Bug Bytes: Teaching in Thailand w. Caz & Craig of yTravelBlog

Caz and Breakfast in Koh Lanta

Bug Bytes is a weekly feature in which fellow travelers give us the scoop on places they have lived around the world and what makes those places awesome.

This week’s Bug Bytes comes from Caz and Craig Makepeace of YTravelBlog, who spent six months living and teaching english in Thailand. Here, they tell us all about what life was like as a teacher, how they got hooked up with their jobs, and how the Thai lifestyle changed theirs.

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Bug Bytes: Okay, let’s start with the basics. Where were you living in Thailand? When? What were you doing there?

Caz and Craig: We lived in Bangkok in 2002 for 6 months teaching English. We lived in the Banglamphu District, which is located to the east of Ko Rattanakosin (the oldest part of Bangkok) and a 5 minute walk to Chinatown. The major site in Banglampu would be Wat Saket (the Golden Mount) which is quite a famous Wat in Bangkok.
Our place was also about a 10 minute walk from Khao San road, the main backpackers hangout where you can pretty much organize anything for future travels in Thailand and beyond. It’s a love-it or hate-it-type of scene.

We loved it for our occasional western fix, to hang out and meet other travelers and for the inexpensive restaurants, cheap beer, people watching, movie watching and decent shopping.

Khao San is an interesting experience, but if you plan on staying in this area, we recommend going a few blocks away for quieter accommodation and more of a “Thai” feel (Khao San can get crazy).

Caz on Khao San Rd.

BB: I think it’s really awesome that you taught English. Did both of you? Did you find the job before you went or after you arrived? Can you talk about the process? Visas, etc?
C&C: Yes, we both taught English in Bangkok, however, we never envisioned that when we arrived. Caz has a Bachelor of Teaching Degree (K-6) and she came across an advertisement in our local Sydney newspaper.

We were about to get married in April 2002 and then take off around the world starting with one year in Ireland. We had visited Thailand previously, loved it, and thought what a great opportunity to go and really immerse ourselves in the culture. She attended an information session in Sydney, applied, and got accepted. As far as we know, the company that sponsored her no longer exists.

Two days after getting married, we took off for Thailand in what was to be the beginning of a 5-year work/travel honeymoon.

As for Craig, he had no idea what lay ahead for him in Bangkok. He’s background was in construction and as a professional Rugby player.
Once we arrived in Bangkok, Craig hit the pavement for 3 days visiting all the big name hotels and bars looking for any type of hospitality work. Because his visa was not actually a working one at the time, this proved fruitless. But never fear:

Things always have a way of working themselves out when you put yourself out there.

So, during a “meet and greet dinner” with the schools hiring the newly arrived English teachers, Craig just happened to be sitting next to the head of the English department of one of the schools.

They got talking, and as it turned out this particular school already had three TEFL teachers (Teaching English as a Foreign Language). Two from Britain and one from Canada, and they would love to acquire the services of a fourth teacher with an Australian accent. Triam Udom Suksa High School turned out to be one of the top high schools in the country with over 5000 students.

Craig and his students

Based in the Siam Square region of the city, students would attend this school from all over Thailand with a view to graduating and then moving on to prestigious universities overseas or to Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, the oldest university in Thailand and long considered the country’s most prestigious university.

So, here was Craig, teaching English to year 10 and year 12 students in a prestigious school with no qualifications and no experience whatsoever. The school happily organised all his work visas and documentation and the rest is history.

The students absolutely loved him, as he was a breath of fresh air compared to the usual “seriousness” of Thai education. Do we recommend just turning up in Thailand and hoping something like this will happen? No! But it’s amazing the opportunities that can appear when you travel and put yourself out there.

Caz and her students

BB: Do you need TEFL to teach in Thailand? Is the competition steep? How’s the pay?
C&C: It is a requirement that you have a teaching qualification, either a teaching degree or TEFL certification, but sometimes it is overlooked, particularly in remote areas where they are sometimes desperate for teachers.

As for pay, it depends on the type of school…Government/Language/Private/International etc. And also your experience is a factor. Back in 2002, Craig was earning 22,000 Baht per month for roughly 28 hrs per week. Caz worked in a much smaller Government school and was getting half that.

However, Caz worked in a Language School in Siam Square called Go Inter (attached to  Chulalongkorn University) every Saturday for 6 hours and would receive $250 per day which equalled half her monthly pay at the government school.

The competition can be steep. The concept of Teaching English around the world has really exploded and we recommend researching the particular location you hope to work in prior to arriving. For detailed information please see our How to Teach English Overseas page.

BB: What sort of accommodation did you use? Was it expensive? How did you find it?
C&C: We actually lived inside Caz’s school at Wat Saket. They converted an office on the third floor into a “Studio” type apartment for us. It was free, but was very basic and included a double bed, small couch, small table, a refrigerator and a TV that only had Thai channels.

We also had a small bathroom attached with a squat toilet and a cold shower. Although it was tough at times, it turned out to be an amazing experience.

