Spotlight On Thailand (?)

Maybe you saw The Beach or even just Brokedown Palace and have wanted to visit the “land of smiles” ever since. Maybe Cutting Edge Intermediate’s Module 7 (with the Thai culture listening and speaking task) made a lasting impression. Or maybe you read about Chiang Mai’s Temple of the Dogs on Bootsnall…whatever the reason, plenty of people want to travel or spend time in Thailand.

Bangkok is known for Kho San Road, though if you prefer something a little less chaotic you might enjoy reading about how Joanna Grome spent a few surreal days in an “ no name” Bangkok suburb. Ted Karma who is currently teaching in Thailand points out two good resources for investigating employment in Thailand, Ajarn.com and the Thai Visa Forums, though do have a look at his take on the current state of the outlook for legal work (or more correctly the lack of it). As usual, Dave’s ESL Café is often a good starting point.

One route which you might consider to get a breif taste of Thailand without working there is volunteer teaching.

Travel to Teach runs a volunteer program and a TEFL training course in Thailand, and the Burma Volunteer Program Thailand often has volunteer opportunties. You can also search through extensive listings for “Thailand” and “education” on Idealist.org. Do investigate opportunities fully to make sure you’re clear on the details of fees, working conditions and so on. See should I pay to volunteer? Yes and no.