Today we welcome back Colleen Setchell who gave us a fab interview on South Africa last year. Since then, her blog Write Around the World has been following her new adventure, teaching in my favourite country in the World, Thailand. I just had to find out more… Kiri
Hi Colleen, great to have you back again! For those who didn’t read your first interview, could you briefly introduce yourself and your site?
Sure, my name is Colleen. In 2011, after suffering from stress and burnout, I gave up my corporate job, sold all my possessions and decided to travel around the world.
I created Write Around The World to share travel stories, costs, tips and tricks from my travels.
Last year, I decided it might be a good idea to start earning regular money again but I wasn’t ready to return home. I enrolled on a TEFL course and am now living in Thailand teaching English to nearly 600 incredibly cute, intelligent Thai children.
You are currently living and teaching in Thailand. What made you choose this country and what were your first impressions?
I didn’t choose the country, it kind of chose me. I was looking for opportunities to earn money and through my writing connections, hooked up with a South African on LinkedIn who was a writer but living in Thailand. When I asked how she ended up there, she explained that she was the director of a TEFL training centre. It seemed like the answer 
The training centre was based on the island of Koh Samui so I spent a glorious month living there while completing my course and then I got my current job in Hat Yai.
My first impression of Thailand was ‘Gosh, they’re so poor here!’. Realising what a comfortably luxurious life I’ve led so far was very humbling. I soon learnt that even though the Thai people don’t have a lot, they always make the most of what they have got and that’s a wonderful thing to learn and a wonderful quality to have. They have earned my respect because of this.
How to Work and Travel: Colleen in Hat Yai
Tell us about your teaching experiences in Thailand. What are the biggest challenges and greatest joys?
Oh my word! I completely love it. The kids are bright, eager to learn and SO respectful. I still haven’t got used to being bowed at. Thai’s greet each other using something called a ‘Wai’ which is a slight bow with the palms of the hands together in a prayer gesture. Adults do it when greeting each other or apologising and children do it to adults and teachers. So humbling.
The challenge is of course the language barrier but thankfully, I have a wonderful teaching assistant who I work with and together we do our best to control the enthusiasm of over 550 8yr olds and 5 yrs olds (not altogether thankfully!).
I have around 20 teaching hours a week plus the hours I spend on marking or lesson plans. I find the work incredibly satisfying and rewarding, feelings which I never experienced in any of my corporate jobs.
My greatest joy is walking through the school and having loads of children running over and hugging me or waving and shouting ‘Teacher Colleen, Teacher Colleen, Teacher Colleen!’. It has made my eyes water on more than one occasion.
Tell us a little more about Hat Yai? Have you had any chances to travel around Thailand yet?
Hat Yai is in the far south of Thailand roughly 1 hour from the Malaysian border. It isn’t very touristy at all and I was openly stared at when I first arrived which took some getting used to.
The city itself doesn’t have a huge amount going for it, a few shopping centres, a cinema (with English films), lots of markets, some good restaurants and a good sized park (which extends up a hill to a Buddhist temple providing fantastic views across the city). However, it is only 30 minutes away from Songkhla which is on the coast and 30 minutes away from a 7 levelled waterfall.
I’ve been down to the island of Penang in Malaysia which was lovely. Kuala Lumpur and Singapore are both so close and I intend visiting both this year.
What is the local cuisine like? Did you find yourself trying new things or pining for the familiars of home?
I LOVE food and am always trying new things, the barbecued grasshoppers were declicious on Koh Samui. Hat Yai is known for its fried chicken and sticky rice so I admit to indulging in this quite often. Chicken feet soup with bean sprouts is a favourite here in Hat Yai and coconut ice cream with corn as a topping is different but very nice.
I didn’t think I missed anything from home until I was sent a jar of Marmite from friends in England. Marmite is a vegetarian yeast spread, black in colour and quite salty – delicious on bread or toast. I admit to really enjoying that every few days or so.
How to Work and Travel: Thai cuisine
What cultural activities and events would you suggest everyone seeing or taking part in while travelling in Thailand and why?
