hour

Bangkok


Summer Camp Teachers

฿700+ / hour

Chiang Mai


NES Primary English Teacher

฿45,000+ / month

Bangkok


Primary Science Teachers for MEP Program

฿33,000+ / month

Maha Sarakham


Featured Teachers

  • Liam


    British, 37 years old. Currently living in Thailand

  • Jenny


    Filipino, 30 years old. Currently living in Thailand

  • Guy


    British, 32 years old. Currently living in United Kingdom

  • Chipem


    Indian, 27 years old. Currently living in India

  • Zeny


    Filipino, 31 years old. Currently living in Philippines

  • Fikile


    South African, 33 years old. Currently living in South Africa

The Hot Spot


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.


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

If you like visiting ajarn.com and reading the content, why not get involved yourself and keep us up to date?


The dreaded demo

The dreaded demo

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


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.


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.


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!