I need to make a very difficult decision.

[benj005]

Hello All.

I have a very difficult decision that I'm currently facing. My Thai girlfriend wants me to come to Thailand soon. By soon I mean by next week. I last taught in South Korea for 2 years. I have been home for almost 6 months now, and I am currently jobless. I've been substitute teaching but that's it. I've sent out resumes but not much is biting. If I want to find a teaching job in NJ I'm going to have to sub next year. I don't think I want to do that. The American job market is still bad. Anyway, my girlfriend has told me that I need to go to Thailand to secure a teaching job, and she can help me find a job. But she has stressed that I need to be in Thailand! Also, she told me that I need to get there quickly because school semester starts in 15 days.

My concerns are:

1. I'm going to have to pay for my plane ticket, and flying from America is not cheap.

2. Not finding a job when I get to Thailand.

3 My age. I'm 44 years old. If I was 25 I would be thinking differently. Or maybe not.

Maybe I've been home for too long. I live in a resort area so there is nothing here 9 months out of the year. It's very common for people to work 4-5 months and collect unemployment checks the other months. I've fallen into a depressive stupor. When I was in Korea I had purpose. Although the job was stressful and I was working long hours, I was making money and I was working with great people. The only person I currently see is my father.

I do have a teaching degree in Special Education. I keep thinking that to get anywhere you need to take chances. Maybe I can get into a great school once I'm in Thailand, but I will never know until I'm there? What do you guys think?

My gf has been waiting for me for over a year now. It's not fair to her. I understand that. Should I just take the leap and move to Thailand?

I'm experiencing fear which I guess is normal.

I just need some more advice.

Edited May 1, 2014 by benj005

[CharlieH]

Try asking for more info in the TEACHING FORUM, they may have mors appropriate advice adn guidance to your questions.

One thing is for sure, you wont get much done sat in the US feeling sorry for yourself. Get up and get going, it wont just fall in your lap,

Edited May 1, 2014 by CharlieH

[benj005]

Try asking for more info in the TEACHING FORUM, they may have mors appropriate advice adn guidance to your questions.

One thing is for sure, you wont get much done sat in the US feeling sorry for yourself. Get up and get going, it wont just fall in your lap,

I understand. I guess I need to be more proactive.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[Soutpeel]

My comment. Is coming to thailand something you want to do or is it a case of your GF wanting you to do it ?

[bkkjames]

You only live once...go for it!

[benj005]

Option 1:

Continue to masturbate alone every night living a lonely terrible miserable life in an ugly depressing part of New Jersey that has not yet been gentrified not making any money with no friends and with with no reason to believe that anything will improve.

or

Option 2

Roll the dice in Thailand with a woman who claims she loves you. At the very least you can give five finger Mary a vacation.

Why aren't you on the plane yet?

.

The plane ride to Thailand sounds more appealing. And 5 finger Mary does need a vacation.

There is nothing here for me in New Jersey. I just fear that I will be homeless in Thailand.

Still, I don't want to look back 20 years from now and be filled with regret because I didn't take a chance.

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[HeavyDrinker]

Still, I don't want to look back 20 years from now and be filled with regret because I didn't take a chance

I think you've answered your own question there.

Do you have any money at the moment? A few thousand dollars(or a decent credit card) will be enough to tide you over until you find work. With your qualifications I'm sure you'll find a decent post fairly quickly.

Thailand is a country which can both frustrate and fascinate in equal measure. I'm sure you won't regret it.

Why not look online at some of the teaching sites and whack in a few applications before you come over?

Good luck...

[Shurup]

Was there even a reason to reply if you can't advise?

So this is how you got most of your 1,999 posts by offering wishy woshy advice? the man is

seriously in need of a life changing advice and you make a joke of it.....

Hope you mean to quote the other poster.

I didn't reply to OP as I'm not teaching so couldn't give any good answer but the other poster's reply was a useless waste of bandwidth.

I agree the OP needs a life changing advice and there's no room for silly jokes.

