Moving to Thailand

Thailand is not dangerous but keep in mind that you'll have to do a visa run quite often (I think monthly)

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I'm considering leaving my country too...
I'm undecided on where to live, Vietnam/Thaïland/China/Taiwan??
Any experiences to share?

>>1279396
that does suck, having to leave the country every month...

>>1279393
Why Thailand, outside of price? There are cheaper countries. Don't get me wrong, I am eventually moving there myself. But if price is your only criteria. At what grade level did you teach, and why didn't you like it? Trying to see if those reasons would make you not like Thailand, since the people are like children

Share your experiences guy, i'm also interested in that .
But I'm french and I did not do studies, stopped after high school.
I'll be officer in the military soon but I would love to live a simple life in one of these countries, being a teacher online or teaching natives, even though i don't have any degrees

>>1279399
a lot of people do it (usually to Myanmar/Laos). Also it's a good opportunity to travel the country

>>1279393
https://migrationology.com/rent-cheap-apartments-in-bangkok-thailand/

also the surrounding counties are all cheaper but Thailand is better developed

>>1279393
>Am I absolutely crazy or is there somewhere else I can get more bang for my buck? I would appreciate ANY advice, your experience or alternative locations I might also enjoy. MONEY is the real crux tho. If I could earn more than $800ish a month i'd be more inclined to live somewhere safer.
i said it in a previous post but all the surrounding nations are cheaper but Thailand has better quality of life than most
Malaysia and Indonesia are options but they are Islamic not the Arab kind but that may put you off also the Philippines might be a decent choice but it's much less developed

>>1279435
Welp obviously I dont want to live in India of fucking Nigeria, I want somewhere developed where i could be relatively comfy. It's near China, Japan and Singapore which im also interested in visiting. I teach 4th grade, i hate waking up everyday at 6 am, i hate dealing with shitty behavior (i didn't sign up to be a babysitter/ disciplinarian, i signed up to teach) and parents are the absolute worst. I teach in a poor area and naturally the parents are some of the stupidest people you'll ever meet. Little Billy gets in trouble for crawling under his desk and acting like an animal, i send him to another room ,the dad shows up the next day to speak to the principal and chew me out because i sent the kid out.

>>1279462
Yeh, i actually researched Islam in that part of Asia and definitely want to avoid those countries.

>>1279467
Thailand is the best value, IMO. I am the one who asked your reasons. It is the cheapest place you can vet 1st world quality of lide across the board, but at your budget, I'm not so sure of that. Ypu can live, nut not necessarily enjoy. Phillipines would bw better on that budget. Easy to find a Filipina to shack up with, as well.

I asked about teaching because teaching in Thailand could supplement your income, or taking on tutors. Matter of fact, since you are already a teacher, I reccomend signing up for a TEFL class in Thailand. It will help you gey your bearings as a local, and with netwprkinf with locals, and give you another option for income, even if part time. Or an adult or private tutor.

http://www.ajarn.com/tefl-tesol-training-courses

I'd recommend Taiwan, just got back from there. Not quite as idyllic or cheap as Thailand, but it's a developed country with a unique culture, and it's super safe. You can make over $2000 a month teaching 6 hours a day. I worked part-time and made $24 an hour.

>>1279492
can this be done with the tefl only

>>1279509
You need a University degree. We don't want any plebs here.

>>1279393
>I googled the cheapest cities to live and Thailand seems like the best fit for me.

Thailand is a city? The cheapest place to live doesn't mean you'll enjoy living there.

Visit Thailand first before you move.

>>1279572
Which is whyvI recommended enrolling in a TEFL course. Because visiting is not the same as living

Sup teacher,

Did ESL for a year and here's the thing...

The cheaper and less developed the country is, the lower the bar for ESL teaching is.

Also, in some places, there's a wild card rule where ESL teaching is so in demand that the quality of the teaching is compromised by the demand in the market, and they'll just take anyone who is white and from a western democracy.

