Most expats who enjoy writing start a blog when they arrive and start living in Thailand, and just recently I discovered a blog by a guy named Colin who is currently planning his move to Thailand.
Colin wants to become a teacher here, and from his posts and tweets I can tell he is very excited. He has been a regular at TTL and on other blogs soaking up information and planning away, so I asked Colin if he'd like to guest post and share a few of his thoughts and feelings on the move…
…Perhaps some of you can offer Colin some tips and advice.
Moving To Thailand – Ambitions, Doubts & Stereotyping
By Colin Steele
I've decided to move to Thailand!
A few of the reasons are; for the experience of living in a new culture, testing my ability to adapt to a new environment, to learn a new language and enjoy the beautiful weather.
I’ve thought about this move over the last two months, admittedly not as long as some people take to think about such a move, but I’ve done a lot of research and asked myself many questions.
Anyone moving so far overseas will question themselves over their ability to cope, and fleeting thoughts occur daily such as, will I have enough money? Will I adapt well to the climate? Will I enjoy teaching English? Will I end up in Jail?
Moving to Thailand also raises questions from your family and friends. They are naturally intrigued as to why you’re moving. They want to make sure you’re going to be safe. They panic about how they will contact you and what you will do for money. But mainly they want to know about the sex!
The number one line of questioning, however, and the theme on everyone’s lips is, sex? Are you going for the ladyboys? Are you going to watch a ping-pong show? Will you come home with a Thai bride?
Maybe these questions are a little tongue in cheek or maybe my reputation proceeds me, after all they do call me Dirty Roger, but really, I am not going to Thailand to indulge in all my twisted fantasies. I am bemused about the frequency of this line of questioning and maybe I'm being a little innocent here, but I feel people are being extremely unfair and disrespectful of the rich cultural history that Thailand has to offer.
Thailand appears to have created quite a sleazy reputation for itself, and the capital, Bangkok, is widely known as one of the sex tourism capitals of the world. The sex tourism industry in Thailand is now reportedly a 12 billion dollar industry, and they say if it’s not found in Bangkok then it's not available any place else.
Recently a post on “The Thailand Life” featured a video that documented the life of a young woman in Thailand named Pla. This young woman was unfortunately one of the possible 200,000 women working in Thailand as sex workers, and had clearly suffered at the hands and desires of men that are commonly known as sex tourists. I recommend watching the Bangkok Girl documentary to anyone thinking of visiting Thailand.
Honestly though, I am a man, and I must say Thai women are stunningly beautiful. But if I do happen to find a beautiful woman by my side, I'll tell you now, I won't have paid for it. I don't want to start a debate on the morality of the sex trade, that certainly isn’t my intention, I just wanted to make the point that NOT everyone who goes to Thailand is a sex tourist.
I’m moving to Thailand to immerse myself in a new culture and explore the sights, sounds and tastes the country has to offer.
I want to walk the streets of Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Phuket. I want to travel around the rural Isaan region and meander down the Mekong river towns. I want to swim in the seas and relax on the beaches on Ko Tao, and if I pick up a hot Thai woman on the way then great. I’ll write all about it on my blog.
But I will also do all I can to show people there is a lot more to Thailand than Ping-pong shows, ladyboys and oppressed women left with little choice in life but prostitution.
Last Updated on
Douglas Smith says
Jul 31, 2019 at 9:17 am
michael scott says
Thanks for your excellent and informative website. A pleasure to read.
Regards Mike Scott
Oct 08, 2016 at 1:14 pm
TheThailandLife says
Oct 10, 2016 at 1:25 pm
Secrets to Retiring to Thailand says
Oct 06, 2011 at 3:30 pm
Victor says
i had been here for 4 years now, and have now decided to never move back to my home land.. Manchester... love it here.. i can be of help in terms of suggestions... you can always email me
Sep 14, 2011 at 10:28 pm
Corey says
Sep 16, 2015 at 3:03 pm
TheThailandLife says
Sep 17, 2015 at 11:52 am
Rico says
Dec 29, 2015 at 9:26 pm
TheThailandLife says
Dec 30, 2015 at 4:47 am
Bifftastic says
If I were you I wouldn't spend too much time in bars though, it's not the same as in England 'just nipping down the pub'. Especially if you're a teacher and your boss, or your students, get the idea in their heads that you spend too much time with 'poo ying mai dee' (bad ladies)!
