hello, nakhon si thammarat.

When we returned from Koh Samui, we decided to get to searching for other teaching options. Everyday was a weird adventure, just wondering what would come next. The more  people we met, the more people said to get away from the agency. The only communication we had with them was when we would contact them. They never contacted us about housing or to make sure we hadn’t disappeared from Thailand. The agency didn’t care a thing about us. Stephan and I, along with our two Scottish friends, searched frantically for other jobs. It felt like we talked to so many people about teaching positions. We toured an amazing school with a kindergarden and an English program. They were searching for two teachers—one for kindergarden and one for health and P.E. A couple had these positions but there was an emergency and they had to leave. It seemed like it was meant to be for us. Stephan and I desperately wanted the positions. We had only heard wonderful things about the school. The school was very interested in us, but the agency still had a hold on us, as well as the original school we had been placed at. Communication failures and agency ties stopped us from getting these positions. It was disappointing at the time, but we know now it was meant to be. NOW we are getting the true Thai experience. We told the school that our agency placed us at that we would not be working for them, because of the money and time we had lost with the agency. The school desperately needed teachers and we worked up an agreement that they would hire us directly through them. They worked up a contract for Stephan, our two friends, and I. It was easy as pie and we did not have to deal with the agency anymore. Luckily, we never signed anything with the agency. PHEW!  

So now, we are working at Benjamarachutit School here in Nakhon and we are getting paid directly through them. We are living like kings and queens with our monthly salary. Mainly because everything is dirt cheap here. It’s so wonderful. School is weird, boring, exciting, interesting, crazy, confusing, etc. Most days I feel like I have no idea what is going on, but this is what I mean by getting the true Thai experience, so it’s 100% worth it.