Teach in Thailand with CIEE | Guaranteed Placement Before Departure

My experience this past year has been nothing short of incredible and I owe much of my thanks to CIEE for making it all possible. From the smooth application process to finding me a school to work at & a place to live to hosting a week-long orientation in Bangkok where I established some lifelong friendships, providing excellent assistance every step of the way, I can say with confidence that CIEE is the best choice when it comes to great service and an easy transition into a new life teaching English abroad. If you're reading this and still wondering if teaching abroad in Thailand is the right choice for you, I think you should stop second-guessing yourself and take the leap! There's a popular quote that goes something like, "Twenty years from now you'll regret the things you didn't do more than the things you did," so stop hesitating, start living, and trust that CIEE will help you achieve your wildest dreams.

CIEE/OEG is an amazing program that has opened my eyes to a bigger world. Prior to this program I had never left the USA and I had never been in front of a class. I was getting waaay outside my comfort zone, but CIEE, OEG, and my Thai school coordinators have been so incredibly supportive. From the CIEE application and placement process through CIEE/OEG orientation in Bangkok I was guided by an efficient and capable staff. All my questions answered, all of my worries addressed, and a wealth of knowledge shared. Even after moving to my placement school, I am connected to an extensive network of fellow teachers and alumni that I can reach out to for advice/encouragement. Nongphai School has welcomed me with open arms and the faculty, staff, and students have made me feel at home. CIEE and OEG works very closely with their partner schools to prepare for all types of expats, from experienced teachers and travelers to novices like me!

CIEE is very well organized, and the resources they provide are very useful. This was my first time teaching, and I felt that the orientation prepared me well for the classroom despite my experience. CIEE's orientation was also a great place to meet fellow teachers and make friends.

The year's worth of travel insurance was also a great value and provided some great piece of mind (mostly for my mother).

My experience in Thailand was life changing and perspective changing- if I could do it again, I would do it all the same through CIEE.

More updates pending recovery.

While I generally feel safe walking among the locals as well as the school I was placed at, operating a motor vehicle, particularly a motorcycle, on local roads is NOT an activity to be taken lightly in this part of the world! Be sure your vehicle registration, taxes, and insurance are up to date. Be sure you are licensed in your home country and Thailand for the class of vehicle you wish to operate. Be sure whatever travel medical insurance plans you have are up to date. Spending time in hospitals in any part of the world doesn't make for the most enjoyable experiences of your travels.

Communication difficulties will abound, even between the most educated of individuals. You'll need the patience of Job in order to get through them at times.

My year teaching in Thailand was the best cultural experience I've ever had! I made so many incredible friendships with Thai teachers and locals within my community. I was able to travel to many places in Thailand and SE Asia. Some of my favorite moments were: making colorful bamboo lanterns with my students for a Thai water festival, scuba diving in Koh Tao, trying different Thai flavors at local markets, jumping into gushing waterfalls, and hanging out with elephants in the northern province of Chiang Mai!

The CIEE support network was very helpful as I adjusted to life in Thailand. From teaching tips to travel ideas, they covered it all. For future participants, don't be afraid to make the move to SE Asia. There are plenty of resources to assist you in the transition.

Not only did this experience allow me to see another part of the world that I've never explored before, but also to truly make a difference. Teaching English as a Foreign Language is creating a brighter future for children through language education. Connecting the world through English! If you want to do something impactful and rewarding then teach abroad. You won't be disappointed!

