Teach English in Thailand with CIEE

CIEE is definitely an excellent program to start through. They are always available to answer any questions. They take care of placement and the school you're placed at takes care of everything for your visa. The steps to be a legal worker in Thailand are long and tedious so I am very thankful to have that taken care of. Orientation was great, however, I feel like many negative aspects were omitted. Everything was always answered positively instead of being upfront about common problems one might experience. I think a positive attitude is important but there was definitely a lot of false advertisement on how happy and great everything is. You will most likely face many unprepared challenges. There were also a ton of fees that needed to be paid for in the first couple of months that were never mentioned on the application. I unfortunately do not have much to do in my city nor do I have many people to hang out with (this may be a good thing depending on your preferences). However, I did meet amazing people during orientation who I travel with on the weekends frequently. I believe your experience really depends on where you're placed and who you are placed with. Overall I would say my experience has been great and I am thankful to have done this.

I am glad I ended up going with CIEE. The program is expensive and I am not getting paid much in Thailand. But CIEE made moving to another country easier. I am not sure I would have been able to do it myself. Now that I am here, I have the experience to go off on my own and find a placement better for me. Going to a city and school without knowing much is risky and scary. But it turned out to be pretty good. This is a year I will never forget and one of the best decisions I have ever made.

I had plenty of time to travel and see Thailand. At times I have had to be very careful with how I spend my money. It is a comfortable amount and I have been able to go on lots of trips but at the end of the month I usually do not have any money left. I have also been lucky to be placed with 4 other CIEE people and it has been wonderful.

My name is Elizabeth Faiella. I am more than half way through my semester as I write this and I wish I could extend. The experience I have had is something people dream about but never actually do. It is so easy for Americans and other people to get caught up in this what you should do life. You graduate you take a bottom feeder job working 9-5 or longer in hopes one day it will pay off. You get engaged and then married and start a family. Next thing you know you are 30 years old and haven’t seen the world. You say you will do it when the kids get older but you have to pay for college etc. it may never happen... I am 25 years old and I wish I did this when I was 22 so I could have stayed much longer. Unfortunately I have some obligations in America so I must go back. That being said DO NOT WAIT ON IT! Apply now, come next semester, make it work you can and you will not regret it. See the world for what it is. BIG.

Ultimately I am happy I went through CIEE. As someone who knows nothing about the school system in Thailand, it was extremely helpful to have an agency who placed me at a school and helped me find housing. I would have had a very hard time doing this on my own. That being said, there was confusion and misinformation given to me before I departed on behald of CIEE. I think there was a lack of communication between CIEE in America and OEG in Thailand. That was frustrating to deal with right before I left and moved across the world. However, I am truly thankful for the agency placing me and making sure I had housing. Figuring this all out in a new country would have been hard and it took a lot of stress and pressure off of me. I feel completely safe where I am placed.

Once in Thailand OEG was extremely friendly and helpful. They have continued to help and answer questions while I have been abroad as well.

The staff is super friendly and you'll feel welcome from the time you set foot off the plane. They provide a decent amount of materials for teachers to use in the classroom. The staff is great with communicating with participants whenever you need to ask a question or ask for help. The orientation in Bangkok is fun and engaging with a trip to the Grand Palace, the most sacred site in Thailand, and activities that enable you to engage with other participants. CIEE is a program filled with amazing people who care about the participants and their success. They will help you as much as they can with anything you need. I would definitely choose CIEE if I were to teach abroad in the future. The pricing is fair and they make the process of going abroad and teaching abroad as easy as they can make it.

Moving to Thailand has been an experience of self-growth, self-love, patience, and authenticity amongst myself and the relationships around me. CIEE not only provided me with a community of Teachers that can empathize and connect with my experience alone, but knowledge about Thailand and teaching that I would have not been aware of otherwise. I'm not going to sit here and write about how it has been rainbows and unicorns, because it hasn't. It's challenging, the adjustment period is anything but easy, and sometimes the cultural difference can be frustrating. Luckily, I had the community CIEE provided me with, staff members to communicate with, and a platform to rely on to help me through this experience. Not only do they support you in your victories and failures, but they're always willing to communicate with you and answer any questions you need. They are the most helpful, open, and supportive organizations I have ever been a part of. They provide teachers with a platform that helps them through the visa process, getting to Thailand, and all the small details that you never thought you would need to know. I highly recommend this program if you are unknowledgeable about the process for teaching abroad!!

I am currently living my best life teaching abroad in Thailand and I would not be here if it were not for the he’ll and support from CIEE. They assisted me every step of the way and still continue to provide help if necessary while I am in Thailand. Upon acceptance I was provided with a list of things I needed to do and documents I needed to get together. This made everything so simple. I never had to worry about going through the hard Visa process alone. CIEE puts together an orientation for about a week before you go to your placement school. This orientation provided me with essential information on the country I was about to start a life in as well as teaching tips and lesson plans. This orientation answered all of my questions about Thailand and made me feel more confident about living here. Overall everything from predeparture to my current living and teaching situation went so smoothly and it is all thanks to CIEE. I will definitely be going through this company to teach abroad in other countries in the future.

If you are in search of a program to teach abroad, make money, AND travel definitely check out CIEE Teach Abroad. I first heard of the program through a friend who moved to Thailand to teach English. Years later, here I am gaining a once in a lifetime immersive and memorable experience doing the same. CIEE made the application process a breeze by assisting with my Visa application, placement, pre-departure assistance, and intensive orientation to prepare me for this journey. You can apply with a Bachelor's degree in any field, not just education. So do not be scared away if you do not have prior teaching experience. CIEE also offers a TEFL certification, though not required, is very useful for first time teachers! As a recent college graduate, this was easily the best decision I have made in my life.

