Solid Program for First-Time Teachers in Thailand

I had a great experience with CIEE Teach in Thailand. From my initial questions pre-departure, to ongoing support throughout my time abroad, to the connections I've made with their staff in Thailand and fellow teachers, I was thoroughly impressed.

I was assigned to teach kindergarten at a private school near Bangkok. I had great housing, a great local community, and decent pay. I did find that most other teachers who found jobs on their own were making higher salaries; it is easier to negotiate and "shop around" when you don't find a job through an organization like CIEE.

However, since this was my first experience in Thailand, I was happy to trade a slightly-lower salary for the comfort of knowing I was working for a reputable school, one that treats its teachers well, pays on time, and holds to the contract, and that CIEE had my back if I had any difficulties (which I didn't).

The program provided a week-long orientation before I started teaching in Bangkok; this was a helpful way to adjust to the country and provided some good information. The greatest benefit, though, was in meeting a network of like-minded English teachers to travel with throughout my year in Thailand.

If you have experience teaching in Asia and know how to avoid the pitfalls of newbie teachers, you may want to find a job in Thailand on your own. If you want the security of going through a program, I can't recommend this one highly enough.