Teach English in Thailand on a Paid Semester or Summer Contract

Originally, I am from a small, mountain town in Arkansas. I love where I'm from, but I thought the big city might be the change I was looking for to shake things up a bit. So, I settled on Bangkok for my placement school. I went a more non-conventional route in my living situation. I managed to find an abandoned clothes factory turned studio apartment by a few local artists, and I now live with 10 other people from all over the world - from Thai to Russian. We cook dinner together, we go out into the city night-life together, and they provide new insights into the "unseen" Bangkok than I ever could have imagined.
But amid the exhilarating highs, it took quite a number of lows to get where I was finally happy in my placement town. This will happen whether you're in Bangkok, Phuket, or a small village in Isan. Change is hard, and the loneliness will follow suit. The people you love back home will find it hard to connect to those pains, but they are there for you. Ultimately, It's a time to grab yourself by the bootstraps and feel the waves of a real adventure lapping at your shore. Don't miss out because you're afraid of the sea.

The summer program was beyond amazing! I was able to experience a new culture, make new friends, and on top of that teach in a wonderful school. I felt prepared going into my placement and was super lucky to get to stay with my orientation group for the length of my stay in Thailand. Teaching at an international school was definitely not what I had in mind when I pictured going to Thailand, but my time there was great! I LOVED my school, my kids, and the people I worked with. My small group from orientation had a blast traveling together and making new friends during our stay!

My Thai Life for 2-months was the most incredible experience I have ever had. I hesitated to teach abroad for years and for numerous reasons. Now, I would never doubt or feel hesitant again. Teaching in Thailand was absolutely life-altering. I became a better educator. I became more culturally enlightened. I became more patient, humble, and appreciative. I challenged myself in mind, body, and spirit. I made so many life-long Thai friends. I would travel with Greenheart again in a heart beat. The entire staff was impeccable. I am so grateful I chose them for my teaching adventure. XploreAsia their partnering team in Thailand was also amazing. Both companies taught me so much about the reality and life of traveling and teaching abroad. This program also teaches you how to gracefully handle the positive and negative aspects that are indeed inevitable when you are out of your comfort zone. I appreciated every moment and would recommend to anyone who has thought about teaching abroad to just, GO!

The Greenheart staff, Sarah Thacker in particular, was very helpful. From the program requirements, to the cv/resume templates, to the visa paperwork, Greenheart led the way. I would have preferred that visa paperwork arrive earlier because that created some stress as I prepared to leave, but otherwise very helpful. I was placed in an International School in the Bangkok suburb of Nonthaburi. The school provided very decent housing on campus. The curriculum was provided, but at times lacked clarity and needed materials. I was asked to be lead teacher and served as an intermediary between the staffing agency and the other American teachers. This occasionally led to some headaches, but overall I embraced the role. Perhaps, the lead teacher should be paid slightly better for the handful of additional tasks. Which were at times quite time consuming. Our school was supportive and the students were brilliant. They were eager to learn English, and it was my pleasure to teach them. Sarah Thacker answered question after question prior to my departure, and I am grateful for that.

My time teaching in Thailand has been nothing short of amazing, and I wouldn’t have been able to do it without Greenheart Travel. I signed up for the one-month Chiang Mai TESOL course in the end of 2016, and I am still teaching in Thailand till this day!

I can’t get enough - every day holds a new adventure and a new experience.
The friendships I have made through Greenheart Travel and with fellow English teachers in town are truly unbreakable bonds.

I would have never been as successful in my teaching career in Thailand if it were not for Greenheart Travel.
They supplied me with packets and packets of information - from what clothes to pack, Thai culture and customs, and what to expect in the classroom. Sara T was extremely helpful, and would respond to questions so quickly. The entire process was so smooth.

It can be pretty daunting to pack up your life in a suitcase and buy a one-way ticket to a country on the other side of the world. But with Greenheart Travel, they ease every worry you may have. I highly recommend signing up for this life changing experience - don’t hesitate! Travel for a change! 💚

When I started thinking about teaching in Thailand, I was very overwhelmed by all the options I found online. You could go a totally DIY route (doing your TESOL online and finding your own placement) or go with a program that would hold your hand throughout the whole process. I was very uncertain about spending so much money to have someone help me with a process that I could have done myself, but ultimately the fact that I'd never traveled alone before (much less to somewhere as different as Asia) and the real teaching experience during the course IN the country I'd be teaching in were the two things that really swayed me.
The orientation week was so exciting and so memorable - although it did feel like a summer camp at times. But being able to meet and bond with other people going through the exact same situation as me during that first month absolutely made my time after the course a lot easier. In addition, once you graduate the course, you're connected on facebook with an entire network of other people in Thailand who are teaching and went through the program as well. So we got a bunch of teaching resources and ideas in the course, but then that network of people is a gift that keeps on giving! The program also gives you essentially lifetime in-country support, so if you ever have any issues post-program, the staff are still there for you and will help you as much as they can.
One thing I wasn't quite expecting, but really appreciated, was how much work we had to do for the TESOL course. We had homework to do almost every night during the course! I've heard of some programs that are basically just a party and you don't really learn much in your course, but this one wasn't like that at all. We learned a TON and it really prepared me to be in the classroom. Even though it was a lot of work we still a lots of fun in and out of the classrooms!