I would definitely recommend going through CIEE if you are interested in teaching abroad. The program includes so many awesome benefits that make it so worth it. The staff is amazing and are so willing to help every step of the application and selection process and are always available throughout the year for any questions. I’ve had so many amazing adventures so far and I would recommend the program to everyone who is interested. I went into the program with little teaching experience and CIEE definitely placed me at an amazing school where I’ve learned so much already. The other teachers are amazing and I’m really glad CIEE does a good job of placing you with other participants. I’ve been able to travel all around Thailand and see so many places I never thought i’d be able to see. The places i’ve been, things i’ve experienced, and amazing friends i’ve met have made it so worth it to be gone from home for so long.

This experience has already become everything I could have dreamed of and more. Between the dynamic teaching experiences, human connection, unforgettable smiles, and beautiful year of living more with less- it has already surpassed all expectation I could have had for experience and adventure. I am a certified ESE, Elementary, ESOL teacher in the United States and graduated with my undergrad this past year. I have always dreamt of having the opportunity to live and teach abroad and this program was the answer to all I could have wanted. The program provides the best support from even before the day you arrive, and the staff treats you like one big family. The location of my placement has been perfect as well, since I am in the mountain area of the northeast region and an avid lover of the outdoors. Every day here I am reminded of another reason why I am glad I made this decision and traveled over 9,000 miles to do something I thought I could originally only dream of. Thankful for this experience and the continued adventures to come! Thank you. :-)

Teaching abroad will always be an experience I will look back on and cherish! I met amazing people and was able to grow as an individual. It’s terrifying but take that jump and you won’t regret it. I saw the most beautiful places and experienced some of the many wonderful things the Thai culture has to offer. The support I was shown and the connections I made through this program made my time abroad unforgettable! I was able to travel with fellow teachers and share these new experiences will creating new lifelong friends. I didn’t have to worry about finding a school or housing on my own. They made the process less stressful and are there for support if anything doesn’t go as planned. And it won’t but learn from that and embrace the culture.

Going through CIEE you do not get to decide where you are placed (although you do state where you would like to be placed). I was placed (with my best friend) in Khon Kaen , Thailand which is in the Issan region near Laos. I had never heard of this part of Thailand (it’s northern but nope not near chiang mai) and was definitely worried about what the year would hold. While where I live is untouched by tourism the people are WONDERFUL. I am definitely experiencing the real deal thailand. My job is so thankful for us to be there teaching English and make us feel so special and at home everyday. The salary allows me to travel every other weekend and I have been able to see A LOT of Thailand. CIEE does a great job of preparing you before your departure and I am forever grateful I went through them especially because of the week long orientation in Bangkok. It gave me time to make friends who would be teaching around Thailand, adjust to Thailand, and get prepared for the year of teaching ahead. While I am not living the beach, elephant life, I imagined I would be I am so thankful for where I am and the people I have met. I have been challenged and grown so much in my time in country and I have CIEE to thank.

Deciding to teach in Thailand through CIEE is by far the best decision I have made. CIEE’s staff ensures you feel comfortable and capable before, during, and and after your orientation - which makes taking a leap like this much less intimidating. The course prior to departure is super helpful. The orientation provided so much useful information and teaching tips as well as fun cultural activities. Orientation was a great time to make new friends and prepare for this exciting journey. I am so happy with my school, housing, and community. I have made great friends and countless memories already. Thailand is such a special place. I am so happy that I chose to live and work in a new country through CIEE. Everyday brings a new adventure! I highly reccomend this program!

Teaching in Thailand has been the best experience especially going through CIEE! I was definitely nervous about moving to another country and starting a teaching job at a new school but CIEE made it as nerve free as they possibly could! Prior to departure they help you get comfortable with the program by providing you with live webinars, TEFL courses if needed, and personal support from your program coordinator! They place you at your school in Thailand and provide you with accommodations for the entire length of your stay! They even take care of the visa process for you, making the price of the program worth it, for all that is included! When you arrive in Thailand you get a week long orientation to help you feel even more prepared for your journey. No teaching experience? No worries, CIEE provides teaching courses throughout orientation as well as Thai language and culture crash courses! The best part about orientation? You get to meet so many people that are about to embark on the same journey as you. I met some lifelong friends and they’ve definitely made good travel buddies thus far too! Overall CIEE exceeded my expectations and made the adjustment to teaching in Thailand that much easier! Still not sure if it’s for you? Well that’s what a lot of us thought prior to coming here but I promise it’s a life changing experience you don’t want to miss!

Deciding to teach abroad has challenged me and made me grow into a better teacher and person. I came into this job expecting to teach English but I have found that this job is more about learning than teaching. I have learned that the Thai people are some of the most caring and loving people. I have learned that the Thai language is difficult to learn but gets better with practice. I have learned that lesson plans might not always work out the way you hope, but mai pen rai, it'll work out in the end. I have learned that Thailand has three seasons: Hot, Hotter and Hottest. I have learned that Pad Thai is always delicious and never gets old. I have learned that what we do as teachers truly makes an impact on our students' lives. I have learned that there is so much more to see and experience in the world, so take this opportunity to experience it for yourself- teach in Thailand!