Thorn Tree travel forum

1

Northern Thailand is significantly cheaper than Bangkok and southern Thailand. The south has the beaches, the north has the mountains (large hills actually) and rice fields. The north is more Buddhist and the south is more Muslim. Most foreigners seem to live in Bangkok (of course), Pattaya (sleezy), Phuket (tourist resort island), and Chiang Mai (the best, if only it had a real beach!). I've always liked Chiang Mai (lived here a few years now) but I do need a taste of sand and sea periodically so make trips to the south. Chiang Mai has quite a lot of expats - Americans, Brits, Germans, Aussies, a good "Farang" mix. The major downsides are the weather in March to early May which can be very hot, stagnant and polluted, and the absence of any real beach (as mentioned). Then there's the Northeast (aka "Isaan") region which has no tourists, no mountains and no beaches. Some expats really like living there because they aren't part of a mob foreigner scene and it can feel more like "real" Thailand. That's the tip of the iceberg.

2

Malaysia as well is pretty diverse - in fact more so than Thailand is. English is much more widely spoken there from a younger age than in either of the other two countries. If you get a job there, then you'll basically demonstrate that you're qualified for the job, rather than being one the jokers that can still manage to scratch a living teaching English in the LOS. Taiwan and Malaysia will definitely look better on your CV, especially the former, which will also pay considerably more as it's GDP per cap is 200-250% more.

3

take Calippo's advice, spot on.

4

How about Korea ?
The money for teaching English there is supposed to be good .
If you want the best country to live in though ,and money is not no 1 ,then Thailand would be best .
Malaysia is a very boring place ,IMO.

Now in Thailand

5

actually if I decided to just up sticks and go and teach English for a year I'd probably choose Cambodia, Laos or to a lesser extent Vietnam. It'd be an act of charity and they need it more.

6

Big salary is your ambition then, I think Taiwan, Korea or Japan is your choice.

Yim nit-noi.

7

I taught in Thailand (in Isaan) for a couple of years. I loved it, and would go back without hesitation. The salary was low by international standards, but the benefits were good, and I lived very comfortably -- Isaan's the cheapest part of Thailand in terms of cost of living by a very wide margin. I rented a house, went out drinking regularly, and traveled internationally on weekends and during vacations. And I love the region for many reasons. There are no beaches nor mountains, it's true, but there's the mighty Mekong River, and some decent-sized hills up near the Lao border.

I was teaching at a government university, however (which you could too, if you've got proper credentials), which pays better and usually offers a better schedule than private language schools. Private schools are easy to get jobs in, but can be rather brutal and pay badly. I was a substitute at a couple of private night schools, and my coworkers were regularly heading to Korea for a few months or a year to make money that they would bring back to Thailand.

The advantage to those places is that they tend to attract a fun crowd -- Thai professors don't party much, whereas short-term expatriate teachers do.

And in response to Calippo's comments above, I would argue that Thailand's a lot more diverse than it looks on the surface, and that the ethnic integration and apparent monolithic culture (the Chinese population is far less segregated than it is in the Malay world, and the Indic populations smaller, for the most obvious examples) with which the nation has become largely synonymous was in large part deliberately engineered by nationalist educational and political projects from the late 19th-mid 20th centuries.

But that's neither here nor there. His remarks on the relatively poor state of English in Thailand and the comparatively low wages are correct. But I'd argue that the quality of life is higher in Thailand than either Malaysia or Taiwan.

na hi verena verani sammantidha kudacanam. averena ca sammanti. esa dhammo sanantano.

8

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I'd argue that the quality of life is higher in Thailand than either Malaysia or Taiwan

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Yep!

9

just out of interest, seeing as it's a first for me that I've ever heard of such a thing, what do you consider the 'Malay world?' Indonesia, as well as the Philippines, perhaps, seeing as their own very mixed up ethnic composition is, if not exactly dominated, then represented more than any other ethnic group, by Malays?

of course Thailand is more diverse than it can seem but no way is it more diverse than Malaysia is. In the modern era Chinese and Indian people came in, courtesy of the British Empire, and helped to build the place. Call it 'nationalist educational and political engineering' if you like, but the simple fact is Malaysia is politcally much more stable today and has been since indepedence and is busiily getting itself richer a lot faster than Thailand is.

10

I too would agree that the quality of life is higher here in Thailand.

While the cost of living is a bit lower in the north - if you live away from the tourist areas - Phuket is not an expensive place to live.

My 2-bedroom A/C home in a small gated complex (only five homes) costs only a bit more than my tiny 1-bedroom apartment in Bangkok. Which would I choose for quality of life? Of course, Phuket - and I can walk to the beach in eight minutes.

If you want to teach English - the hotels here offer FAR better wages and and far smaller classes than universities or public schools - in a A/C setting rather than the sweat bath you will find at public unis or schools.

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Teach English on Phuket Island, Thailand

11

might be a bit better for privileged expats that live in gated communities, but no way are working class Thais better off than their Malaysian counterparts.

12

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might be a bit better for privileged expats that live in gated communities, but no way are working class Thais better off than their Malaysian counterparts.

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Tis a nice notion that only privileged expats live in gated communities - but 4 of the 5 houses in my small community are occupied by Thais.

I would tend to agree that overall Malays have a higher standard of living than Thais. Doesn't, however, mean that they enjoy their lives more.

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Teach English on Phuket Island, Thailand

13

I suggest you ask yourself why you consider it necessary to live locked up away behind the walls in what amounts to basically fear and trepidation if the Thais are really that happy and contented with what life offers them.

14

I for one don't live inside any privileged "wall". I'm smack in the middle of Chiang Mai with life streaming past the front door. No way I'm going to end up in one of those Lego-Land prefab communities. Sure you can buy a nice house with a fence and a swimming pool for a couple million baht, but then you're so isolated from where you actually are (and if you come home drunk you can't find your house cuz hey all look the same). Same for those hospital-like condo towers - total isolation from the happenings. Give me the sound of chickens and tuk tuks any day.

Also, while I agree Malaysians seem to be slightly more prosperous than their Thai counterparts, there is just something in the air about Thailand that equates to a better way of life. You notice it the moment you cross the border (at least I usually do). People are just so much more chilled out, smiling (lazy), and willing to go with the flow. Religion no doubt plays a major role in this difference. You'd never hear Malaysia called "Land of Smiles".