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Teaching in Paradise:
Sort of!

by Louis Minson, Administrator of Ajarn Forum
(www.ajarn.com)

Let’s face it, we know what drives people to come and teach in Thailand. There’s a little picture
that pops up in the mind of white sandy beaches, paradise islands, and an easygoing lifestyle.

The reality for many, though, is that while these places exist, the number of potential teachers vying
for the few enviable jobs that exist there far outweighs the number of jobs available, and those who
are lucky enough to find work in such places are pretty keen to hang onto their jobs – and the second
a job is advertised it will be filled by one of hundreds of applicants. The demand for jobs also seems
to drive down the salaries in the area, and most people tend to give up their search for paradise
fairly early on and head upcountry to dusty provincial towns or towards the big Mango for work
where most dreams of a beachside lifestyle tends to fade fairly soon.

So, teaching work in Paradise is a fool’s dream? Well, while you won’t be finding much on Koh Phi Phi, Thailand certainly has a number working non-tourist coastal towns, and
most notable in my opinion is the attractive city of Songkhla.

Sure, Leonardo Di Caprio wouldn’t look twice at the beach, but there is a certain something about Samila Beach with it’s two island guardians, the Cat and the Rat, and the shadow of the imposing Chedi-topped Tang Kuwan Hill, that makes Songkhla not just another stretch of Eastern coastline.

Aesthetics aside, Songkhla has one of the best job markets for teachers out of any coastal town in Southern Thailand, with 10’s of jobs unfilled as I write this.  The school I work for (which is currently hiring....  hint, hint…email me for details!), is just 10 minutes from the beach, and at other schools nearby you can even see the beach from the Staffroom!  Isn’t this approaching the dream that so many people have?

It’s not so small that there’d be nobody but yourself here! On the contrary, there’s plenty of social life to be had, or not had …. depending on you.  It’s not got thousands of backpackers traipsing through, and there are no bungalows on the beach or full moon parties, but it does have a collection of interesting foreign expats: Teachers, employees of the local offshore industries, retirees, bar/restaurant owners and various others from all walks of life who have fallen for Songkhla’s charms and laidback lifestyle. A Large number of foreign owned restaurants will quench most people’s thirst for home, with plenty of Western comfort food and beverages. There is also, of course, Hat Yai, just 45 minutes away, which should satisfy any urge for a taste of something more urban once in a while.

So, there’s loads of work for teachers. It’s a great place to work, and foreigners are catered for nicely, so what’s the catch?
Why isn’t everyone rushing down here to fill these jobs?

Well, it’s in the South, which according to the media is a terrorist hellhole. Songkhla province made it onto the BBC’s news graphic in it’s reporting on the Southern insurgency in mainly Pattani, Yala and Naratiwat Provinces, when Saba Yoi, an obscure district of Songkhla on the Pattani provincial border joined in with the ill-fated raids on Police stations in April, 2004. It’s worth pointing out, to be sure, that this took place some 60km from the actual City of Songkhla!

Unfortunately, there are some who cannot appreciate the distinction between the true troubled areas
of the South, and Songkhla Province, which stretches from Ranot near Nakhon Srithammarat all the
way down to Sadao, thus encompassing both Songkhla City and Hatyai. This is a shame, really, as it
has meant that this pretty and peaceful town has be bypassed due to a basic ignorance about the realities of conflicts that actually take place in rural areas far, far from any place where
the average English teacher might be working.

 The closest we have ever come to a “terrorist attack” was when some hooligan let off a small explosion near an obscure hotel halfway outside of town. (We’re not exactly talking downtown Baghdad here. If you let that put you off you might as well avoid London, Bangkok, New York, and any other major
city that’s had a bomb exploded in it !)

So if you can ignore the hype, you’ll find a pretty little town here that’s as close to the teaching-in-paradise dream as most people are likely to find, and the schools are dying to employ
you, and the children need you. Salaries are increasingly competitive for provincial rates, and
there are starting to creep past 30k for the first time.

I’d recommend that you get yourself down here as soon as possible, as once the jobs are gone,
they’re gone, and now’s the time to find a great job in a great location!

Editor: Louis Minson is a teacher at Woranari Chaloem School, Songkhla, and the Administrator
of Ajarn Forum (http://www.ajarnforum.net)

of www.ajarn.com