That was me, by the way. I was one of the untrained, song-and-dance touristy teachers. My training was youtube videos and my job was a joke.

However, as a qualified REAL teacher with a real teaching background and a year of experience you are a paragon in this industry and you are in demand.

You need to shop around your options. Don't settle for Thailand just because it's cheap. I would personally settle for Thailand myself because I've visited the country and I love it, and I'm not worried about money.

Your priorities should be as follows-

1) Completely repaying any debt you have. You mentioned that you'll have 30-40k in the bank. If you owe anything on student loans, pay that off before you go anywhere. Don't travel with high-interest debt sitting on your bank account, especially not to poor countries with salaries that won't sustain your repayment needs.

2) Be picky. Demand the highest quality jobs. As a legitimately trained teacher, you are qualified to teach in real schools with real visas and real benefits. In some countries, Saudi Arabia comes to mind, this can be incredibly lucrative. (assuming you're willing to live and work in the Arab world.)

Gonna continue in another post...

>>1281101

Throughout the ESL community, specifically in the Asian world, there are after school academies and cram classes. In Korea, they call them Hagwons. They're fundamentally not real schools, just tutor farms.

As a qualified professional teacher, you are above those kinds of establishments. You want to avoid them because in many cases you get the kids after they've been in class all day from their normal 8 hour school day, so you know their brains are mush and they won't accomplish shit or take you seriously.

Seriously consider teaching adults and business english classes. These students will be more conscious of the money they are spending to attend your class and will take it more seriously.

Most places where English is in demand also have 1 on 1 tutoring in demand, and you can supplement your income significantly by taking on private students and teaching out of your apartment.

Be picky. You are overqualified compared to your competition. I know, because I was your competition, and I was just a broke us chump with an unrelated degree looking for free plane tickets.

>>1279393
better do something, pick a different route, if you're gonna make that change, there's no better time than now.

be boundless.

>>1281102
Can confirm. Ex Korean expat. Competition is getting a bit tighter, but you're still way beyond working with kids.

Not OP, but I did a Bachelor in English, with a Bachelor of Educational Honours in TESOL.

Should I be going for higher positions.

Join the DIGITAL NOMAD revolution!

>>1279393

similar prices in the philippines and it is really safe/a lot of people will know english/language will be easier to learn

>>1279393
>>1279396
It's not just a monthly visa run, they limit the total time you can spend in-country per year. Also, there is a crackdown going on against the "digital nomad" types who are working illegally online; the government is requiring that you show cash upon landing and is refusing entry to people who go there "too often".

Your best bet would be to get a TEFL job or to teach as a certified teacher in an international school. That would get you a longterm resident working visa and you could still do your stuff online for extra income. The only big downside is that you would still have to work a regular schedule.

>>1279398
Vietnam and Cambodia are supposedly ok. You have to get a longterm visa, you can't just show up and stroll in like Thailand used to allow.

>>1281211
Depends. If you have a teaching certificate from any Anglosphere nation, you can usually find much better jobs in either international schools or government schools. If you don't have a teaching certificate, you're relegated to hagwons/buxibans/cram schools/dancing monkey shit jobs.

>>1279487
>Phillipines would bw better on that budget. Easy to find a Filipina to shack up with, as well.
You could also just buy a dog and fuck that. It will smell better and you have less chance of getting any diseases.

>>1281736
>Cambodia are supposedly ok. You have to get a longterm visa, you can't just show up and stroll in like Thailand used to allow.

In Cambodia you can actually. You get the "business visa" instead of the "tourist visa" at the airport at $5 premium, then extend it indefinitely when inside the country.

>>1279492
Any more details on this mate? I have been looking for something just like this.

>>1279524
Any university degree?

If you're American, it's also worth considering your tax situation. Because yes even if you're not in the US the government still wants your money. Meaning your income will be taxed by whatever country you're in, then Uncle Sam will want his cut too. I believe South Korea and Japan have treaties with the US that exempts your income from being double-taxed. Look into that before you go, and hire an accountant that knows international tax laws.

