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Travel The MEGA Travel Thread!

Jamshyd

Jamshyd

Bluelight Crew
Joined
Aug 26, 2003
Messages
15,492
Location
Not on a train, sadly.
Thailand

Has/does anyone here live in Thailand or has stayed there for an extended ammount of time?

What do you think of it?

I am currently contemplating going there and working for a short time before I decide whether to return to Japan or go elsewhere (there are some complicated issues to be resolved first). I posted a thread like this asking about Japan before going there and got some good responses, thats why I'm posting this.

It seems to me like Thailand is pretty much the easiest place in Asia to get employment for english teaching, if not too lucrative. Therefore it makes for a good temporary fix. However, I have never personally had a positive view on modern thailand - don't get me wrong - the food and the buddhist culture are very intreguing for me, but the modern foreigner scene seems to be so damn SLEAZY that it makes vegas look high-class. I admit this is a preconception but it is the impression I got from every single traveler I met who has stayed in Thailand for a while...

Opinions?
 
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heya!
I lived there for a year teaching english and consider it one of the best years and experiences of my life. It is as sleazy or not as you choose to make it as is anywhere...I was working in a high school and was surrounded by loads of clean living thai people who wanted me to be their friends, which I did...I also at times ran away from that and played up in the not so sweet scene that exists there and that was fun too, you had to go actively looking for it though so I think you could safely say the experience is what you make of it yourself. It was great for me.
:)
 
I spent about 2 months travelling through most of Thailand about a year ago so while I didn't live there as such I got a good idea of many areas. I agree with what both of you guys have said really, it has a sleazy side fuelled by many western tourists in only some areas but it is a great country and a really well natured people.

To be honest the main places in the country that have the real sleazey bars with all the girls are Bangkok, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Phuket, Koh Samui so largely the southern beach resorts and Bangkok. But there is much more to the country and even in those areas it is only a couple of streets so if you aren't into it its easy to avoid. Its kinda like the ladyboy thing which is kinda wierd there also lol, they just don't seem to judge or be too fussed about these issues out in the open on the street.

As a very general observation it is more traditional and poorer to the north (particularly north east) and more beachy/touristy to the south like Phuket/Koh Samui/Koh Phangang, but the beaches and islands are gorgeous so its still worth going to imo but if ur looking for teaching positions they probably wouldn't be in those touristy towns Id imagine anyway (or the positions would be in high demand)

The great thing about Thailand I found was compared to its neighbours it has very developed infrastructure and quite smooth running like the airport and transport and police. Sure its still S/E asia but it is quite surprising how well managed economically they must have been in the last 20 yrs because there is alot of money around. Not to the level of Japan but it was more than I was expecting anyhow.
 
I liked laos and cambodia more than thailand. Their governments seem less corrupt (thai officials barge into night clubs and drug test everyone for instance), everything is cheeper than in thailand, and there is more laid back feeling. You probably won't make as much though.

I'd try to score something in Luang Prabang, Laos above everything else. Its an absolutely amazing city with a good amount of wealth floating around. If you want a crazy ass city, check out Phnom Phen in Cambodia.

good luck :)
 
^ya I loved Laos also to be honest very relaxed and less populated, but yeh the police are more nazi in Thailand for sure.

Drugs are more of an issue in Thailand as you are probably aware than in say Cambodia and Laos. Depends on the area (like thais islands down south it is a bit easier) but on buses sometimes police get on and sus people out usually dont hassle foreignors so much but you can get seriously screwed in Thailand if you get done for drugs. Like even chemists wont sell stuff like benzos or whatever without prescription to my surprise lol, but in Cambodia and Laos that isn't an issue.

Maybe look into Vietnam also though, its more on the level of Thailand generally may be good for teaching also I'm not sure.

BTW where do you guys get info about teaching english in these areas as I may be interested in doing it also at some stage :)
 
Mehm said:
I liked laos and cambodia more than thailand. Their governments seem less corrupt (thai officials barge into night clubs and drug test everyone for instance), everything is cheeper than in thailand, and there is more laid back feeling. You probably won't make as much though.