[benj005]

Still, I don't want to look back 20 years from now and be filled with regret because I didn't take a chance

I think you've answered your own question there.

Do you have any money at the moment? A few thousand dollars(or a decent credit card) will be enough to tide you over until you find work. With your qualifications I'm sure you'll find a decent post fairly quickly.

Thailand is a country which can both frustrate and fascinate in equal measure. I'm sure you won't regret it.

Why not look online at some of the teaching sites and whack in a few applications before you come over?

Good luck...

I have about $6k. I kinda know what to expect when I go to Thailand. I could send out a few resumes before I fly over. Everybody keeps telling me that I need to be there, and that Thailand is not Korea.

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[Shurup]

Still, I don't want to look back 20 years from now and be filled with regret because I didn't take a chance

I think you've answered your own question there.

Do you have any money at the moment? A few thousand dollars(or a decent credit card) will be enough to tide you over until you find work. With your qualifications I'm sure you'll find a decent post fairly quickly.

Thailand is a country which can both frustrate and fascinate in equal measure. I'm sure you won't regret it.

Why not look online at some of the teaching sites and whack in a few applications before you come over?

Good luck...

Agree, if I had any savings, enough for a round trip and 3-4 months living expenses, I'd go for it.

[benj005]

Was there even a reason to reply if you can't advise?

So this is how you got most of your 1,999 posts by offering wishy woshy advice? the man is

seriously in need of a life changing advice and you make a joke of it.....

Hope you mean to quote the other poster.

I didn't reply to OP as I'm not teaching so couldn't give any good answer but the other poster's reply was a useless waste of bandwidth.

I agree the OP needs a life changing advice and there's no room for silly jokes.

That's fine. Were all adults. I can just ignore bad posts.

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[shirtless]

Go read the teachng forum, check out the Thai English teaching Job market, before buying your ticket (make it a calculated gamble) Lots of luck mate with your experience and the fact you have a degree you will be working before you know it.

[apiwan]

Go for it .You will regret if you don't.

I did see a poster at big C imperial world by immigration looking for teachers.

There's loads of teachers here maybe someone will have something

How old and if they still want I don't know.

Hope this helps

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[CharlieH]

Always better to regret the things you DID, than regret the things you DIDNT do.

Worse case scensrio, you see the girlfriend you get laid, you get a change of scenery and breakout of the depressing state your in, and thats the worst,

Imagine how good it can be if you get the job and make a whole new chapter of your life.

Nothing will happen if you dont make it happen.

Edited May 1, 2014 by CharlieH

[thailiketoo]

Think of all the fun conversations you can have when the folks back home comment on the teaching in Thailand part of your resume.

[Fookhaht]

I'm in my mid-60's with more teaching offers in Thailand than I can handle. One immediate job opening offered me 80,000B/month in Bangkok. I don't have anything close to a teaching degree.

You've got 20 years on me, plus a teaching degree.

Go for it!

[geronimo]

Reading between the lines, you've already made your decision and just want some reassurance. Go for it Ben, you won't regret it.

[Jack Mountain]

Go East!!

[N47HAN]

Go for it ! Whats the worst that can happen ? You go back to the same position your in now .

Bokk the flight today !! Do it Do it NOW !!!

All the best Ben :-)

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[craigt3365]

I think this is best over in the Teaching in Thailand forum. Since what you are asking about seems "mostly" related to getting a job teaching. Right?

So...Topic Moved.

[zeichen]

First of all, if you are looking for similar jobs as you had in Korea, you will be paid half what you were earning. If you are looking into International schools ignore all posters above and your girlfriend. The best International schools hire at job fairs and from overseas. However since your degree isn't subject speficic, you won't have much luck for the best schools. Your Korean EFL experience will not be considered for international schools. Depending on the area you will live in Thailand, your pay will be between 30-40k baht. You will work the same kind of schedules you did in Korea. Teaching in Thailand pretty much sucks.

