Paid Teach English in Thailand Program

Greenheart made my time in Thailand not only possible, but really easy. Embarking on a huge trip by yourself, or even with friends, can be a really intimidating thing, particularly when you're committing to many months or even a year. Thailand was a place I'd heard a lot about, but it hadn't hit its social media stride the way it has now, so I really knew nothing about it. Greenheart provided me with so much information and such great resources that I never really felt nervous or unsure. My contact was Sara Dorsey (I'm sorry I know you have a new name now but I can't remember what your married name is!!) and she was incredibly knowledgeable, willing to answer as many weird questions that I could come up with, and was SO responsive whenever I needed anything. Having a company genuinely "be there" is rare, and I found this organization totally was! I highly recommend Greenheart to anyone who asks me about my travels -- if I recommend it to my friends, siblings, friends-of-friends, etc. then I DEFINITELY recommend it to you, too!

Being placed in Phuket was shocking to me, as all I knew about the island was it's party reputation. I had no idea that the island itself was so vast, beautiful, and authentically Thai.

The school I was placed at was a municipal school with about 1500 students K-6. I taught every grade level, but primarily focused on EP1 and EP6. Being a government school, there was always a bit of red tape, but I connected with my Thai teachers almost right away as they were so welcoming and smilely and they made the transition so much easier. The school gave us a lot of freedom: freedom in what to wear, how to conduct our lessons, how to grade our students. I don't think this was the typical experience for teachers in Thailand, but the autonomy made the job really enjoyable. Of course the best part of every day was the kids - despite not speaking the same language, we could still laugh and learn together. I loved teaching my kids English songs that we could sing together, and they loved performing them for me!

Phuket quickly won me over, and my visions of drunk tourists and buckets were only partially true. Yes, Phuket is a party island brimming with tourists - but that's only one small part. The other 40km of the island is untouched and beautifully Thai. I bought my dinner from the local market every night, conversing in my broken Thai; I would watch the sunset from a beach where I was the only farang; my motorbike got me around the island every day.

As an educator in America and feeling defeated with the politics that make teaching in America a challenge I decided to go to Thailand on a whim! I raced through the process and arrived a terrified, isolated and distraught human. I thought what have I done!? Adjusting to a new culture is challenging and I thought just making it on the long flight was facing my fears. The amazing part of my year abroad is that it seemed to surface some fears that I had buried away. I switched locations mid year and lived down by the islands. The town that I lived in opened my eyes! I connected with the local Thai people, my students and many foreigners. I allowed myself to truly embrace life in a different set of eyes. It’s safe to say there is more than one way to live life! Thai people keep it simple. “Have you eaten? Are you happy?” Mind blowing. It was only upon return that I realized how complicated we make life in America. They keep it simple and stress free. To say that Thailand changed my life is an understatement. I grew in unexpected ways and I let go of unnecessary fears. I would highly recommend going abroad with Greenheart Travel. Ask any questions and they are very supportive! If you’re looking to challenge yourself in ways you never imagined, laugh at things that are so unfamiliar from your own culture, than your ready for a journey of lifetime. Don’t second guess yourself! Doooo it!

I am so pleased I chose Greenheart Travel to help me through the process of teaching in Thailand. They have been super supportive from the time of the initial application to periodically checking in on my experience in Thailand as a teacher. They also were very transparent and honest on details of what to expect once you get to Thailand. Sarah Thacker was my main person of contact at Greenheart and she has been great! She's authentic and sells the program from her heart. You can tell she loves what she does and supports this life changing experience. If you are currently researching the many overseas teaching programs and having difficulty choosing one, chose Greenheart Travel; you won't be disappointed.

I would definitely recommend coordinating an overseas teaching experience through Greenheart travel. They are good people with experience in helping you get overseas. In my own case they helped me with a teaching placement that was also handled by an agency in Thailand. Fortunately, since I had teaching qualifications and experience Greenheart helped me with a placement only. When I was there I met someone with similar experience, the company she went through made her buy a TEFL course she already did and didn't need. They basically told her that there was no other option and she had to do it. So she had to pay more money for something she didn't need. I can't say how happy I am that I went through Greenheart. They recognized the qualifications I already had and helped me coordinate a placement without trying to squeeze any more money out of me. They were also responsive to all my questions prior to leaving. If there were ever a problem I trust that they would be helpful in finding a solution.

Greenheart is a great organization to use if you want to teach abroad. After doing a lot of research on different organizations, Greenheart was the most comprehensive, cost effective and organized. Once we began the application process it was clear we made the right choice choosing Greenheart. Sara was beyond helpful. Any question I had day or night, I could email her and she would get back to me right away. She helped me from becoming stressed out during the application process and time leading up to departure! They send you lots of helpful material about Thailand, teaching abroad and what you can expect with both while abroad. We had a wonderful time teaching in Krabi Thailand and had it not been for Greenheart we never would have gotten to have this incredible experience!

Deciding to teach abroad is a huge decision and deciding what company to go through can be really overwhelming and stressful. I can honestly say Greenheart Travel made it SO much easier! Sara is incredibly knowledgeable and replied to all of my emails (and I sent her a ton of emails) in a very timely manner. Greenheart breaks down everything that needs done into a manageable timeline, provides feedback on your Thai resume, sets you up with Thai insurance, and helps you with all of the paperwork needed to apply for a visa. They also send a packing list and a guidebook that were so helpful! Once I got to Thailand, Sara reached out on multiple occasions to check in and make sure everything was going well. If you have any interest in teaching abroad, I would definitely recommend reaching out to Greenheart Travel! I will 100% be using them again for future travels!

I can honestly say that this program changed my life! Greenheart Travel was a wonderful organization to work with, and Sara was especially helpful before my departure and throughout my time in Thailand. She was quick to answer my million questions and always provided thorough details. Everything was well organized and Greenheart made me feel very comfortable making the initial leap to move abroad. Upon arrival, you are linked up with a partner organization, Xplore Asia, that is also very helpful and knowledgable. I attended orientation and took the TESOL course in October and then started teaching on November 1st. Orientation was so much fun - completely filled with activities and useful information - and the people I spent my time with there became like family.

I was placed in a rural area almost directly between Bangkok and Chiang Mai to teach for a full semester. It was not always easy - very challenging at times, but defintiely worth it and I received ample support all along the way. My placement was nothing like what I could have ever predicted - but I wouldn't change a thing. They say in Thailand you don't always get exactly what you want, but you'll always get exactly what you need :)

I would recommend the program to anyone looking for a new adventure!