Make sure you stay on top of this OP, because it's all fun and games in SEA until you go home and the IRS locks you up in a fucking cage for tax evasion.

>>1283314
yep doesn't matter the degree just needs to be one

>moving to thailand
literally why, there are infinitely better, cheaper and safer places to move to

>>1283324
What if you renounce your US citizenship?

>>1283772
Then name some if you're so smart!

>>1279487
>Easy to find a Filipina to shack up with, as well.
Have a vasectomy before shacking up with a Filipina.

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>>1281738
Why would OP want to fuck his dinner?

Kid, the next time I say, "Let's go someplace like Bolivia," let's go someplace like Bolivia.

I would choose vietnam over thailand any day. You will be fine because you're an actual teacher.

OP, first you should consider whether teaching is your passion. If not, there are far more lucrative means for college graduates to make money online. For instance, learning even basic front end web dev will net you easily 4K a month online if you have a knack for it.

As all prominent documentation and programming languages are written in English with American linguistics driving the syntax, countries all across the globe place high value on English speaking programmers.

You can increase your value as a teacher by learning these skills as well. Just food for thought.

>>1279393
I live in Thailand right now.

OP, if you have a legit teaching cert from a western country, you can make double your $800 online here in the country. I think International schools start qualified teachers at 50000 baht a month, maybe 60000 in Bangkok.

Get a 60-day tourist visa at the embassy in the US, come here for like two months and see if you like it. Many schools start hiring in October.

With 40k USD saved, you could make it here for like 5 years without working at all. I came over with about $16000 maybe 6 months ago. I've only used $3000 out of the US account, including buying a motorcycle.

I have a house and live a pretty lavish lifestyle at ~40k baht a month. I never touch my American money, usually end up saving money every month actually.

Seriously don't worry. Just come and have some fun. I'd recommend starting in Krabi or Chiang Mai. Bangkok is a lot to take in, and the only city in Thailand I ever felt unsafe in at all. The rest of the country is beautiful and Thai people are great.

Just read up on visas so you don't get deported.

>>1283871
Already got that covered

>>1282220
The birth rate is at 1.1, enrollments have been crashing for years, and all the aging Engrish monkeys are shrieking in terror at having to go home and get pizza delivery jobs.

No one wants to stay here, including Taiwanese, because the employment culture sucks. Low pay, and if you don't stay late every fucking day they think you're a slacker and will fire you.

Also, the food isn't really "cheap" unlike what someone in another thread posted -- yes, you can eat cheap shit, but your health will collapse. Mine did. I got poisoned by the industrial oil that the cheap-ass places use for cooking, nearly died from kidney failure, and have had blood pressure problems for two years and counting now. Still waiting to find out whether I'll end up developing cancer from it.

>>1284726
Weird, all the foreigners I know have teaching jobs, there is no supply shortage that I'm aware of. Go look on the various recruitment websites and you'll see plenty of postings. Since many people just stay for a year, job openings happen all the time.

Teachers also make roughly the median Taiwanese wage afaik, which is pretty good for people in their early 20s.

>Also, the food isn't really "cheap" unlike what someone in another thread posted -- yes, you can eat cheap shit, but your health will collapse. Mine did. I got poisoned by the industrial oil that the cheap-ass places use for cooking, nearly died from kidney failure, and have had blood pressure problems for two years and counting now. Still waiting to find out whether I'll end up developing cancer from it.

you have to be fucking retarded to do this lol

>>1284726
This.

Think carefully before you go. If you're going to go, then stay there and never come back.

If you come back you'll be WAAAAY behind the curve when it comes to your colleagues who stayed in the United States and actually worked at their jobs. You'll be seen as someone who's a slacker who gave up the chance to have ACTUAL working experience as a teacher.

Saying that you taught English in Thailand will not count as "experience" to future employers should you return home. You'll be older, less employable, and have less experience than you should have.

