XploreAsia Teach Thailand + In-Country TEFL / TESOL Program

I give Xplore Asia five stars! Xplore Asia has done a great job of supporting me during my job search and location search. They were very transparent, responded in a timely manner, and made sure we had the best fit for positions. During orientation week, they prepared us for life as a English Teacher in Thailand but giving us an idea of Thai culture, tradition, customs, language, and food, as well as any type of issues that may arise. I am very grateful for finding this program and encourage others to do so.

I loved every second of my experience in Thailand and it wouldn't have been possible without Xplore Asia. Before even arriving in Thailand, people are there to support you every step of the way. Once I got to Thailand the support got even better. You have a week-long orientation where you get to meet other teachers, learn about the culture, and get support with your teaching placement, accommodation, and travel. Once you are at your placement, they are always checking in as well. 10/10 recommend!

My program started end of May 2023 and l really was nervous because it was my first time going to be away from home for such a long time ,however with the constant support of XA they made it less worrying. I left South Africa already placed at a school in a fishing village which was my requirement to not be placed in a big city. Throughout my placement XA ensured that l was taken care of in terms of my visa applications and my accommodation needs.

I really struggled with the teaching part , there were many days l would feel like quitting however talking and sharing with the other foreign teachers helped a lot because l understood their own challenges also and made me realize l was not alone. At the end of my 6 months in October l decided l wanted to go back home as l was missing my family however after spending 2 weeks travelling and exploring Thailand l decided to give the program another shot , that was the best decision ever. XA then assisted me with the second placement , now in city and the experience there has been nothing but life changing , l have found my voice , my confidence in teaching is strong. I have developed strong bonds with other foreign and local teachers.

In the 14 months of being here in Thailand l have truly grown as an individual and in my passion of teaching. I get to travel during long weekend and explore this beautiful country and mingle with people and understand their culture better. This for me has been the best year of my life.

My experience was cool, new country and culture, great team and new knowledge. Great support from the company, team and organization.it is a new opportunity to expand yourself in a new environment and to share with others about your vision and your knowledgesIt was also a unique experience for me, as I had no idea how children learn a foreign language, and thanks to this program I now have an idea and experience in this. It's also a good experience to look at your adaptation and look for ideas to solve different situations.
Thank you☀️

Great overall experience. I’ve heard of many companies offering similar onboarding services for Asian countries. XA in my opinion and comparison experience to one other service, stands out in that it is easy to feel that all the staff here want you to succeed. It’s a subtle difference in this world when any service provider is focused on numbers versus quality of experience. XA fits squarely in the latter.
500 word character demand, request, compulsion ……………………..………….yaaaaaay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

During my time in Hua Hin taking my TESOL course with XploreAsia, there was a lot to process and keep up with. I was learning new things, acclimating to a new climate, adjusting to a new culture and language, and all the little things that you don't realize you'll have to go through when arriving.

But here's what you should know if you are considering this program: they are serious about helping you bloom here and helping you become an amazing teacher. They care for you and offer you help for every step. And when you're in an emergency or just have a question, there are multiple people in the program who you can contact. They are always happy to help in any way they can so that you have a better experience. But, this program is going to stretch you and help you build new skill sets. You're going to have to do things you really don't want to do. You're going to be put in situations where you don't know where you're going or how to get there. You're going to have to confront your what-ifs and anxieties. You will face culture shock and homesickness.

You're also going to discover what an amazing person you are and how much you can grow. You're going to try new things and find out things about yourself you'd never know. You'll become friends with people who are completely different from you, and you'll find yourself closer to them you'd ever guess. You're gonna go to them when all you want to do is go home, and they'll commiserate, buy you food and then dunk you in the ocean. You'll laugh and tell yourself you can do this. And when you meet your students you'll remember why you decided to go on this crazy adventure. You're gonna think there's no way you can do something, and then do it and find you're really good at it. Or maybe really bad, but you liked it so much you want to do it again and again until you're better at it. You'll also find doing something by yourself isn't so bad, and reaching out for help isn't as scary as you thought. You'll find trying to learn the language is frustrating, even if you've already learned one or two - and then you'll have a Thai try to teach you and it ends with both of you laughing at your horrible pronunciation. And then you'll try again.

This program is equipping you to learn how to fall. Which sounds weird. But here's the thing. You're going to fall. It's inevitable. Gravity and new experiences are unforgiving like that. So, yes. You will probably hit the ground. Maybe eat some dirt on the way down and have some scraped knees and palms. But with this program, you'll know how to fall so it's not so bad, not quite as scary, and you know exactly how you're going to get back up. And you'll know how to do it regardless how many or how few times it happens. If you don't know how to fall and you don't know how to rise, trying something new becomes a lot harder.

