Colored education

The road to becoming a teacher

Bobo Metei came to Thailand as a fresh graduate on the lookout for different things. So being a young man with little money in his pocket, he decided to take up teaching.


Nothing but disrespect

Postbox letter from

For those foreigners willing to devote their time and energies to quality teaching, it can be a bitterly disillusioning experience. With the salaries going lower and the benefits (medical and other insurance, housing, etc.) fewer, and the cost of living increasing, teachers who have been here for years are now leaving the country.


Racism in the TEFL industry

The Hines-Ward effect

Yes racism still exists in America and other Western nations. But there's a difference. Here in many parts of Asia, there is no classification of racist acts because no distinction is made between the racist act and the racist person.


Think outside of the box

Postbox letter from Richard Burgess

How many illegal teachers do you think are working in Thailand now? A lot I'm sure. I was one for a year. So we have the new laws, now there won't be any illegal teachers? Ummmmmm. I don't have a degree in education and I can assure you I will still be here.


Book review

Bangkok Exit

As a refreshing change from someone writing about their ten years of hell in a Thai prison, you might want to take a look at Bangkok Exit written by Ryan Humphreys. Ryan gives readers a humorous warts 'n' all account of his first year teaching in Thailand at Sathit Wittaya School.


Bangkok vs Chiang Mai

How do the two biggest cities in Thailand measure up?

Read a terrific account from a teacher who gave up the Chiang Mai lifestyle to go and work in the capital Bangkok. It's very much a tale of two cities - and how one dedicated teacher fared in both.


No Saturdays, no kids, no evenings and no TEFL certificate

One woman's quest to find a teaching job through informal interviews

Kathy Willis from the USA contacted me to say that she was going to spend a whole week interviewing for teaching jobs in Bangkok. Yes sir, she was going to run a finger down all those banner ads on the ajarn.com homepage and hit the mean streets in search of suitable employment.


The screening process

How I select teachers to work at my school

First, I run a detailed and thorough advertisement on ajarn.com and a few other Thai web sites. I do not advertise outside of Thailand, as I do not accept applications from abroad.


Oldies........but goldies?

Are those teachers over 45 suddenly too long in the tooth?

With one or two positions on the jobs board asking for teachers no older than 45, ajarn.com asks if this is the start of a terrifying trend and whether our middle-aged days are numbered? Is the TEFL industry about to be over-run with lantern-jawed buck studs who've barely started shaving? Your e-mails came in by the truckload but strangely no one under 45 years old had an opinion (well, only a couple). As someone who turns 42 next month, I'm already finding out the locations of reputable nursing homes. Enough of all this - I need to go again.


Ethics in interviewing and hiring

An article that will press a few buttons

I will again reiterate that it is not my goal to blacklist all teacher “wanna-bes” in this country who either mistakenly or knowingly make a sad joke of the employment process at schools in this country. In fact, I am not even that concerned about those who knowingly do so, often repeatedly. My comments in this column are directed at those who care about ethics and honesty, not those who don’t.


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Featured Jobs

Recruitment Manager

฿55,000+ / month

Bangkok


NES Grade 4 Math and Science Teacher

฿40,000+ / month

Chiang Mai


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


Featured Teachers

  • Saranya


    Indian, 29 years old. Currently living in Thailand

  • Thoun


    Myanmarese, 24 years old. Currently living in Thailand

  • Evgeniya


    Russian, 39 years old. Currently living in Thailand

  • Jenica


    Filipino, 28 years old. Currently living in Philippines

  • Lyr


    Filipino, 30 years old. Currently living in Thailand

  • Younes


    Moroccan, 25 years old. Currently living in Thailand

The Hot Spot


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!


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.


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 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.


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.


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?