Lauren’s Thailand Journey

First off, tell us a bit about yourself! What’s your background and what made you decide to teach abroad?

Hi, I’m Lauren! I’m 25 years old and I’m from Kerry. I was living in Dublin for the past 5 years during university. I studied Public Health Nutrition and I really enjoyed my degree but I wanted to travel and work abroad for a while before settling down in Ireland. What better way to do that than teach in Thailand for a few months! I actually took a gap year after secondary school and I taught English in Spain so I already had a little bit of experience but not in a school. The only thing I wanted to do after graduating was to travel! So I worked for a few months to save up to move abroad and I completed the TEFL course online. 

Why Thailand? What made you choose it, and had you ever been to Asia before moving there?

Thailand had been on my list for a long time! I was always drawn to visiting this beautiful country. The nature, food, relaxed lifestyle and friendly people are what drew me the most. I also knew that it is a popular place for teaching English and that I would get the chance to stay for long in this fabulous country and get some time to travel a bit too. It was actually my first time in Asia so I was really happy that my first place to visit was Thailand!

What kind of students are you teaching, and what does a normal day look like for you as a TEFL teacher?

I teach teenagers (12-15 years) at a high school at an international programme, so many of their subjects are taught through English. I was actually teaching them science and health which was great as I got to use knowledge from my degree! A normal day looks like arriving at the school at 8am to sign in and attend assembly and prepare for classes. Then my first class usually starts at 8:30am. We get an hour break for lunch at 11am and in between classes I do some admin and lesson planning, or grab a coffee with the other teachers. I teach around 4 classes per day and finish up at 4pm and sign out. After work I would usually relax at a cafe, go for a walk in the park or go to the local gym and meet some friends after to have dinner. My friend rented a scooter so I would hop on the back of her bike or take a grab to get around town. The town was small enough so everything was within a 10-15 minute drive which was nice.

Was there anything about teaching abroad that caught you off guard or that you didn’t really expect before you arrived?

I would say one of the main cultural things that caught me off guard about teaching was how much the students use their phones and how it’s not that strict in Thailand. Compared to in Ireland where the schools are quite strict on phone usage. The students would get distracted by playing games on their phone so eventually I set up a classroom rule where I would take their phones at the beginning of class. Many of the other teachers recommended doing this so that they could focus more and it really helped. Other than that, the students were respectful and kind and lovely to teach. They were so creative so it was fun doing projects with them. The schools here encourage many extra-curricular activities which is nice that the students get to have a balance between academic work and fun activities. Often students would stay after school or during free periods to do sports or art activities. Many festivals are celebrated here and there is an event happening almost every other week.

Have you been able to travel around Thailand much? Any favourite spots you’ve discovered so far?

I got to explore Bangkok when I arrived for the training. It is a really cool city with lots of things to do!I was working in Nong Khai, in the northeast so I got to travel a lot around the Isaan region. I travelled with the other teachers to nearby cities like Udon Thani and Khon Khaen. One of my favourite spots was Chiang Kan, in Loei. It is a small riverside town with a market at the weekend. We rented bikes and drove to some amazing viewpoints and a skywalk. Now that I finished up my semester teaching, I am spending a few weeks travelling around the islands in the south of Thailand. The beaches here are so beautiful! I really liked Koh Tao (popular for scuba diving) and Koh Phi Phi (amazing for snorkelling and has the clearest water).

What do you usually get up to when you’re not teaching?

In the evenings after school I usually go out for a coffee or meal with some other teachers, go for a walk in the park or do a zumba class at the gym. On the weekends I check out the Saturday night market by the river and go to a bar, or just relax in my apartment and watch movies. I would go to the local swimming pool on Saturdays and I even got to try my first Muay Thai class! There are so many cute cafes in Nong Khai so I would go for an afternoon coffee and bring a book with me! Some weekends I might do a trip to a nearby town to explore somewhere new. There are many options with buses and trains so it was easy and cheap to travel around Isaan. There is a cinema in the nearby city of Udon Thani which shows English movies sometimes so we went to watch the new Avatar recently which was fun!

How have you found the cost of living,  is it what you expected before you moved?

The cost of living is quite affordable here. With my salary I was able to go out for meals and coffees most days, and get a massage or my nails done once a month. I was also able to explore a little bit around Isaan on the weekends. I would say that I could live quite comfortably here and still save a little bit from each paycheck to go towards my travels! 

If someone was coming to teach in Thailand, what’s one place you’d tell them they absolutely have to visit?

Most people go to Bangkok and islands in the south when they come to Thailand. While I would definitely recommend these places, I would also say that the Isaan area in the northeast where I was teaching is quite underrated! It’s not a very touristic region and so there weren’t many foreigners around. This region is so quiet and there are beautiful landscapes like rivers, waterfalls and mountains. If you like nature, it’s a great place to be based as there are so many towns and provinces around to explore. One of the highlights in Isaan for me was Phu Huai Isan in Nong Khai province, which is a mountain lookout point and it has amazing sunrise views over the clouds. If you ever miss the city vibe here, there are also cities in Isaan like Udon Thani and Khon Khaen which are great for a weekend of shopping at the mall or going to the cinema!

What advice would you give to someone who’s thinking about moving to Thailand to teach English?

I would say if you are thinking about it and you are drawn to Thailand, then definitely go for it! I was considering going for months and I’m so glad that I just went for it. The experience definitely exceeded my expectations- I made new friends, got to experience Thai culture, food, and explore many beautiful areas. If you like to travel and experience living abroad, teaching English is such a great option and you might love it and decide to continue teaching in Thailand or even other countries in Asia.

Looking back, what has teaching and living in Thailand taught you about yourself?

Teaching and living abroad has forced me to go outside of my comfort zone. Moving halfway across the world to teach in a new town I never even heard of was nerve-wracking at first, but I was also very excited to see what the experience would be like. I learned that I can be very adaptable in new situations and I am able to handle challenges that come with living abroad with ease. I started to adapt the Thai philosophy of ‘sabai sabai’ which means to chill and it reminded me of saying ‘it’ll be grand’ back at home. It reflects their laid-back attitude towards life and going with the flow, and helped me realise that everything will work out fine and there’s no need to be stressed! 

Have you got any exciting plans when you finish up your internship?

I actually finished my internship recently and I have been travelling for the past few weeks around Thailand. I knew from the start that I would spend some time exploring the south of the country with my savings from the job. It has been amazing so far! I visited Koh Samui, Koh Tao, Khao Sok, Phuket, Krabi, and Koh Lanta. The beaches here are so beautiful. I got to spend Songkran here with my friend and my sister who came over to visit, it was so fun!  I have been teaching online a little bit on a platform while travelling which has been great and allows me to be flexible. After my travels I would like to continue teaching abroad so I have been thinking about going to Vietnam next. I am so grateful for the opportunities that being TEFL certified has allowed me! 

Lauren’s journey is a perfect example of how teaching abroad can open doors to new cultures, friendships, and opportunities you might never have imagined. From stepping out of her comfort zone to embracing the laid-back Thai lifestyle, her experience shows just how rewarding taking that leap can be. If you’re feeling inspired and want to learn more about what it’s really like to teach abroad, be sure to watch our latest YouTube video for even more insights and tips on getting started!