The bureaucratic runaround

And all for the love of a good woman

With just over a month left in Thailand, having sold my motorbike and soon to be leaving my apartment, I met the new love of my life, which suddenly threw a spanner into the works. On our last day, we went to all our favourite places before sharing a tearful goodbye at the airport.

Archaic ideas are holding the students back!

Postbox letter from Keith

I have been working in Thailand for two years now, and with regret I have decided to bid farewell to a country that I adore.

Back to reality

The thoughts of a returning expat

My biggest fear is that things may have changed so much that my skills will be inadequate and I will be overlooked in favor of people who have spent their time investing in themselves while I, in the eyes of a potential employer, have been messing around in Asia for the last seven years.

I'm outta here!

Postbox letter from T Mark

I am off to see more of South East Asia where i will receive the same salary as someone with no experience but will learn much more as I travel around.

leaving thailand

Things I miss about Thailand

Sense of community and the pace of life to name just two

I have been living in the US for the past several months, living a peripatetic and nomadic existence that is in many ways far more adventurous than the relatively quotidian and pedestrian life I lived as a teacher in Bangkok.

Decisions, decisions

Is it time to stick or twist? To leave Thailand or stay?

I came to Thailand for an adventure but I fear the adventure is nearing its end. There is a new journey to start and I'm hopeful its one that can begin - but for now I'm feeling a bit stuck.

Going Home

The difficulties of finding employment when a teacher returns to the USA

The economy is functioning like an alcoholic's ailing liver. This has been headline news for several years, but seeing it in the news and experiencing it first hand was quite different.

Comparing teaching in Thailand v Saudi Arabia

What happens when you leave for the big bucks.

Thailand had run its course for me. I enjoyed it for years but the shine eventually wore off. I plan to return for a visit here and there. You just don't live in a place for 10 years and forget it.

Cultivating novelty

Making sure the novelty of living in Asia doesn't wear off

Sometimes I think about why I'm here. Why I left Thailand. Why I left America in the first place. The answers to those questions probably aren't all that different from lots of other foreign teachers here in this part of the world.