Working and Living in Asia

On my return from an 18 month travel holiday trip through Australia, Thailand and Vietnam I had decided Asia suited my lifestyle and contacted several training centres in Thailand to take my TEFL certificate and become an English Teacher in Thailand. I eventually returned from Asia to the United Kingdom and found employment for around five months, enough to save for the TEFL course I had chosen with Text and Talk academy, Thailand. The course was something I needed to gain confidence to teach.

The teacher trainer for our particular course was called Carmeta, from Canada who became a good friend with a great attitude to training new teachers. I remember the first few days of training when she taught us Japanese in order for her to help us understand how easy learning a language can be. She had chosen Japanese after working in Japan for several years. Carmeta’s method worked and we soon began to understand how to learn again after so many years out of college, University and school. It was now time to illicit information from students in order for them to learn English. The whole experience was exciting and secured all teachers on the TEFL course employment after the course.

After the course I secured several teaching positions within the school teaching on Saturdays and soon became familiar with the needs of Asian students in an English teaching environment. I eventually secured several more positions teaching business English in Bangkok, something I really enjoyed. Teaching business in and around Bangkok was rewarding and looks great on a resume. I worked for a television production company, a graphic design, re-touching advertising company and a travel software company. The management always took care of my lunch and often invited me out for dinner and social gatherings. I became very familiar with the requirements and problems businesses were facing and later went on the teaching business letter writing and application form completion. I remember on one occasion I was asked to retrieve exhibition fees from a French company with success. Teaching in Asia is rewarding and your student’s often become friends especially when teaching business English. It was at that time still working for an Agency and found it difficult to finance the travel in between each job and eventually decided I needed something more secure with less travel. I sometimes wonder where I’d be today if I had continued teaching Business English but even though I loved it, I couldn’t afford to continue. Maybe I should have taught private business English.

I was soon offered a full-time position at Saint Francis Xavier, a Catholic school in Thailand’s second largest city, Nontanburi. I moved near the school into a condominium that overlooked a huge lake. My condominium, a one bedroom with separate kitchen, bathroom and living room only cost around seven thousand baht. With Internet installed, electric, water and council funds, the whole package cost around thirteen thousand baht. Living and teaching in Thailand can be financially rewarding if you can live and eat where the Thai’s do. I was paid around fifty five thousand baht at Saint Francis Xavier and was able to live a good life for the four years I was employed there. It all sounds a little lonely at this point doesn’t it? To be honest during my first few months teaching in Thailand I was very busy and had no time to socialise but later that year I began dating a Thai girl who I stayed with for three years until it was time for me to depart. Sometimes overseas relationships work, sometimes they don’t like any I guess, mine didn’t but I was happy to see her grow into something really special after working for the USA embassy and later moving overseas, something she had always wished to do. At the time of leaving Thailand I had spent almost five years in the country and decided to leave during holiday time when I was able to obtain my holiday pay of one month plus the end of the month salary.

Most importantly I must mention that Thailand is a none confrontational country and I have never witnessed assaults or crime of any nature. The local paper, The Bangkok post covers stories of crime but if you remain calm and become familiar with Thai culture you’ll soon understand where to go, what to say and how to keep out of trouble.