So if you go....stay gone...

>>1284748
Are you telling me that every single person who taught abroad must stay in that country?

>Saying that you taught English in Thailand will not count as "experience" to future employers should you return home. You'll be older, less employable, and have less experience than you should have.

This is blatantly untrue.

>>1284748
>teach a bunch of unmotivated/unappreciative niggers
vs
>teach in a country where education is valued

Wow so hard

>>1284750

That's not what I said at all, faggot.

If you go teaching English and Thailand and decide to come home a few years later after realizing that you made a mistake, using the "I taught English in Thailand!" as a way to claim the same amount experience as your colleagues who decided to stay and ACTUALLY DO THE JOB in your home country, this will be laughable.

Expect to start back at the very bottom again. Teaching English in Thailand will have no basis as practical working experience in REAL teaching in your home country. I taught English in Hong Kong and it's a fucking joke job.

Let's face it, if you're a shitty teacher at home you'll be a shitty teacher in Thailand too.

>>1284754
>I taught English in a place that already speaks English, and it's a fucking joke job.
Yes I agree

>>1284760
You obviously haven't been there since July 1st, 1997.

>>1284766
I was there November-December, 2016. I only ever used English, and had no trouble whatsoever, except in Tai O.

>>1284769
>I was there for about a month and hung out exclusively with expats and their friends

Any large city in east Asia will have a large number of English speakers. A month isn't long enough to actually ever run into an issue otherwise

>>1284782
lel, you give me too much credit. I actually avoided expats & tourists as much as possible. Of the very few tourists I've spoken to, I believe the dude was German or some kind of Scandinavian, and he spoke worse English than the local chinks.

>>1284748
So what, I'll make 40k and not 80k if I do have to move back home for whatever reason.

Every year I spend overseas is another year I don't have to slog away in the bullshit "wear shorts for 2 weeks a year on a boat and work til you're too old to do anything except go to church and the old country buffet" lifestyle where people's lives are so meaningless and devoid of purpose they obsess over football, the tan leather in their new camry, and the shitty "granite" countertops they just installed in the kitchen they never cook in because Americlaps rotate between mcdonalds, olive garden, and pizza hut for dinner every night.
Western countries are just as much as joke. They just "appear" to look a little nicer and manicured. And you live a little longer, which isn't necessarily a good thing considering how expensive healthcare is.

Thailand isn't perfect either but I get 2-3 months off a year to do whatever I want, and I still end up saving money every month because I can't spend it all. And if I get tired of it, there are dozens of countries hiring teachers around the world. I see no reason to go home anytime soon.

Met a a guy that owned a resort in Coron (Philippines).
He started out as an english teacher and couldn't get out of the country for some reason, by the way he talked I think it was drug related hehe.

He was struggling, but had fun doing it.

So you have alternatives once you settle OP

>>1284785
Americunts only get two weeks of holidays? Here in france you get atleast a month, some get more. I get about 6 weeks altogether. Enough to travel around every year.

Weather is also super nice here in the south.
So i think you might be overgeneralizing all western countries

>>1284793

>Americunts only get two weeks of holidays?

Less, there is no law preventing companies from providing no vacation. Most 1st and 2nd year employees after university only get 3-4 days of vacation and have to stay at a company longer to get up to about 2 weeks max

>je viens du sud

Ouais , t'as la chance quoi. Tu viens de marseille? Arles? Aix?

>>1284793
In Canada, I don't know what the laws are like, but here is what the typical standard is in the western side:

Part-time workers:
>theoretically unlimited
>but practically zero since most part-timers need the money to pay bills and can't afford to travel in the first place
>but if need be, many managers are lenient with time off because they could just give those employee's hours to another part-timer who wants them

Full-time workers:
>at least two weeks
>some places allow for up to three
>if employee has worked lots of overtime, he/she can choose to bank those hours towards extra vacation instead of getting paid (so if I managed to rack up a total of 80 hours overtime over the years, I could choose to take a two-week vacation instead of receiving standard overtime pay)

>>1279393
So you are pretty much moving to a 3rd world country to live on a third world salary. Genius

>>1283324
Well op is gonna be making below poverty wages by u.s. standards so no worry with that.