Craig in their apartment

BB: What was a typical Thai day like?
C&C: Craig would take the public bus to work, crammed in like sardines in sweltering conditions. It was a 50-minute ride that really should have taken 10 minutes (if you’ve experienced Bangkok traffic you know what we mean).

Caz would do her thing at school, and in the afternoon we were free. So we would usually walk around our nearby area exploring and meeting interesting people.

We ate out every night, either off the street carts or a cheap local restaurant, as we had no cooking facilities. But hey, for approx $2 you’re getting an authentic Thai meal – so why cook anyways?

The weekends would usually involve catching up with friends, exploring other areas of Bangkok, going to the movies, going shopping, eating out some more, drinking in cool cheap local bars, taking getaways to Hua Hin (nearby beach town), or down south to the islands.

Papaya Salad  photo credit: scaredy_kat

BB: Any food you’re missing now that you’re home?
C&C: Almost everything, We LOVE Thai food and ate it pretty much all day every day for 6 months. We really miss eating from the street carts. The quality of the food and the price is AMAZING!!!

Other than that we miss all the curries (red, green, panang, massaman), Som Tum ( Thai Green Papaya Salad), rice noodle soup for breakfast, Fish Cakes (a common street food), Tom Yum Goong (a spicy lemongrass and shrimp soup), papaya shakes, and a good Pad Thai (one of Thailand’s National Dishes).

And of course all this was washed down very nicely with a cold Singha beer!

BB: Haha. Of course! How bout food you never want to have again??
C&C: Don’t care too much for Durian. And we’ll pass on the bugs and roaches, thanks.

photo credit: mark_whatmough

BB: What’s up with all these full moon parties? Are they really all their cracked up to be?
C&C: We believe travel is NOT about checking things off your list just for the sake of saying you have been there. It is about having experiences that create long lasting memories and stories to tell. And I have been telling full moon party stories since 1999. I can’t say that it is an experience that gives you a deeper insight into local traditions and beliefs, but it sure will give you a deeper meaning of what a great party is about.

I (Caz), was there with my best friend, a couple of my London flatmates– a mad Irishman and a crazy Italian- and joined by a Byron Bay hippy we lived with for awhile in Dublin. What a place for a reunion.

We spent the evening drinking whiskey buckets, dancing in tree houses and on podiums with cabaret lady boys, bar hopping, and fire throwing on the beach.

I remember at one stage hundreds of people in knee high water facing the moon and dancing for her in worship.

It was truly amazing. We staggered into bed a couple of hours after the sunrise. Later in the afternoon when we woke, I heard the thumping of the dance music still going and looked outside to see groups of revellers still dancing on the pontoons, this time worshipping the sun.

I don’t think they went to bed until the next day. Now, where else can you have a party like that? So yes! Full Moon Parties are all they’re cracked up to be.

BB: If a friend were heading to Thailand, what advice would you give them?
C&C: Depends on their interests, budget, and time frame of course, but generally would suggest they spend at least a few days in Bangkok to get a real feel for this amazing city. It’s the real heartbeat of Thailand and just flying in and spending half a day doesn’t do it justice.

Visit…The Grand Palace, Wat Pho, China Town, Siam Square, Chatuchak market, ride the skytrain, take a boat ride on the Chao Phraya, see a Muay Thai boxing match, get amongst Khao San Rd, get a massage, and generally wander the streets shopping, eating and drinking.

Then we would suggest heading south to the Islands. That is where you experience the beauty and the best of Thailand. The beaches and the islands are amazing. There’s nothing like spending the day snorkeling reefs, hiring a moped and exploring an island, or just lounging in a hammock reading a book.

And in the afternoon you can enjoy a few cold drinks watching the sun go down, followed by a cheap delicious seafood dinner cooked fresh in front of you on the beach.

We recommend checking out Krabi, Koh Lanta, Koh Lipe, Koh Samui, Koh Tao, Koh Chang, Koh Phi Phi, and Koh Phangan.

Maya Bay, Ko Phi Phi

BB: If you were stranded in Thailand with only $50 to your name.. how would you spend it?
C&C: The great thing is $50 in Thailand can go quite a long way, lol. For most travelers that would be 2 days budget. But depending on where we were in Thailand, would probably just wander around by foot exploring interesting areas, get a $7 awesome massage, eat from the street carts, get a cheap bungalow on the beach, and lay in a hammock and drink happy hour beers at sunset.

Just like any other day, lol…

Thanks again so much Caz and Craig!!  Thailand sounds amazing!! To find out more about the Makepeace’s, check out their blog, YTravelBlog or connect with them on their Facebook Fan Page or Twitter @yTravelBlog

(All photos are from Caz and Craig unless otherwise noted)

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Bug Bytes is a weekly feature that runs on Fridays, interviewing fellow wanderers who have traveled extensively or lived in other countries. Each week a different country will be featured and eventually, we’d like to cover the globe!

Interested in taking part in Bug Bytes? Lived someplace awesome and want to tell us about it?? Email travelbugjuice@gmail.com.

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