After I graduated from college I knew I wanted to travel. However I took a full time position after graduating with my masters. I became extremely fatigued with my job and decided it was time to take the risk and move abroad! I found greenheart online and contacted them right away! I couldn’t be happier that I did. I went to Thailand on my own. I didn’t know a single person. I now have many life time friends that I met throughout my time teaching in Thailand. I lived in northern Thailand in a tiny town called Mae Chan, chiang rai. Not only did I ride a bike as transportation but I was able to take local transport like buses frequently. Living in such a small town was extremely over whelming at first but ended up being the biggest blessing. I was able to really get to know the local people who lived there and really learn all about Thai culture and my favorite part Thai food!! I taught kindergarten which was yet another over whelming challenge. Although it was definitely challenging I grew to love those little kids and would not have chosen anything else. This trip gave me the courage to do so many things I never would have before. Just a few are trying new foods, traveling alone ( and we all know how scary that is as a woman), meeting new people, and navigating a foreign country and language. If I could give a single tip to anyone considering doing something like I did I would say go for it!! There is not a single second that I regret making the decision to go with greenheart and travel over seas to teach in Thailand. It was a life changing experience and will really show you how resilient you are as a person. My favorite memory while in Thailand is living in Hua Hin with my 8 roommates. We became so close and still talk to this day. We are actually planning trips to travel and visit each other as we speak! We were able to travel all over Thailand to visit each other’s prescriptive cities and even meet up on one of the islands in Thailand! I can’t say enough good things about this experience for me! So thanks greenheart for not just connecting me with a program abroad but giving me life long friendships, memories, and experiences that I will absolutely never forget!

Love,
Katie

Going through programs can be quite the journey if you pick the right one. Greenheart was worth the money. They fill you in on Visas, budgets, schedules, expectations, etc. Greenhart offered so much more than the other partnering companies after talking to other friends. From the culture book, tshirts and assistance in the application process, I was beyond happy to have selected this program. If you have any question the reply is within hours and Sarah is one of the most helpful and friendly people on Staff.

Thanks Greenheart!

Moniquee Brown

In 2017, I went to teach in Thailand through the Greenheart Travel program. Specifically, I taught science at a high school in a medium/large town in the Isaan region for one year. I fell in love with Thailand, and much of it was owed to my positive experience with Greenheart! I've listed some of the most helpful aspects of the program below:

- Pre-departure support: Right away Greenheart made it a point to make sure I felt completely prepared for the trip. From Visa help to packing lists, welcome packages, and alumni support, Greenheart made me feel at ease uprooting my life and moving across the globe!
- In-Country Partnership: Greenheart partners with another fantastic company called XploreAsia that is responsible for getting you TESOL/TEFL certified in country. I chose to do the month-long course in Chiang Mai, and it was absolutely wonderful! Greenheart would check in throughout this process, which was nice! [Also, I was there during Songkran which I highly recommend!]
- Continued support throughout my year placement in Thailand
- Alumni discounts on future programs

Overall, I am extremely pleased with my Greenheart experience in Thailand and I plan to do another program with them in the future!

Making the decision to move to the other side of the planet and take on a brand new job in a completely foreign environment takes an incredible amount of will power in itself. Then having to answer the mountain of how, what, when, where questions can feel overwhelming. Greenheart simplifies all of that. Their incredibly knowledgeable and friendly staff makes the paperwork a breeze and helps build your confidence with every step of preparation. I couldn’t have asked for a smoother transition!

Orientation was surreal. Wandering the streets of Bangkok that first day. Being exposed to the beauty of Thailand in the beach town of Hua Hin. Best of all, was the experience of taking on this adventure with many other future life long friends. Truely the importance of doing this orientation and course can’t be overstated if only for the opportunity to share the newness of it all with a group you’ll quickly fall in love with.

If you’re reading this, know you’ve already overcome the hardest hurdle. Just considering an adventure like this, even starting to daydream about moving abroad is proof of the confidence you can do this. Don’t let the questions overwhelm you. Don’t let the process deter you. Do this.

Greenheart helped me have an amazing experience in Thailand. I asked to be placed in a medium sized town with at least one other foreign teachers, and my placement perfectly fit that request. I love this community and I have learned so much about Thailand. I've befriended locals as well as other foreigners. The pay is good and my agency is super helpful! Sara at Greenheart helps answer all of my questions. The only thing that I found confusing at first is that a seperate company, XploreAsia, actually runs the TESOL course and organizes placements, but that is not a big deal. I am about to start my second semester (I originally only planned to stay for one) and I am excited to continue teaching here in Thailand!!

I am very thankful for Greenheart giving me the adventure of a lifetime. They made moving to Thailand a very easy experience. They were able to answer all my questions, which made me feel much more comfortable with everything. Once I moved to Thailand I found myself trying out new adventures and having experiences of a lifetime. Living in Thailand really taught me a lot about myself and helped me grow as a person.

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!