It's going to be uncomfortable. It's also going to be a hundred percent worth it.

So if you are considering this program, give it a go. You might just discover how much of a brave and amazing person you really are.

From start to finish, I never felt alone, I felt supported and valued. The tefl course was challenging enough to keep me motivated and I feel it prepared me for life as an English teacher in Thailand. The staff at Xploreasia were very professional and helpful and also fun! I really like the orientation week as we got to do lots of fun activities that also taught us about the culture and history of Thailand - such as the Thai cooking class, visit to the temple. Although covid was always a threat looming over us, we were able to make the most of our visits and excursions. All in all, great experience! Highly recommend to anyone who is thinking about doing the program. It was a perfect way to meet people as well!

It has been four years and 2 months since I left my hometown of West Chester, PA, boarded a plane at Philadelphia International Airport, and traveled 23 hours from Boston to Dubai and then to Bangkok. I traveled to Thailand to teach, and I intended to stay for only six months. Instead, I stayed an entire year, and was tempted to remain there even longer in my tiny town in the Northwest corner of the country. In Thailand, I explored myself, I explored people, and I explored a culture that was, at times, bewilderingly different from my own. It was, simply put, one of the best years of my life, and XploreAsia put me in position to experience it.

Upon landing in Bangkok, I was shepherded, along with a group of my fellow travelers, to a small corner of that living city, to a tiny hotel on a tiny street with an incomprehensible name. Since our rooms wouldn't be ready for another hour or so, a group of us dropped our bags in the lobby and headed out into the surrounding streets and the sweltering heat. To a pasty American from the Northeast, it was initially intolerable. By the end of my year there, I grew to love the warmth and the near constant sweating.

That was our first adventure. The next would come later that night while, teaming up with many of the same people, we launched into the Bangkok night on Tuk-Tuks, frantic little buggies which careened through the labyrinthine streets of Bangkok and the Tetris-like traffic. After a night on the infamous Khaosan Road, it was time for much needed rest. The next day, we would begin our two hour journey to Hua-Hin, the site of our TESOL course.

Being a coastal town on the Gulf of Thailand and an attractor to farang tourists and Thais alike, Hua Hin was the perfect landing zone for a group of foreigners finding themselves thrust into the streets of a place that was very different from home. Upon arrival, we were taken to our accommodations. Some of our 70+ group stayed in a series of little cottages closer to the beach, while others of us stayed in a hotel a little outside of town called Glory Place. I was in the latter, fortunate to have a pool and a small gym all on the hotel grounds. Outside our walls, a little village laid host to a favorite restaurant of mine, a little shop where I would drink and eat with the locals, and a beautiful temple atop a nearby hill, perfect for viewing the sunset.

That month in country, from April 1st to the 29th, was a whirlwind. I met countless wonderful people, both Thai and of the Western world, and learned how to teach English as a foreign language with a small group of my peers. The coursework was substantial, but not overly challenging. Our greatest hurdle was submitting ourselves to the vulnerability needed to teach in front of our peers and hear their feedback. By the course's end, this environment forged a strong bond between us all. For many of us, this bond would last throughout our year in country, as well as the years since we have returned home.

In that month there was partying, of course, but there was adventure to and exploration of some truly remarkable places. We took a day trip to Phraya Nakhon Cave, a day hike up and into a sheer cliff on a scenic coastline of white sands and shimmering, turquoise ocean. Inside the cliff, in a world-sized cave with an opening in its ceiling and sunlight pouring through, a small altar to an ancient temple. Add to this trips to the local mall, an elephant sanctuary, an island populated with monkeys and an abandoned Buddhist monastery, and a pineapple farm, the price of taking the course in country is worth its cost. Without a doubt, spending that first month soaking in the sights and sounds of Thailand proved indispensable.

By the end of April, the XploreAsia staff had set us up with a school and accommodation somewhere in the country. They did their best to accommodate our desires and wants, and you would do well to limit your expectations. As one of the XploreAsia staff members related to us within the first week, "you may not get the experience that you want, but you will get the experience that you need."

Being a reasonably open minded person, I was able to get both. In the first few days of May, I arrived in Tak, my quaint little town in the Northwest of Thailand, settled in a valley surrounded by hills and nestled alongside a river. There I would live a life that, years later, appears to be that of someone else's: a novel, quiet, and remarkable life marked by adventure and simplicity.

My journey after that is long and too much to relay to you here. But what I can tell you is that XploreAsia, and subsequently Thailand and my experience there-in, was a means to profound personal growth. Without my experience with XploreAsia, I would not have been armed with the tools necessary to navigate that beautiful and befuddling Eastern world, and more importantly, the perspective and sense to navigate my own here at home.

So, go ahead. Explore Asia. Explore yourself.