Thailand TEFL Starter Program - No experience needed

Deciding to move to Thailand was the scariest decision of my life. Having had no experience teaching or travelling, I didn't know what to expect. I was very worried that I was jumping in too deep and wouldn't be able to cope.
HOWEVER. Wow. I've been back in the UK for three days and I'm already itching to return! (Vietnam in a few months!!) It was without a doubt the best experience of my life. Every day presented something new and unexpected - be it a school festival or a flash flood - and gave my life a sense of excitement I didn't realise was lacking.
Yes, there are challenges. The language barrier is significant, but being willing to learn some Thai makes things much easier (it's not as hard as you'd think!). The lack of facilities at the school and lack of prior warning was also a challenge - we had no projector, the internet was very intermittent and it was sometimes difficult to access a printer. The general organisation of school events also made things difficult in terms of planning lessons, we were often told that there would be no classes at very short notice. Also, you are given basically no training before you are let loose on the students, it takes a good few weeks before find your feet. The first 4-5 weeks are particularly difficult; trying to get to grips with lesson plans, coming up with teaching topics, creating handouts etc., and it feels like you are constantly behind. It was extremely stressful.
But... things always work out :-) thankfully, no one really checked what you were doing at any point, so you can always stick a film on with English subs, or just chat to the students about their weekends or hobbies or football or music or whatever - it was very laidback and I think the students appreciated the genuine conversation.
The students were unforgettable. I didn't think I'd cry on the last day, but when Email (yes, 'Email') approached me at the end of the final lesson and said 'Teacher, have... a nice... day' I lost it. These are actual real people that you can't help but form real connections with, and are also a massive source of emotional support, motivation and encouragement. It would have been incredibly difficult without them and I do honestly miss them a lot. The culture in Thailand is very different than the UK, I didn't witness any bullying and the students were very happy and free to be themselves, it was personally very heartwarming. They were happy to chat to you in the corridor and were always very friendly, if at times a little cheeky lol. anyway...
I was located in Chaiyaphum, kinda in the middle of nowhere, about a 6 hour bus ride from Bangkok. I think 4 months is a good amount of time to spend there, there's enough nearby to keep you entertained - provided you get a bike (an absolute essential if you want to fully experience Thailand, and something that only requires a passport) - including lotus fields, hikes, waterfalls, a shopping mall, bars, clubs, restaurants. Getting overnight buses was fairly straightforward if you wanted to travel somewhere during a long weekend also.
Speaking of, there aren't really any half terms. But you get a few long weekends. I would recommend making the most of the time you have off, because the workload can be quite heavy and if you're wanting to travel during the semester, that's gonna be your only real opportunity.
There is a good community of teachers in Chaiyaphum, given that there are a few schools in the area, and most of the teachers live in the same building so it's pretty easy to build connections with people there. I met a bunch of really cool people from all over the world and we had a fairly solid lil squad for evening drinks and card games! There were two other teachers at my school and we shared an office. Thankfully, we got on very well and are still in touch now! However, I have heard of a few people who were unhappy with their locations or colleagues, and either moved to a different province or went home entirely. I suppose that's just the luck of the draw, but something to be aware of.
Money-wise, you get paid a decent salary given the cost of living in Thailand. I was getting about 32000 baht per month, which goes a long way. If you live fairly frugally, which I would recommend, then it's possible to save a decent amount for if you're wanting to travel afterwards. I personally spent about 2 months going around the whole country, experiencing the mountains and temples of Chiang Rai, the hippies in Pai, the beautiful islands of Ko Tao and Ko Samui, and the things that cannot be named in Bangkok. Stuff that I never thought I'd ever have the opportunity to do. Also, flights to other countries are short and cheap. I know people who have travelled to Indonesia and even Australia after teaching. Asia is a very beautiful part of the world and I reckon you may as well see as much as possible while there. Given how little travelling I'd done in the past, I'm surprised by how confident I now feel when booking transport and accomodation in a city I've never been to before. Often times, I'd be booking a hostel while on a bus/train to the location, which is fun!
I could write more, so much happened, every day was different and I feel like I've lived so much in a relatively short space of time. Coming home is bizarre, I'm over it already ahaha, get me back there asap!
Overall, highly recommend, it'll be amazing, just do it, you've got nothing to lose and so much to gain, also, like, what else are ya gonna do!? I'm so glad I took the plunge, and I've already got a flight booked for Vietnam next year! Looking forward to doing it all again :-) good luck!

