I think that, for me, it is always a struggle with the language barrier and trying to understand the culture because of this not being a native or fluent Thai speaker. There are so many subtleties, nuances, and contexts which can be misconstrued because of this language learning curve, and that can ...

I think you should always be street smart and aware of your surroundings. Don't let people goad you into fights or situations where things can get twisted and you get blamed being the foreigner. It is easy to stay out of trouble, but once you get into trouble in Asia, especially in Thailand, you are...

I am also from the South in the United States. Racism is a prominent issue where I live, and still, even to this day, mixed-race couples still get stares and ridicule. There is a bit of racism where I am from towards Asians and middle easterners, and people talk about how they steal jobs and opportu...

This is such a complicated question, and it has been a question that all teachers who truly care about their students have asked at one time or another. I think that the answer to this question varies upon the individual student and the individual situation. There could be family, cultural, economic...

Honestly, I don't trust the tap water anywhere anymore. I have heard horror stories of travelers getting terribly sick from drinking the water in other countries. You have to be careful of lead poisoning, parasites, and all sorts of other nasty afflictions. Bottled water is expensive, but it's worth...

I know from my ex-pat friends that a major compliant regarding Westerners is their pampered first world attitudes. I am sad that a lot of the world has come to expect this from Americans, especially, and I try to represent myself in a very different way wherever I go in my travels. I am always polit...

It took me a long time to learn my own voice and my own rhythm in life. I never let people push me around, but I did let worrying about what others thought of me, at times, have an abject affect upon my life. I am older now, and looking back, I wish I had rejected peer pressure much better on severa...

This is extremely useful information. I have applied for five teaching jobs in Thailand and am awaiting a response. Knowing things like this and learning from this forum is very helpful should I find myself there by the holiday or winter session. I know this will be an incredible learning experience...

I absolutely love Thai iced teas--

Most people have told me that teachers can have more fun in their night lives in Thailand than they can as opposed to teaching in the small towns they live in in America. As a college professor, especially in a small college town, you will invariably run into your students when you are out and about...