I'd try to score something in Luang Prabang, Laos above everything else. Its an absolutely amazing city with a good amount of wealth floating around. If you want a crazy ass city, check out Phnom Phen in Cambodia.

good luck :)
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i love LAOS so much i got it tatted on my arm =D

but if i had to choose to live i would live in Bangkok. more developed and resources are everywhere.

Vietnam is the next destination
 
I've visited SE Asia VERY breifly, I found Cambodia and Vietnam to be much nicer than Thailand. Cambodia seemed very laid back and less hustle n bustle than the other two.

Thailand is deinitely sleazy but it can be avoided, where as with Cambodia and Vietnam the sleazey side of things didn't seem to be present, at least where I was.
 
stephaniesomewhere said:
heya!
I lived there for a year teaching english and consider it one of the best years and experiences of my life. It is as sleazy or not as you choose to make it as is anywhere...I was working in a high school and was surrounded by loads of clean living thai people who wanted me to be their friends, which I did...I also at times ran away from that and played up in the not so sweet scene that exists there and that was fun too, you had to go actively looking for it though so I think you could safely say the experience is what you make of it yourself. It was great for me.
:)
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I was thinking of teaching English in one of the programs and I was wondering if you need to speak the language of wherever you're going or not, is this the case?
 
^to teach mr Bungle? Where abouts is the school and what is pay?

but yeh you do not need to know the language of the country you are going to teach english, kinda funny ey.

I may be going to South Korea to do this, have a friend doing it there sounds pretty cruisey. I would prefer to do it in Thailand though cause I love the place so much fun and beautiful place but I fear pay may be worse and kids more crazy and out of control lol

South Korea seems to have demand and pay and good benefits like they fly you over and have an apartment rent free getting paid around $30K with little expenses bar food/entertainment on top as tax is like 4% and rent is paid.
 
Heh, interesting this thread got bumped. I am currently in Thailand (just a bit more than 2 weeks) and teaching :).

Can't say Bangkok is delightful, but I'll be using it as a starting point to travels to other countries (most importantly Cambodia, India, and Burma). I'll write more tomorrow!
 
ya Bangkok is hectic with traffic, polution, population and those crazy tuk-tuks lol, they hammer around. How is the teaching life there tho Jamshyd? How long you teaching there for?

I reccomend going to Laos along with Cambodia also really nice country, I didnt make Cambodia got sick when I planned to go there but really wanna check it out next time Im back around there. Burma is well worthwhile experience but it is frustrating because of the control on areas you can travel, but its a real eye opener of a country.
 
The teaching life is so-so. It would be great if I had students that are not outright rude, ones that actually want to study English. That's why I'm trying to find a job teaching grown-ups in a private school. But for now, I'm stuck in this public school :\

As for how long I'll be staying there, depends. I am not that fond of Thailand - as I mentioned, I'm using it as a springboard and to make a quick buck. I will actually be going to Vientiane next week to sort out my work visa, so Laos is definitely next.

I am very excited about Burma!!
 
^ Have you been up north (or north east) yet? It's very different to bangkok....my favourite places in thailand were definitely away from the major cities and beaches.
 
nice if you want somewhere more low key and chilled out it has to be Laos. You will simply not believe you have gone from capital city to capital city BKK to Vientiane. Soo much less population and less developed, its a real charming town beaut temples and nice by the river there.
 
Hey Jamshyd! You are living my dream right now! The dream I hope to soon be living myself! I've been debating going to Thailand too.
I want to buy a round the world ticket and visit a number of places over the course of the next year or so.

So far Nepal, India, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia and Indionesia are on my "for sure" list. I've always wanted to go to Thailand, in fact when I first got my travel itchies that was top of my list (Maybe it was the movie, "The Beach" that inspired that, plus some other things), but like you Ive heard a lot of bad things. I may skip it if you don't think it's worthwhile, or maybe I could just spend a week or two there just to say I went.

PLease keep coming back to this thread and letting us know your experiances!
 
I'm off to Thailand, Laos and Vietnam starting around Christmas time (will be in South America before this). I'm going to Kanchanaburi in the North of Thailand - any experiences anyone?

Laos sounds like my kind of place.
 
