I have loved teaching in Thailand so far! I have been here for a semester, and the experience has been great. CIEE was very helpful with orientation and I have been fully supported. I definitely would recommend! I think the best part about CIEE is that they have put us in good locations with people. I applied with my friend from home, and they placed us together. They have been very amenable with all my requests, and if anything bad were to ever happen, I feel confident that I would be supported

This was hands down the best experience of my life! I met people that became my life long friends! I got to emerge myself in the thai culture and it was amazing! I not only learned so much about their culture I also learned a lot about myself. This experience is something that I will remember forever! I would highly recommend teaching abroad. Seeing the how happy the students are to see you and get to know you is pretty amazing.

It was an opportunity that I’m grateful to have had, that I’ll never forget. I made lifelong friends and loved learning about the Thai culture. CIEE is a great company that has your back the entire duration of your trip :) I felt immediately welcomed in safe in my apartment and at the school I was teaching. Although there were a few bumps, they were always quickly resolved and overall it was a great experience!

No one can truely prepare you for the cultural differences you will endure by living in a third world country after growing up in America, I think ciee did a good job at trying their best. In hindsight I would still have done it through them because they provided comfort and someone to ask questions to when I first moved here. I also think I got really lucky with my school. I love the students and my coordinators are really helpful.

Teaching in Thailand with CIEE was the perfect program to help me pivot from corporate America to a life and career abroad. With no prior teaching experience, CIEE provided me with a surplus of information and tools to successfully leap into being an international educator. From the moment I was accepted into the program, CIEE was incredibly responsive with any questions or concerns (no matter how big or small). They kept me well-informed on each step before my departure and were equally as supportive my first few weeks in Thailand. I had multiple opportunities to join calls, webinars, and forums to speak with participant alumni and hear their experiences firsthand. This allowed me to get a glimpse of what my day-to-day might look like and reassured me that I made the right decision. Additionally, CIEE staff members have deep international experience, and I valued working with people who were knowledgeable and passionate about travel and life abroad.

My five months teaching abroad in Thailand has changed my life! Living in Thailand for five months immersed in the Thai culture was very impactful. My placement was perfect for me. I felt so happy and welcomed in my Northeastern town and Anuban school. The best part of my experience were the Thailand relationships I formed as well as the English teachers I met at CIEE orientation and at my school. I have continued these relationships upon my return home.
My apartment was in an ideal location-I was able to walk to my school daily as well as find my meals and shop for necessities. I encourage everyone to become part of your local community-get out and meet people, take classes and immerse yourself in Thailand! I was able to travel every weekend either by bus or plane. I swam with elephants in Chiang Mai, bathed in the luxurious waters in the tropical island of Koh Samet, rode bicycles in Ayutthaya, and had many relaxing Thai massages! The possibilities are endless! Travel in Thailand is so easy and cheap. I felt safe my entire time abroad.
Because of my experience with CIEE and OEG I have made lifelong connections and have gotten to know Thailand and share my experiences with my school community here in America. I definitely plan on teaching abroad again. If you are thinking about teaching abroad with CIEE...just DO IT. It will change your life too!

I would want future participants to know that this is one of the scariest, hardest things you'll ever do--and you have to do it. You'll regret it forever if you don't, but even worse--you'll be missing out on the chance to become a different version of yourself. I am different because of Thailand: I am more well-aware of my privilege, I am less worried about trivial things, I am more aware of the importance of being friendly towards foreigners here in America, I am more appreciative of things, I am more confident and able to take on new challenges alone. Most importantly, I am proud to be who I am, and I have a newfound level of respect for myself; you won't find this confidence, this self-worth, if you don't test it. Also, I want MORE out of my life than I did before; meeting travellers, learning about their life experiences and their various ways of arriving at their careers, made me less likely to settle in my own life. For instance, I learned about a writer who has been freelance writing for 10-years while he travels the world, and that is my new goal: I've learned through this experience that the 9-to-5 desk job is not the only option.

After a very positive experience teaching English in China with CIEE from 2015 to 2016, I decided to use CIEE again to help me secure a teaching position in Thailand from 2016 to 2017. I am so glad that I used CIEE to help me find my last teaching job in Thailand! My school, supervisor, and students were wonderful, and I loved having the opportunity to learn about Thai culture and to travel in Thailand and Southeast Asia. Before leaving for Thailand, CIEE was there to help every step of the way. The current Teach in Thailand Program Coordinator, Kerry Plath, is always prompt, thorough, and honest when responding to emails and answering questions. CIEE helped me a lot with the work visa process for Thailand, and their pre-departure courses about living in Thailand and Thai culture helped me feel prepared before leaving the United States. CIEE's partner organization in Thailand, OEG, is also extremely helpful when you're in the country. OEG and CIEE give all teachers on the program a week-long orientation in Thailand, which is a great opportunity for participants to network and meet other teachers who will be placed in the same school/province/town as well as in other parts of Thailand. The orientation also provides seminars on the Thai language, Thai culture and history, and teaching English in the Thai classroom to help prepare teachers for starting their teaching jobs in Thailand. Anytime I ever had a question or concern in Thailand, all I had to do was email CIEE or OEG, and I always knew that they would respond helpfully and promptly. I had an amazing time teaching English in Thailand, and I really think that CIEE and their partner OEG played a huge part in making my teach in Thailand experience smooth and successful. I would definitely recommend CIEE's Teach in Thailand program to anyone who is interested in teaching English in Thailand. Especially if this is your first time teaching abroad, you can be sure that CIEE will help you to complete all of the documentation needed to legally work in Thailand and place you in a reputable school that will guarantee you accommodation and a steady salary each month. You can also be sure that if you have any issues with your school or contract, CIEE will mediate and advocate on your behalf. Thank you so much again CIEE for all of your support! Once again, you made my teaching abroad experience stress-free, fun, and fulfilling. :)