>>1283869
Are you a citizen of another country too?

>>1284807
>>3-4 days
Those must be some real shit jobs

>>1284817
The average third world salary is way less. Him making 1K there is roughly the equivalent of making 2.5K at home due to purchasing power.

>>1284754
>I taught English in Hong Kong and it's a fucking joke job.

Ohh here's where it all comes out. You fucked up and regret your life choices, so you're bitching about it on the internet. not only that, you're trying to make yourself feel better by claiming that it's impossible to translate your experience overseas to a career back home (this is untrue). You just worked at a shitty school and did shitty work, so you got fucked over after returning home. I worked at a public school for years and was able to secure a job in Ontario upon returning. My experience mattered, not surprised yours didn't.

I knew you were criticizing ESL babies, I didn't know you were one.

>>1284821
There's nothing unusual about treating new employees like shit, no matter the company or country. It's not right, but it's not uncommon.

>>1283901
Sounds too good to be true. What is your rate?

>>1283324
You won't have an issue if you make under 100-something thousand a year. Might even be higher now. You just gotta remember to file every year and take the foreign income tax exemption or there might be questions if you move back.

>>1284881
not who you were replying to, but esl IS a meme job and most people are well aware

people pay hundreds of thousands for elite tutors that actually teach the language properly. normal people would pay well above current market salaries IF and ONLY IF they actually taught, or the existing licenses were an indication of skill

if you werent aware, the current esl market is what you get with state controlled rents

>>1284818
i am a multiple time expat, and i would never dissuade someone from leaving the u.s.

it's dangerous, criminals get no justice, you get zero return for thr absurd taxes you pay, etc etc

that said, every expat i have met in thailand was insane. whether they were turned insane by thailand or whether it attracts insane people i leave to others to decide.

i would advise against my friends turning insane, but every drug addled whoremonger with 90 iq points I've ever met, I'm glad to not have bavk home, desu

>>1284881
I'm glad you said what I was thinking.

The line between ESL scum and actual teachers is so clear but guys like the guy you quoted want to avoid owning up to their life choices.

>>1285123
What is this ESL thing and why all the hate on it?

>>1283332
So say I studied medicine, that would do the trick?

>>1285359
english second language teachers.

basically they get a tefl certificate then go to sea to teach english usually part time earning about 900-1100$ per month which is usually 3-5x the average salary in that location. we're supposed to have disdain for these teachers because theyre scumfuck losers back home or else they wouldnt choose this life. esl teachers are usually unstable, alcoholic, aimless trash.

this is all according to my research on the subject, personally i think it sounds like a really cool experience.

>>1285376
As a 100% normie that's always been in education or working for his extremely stable upper middle class job with a grueling outlook at monotonous repetition until sickness and retirement I can definitely see what people might attract to doing this then.

>>1285392
well if you actually have a degree you have more choices than scumming it up in thailand.

>>1285402
But with medicine all the good jobs are pretty straining. You can have high pay and high stability but interesting work with good work-life balance is hard to find. Few transferable skills, very specific subject matter.

>>1285362
Yes any degree at all

>>1284817
3rd world salary is 200 a month and he will be middle class by thai standards with 1000-1200 a month.
You can easily live a 3rd world life style for 300 on your own or live decent for 800-1500 on a teacher salary saving little to nothing.

>>1284751
>>teach in a country where education is valued
that's not Thailand it's literally what you said before
>teach a bunch of unmotivated/unappreciative (Sea)niggers

>>1285409
most thai people make 10000 or 300$ but could live off of 200-250.
most esl salaries ive seen thrown around are 30000-40000 baht or 900-1200.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1b-j898h0fLjI0lK29cin-lDXGB5R2fF8fgbUsNM6ok4/edit#gid=1834546124

heres a spreadsheet of what you can expect costs to be while living frugally in thailand made by some youtuber. personally i shoot for $600 per month and thats going out to eat every day and going for western food and drinks once per week.

