Job Discussion Forums

[Stosskraft]

Hello all,

I was wondering if I could trouble you for some information?

I am currently teaching in Japan and I am considering going to Thailand once my contract finishes. I have spent about 4 months in Changmai so I have a little understanding of life in Thailand. I understand that "quality of life" is very subjective and means something different to everyone. I enjoy life in Japan but I find it a little "stale" compared to life in Thailand (or China for that matter). Maybe I am a little lonely, but I seem to be having troubles here I have never had before (socially) and I think that I just fit in better in a place like Thailand ( I am also considering Cambodia and Laos).

I have never taught in Thailand so I was hoping you could give me some insight on life as a teacher? A teachers comparison between working in Japan and Thailand...if possible.

For me, money is not a big issue. I did not come to Japan based on the money but on my interest in Asian culture (wow that sounds really cliche ) and I am interested how easy it is to make friends and relationships while living in Thailand.

Thanks, sorry for the long post....

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[JezzaYouBeauty!!]

G'day....

I hope this message can make you feel a litle less lonely.

I am married with a japanese person, and I have been here in japan for almost 2 months, in kitakyushu, not so large city.

I think I can relate to what you are saying. For me it is a bit weird, cos I was just in excellent full-time employment in Korea for a year, and now I am doing nothing in the real japanese 'burbs! Looking for a job.

In Korea, i dreamt of Thailand. I spent a year in Thailand in total, studied the language at uni for a year in Australia, lived with a Thai family in Thailand, had several close thai friends etc. I have really lived the place.

Every time I got a harsh cold look from an unhappy korean, or just saw the cold unhappy look on their face, or got intimidated in some way shape or form by a korean...I dreamt of thailand.

Nothing bad happens to me here in japan.....but I do feel the loneliness, even if married.

It sounds dorky, but I am friendly....and small.....(not that that matters). Being friendly is helping me in japan. I think the japanese like that and they do it too.

But it is beneath the surface, something lurking there.....I am honestly not feeling real warmth from the people so much.

I think this region is very different from south-east asia. If money is not your huge objective, please, my friend....go to thailand...and live and love the thai people.

Right now, I am listening to Thai radio on the net, www.atimemedia.com. It makes me less lonely. I think some of us are just sort of more suited the Thai kind of happiness and warmth and friendliness.

I am married in japan and can't really go to Thailand, and there is bad stuff there like everywhere.

But ya know...i am from australia and I like thailand....

when i pay for a meal at a restaurant, i like to hear "cheers mate"...or hear 'sawatdee khrap' with a big HAPPY smile from the person when I am paying the bill. All the robotic, 'arigato gazaimasu, yonsen-en...tokodo kokoro mokono....gosen-en...sen-en...tokodo kokoro mokono...arigato gazoamashitaaaa!'......frickin politeness kind of just freaks me out a bit.

Go to Thailand.

[JezzaYouBeauty!!]

Sorry...i didn't really tell you waht it was like to be a teacher there...which is your main concern.

I did 6 months in an International school. I didn't have any teaching qualifications either. The money was wonderful compared to your average jo bloe Thai person. Compared to the upper-middle class and wealthy people, it was nothing.

You can live well on the wage...there....only there. It is not so fantastic. I wasn't teaching Engish, just kindy stuff. It was fun.

In Thailand, I think you gotta present well and be nice and friendly, and be a bit like them to be employed...sort of. I think everyone should act like that anyway.

I honestly don't know about all the other schools and teaching English so much. But this forum will help you out. Do a search maybe.

I suppose i have to wonder why I never stayed there......

It is a bit like a child maybe. It is fun, and happy and friendly but it hasn't really grown up yet. It gives you joy and happiness. But you don't want to be with it, ALL the time.

See ya.....

Anyhow go!

[Sheep-Goats]

You'll have a fantastic lifestyle but won't be able to fly home to visit family and friends each year -- or even every other year -- unless you pair that fantastic lifestyle down to an okay lifestyle (probably about what you have in Japan, plus temptation).

Mind you, you'll still be working and probably not be able to hit the bars every night (due to time as much as money) but if you want to spend all of every weekend at discos hitting on girls you'll be able to -- and you won't have to worry about which restraunts you pick or picking up a new pair of jeans as far as your budget goes while in Thailand.

As far as the actual teaching goes, you'll almost certainly be in a dress shirt and tie every day (but will have a laundry lady, so it's not that bad). Thai kids love fun (sanook being an item of cultural importance to Thais like hard work is to the Japanese) so your classes will have to at least appear to be that. For the most part the admin will let you do as you please so long as the kids are learning something (prescribed methods are rare in Thailand -- as language teaching should be). The biggest headache about the work will be interoffice bickering and backstabbing, which is absolutely rampant in Thailand. There's no way around it -- be on time and unflappable are the best pieces of advice I can give you -- this means not getting otwardly upset if its two weeks into the semester and they still haven't brought a desk into the teacher's office for you while everyone else is beavering away at theirs.

[Stosskraft]

Thanks for all the well-thought out responses. I am now defiantly considering Thailand as my next stop. Who knows maybe things will get better here in Japan, but for now I will start thinking about the land of smiles.

[laben18]

a tie ?

[Stosskraft]

[craven]

Wonder if I can weigh in here a bit...
I've been living in Japan for about 3 years now, and I lived in Chiang Mai for a year teaching, and have returned there on and off on 3 month stints between jobs here in Japan.

I LOOOOOOVVVVVVED the lifestyle in Chiang Mai while I was there. Sure there were some bad times (mostly forgotten now), but by and large it was probably one of the happier times of my life. Don't go there for the money, but definately go there if a relaxed and friendly atmosphere is up your alley.