You are a little old to have no future plan and to make whimsical choices to appease a girlfriend that you don't actually live with.

Teaching in Thailand is a paycheck to paycheck lifestyle. Those claiming to have no degree and 80k baht a month salary are either FOS or extremely lucky. That is not by any stretch the norm.

Your 6k USD savings will last you about 6 months and then you are SOL. Start up living costs are quite high.

Build for a future or live a whirlwind life, that is a personal choice, but you don't really want to be 50 years old with nothing and a few years of fun experiences that will amount to nothing getting you a good job when you are spit out of Thailand.

Come to Thailand with a plan and not by whim.

[onlycw]

Don't put yourself down. You are a top applicant for a teaching job over here, no doubt!

Alas, the pay usually sucks - we are talking about 3x,000. More in a town where they have private tutoring schools.

What matters will be how you spend your money.

The last 2 jobs, I rented apartments for 1,300 - 1,500 a month, utilities and refrigerators included. No aircon. But the last small town had apartments for 2,500 + utilities. and each town had good food @ $ 1 or 30 Baht. Ride a Honda Wave and you can indeed save half your salary and still enjoy evenings out and the off beer.

Wouldn't you rather work and be with the girl you love?

Life's short - but she is right, you will undoubtedly get a job, but it may not be a high paying one.

Put the flight on a credit card and get a re-entry T-Visa to play it safe.

Good luck!

[Scully]

You sound like you will get a job due to your experience and qualifications. You only get one chance at this life so use it and go for it.

Your girlfriend has had to wait a year for you to trade her in for a 22 year old Thai student, she sounds great ( I am only jesting by the way but it could happen, seen it happen too many times).

[HeijoshinCool]

Just don't work for any companies. Go direct to the schools, and don't take the first offer you get.

If you do come here, feel free to PM me for any help/advice. It's a big learning curve, and it can be greatly shortened with a few paragraphs of solid advice.

[Scott]

You will have few problems in finding work. Do a little research, but with a degree in education, you will be able to get a job and a teacher's license.

You are seeking employment in your chosen field, so if for any reason you don't like the work here, or things don't work out you can go elsewhere, including home and find work.

Best of luck and keep us posted. In what part of Thailand will you be living?

[abhaya]

Ignore the sad bast**ds who are putting you down. "The future is uncertain and the end is always near" Jim Morrison. Go for it.

[EvilDrSomkid]

OP, get out of NJ and your behind over here. If your GF has been aiting for a year, chances are that she is a good one.

If you have 6000 bucks, you can buy a ticket and have money left to tide you over 3 or 4 months. You will not be homeless, if you can live at your GFs place.

You will get work in that time as a teacher.

DO IT!

[DavidMavec]

Didn't you already post this question a couple weeks ago?

[unanimosity]

Option 1:

Continue to masturbate alone every night living a lonely terrible miserable life in an ugly depressing part of New Jersey that has not yet been gentrified not making any money with no friends and with with no reason to believe that anything will improve.

or

Option 2

Roll the dice in Thailand with a woman who claims she loves you. At the very least you can give five finger Mary a vacation.

Why aren't you on the plane yet?

.

The plane ride to Thailand sounds more appealing. And 5 finger Mary does need a vacation.

There is nothing here for me in New Jersey. I just fear that I will be homeless in Thailand.

Still, I don't want to look back 20 years from now and be filled with regret because I didn't take a chance.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Buy a round trip ticket because when the gf finds out that you are 44 scrounging around for menial jobs and have nothing she can glom onto you will be history. Oh, and if you like life, be sure to not buy any life insurance when you arrive in LOS.

[unanimosity]

OP, get out of NJ and your behind over here. If your GF has been aiting for a year, chances are that she is a good one.

If you have 6000 bucks, you can buy a ticket and have money left to tide you over 3 or 4 months. You will not be homeless, if you can live at your GFs place.

You will get work in that time as a teacher.

DO IT!

Naïve and inaccurate. Read other forums and see how many teachers are unemployed in Siam.