>>1285359
I don't hate on it entirely but it tends to attract scummy people. I've seen some good people who have good ESL jobs but they're not the norm.

>>1285463
I disagree. The vast majority of ESL teachers are perfectly good people. There are a few scummy people in every profession. ESL teachers stand from the crowd and therefore receive a lot of scrutiny.

That said, I'd like to see more restrictions on who can become an ESL teacher. More training would be a good start.

>>1285554
youve got pretty low standards for people

the majority of esl teachers wouldnt qualify for a small loan, half or more are alcoholics, half or nearly are chronic whoremongers, and I'd say they fall a bit below average iq

thats a bad combination of traits. if thats now trash to you, then just wew lad

>>1285554
Have you actually taught in Asia? I'm inclined to believe otherwise, anon. What's your experience and story?


When I was overseas I avoided the majority of other ESL guys, got along with some cool ones though.

Prior, when I hung out with expats briefly(Japan/Korea), they more than likely had the following traits in common:

-stayed for an extended period without learning a lick of the language
-only associated with other westerners
-didn't try to get immersed in the culture or make local friends
-complained about the culture but decided to stay there for years on end
-were alcoholics
-didn't have any interest in teaching
-literally screamed at their students to shut up, and acted like that was fine
-had no prospects back home

A friend of mine said most of them are LBHers, losers back home. And it shows.

Look, some of them are good, they will teach well and they put in effort to adjusting to the culture. But it isn't rare for them to just be scum, and I'm not exaggerating.

Maybe I'm biased because I'm actually certified to teach(home included). But that's been my personal experience with ESL people.

>>1285582
I taught in Korea and Taiwan. I guess I just avoided the bad apples. I no longer teach English and don't want to. I have a much better job in Canada now.

>Maybe I'm biased because I'm actually certified to teach(home included). But that's been my personal experience with ESL people.

You can't deny you like feeling superior about this.

>>1285715
14 years ago, countries had functional economies and credentialed teachers got called losers by everyone that had a real career

and it's true

and it's equally true today, that the vast majority of esl are scum. too many independent "noticings" of the fact. too many really ridiculous and etreme problems. too many underperformers, etc.

most of them are objectively bad people

most normal teachers are pretty dumb also. anyone that denies the horror stories about tenure and teachers unions need to be shot in the head

>>1285715
What do you do now anon? How was the transition back home?

>Avoiding bad apples
Never said the good apples didn't exist. I'm just genuinely surprised you taught abroad for an extended period and you never came across unsavory ESL teachers.
>You can't deny you like feeling superior about this.

seeing ESL teachers scream at their children, have absolutely no classroom management, no reward system, no respect for education is disgusting. I already listed out common traits of them here>>1285582


These people are giving an impression about westerners to the next generation, when scum are acting as a form of a diplomat this pisses me off.

So yeah I guess I feel superior when I actually give a shit.

>That said, I'd like to see more restrictions on who can become an ESL teacher. More training would be a good start.

I agree with this.

>>1285740
>most normal teachers are pretty dumb also
Not that I'm denying you, can you give some examples from your experience?

I've seen some shitty teachers in public schools in my hometown sure.

However,I'd say with confidence that teachers in the following jobs are significantly less likely of being dumb:private schools,DoD schools,international schools, or university positions overseas. These people are living life quite well. They're highly coveted positions.Particularly with certain international schools and prof positions, the people that acquire those positions never leave. They're cushy fucking jobs man with a swath of benefits.

On a side note, in some low income schools you'll find some
incredible teachers who actually want to make a difference. They're more brave than I.