My experience in Thailand through CIEE has been nothing short of extraordinary. I have had a unique placement experience...I was placed in a remote mountainous village up north in Thailand, about three hours from the city of Chiang Mai, and the village is actually majority Chinese rather than Thai, although most students and adults in the community speak Thai as well. The three other foreign English teachers, all from the U.S. and Canada, share two comfortable houses on school grounds (two to a house), so we have no commute! Village life is quiet and simple, allowing me the time I never had before to pursue all of my creative hobbies--yoga, writing/blogging, painting, reading, etc. The village is absolutely picturesque. I've never taken so many panoramic photos in my life. We eat lunch and dinner in the village every night (we've become regulars at a few spots!) and are just a short motorbike ride away from the nearest 711 or Tesco Lotus Express. We go to Chiang Mai, or other northern cities, basically every weekend. It's the perfect balance of work-hard, play-hard. We have a couple long weekends during the semester where we've been able to take longer trips...we're planning a long weekend in Pai in July, and another long weekend to Krabi in August. I personally feel this is the absolute best way to travel...you get paid so well, so I have not had to touch my savings since coming here ONCE! You have a home base to return to every Sunday, making your traveling experience unique and even more memorable than if you were just straight backpacking. The friends I met through OEG's orientation are lifelong friendships and we all meet up as much as we can in different parts of Thailand! This is the perfect experience for all purposes - if you're looking to start fresh, start over, take some type of sobatical from your home country - the laid back, but still structured and accounable vibe here is perfect for resetting. If you are looking to transition from one career to education, like I am, I have been getting many many messages on LinkedIn from charter school recruiters since gaining experience here, and it is such an immersive, hit-the-ground-running introduction to a teaching career!

Whether you are an experienced teacher and/or traveler or a complete newbie to both, you will need to ask yourself three essential questions to determine the answer to the burning question from above^
Are you willing to get comfortable with being uncomfortable?
Do you have confidence in your ability to communicate with others?
Do you possess the skills necessary to inspire, educate, and connect with Thai students ranging from ages 12-18?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, Teaching in Thailand will be as interesting, beautiful, and rewarding of an experience as all of the former/ current teachers you've already talked to say it has been for them.
Honestly, the most important aspect(s) of teaching abroad is your personal ability to: handle adversity, make decisions, make adjustments, and at times improvise as well as go with the flow. As long as you are willing to "get comfortable with being uncomfortable" the rest will all fall into place.

For example, if you are having mixed feelings about your ability to communicate with an entire community of Thai speaking people ie. (School administrators, students, faculty, housing director, local food vendors, etc.) you just need to remember that basic communication is always an option, this includes communication through body language and hand singles/gestures. In my experiences, Thai people are very patient and very understanding, so maintaining a positive attitude coupled with a simple smile goes a long way towards communicating a message.

As far as "the rest falling into place", CIEE does a thorough job with facilitating documents and paperwork needed for pre-departure while OEG does an excellent job running a five day long orientation upon your arrival to Bangkok. I could not be happier with how the orientation process went. The orientation group I was apart of was fortunate to have a somewhat small number of teachers (21) which allowed for more 1 on 1 attention than normal from orientation leaders (Kristen, Derik, and Fluke) as well as a unique opportunity for our group to get to know each other on a more personal level. Whether you are a professional teacher or have no experience at all, orientation covered everything and anything a newcomer to Thailand would want to know. Topics covered included: Introduction to Thai Language, Thai Culture / Culture in the classroom, Classroom Management, Lesson Planning, Thai Food/ Money, Thai education system, Health, Safety, & Security in Thailand.

The biggest adjustment I have had to make so far, as expected, is the newness of everything. Everyday so far I have experienced something I have never seen or heard or understood before, which is both scary and exciting/intriguing all at the same time. At times it can be overwhelming, but I am lucky enough to have a great support system of family, friends, and girlfriend back home as well as a group of new found friends from orientation and school, right here, spread across Thailand.

For more insight follow my personal blog @ rythai.wordpress.com

I had such an amazing experience teaching in Thailand. The chance to travel, get to know a whole new part of the world, and a new culture, while also getting to know my crazy, awesome students was really life changing. And CIEE made it so much easier by doing a lot of the hard parts for me: job placement, housing, visa. Having them to handle the intimidating parts, and knowing someone was there if I had any problems, removed a lot of the stress for me and let me focus on falling in love with Thailand and controlling a wild class of 12 year olds!