9 Tips to Teach English in Thailand

I recently finished a year teaching ESL in a high school in central Thailand. As with most things in life there was a lot of good and a lot of bad. It was an experience that I would never trade for anything, and in the end, all the good completely outweighed the bad.

Nothing will ever prepare you for the experience of teaching in a foreign country if you've never done it before. I did a ton of research before I went and I still was unprepared. Here are a few things that I wish I knew, and some things that you absolutely should know before starting a teaching job in Thailand.

1. You're not special.

It's true that in some areas of Thailand you will be treated special. The rule of thumb is generally that the smaller the community/school the more special treatment you will receive. However, that's not always the case, and a lot of the recruiting teams out there will want you to feel extra special and make you think you will be treated like an angel out here, but that's not super likely to happen.

At my school my students had a new teacher every year, and sometimes every semester. They don't care that I'm American, because I am not their first American teacher and I will not be their last.

2. Embrace 'Mai Pen Rai'.

There's a saying in Thailand, "Mai Pen Rai," that basically means go with the flow. There is no one meaning of the phrase, but ultimately it's just saying roll with the punches. Teaching and living in Thailand will be unpredictable. Classes will be cancelled and no one will tell you. You'll come in to school, and you were supposed to wear a specific color, but no one told you. There's no school next week because of a random holiday!

I cannot tell you how many times I waited in my classroom for students to show up just to realize that classes were cancelled. One time I came into school and it was Math Day, which was basically a mini carnival that included a haunted house, games, prizes, and food! You just have to accept the changes as they come, and try and do your job as best as you can.

3. Remember to have fun.

Usually, your class is the fun class. The kids need to learn, but they also should have fun. Their Thai teachers are usually super strict, so you have a chance to do something fun with them for one hour that week where they can sort of relax and learn.

I always had some games on hand to play with my students at the end of class, or I would give them free time. Joking around with your kids and treading that line of fun and still getting their respect is not always easy.

4. Don't be afraid to hang out with your kids.

So in the US or UK seeing your students outside of school is super frowned upon. However, it's different in Thailand. Your kids want to get to know you and sometimes the best way to explore the town you get placed in is through your students. Ask them questions, where do they like to eat, what do they do for fun, what's their favorite food? You'll get to know them and they'll get to know you.

5. Put away the rose colored glasses

Thailand is great, but there will be aspects of the job and the country that you will not like. For me it's all the bugs. Specifically since Rainy Season started I have not gone a day without ants invading my room and sometimes my bed. They don't do anything but they are annoying. I won't miss the heat and I won't miss the constant language barrier between me and everyone else in my town.

I will miss my students, some of my coworkers, the food, and the few Thai friends I've made here. It's important to understand that no experience is perfect, there will be bad and good. You just need to make sure you keep your expectations realistic.

6. It will be overwhelming

When I decided to teach abroad I thought I would be teaching 100 students max. I thought I would be teaching a lot during the week but that the amount of students I would manage would be, well, manageable. I was very, very wrong. When I arrived at my school I found out that I would be teaching 21 different classes, varying from 30-50 students each, with a total of over 800 students. Just thinking about it stressed me out and I hadn't even started teaching yet.

This wont be true for everyone, but classes in Thailand are huge. You will have a lot of students. When grades are due, you will have a mountain of tests, projects, and homework to get through. It will overwhelm you more than you think, but it will pass and it will be worth it because you get to see the amazing stuff that your kids will come up with.

7. Get a motorbike

Walking around will get old fast. It's hot in Thailand and public transportation can be confusing and unreliable. A motorbike has saved me a few times and it's faster when you're getting chased by stray dogs.

It's also a great way to see the country. Take a ride around the town you're in or the surrounding areas. It's always good to have your own transportation and it's relatively cheap too. I rented my bike for less than 2,000 Baht a month at a local shop and it was a great decision.

8. It's still an actual job

The big mistake a lot of people make is coming to Thailand thinking it's just an easy way to make money, that you won't really be working that much and you will be traveling every weekend you have and taking days to have some longer weekends.

No. This is a real job, you are getting paid a salary to do a job and you are responsible for someone's education. If you don't take that seriously, then you shouldn't teach abroad. You will have opportunities to travel, long weekends and holidays and day trips. However, your first priority should be to your students and your job.

9. Try your best

At the end of the day the only thing you can do is try your best and be the best teacher you can be. I came into this position with no experience and only a TEFL to my name. Now with a year of experience I am able to confidently say that I'm an ESL teacher. I loved my job because I know that every day, every week, all year long, I tried my hardest for my students. That's all you can hope for.