If you're just going for the experienceof living abroad, go ahead and take an online TEFL or TESL course. I don't know what the requirements are for SE Asia, but maybe they do actually recognise online courses; most self-respecting institutions don't, to be honest. Sorry, mr bungle! Honestly, I think you shouldn't even bother getting certified if you're going to do it online. Learning methodologies serves no purpose if you have no way to practice them and get feedback from experienced teachers.

If you actually want to invest a wee bit of time and cash into being a better teacher and having a better experience in the classroom (especially if you plan to go abroad for a while), invest in a course that has an observed teaching practicuum. You'll be doing yourself and your students a favour. I took my CELTA and kept teaching when I came back to Canada. I totally fell in love with teaching ESL when I went abroad, and having a CELTA allows me to teach almost anywhere in the world (except Europe because I don't have an EU passport. :( Anyone European want to marry me?).

Jamshyd, I totally agree that adults are the way to go. Kids are either totally into it (rare - only if you get a class of keeners) or don't want to be there/are only there because they have to be there. Adults usually need English for their jobs, so they have a lot more motivation. Plus, adults can be extremely fun to teach and there are way less disciplinary problems.
 
^ Indeed, online EFL certificates are fast losing respect.

Deja, in response to your questions in this thread and the Korea thread, what is your educational background?

There are three main requirements for teaching English abroad, in order of importance:
- A University Degree (Bachelor's at least)
- "Native" English Speaker (whatever the hell this is, I have issues with this one)
- A TEFL/TESOL degree

In the past, you used to be able to teach English simply by being able to speak it. Long gone are these days. Now most schools asks for at least one or a combination of the above. That said, if you're a girl and you look "western," you will find a job much easier, and you can always luck up. As for how you find work, it is usually through the internet. http://www.eslcafe.com/ is a good start although there are better country-specific ones. The big TEFL countries currently are: China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and Thailand (and maybe Hong Kong).

Here is what I have learnt so far about the countries you mention (although I don't recommend you take my word for it):

- Nepal: There are a lot of opportunities, all of which are volunteer ones! And really, the ethical choice is to volunteer, seeing how poor the country is. Although no longer the past Shagrila of the hippies, most people agree that it is still a wonderful place to visit, and I can't wait to get there myself.

- India: I can't quite figure out. I hear conflicting reports ranging from plenty of high-paying jobs to absolutely none. I will get back to you on this one as I ask around more. I plan on exploring it (especially the north) sometime late this year / early next year.

- Laos: This is a very interesting and overlooked place IMO. I have just come back from a visit and totally love it! Remember though, that it is a very, very poor and very communist country. There aren't many opportunities, and expect not to be paid anything substantial.

- Cambodia: Again - poor and very charming country from what I hear, but it seems that the majority of opportunities there are volunteer. I am very fascinated, and even more so now that I've gotten a taste of "Indochina". Definitely the next thing on the list.

- Malaysia: There is a lot of money here, but it seems that Master's degrees are usually required. I only recently developed some interest in this country. I believe Fengtau can gives lots of info about this one :)

- Indonesia: Used to be a good spot for teaching, but from everything I read and hear, it seems to be crashing hard. The attractions of Indonesia are quite well-known, of course. I have little interest in it currently, however.

- Thailand: I have only really explored Bangkok. I must note, I was never really into Thailand, and while I don't hate it now that I live here, I will not lie to you: my mind is always elsewhere. That said, people that do like the idea of it seems to be having the time of their lives. I met many people who came for a visit and ended up staying there for years. Finding teaching jobs is quite easy here - I found employment from the first week!! With that said, I am using Thailand simply for income and as a base to explore all surrounding countries.

Check out my BL journal for semi-regular updates on my current experience :)

Since your interest seems to hover around southeast asia, I recommend Lonely Planet's "Southeast Asia on a Shoestring". Pretty much everyone here owns a copy of this, and for a good reason :)

As for me, the countries I currently find most fascinating are (in no particular order): Burma, Mongolia, all of the countries that end with "'stan", The Caucasus, the former Yugoslavia, Argentina, and Chile. Unfortunately, all of those are a challenge to find employment in :\

---

McWally: You were right!! I just returned from Vientiane, and I loved it so much more than Bangkok! I wish I had more time to explore other areas in Laos. I will most definitely be going back soon!
 
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