What keeps us in Thailand?

Postbox letter from Keith Evans

I've been teaching in Thailand for seven years. Like most of my fellow foreign teachers here I've been through the visa and work permit mangle and all the other bureaucratic crap that the Thai Government can throw at a human being, but here I remain.

He sleeps in a storm

Disorganization, discipline, and decisiveness in the overseas TEFL industry

I really dislike job interviews. Not because of anything I do. I show up on time; I wear the right clothes; I'm polite; I listen and I ask the right questions. But when it comes to the interview and meeting other people in this industry, whether fellow teachers, administrators, principals, or directors, the ‘niceties' stop at my cover-letter.

Is it the teachers fault?

Postbox letter from James

We face an impossible task. You can’t force someone to learn and I flatly refuse to accept that it is all the teacher’s fault. The schools and managers would certainly have you believe that and it is in their own interests to do so.

The dreaded letter grade

The anguish of having to evaluate progress with a single letter

I teach Pre-School, Kindergarten and Prathom 1, 2 and 3 and while I find it easier to dole out letter grades to my Prathom students, giving A,B,C's to my Pre-School and K's is much more difficult.

The infamous teacher fire drill

Postbox letter from Happy Jack

Foreign teachers need to be careful about choosing to work at a private school anywhere in Asia, because private schools are businesses first and educational institutions second. Many are unscrupulous and some are actually criminal.

Should I stay or should I go?

Getting to grips with life as a teacher in Thailand

I flew in to Bangkok and spent four amazing days and nights there. I was about to head out towards Ubon to start looking for work when I was tipped off with a potential opportunity in the Si Sa Ket province of Isaan.

Pets and Thailand real estate

Is it a good idea to bring your pet with you to live in Thailand?

When you plan to leave home to travel thousands of miles to the other side of the world, it presents a huge emotional strain. There's the strain of leaving family, friends and loved ones - people who you may not see again for months or even years. Some of these loved ones have four legs, tails or even fins. So do you opt to leave them behind or do you bring them with you? It's a big question for some people!

Business as usual

More rambling from a TEFL lunatic

I've been living and teaching in Phnom Penh Cambodia for six months now. I suppose I could write about the magnificent ancient temples of Ankhor Wat, the beaches of Sihanoukville, the Buddhist scriptures and artifacts, and the splendor of the Royal Palace. But I won't. What I would rather write about are the people.

Things I won't do for work

They say that everybody has a price

Although most of my TEFL experience has not been in Thailand, there is still a long list of things I won’t accept in a teaching job. Talk numbers and cross my palm with silver because these are the things I simply won’t do for work.