Job Discussion Forums

[CEiseman]

Hi all,

I'm looking into teaching positions in Thailand and would like to get a list of good places to live in Thailand. Looking for cities that are economical yet have enough to do. Tell me your experiences!

Thanks,

Cate

[sigmoid]

Hi Cate


Thailand can be divided up into regions, so it might be helpful to think in terms of which one is most appealing to you.

North - mountains, somewhat heavily touristed

Northeast - the least developed, most traditional area bordering the Mekong River with Laos on the other side, so has a lot of Lao influence and was part of the Khmer Empire previously

Central region - river valleys, wetlands, rice fields, remnants of previous capitals

Bangkok - the massive present-day capital

Eastern seaboard - the bit on that side of the Gulf of Thailand stretching toward Cambodia with some islands, beaches, resorts, etc

South - the other side of the Gulf, eventually becoming an isthmus with the Andaman Sea on the other side, lots of islands, beaches, resorts, tourists, etc

Deep South - "restive" insurgency area along part of the border with Malaysia. Probably not a good idea

Anyway, Bangkok is obviously the most expensive place but overall Thailand isn't especially expensive compared to the west although it's not as cheap as it used to be.

[plumpy nut]

A teaching position in anyplace other than Metropolitan Bangkok or the North is going to be a drag. The south is a heat hellhole, although if beaches are important, you might tolerate it. Other than Bangkok the pay is likely to be low unless you have lots of teaching experience, and the pay in Thailand is already very low compared to other countries to teach at.