All the best,
Biff
Jul 23, 2011 at 8:55 pm
TheThailandLife says
Jul 24, 2011 at 10:51 am
Farang in Thailand says
As for the love thing, I don't have such a good track record. Must learn to say NO, go away please!
Jul 13, 2011 at 10:50 pm
TheThailandLife says
Jul 14, 2011 at 12:33 am
Mike says
Personally I have had three and a half years here and can identify with much of what you write here and on your own blog.
I remember when I first arrived, I was so excited, I also remember a very wise "farang" who lives up north near Chiang Rai(he blogs as "Village Farang") counselling me through comments he left on my blog about how my emotions and feelings would change after I had lived here a while. He also talked a lot about culture shock and how it affects us all differently.
As it happens he was quite right in his observations, which basically pointed out that Thailand is not a land of milk and honey, its just what you make it and that you are still the same person you were back home. The same pitfalls await a person here they just come in slightly different guises.
Personally I really wish you well in your venture, wish I had done it a lot earlier in my life, but if I had I doubt I would have stayed here as long as I have since I would have probably jumped on the TEFL bandwagon and experienced lots of other places too. Places that incidentally treat English teachers a lot better than Thailand does.
As a retired teacher myself with a TEFL qualification (I am not a teacher of English) I find the Thai education system is not to my liking, given that it is basically learning by rote with little chance offered to students for differentiated learning. A system where failure is almost unheard of, where copying and plagiarism are rife and where the teacher has a "god like" status and can do no wrong.
You will certainly find work here, but how that fits in with your own ethics will be interesting to see(look forward to reading your experiences).
One final thought, a little tongue in cheek but actually very true in many expat circumstances: It goes along the lines of "Thailand is a great place to make a small fortune" but "only if you arrive with a large one."
So one final piece of advice, don't invest more in Thailand than you are prepared to walk away from. I'm sure it won't come to that but forewarned is forearmed providing you do you thinking with the head on your shoulders and not the other one if you get my drift ;-)
Good luck for the future.
Mike
Jul 13, 2011 at 8:55 am
Farang in Thailand says
Right now I'm just excited to be going..
Jul 13, 2011 at 10:53 pm
Village Farang says
On the topic of moving to Thailand, in my day, (pre-internet) one was not overwhelmed with information before coming here. You had to find your own way and to this day I think I was lucky to have discovered Thailand that way. Somethings you can simply over-think or be over-informed about. It takes away from spontaneity and a more natural pace of learning.
Enjoy the ride Colin.
Jul 15, 2011 at 11:20 am
TheThailandLife says
Jul 15, 2011 at 12:18 pm
David says
Life is too short to let your mind do the talking.
Jul 13, 2011 at 2:43 am
TheThailandLife says
Jul 13, 2011 at 9:24 am
Steve says
Firstly, leave any preconceived idea's of what to expect from Thailand back home. You will read anything and everything about LOS on the net. Lots of it is bullsh#t, lots of it isn't, so just go and find your own way. As a "newbie" you'll probably make mistakes and may find yourself a target for scams. Research the common scams and try not to look too much like the average tourist.
As you're going to live there you may want to avoid getting into the bar scene. I would imagine that your teachers salary wont last long if your hitting the local expat bars after work every night.
You may find your western mind struggles with how things work in Thailand at first. Get used to the concept of "Thai logic" and I'm sure adopting a "mai bpen rai" attitude is a must too.
This is a common one and a lot of people will probably tell you......"don't fall in love". Well I wouldn't go that far, in fact I would say "don't promise yourself that you WONT fall in love". Just be careful about if and how it happens. I told myself I would never go down that road......a few of years later and I find myself married with a Thai wife and couldn't be happier. I won't preach about the ladies because, well, its not what you want to hear. Just be careful!
Expect the unexpected.
Hope everything works out for you
Cheers
Steve
Jul 13, 2011 at 2:03 am
TheThailandLife says
Jul 13, 2011 at 9:31 am