By Chelsey Dunham
I did tons of research before moving to Thailand so my husband Cole and I came prepared for all the big stuff: the fabulously low cost of the living, the “mai pen rai” attitude, the students being extra naughty during English class, the extreme heat, the delicious food, etc. Yet, Life in Thailand still managed to catch me off guard in a number of ways. The following are five things that may surprise you, as they did me, about Thai culture and life as a teacher in Thailand.
1. Any temperature below 70°F (21°C) is unbearably cold
One evening in December, four of us American English teachers went to our city’s weekend market to eat and shop. We arrived dressed in long pants and long sleeves yet found ourselves shivering as we ate. By the end of dinner we felt so cold that we decided to skip shopping at the market entirely. I checked the temperature and laughed out loud when I saw that it was 68°F (20°C)! What would have been a comfortable temperature to us at home sent us running back to our apartments now that our bodies had acclimatized to Thailand’s hot weather.
On cooler days our students come to school in cute little jackets and sometimes full-on winter coats complete with gloves and earmuffs
“Thailand’s slow-paced life means you’ll always have time to sit and watch the sunset”
2. You will have copious amounts of free time
When I pictured life in Thailand, I imagined my days being action-packed and full of adventure. But after settling into my teaching job, I actually found the opposite to be true in the most wonderful way. My life here is very relaxed and stress free. You can easily get all planning and grading done within the school day while you are not teaching. This leaves you with evenings and weekends completely free to travel, exercise, explore your town, spend time with friends, or just binge watch shows on Netflix. The relaxed pace is completely opposite of how I lived my life in the United States. I have enjoyed researching topics that interest me, writing a blog, going for long walks at a local park, and chatting with my Thai landlord in my new-found free time.
3. Many students suffer from rotten and decaying teeth
When I first arrived at my school, I was shocked to see so many of my students with black and toothless grins. We teach at a private school where most families can easily afford dental care, so why are these kids suffering from tooth decay at such a young age? The initial shock of seeing this problem wore off but I am still perplexed by the issue. The students brush their teeth everyday at after lunch at school but this is apparently not enough to combat the problem. I have tried to include lessons about dental hygiene, avoiding sugar, and the importance of eating fruits and vegetables for each of my classes.
It obviouls doesn’t make them any less adorable
I had some delicious shrimp pad Thai courtesy of this boat for less than $1 US
4. You may shed a few excess pounds
After living in Thailand for three months, Cole and I were pleasantly surprised when we stepped on the scale and realized we had both lost weight. Now after seven months in Thailand, most of the clothes we packed are too big. Many Thai dishes consist of freshly cooked ingredients and are served in small portions, which is a welcome change from the processed food and gigantic meals we were eating back home. The produce we buy at a local market is also fresher and much cheaper than in the United States. If you stick to a mostly Thai-food diet combined with other healthy habits (exercising daily, avoiding sugar, eating fruits and vegetables, etc.) you may be flying home a little lighter than you came!
5. Your comfort zone will expand immensely
Before moving to Thailand the thought of being stranded in an unfamiliar place, where no one speaks your language, praying for the right bus to drive by would have given me a minor panic attack; now that’s just a typical Friday night. Living in Thailand has put me in all kinds of situations that would have made me uncomfortable before—being lost and unable to ask anyone for help, eating unfamiliar foods, communicating with people whose language you can’t understand, performing a traditional Thai dance at your boss’s retirement party, the list goes on and on. Looking back I’m astonished at how quickly my comfort zone grew to include these situations. Living in Thailand has helped me be okay with no knowing and not being in control. After a few months in Thailand you may find that you’ll feel comfortable and at ease anywhere and with anyone.
As apprehensive as a I was at first, I had a great time learning traditional Thai dance and performing at our school director’s retirement party.
To read more stories about living and teaching in Thailand, check out our previous participant, Chelsey Dunham, blog through the following link https://candcoverseas.wordpress.com/