>>1285789
Most non-stem teachers don't really have any rigorous testing to become teachers. My former coworker who just graduated was by far the slowest person in our IT office, despite being there for twice as long as anyone else. Education majors also have some of the highest GPA out of any university major despite most students having below average SAT/ACT scores going into college.

>>1285779
I work from home as a photography editor. I get paid more than I deserve to. Planning on moving to Europe soon since I can do this job anywhere. Much better than teaching for the "nomad" lifestyle.

>Never said the good apples didn't exist. I'm just genuinely surprised you taught abroad for an extended period and you never came across unsavory ESL teachers.

I didn't said I never came across any. I just didn't find them to be the majority at all - not even close.

>seeing ESL teachers scream at their children, have absolutely no classroom management, no reward system, no respect for education is disgusting. I already listed out common traits of them here

I will argue this is a result of poor training on behalf of the schools. At my first school in Korea, I got thrown into the fire with ONE DAY of training. I had never taught a large classroom before. I had to learn a lot of shit by myself.

Classroom discipline is always a struggle due to language barrier and a lack of respect from students. Some parents treat English schools as a daycare, not an educational opportunity. Therefore the kids misbehave and don't give a shit about punishments. Even the damn principal of the school had no control. It's frustrating.

As for reward systems, I used them sometimes, but it was burning a hole in my own pocket. Unlike with public school teachers, we were not given any sort of budget for supplies and treats.

What is your teaching experience?

>>1285820
In Washington I'm dual endorsed to teach math and English(g4-g12). Among a clusterfuck of prerequisites, you need to pass the test for each endorsement area you want to be certified to teach. That's just to enter the masters program I was in.

In Washington I had to take a 5 hour NES mathematics test and and a 3 hour NES English Language Arts test. Each of these required a score of at least 220 to be endorsed to teach math/English. It was rigorous in my opinion.

This was separate from the WEST tests which are also required to get into the master programs, those are the ones with equivalent to the SATs which you can totally just wing it.

The masters program itself was 2 years long and had an assload of materials. A good % dropped out.

What do you consider rigorous?

>>1285825
Sounds like a good gig(the photography one).

Thanks for your detailed answers in the thread by the way. It's nice to have some good discussion here.

Prior to going overseas I had a significant amount of volunteer hours in first grade classes. I picked up a TOEFL cert as well which required time working with ELL students in classrooms(adults). Did some English tutoring here and there.

My Korean teaching was in a very professional private school in a small city near Busan, it's called Tongyeong. Beautiful place, a lot of great islands and seafood.

Lessons were one-on-one with students studying independently with a Korean coteacher in the room, they had a storybook, worksheets and MP3 player they came up to me one by one each class. Ages ranged from elementary in the beginning of the day, to high school and college at the end of the day. But the majority of my students were elementary and middle school.
I taught from Phonics to TOEFL college prep. The TOEFL classes were standard classrooms but other classes were one-on-one or "double" interviews. We made videos of their progress when they finished a book.

It was an incredible and rewarding job and I'm not doing it justice by describing it. The only thing the made me leave Korea was the lack
of vacation.

I also tutored adults for various English tests in the west, TOIEC, TOEFL, TEPS, etc.

After Korea I came back to Washington to get my masters in teaching described here>>1285832

Did my student teaching in various middle and high schools in the area.

Currently studying Russian and the next step is trying to go teach in a university or international school in Ukraine, Russia or one of the -stans in Central Asia.

>>1285118
>every expat i have met in thailand was insane. whether they were turned insane by thailand or whether it attracts insane people i leave to others to decide.
This is very true among the long-term crowd. For the just-graduated-college crowd who want to be dancing monkeys for a couple of years while pumping semen into hundreds of willing sluts, it's not too bad.

There are a lot of sane professionals, mostly engineers and lawyers, in Asia. The rest of the expats, especially the ESL crowd, tend to be drug-addled losers who couldn't survive back home, so they shack up with some poor chick who will put up with them because her alternative is an alcoholic who would beat her up every night.