Loy Kratong in November involves making little floating boats with banana leaves and flowers and floating on any body of water. Lanterns are lit and set off into the sky and it looks really beautiful. It is celebrated at the full moon of the 12th month of the traditional Thai lunar calendar which usually works out to sometime in November. As the people release their krathong onto the water, they make a wish. It is said that the festival may originate from an ancient ritual paying respect to the water spirits.
Chinese New Year in February is also not to be missed. Chinese lanterns decorate the streets for a few weeks before and then what follows is usually a week of markets, dragons roaming the streets and fireworks being set off. A huge selection of Chinese food can be sampled too.
Hat Yai has a lantern festival which starts in January and runs all the way to April. Huge wire structures of animals and various creatures are covered with a taught material and then lit from the inside making it a stunning display of lights and shapes. It is held in the park and is best visited at night.
How to Work and Travel: Hat Yai lantern festival
Songkran, which is the traditional Thai New Year celebration usually from the 13-15 April. It is celebrated by having one huge water-throwing party. Walking through the streets people will be armed with water guns, hosepipes and buckets and everyone, EVERYONE, will get wet. Originally this was a time of cleansing and the locals would (and still do) clean any Buddha images in their household shrines using water and a fragrance. Locals will also use this time to give their houses a thorough cleansing.
What is your favourite thing about working and living in this country? What is your least favourite thing?
My most favourite thing about working in this country is the satisfaction that I get from knowing I have contributed to a child’s education. I love being part of the school and the day-to-day lives of the children.
How to Work and Travel: Hat Yai school kids
I’m enjoying learning Thai, getting to know some lovely Thai people and learning about their customs.
My least favourite thing about living in this country is the discrimination that is sometimes experienced against foreigners. You are automatically assumed to be rolling in money and will always be grossly overcharged for things that the locals pay almost nothing for. Sometimes I am ok with this (like paying my motorbike taxis to get me to school because I know they’re safe and they get me there quickly) but other things, like clothes at the market or entrance to the waterfall, I object to).
Ah, the humidity too – 75% every day and learning to be sweaty ALL the time.
What things do you focus on most when you blog about this country? Why do you choose these things?
I tend to write a lot about the food because this is always a huge part of my life. Ironically, I’ve lost a LOT of weight since arriving in Thailand but that might have something to do with the heat.
I write about what things cost because I think people always like to budget for their holidays and this is helpful. I write about things to do and how easy it is to get to Malaysia. I write about the things I would want to know about if I was interested in visiting another country.
What kind of response have you had to your blogs about Thailand? What post had the most interest?
The post about 1 month on Koh Samui was popular with some people who were thinking of visiting the island and staying in the same holiday bungalows as I did. It was satisfying to be able to advise them and tell them where the shops, bike rentals, restaurants, etc were.
Can you offer any advice for travellers/bloggers who are keen to live and/or work in Thailand.
If you want to teach in Thailand, research the school or agency THOROUGHLY before committing. There are horror stories about both. There are plenty forums which are useful for research and ajarn.com is the one used for Thailand for searching for jobs or teachers.
Don’t drink the tap water and when eating street food, be aware of WHAT you’re eating and how long it’s been standing there. Generally food that has a high turnover is a safer option. I tend to avoid seafood that is out in the open but I know others that eat it with no problems.
Drink water!!! You will be continuously shocked at just how much you sweat and dehydration not only seeps your energy but can also make you really ill.
You do need a work permit for working in Thailand so make sure you organise this or your employer organises it for you. You risk deportation if you are caught working on a tourist visa.
It is cheap in Thailand and certainly when you are bringing USD or GBP, you can live very well.
Learn a few basic words in Thai and the locals will love you for it.
What’s next for you?
I’ve just decided to sign up for another 2 terms working at my school and, as I mentioned earlier, I am keen to travel a bit around South East Asia a bit more. But, for the month of March and April, guess where I’m going? If you read my previous interview, you’ll know where? Yes, I’m returning to South Africa.
Great to have you back Colleen and you’ve made me miss Thailand even more!
Follow her journey over on WriteAroundtheWorld and she tweets on @WritearoundtheW
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