PS just reading this back and didn't even mention how helpful TFT were!!! Answer: very helpful. Jaemi was always just a message away, was around to reassure my nerves beforehand via video call and provided expert guidance when it came to applying for visas and getting stuff legalised etc. Very helpful, owe a lot of this experience to his help! Thank you TFT!!

TFT team have been so helpful from start to finish, by providing checklists and guides to prep for moving to Thailand, as well as emotional advice before and after arriving in Thailand! The team respond to any questions so quickly, and do everything they can wherever they are to help you out! My school and town are very welcoming, full of culture and good food/weather, and all the other TFT teachers are lovely and have similar interests to me! If you are thinking about going, 100% do it as I feel so lucky and grateful to be given the opportunity to work in a Thai school, get submerged in their culture, whilst being able to get paid and travel :)

I had a wonderful time on the Thailand graduate programme with TFT. I was placed in a medium size town in northern Thailand and really got to experience Thai culture and see a whole different side to the world compared to what I was used to! I managed to travel quite a lot on weekends, school holidays and during the big semester break. The teaching was really fun and as someone who had no experience at all I felt fully supported the whole time by the coordinators and local teachers.

I would recommend this programme to anyone who would like support and guidance in getting to Thailand!

I had a wonderful time on the Thailand graduate programme with TFT. I was placed in a medium size town in northern Thailand and really got to experience Thai culture and see a whole different side to the world compared to what I was used to! I managed to travel quite a lot on weekends, school holidays and during the big semester break. The teaching was really fun and as someone who had no experience at all I felt fully supported the whole time by the coordinators and local teachers.

I would recommend this programme to anyone who would like support and guidance in getting to Thailand!

I couldn’t recommend The Fewer Things more, everything was was so straightforward leading up to the first day of teaching, they help with your Visa, accommodation, bank account, etc.

For a first time teaching experience in Thailand 2021, I enjoyed it so much that I’m using TFT to teach this year in their Vietnam programme!

The actual teaching is very fun, all resources and material is provided for you so you have always have a lesson plan. There’s still space to get creative and go off piste, which the students will always appreciate.

I enjoyed it so much the first time, I’m going back for more!

Jaemie and TFT made the whole process before moving to Thailand less daunting, giving you regular updates, reminders and help whenever needed. For me, I've been having an amazing experience and Jaemi has helped throughout. It's been nice knowing he's been only a message away whilst I've been in Thailand.

Thailand has many holidays and long weekends, making travelling around the country and even outside easy to do. The people are so friendly, the school has been really welcoming and teaching has been really fun. Being so close to Bangkok has also made travelling at the weekends very easy. We were able to visit Malaysia on a long weekend with no trouble.

Of course, moving can be stressful at times. Even when being placed in the Bangkok suburbs, this experience does show you the less touristy side of Thailand. Once you get past the culture shock and make friends you'll have an amazing time and won't regret moving here.

Overall, I've had a great time in Thailand so far and would recommend this to anyone who wants to get out and explore, seeing a different side to Thailand.

Going abroad on your own can be a daunting experience, but The Fewer Things helped me feel supported and prepared to take on this new experience from day one. From visa help to getting you into group chats with fellow teachers going abroad, the fewer things really guide you along before arriving and even once you are placed if needed. They were always quick to answer questions, as well as honest and encouraging. I was placed at an elementary school in the city of Chaiyaphum and I can genuinely say that I have had the best experience and love the community and friends I have made here. If you want to have a smooth transition and put your mind at ease about choosing the right program to go teach abroad with, I would definitely recommend The Fewer Things.

I have loved being placed in Maha Sarakham. It's a really quiet city, while also having a nice variety of places to eat and a good night life. My chief complaint would be about having to go through MediaKids to get to this school. I would prefer to have been hired directly by the school for a number of reasons. Mainly, MediaKids requires us to do separate grades, lesson plans, and attendance for them to be turned in at illogical times within our schedule. Jaemi was great to work with, and has been excellent to me. Having to go through MediaKids instead of getting to work directly for the school has been an unnecessary amount of stress and extra work.