Go for the adventure, not to try and change things

Postbox letter from Jey

Go for the adventure, go to travel, enjoy and work hard but don't expect to make a difference to Thai society.


Work ethic vs life ethic

Is it possible to find the perfect balance?

It's just interesting to note that it is the relaxed attitude that keeps the East "developing" while it's our go-go attitude that makes us "prosperous". The same attitude that hinders them in business allows them to be happily content with life, whereas it's our work ethic that erodes at our physical and emotional well being.


Filipino teachers need to get tougher

Postbox letter from Joe, Bangkok

The Filipinos at my school are overly obedient and never question management. To the point that they end up working evenings and weekends for free. The Thai management see this and now expect the same from westerners.


Go with the flow

Don't come to Thailand if this kind of stuff makes you mad

As westerners, we like to have schedules and we like to know things ahead of time. Stuff like that doesn't happen so much in Asian culture.


What are we here to teach?

Should we see ourselves as missionaries for Western culture values?

As foreigners teaching in a foreign country, what are the expectations and where are the boundaries?


Tall poppy syndrome

Postbox letter from

The tone of the letters here is often such that if you’re qualified and want to teach in Thailand, there’s something wrong with you, because otherwise you’d be elsewhere accumulating capital.


Let's unite

Postbox letter from JP Rob

Life is easy here and that's why people want to stay. Most teachers here are here to enhance their career and stamp on the teachers below them.


A bit of culture part two

The concept of face and other things

If a waiter in a restaurant screws up your order and brings you fishballs instead of the fried pork-skin on rice you ordered, most people won’t send it back or make a fuss about it. The waiter might lose face. So what? Well, by embarrassing him this way, you too will be considered as having lost face. It’s really a lose-lose situation. You can either eat your smelly fishballs or lose face.


A bit of culture part one

Loud music and slouching

Now let me first get one thing straight. I like Thailand and I like Thai people. They are very friendly and I usually don’t mind their strange behaviour and views. They say it’s culture. It’s not a problem for me, but the question is: can you handle it? With ‘you’, I mean the newly arrived farangs who are still in the so-called honeymoon period and think Thailand is heaven on earth


Ajarns of high couture

Introducing this week's guest columnist

A guest column - the vast majority of which wasn't written by myself. All about the cultural differences Thai ajarns face upon going to and then returning from a western country to study


Showing 10 tagged items out of 10 total Page 1 of 1



Featured Jobs

Part-time Music Instrument Teacher

฿50,000+ / month

Bangkok


Secondary Math Teacher

฿45,300+ / month

Bangkok


Part-time Lead Teacher

฿30,000+ / month

Bangkok


NES K2 Homeroom Teacher

฿60,000+ / month

Chiang Mai


Science and Maths Teacher

฿42,000+ / month

Bangkok


Kindergarten, Primary, and Secondary Teachers

฿50,000+ / month

Phuket


Featured Teachers

  • Gavin


    British, 38 years old. Currently living in Thailand

  • Shabnam


    Azerbaijani, 30 years old. Currently living in Azerbaijan

  • Bonifacio


    Filipino, 41 years old. Currently living in Philippines

  • Premilla


    Kenyan, 35 years old. Currently living in Thailand

  • Melanie


    Filipino, 46 years old. Currently living in Philippines

  • Kimberly


    Filipino, 24 years old. Currently living in Philippines

The Hot Spot


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.


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 dreaded demo

The dreaded demo

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


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.


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!


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.


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?


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.