Job Discussion Forums

[jbenash7]

Hello, I'm a fresh college grad and am planning to teach in Thailand for a year. I'm considering an offer from MediaKids to teach at a school in Nan City (Nan province) and was hoping to get advice from some wiser heads out there.

I have read some positive and some vaguely negative things about MediaKids on these boards, but the job itself appears to be just what I'm looking for.

My primary concern, however, is with the location. From what I can tell, Nan is a town of about 25,000 people, 5 hours from Chiang Mai-- in other words, it appears to be a small, somewhat isolated city. While I am glad to be away from the mobs of Western tourists and would also appreciate the natural beauty of the province, I don't want to be too isolated and certainly don't want to get bored quickly.

Has anyone lived or spent time in Nan? What are your impressions of the town? Are there a decent number of farang? How divorced is life there from modern conveniences, and from the outside world? Is there an English bookstore? Cinema?

One thing I am considering doing is serving out the 5 month contract in Nan and then moving on to Chiang Mai to work for the second semester, having some experience under my belt.

What do you think? Many thanks in advance for any advice.

[isanity]

I spent a few days there on holiday - it's a tiny, very isolated town. Very few farangs other than backpackers passing through. The surrounding hills are lovely, but if you're working in town you won't be in the hills much. I don't think there's anything of interest in the town itself.

Plan on the basis that you will not have any friends or social life for five months (of course you might meet your soulmate there, but the chances are slim). If the long country walks on your day off are worth that, then go for it.