That being said, while I DEFINATELY feel lonely, out-of-place, generally cold and awkward here in Japan, I wouldn't say that I am unhappy. In fact, Japan seems to suit me better now than it would have if I'd gone here instead of Thailand when I was younger. I hit a point where I needed a bit of stability in my paycheques (as in not chasing employers to get your cash which happens rather frequently in Thailand), and although I feel like an outsider here, I'm not terribly upset at being that way.
I also went to Thailand with a friend, who stayed on and married a Thai woman. While my year there was wonderful, by the end of his 4 years there he was REALLY ready to move on. I guess what I'm saying is that I know far more people who have happily settled long term in Japan, while I know lots who had a great few years in Thailand.

FYI, if your wife is open to the move (sorry if I misread this post, but you ARE married, right?), there is ample work teaching Japanese in Chiang Mai as well...I can recommend at least one school if you want to contact me off list. Could recommend some English schools too.

[craven]

I did INDEED misread your post...sorry about that, I guess you're not married!

[Stosskraft]

Hey Craven can I ask you a question ?

If you were single, where would you rather live ? I know this is a extremely open question, but I think you understand where I am coming from. The surprising fact is I love Japan and I have made some interesting friends, but it just doesn't seem to "fulfilling"?? It still feel lonely even thought I have made friends at school, outside of school the gym and around town I still get this longing for another place.

Would you be able to elaborate a little on the differences between the two places? Life style, teaching,working that kind of stuff ?

Sorry for the rambling...kinda bored tonight..one too many I think

[taz]

thailand is pleasant but i wouldnt call it fantastic. however, a bad day here is better than a good day back home anytime.

few thais think of english as a language to be learned. most veiw it as only a classroom subject and after some time you realize that you really arent making much of a difference. it is not uncommon to find 4 univ girls living/sleeping together in the same room and all studying english and never speaking english outside of class.

then you can go to phenom phen and people come up to you on the street and ask if they can try their english with you or you see people in a restaurant working thru the language together. this behaviour i never see in thailand.

overall, thais can be very special to teach though after 2-3 years of regular study they still cant have a conversation on street, despite what their certificate might state. recently i was at a company on business and their english speaker was a person with a univ degree in business english. it was a struggle to talk to her.

people say you come for the lifestyle and not the money. that better be true as not many people i know making much money. i make 44k a month and live on 32k but i would say most are in the 30's (or less). at 44k i work a huge amt of hours and so do the people around me. you kind of get use to it in a way but are always a little worn out. when a holiday comes up the joke is that no one goes anywhere and just stays home and rests. a little sad. one could take less hours in a diff position but then you are just getting by and as a poster noted, there is no money to go home on and very little savings (which over time has to have some affect). in chiang mai, the people i know are making roughly 22-30k when the complete year is considered. not much money in my book but that is for each of us to decide.

a friend of mine lives outside of chiang mai and has made under 25k a month for years. he loves it but then he lives like a thai and some of the things that are basic to me are a luxury to him that he would never even consider.

choosing thailand - one of the good things about that is it is a safe bet. you might not think it is great but you most likely wont hate it either. i am surprised at how many teachers come and go. i know quite a few that have been doing it for 2-5 years but many many i know dont last a year.

as for fun being important in the classroom - i think this is overated. my experience has been that the students want someone that sincerely cares about them and is not going to be too serious or overbearing with them. they always want to have a good time but teachers come here the first year and overdo the fun part to the extent that i feel the learning suffers. you can give them conversations that are interesting or enjoyable and they have a good time. fun doesnt have to be just about being an entertainer or games from which no english is being learned.

my 2 cents

[Dex]

I've never lived in Japan, but I've lived in China before, and am now into my second year in Thailand. When I first arrived here, I loved everything about Thailand. A bright, happy and friendly place.

Now after more than and year here I really miss China. You kinda knew where you stood with people there. They either hated you or they liked you. But either way, it was quite clear.
In Thailand, everyone smiles, and everyone is happy, but underneath that is a groundswell of dislike, and even hatred towards foreigners.
Definitely not the majority, but what is frightening about this is that you just don't know how the person you are talking to really feels about you.

Over the past few years, Thailand has become a very nationalistic place.
Many Thais view foreigners as a neccessary evil, and tolerate them as such, but you'll never know, because they'll never let you know (unless you are the victim of violence - which is definitely on the rise here)

Another worrying aspect of Thailand is the Sanook factor. Everyone just wants to have fun.
Which sounds great, and for awhile it is. But not everything is fun. Sometimes studying isn't fun.
Sometimes you're sad.
Everything must have balance.
And there is no balance here. Which is extremely frustrating to me.

I dream of Japan, but I will probably never go there. I know it will be very difficult and if I went I would dream of life back in Bangkok, but maybe if I ever got married I'd give it a chance.

Don't get me wrong. I like Thailand very much, and have had the wildest times here, but to live here long term is too much for me, and I don't see myself staying here past two years.

[Stosskraft]

Hey,

Thanks to everyone who who sent a response.

I have now pretty much decided that I will be going back to Thailand after my contract here in Japan is finished (6 more months(.
There are many things I love about Japan, but I just cant get over this cold, lonely,isolated feeling that seems normal for everyone here to have, Japanese included (this is just my opinion, everyone has a different opinion on this).

I feel now with more experience under my belt and the love of teaching younger children I should have no great difficultly securing a position in LOS. I am aiming towards going back to ChangMai, but I may do some exploring before actually settling down next February.

Thanks to everyone.