Be Like Chris: Build a Life in Buriram That Lasts Beyond 4 Years of Teaching in Thailand

21st April, 2021. It was the day I first arrived, having never planned on teaching in Thailand but intending to stay for maybe a year or 2 and work in education.

I had previously visited as a tourist, spending Chinese New Year 2018 on the island of Koh Chang in Thailand’s far south-east, ‘elephant island,’ providing a tropical paradise in which to relax and enjoy the sun’s rays after spending the previous few weeks in mainly frozen northern China. The contrast was stark.

At that time, during my first visit, I had not thought about ever coming to Thailand to take up full-time work. This was not because of any negative view of the region or similar thoughts, but rather because I was quite content in my life at that time, where I was. I was working full-time as it was, but things were soon to change on a global scale when, in late 2019/early 2020, the first rumblings of the now infamous COVID pandemic were to raise its ugly head. Suddenly, my time in China had come to an end as the world shut its borders.

Obviously, the effect on global education was profound, with UNESCO reporting that at least 9 out of 10 students had their face-to-face learning interrupted for a prolonged period. The social inequality that this exacerbated was certainly felt in many countries, as students with more advantaged parents generally had access to better digital infrastructure, meaning they could still benefit from online classes, but frankly, this was still a poor substitute for the real-life situation, in my opinion.

Searching for Stability During a Global Shutdown

I found myself back in Ireland, and after the initial obvious joy at being back among family and old friends, that happiness soon subsided, and I was once again eager to get back out into the world and to resume my teaching career. The problem was that many countries in the world were still closed, or if not closed, incredibly difficult to gain access to.

I had been home for over 6 months at this point and was developing cabin fever. Additionally, I had been doing vast research on the entry restrictions of popular TEFL destinations such as Japan (virtually impossible at the time), South Korea (ludicrous requirements), and even a return to China (COVID tests before you fly, at any stopover airports, and probably every day upon arrival for a month).

I talked to a school in Russia, which thankfully, given the current political situation there, did not work out. Furthermore, I even interviewed with a school in a place called ‘Somaliland,’ a self-declared independent state in the Horn of Africa, that is unrecognised by almost all nations on earth, save for a small few. I declined when told by my interviewer how serious the Islamic terrorist threat was and that I would need to be ferried to town at the weekend for supplies by guards armed with AK-47’s, as apparently these trips are when you are most at risk of abduction and/or death.

Then I came across Thailand while perusing Google Maps and was transported back to my time there only a couple of short years earlier. The stunning beaches, the majestic temples, the flavoursome food, and the general congeniality of the people brought back reassuring memories, and so I endeavoured to do my research and see how and indeed if it was possible to travel. It was now about February 2021, and I had been back home for approximately a year.

Arriving in Thailand: Quarantine, Uncertainty, and a New Beginning

It would not be wholly straightforward, but it was possible, and so I sent my degree off to the Thai Embassy in London for legalization and looked into possible hotels in Bangkok that I could stay in for quarantine completion upon arrival. There were only select hotels that were allowed to fulfill this requirement, but once I had my ducks in order and a suitable hotel had been booked along with the flight, I was ready to go and start my next adventure.

Arriving at Suvarnabhumi resembled something from “28 Days Later,” the place abandoned by its usual standards as workers in full hazmat suits ferried me into the back of a taxi and carried me to my hotel, where I sneaked through the back entrance. We had a lockdown in Ireland, of course, but nothing like this; the Irish attitude to such matters traditionally being a bit more laissez-faire.

Fast forward 4 months, and I had secured a position from the available jobs at BFITS Thailand as the Math teacher in their English Program at Buriram Pitthayakhom (BP) School. When I started in August of 2021, classes were still being conducted online, and so it was quite difficult start under such circumstances, having not actually met my students or even my colleagues in person yet.

In fact, my training with BFITS itself was conducted online (shout-out to Trell Cornelius, who was the Training Manager at that time, now the Program Manager, for his awesome help and god-like patience), but onwards we went, and by November of the same year, we had returned to the classroom for person-to-person interaction.

Finding My Footing in the Classroom in Buriram and Beyond

Meeting students for the first time can always be a mixture of excitement and apprehension as you wish to make a good impression while also establishing yourself and stamping your personality and teaching style on the class. At this stage, I had many years of experience behind me, but it is still a challenge as each class contains 30+ different personalities, each with their own diverse interests and even sometimes issues.

Luckily, I had amazing support from direct colleagues and also from HR in Buriram and in Bangkok, which helped with any teething problems as I settled in. I’m a naturally confident person, and once I had totally immersed and familiarised myself with the content I had been tasked with teaching, I became more comfortable and able to add my own twist to classes from time to time.

More Than Lessons: Activity Days, Camps, and Cultural Traditions

When I first started in the position, I didn’t realise all of the various activity days that come with being a teacher in Thailand, those annual special days in the Thai calendar that are celebrated enthusiastically in different ways. Days like Loy Krathong, various royal birthdays, as well as sports weeks and special trips are balanced within the education system, where we must also deliver a world-class education experience to our students. I embraced these traditions and my newfound position within them and have grown better for the experience.

There was the Bright Challenge competition some years ago, where various schools competed against each other. Here in Buriram, we have inter-school competitions every year in Maths, Science, English, Singing, and other disciplines. These events instill that sense of community and in the students a sense of achievement. So what I’m saying is that there is so much more to life here as a teacher than just what you do inside the classroom.

We travel to English Camps here each year, and these are a wonderful opportunity to see not only our colleagues outside of our normal working environment but also our students away from the pressures of the traditional classroom setting. These fun, activity-based settings provide a great chance to see shy students come out of their shells and for us to communicate differently with our classes.

Rarely are two days the same for me here. And I enjoy that. A monotonous office job was never something I could do, and this is certainly not that.

Buriram Community, Colleagues, and the Work You Don’t Always See

“To know the road ahead, ask those coming back.” As we reflect, sometimes we ask, what is a community? Well, it can mean many things to many people, but generally it is a group of people sharing a common connection, having similar interests, or identifying in a common manner.

Here in Thailand and within the BFITS academic organisation, I feel part of a community, a community whose objective is to do all it can for the betterment of the education of the students of this great country. I have worked here with colleagues from all parts of the world, and the ones that I have got on with the best are those who share this passion with me.

Those who put in the extra time and effort to tutor a student who is struggling in a particular subject, or those who help a student draft their college application letter. The almost unseen work. But it is not unseen by the students who benefit. I have seen this here first-hand.

Are there bad days with difficult classes? Of course! It would be strange indeed if there were not.

Watching Students in Thailand Grow Year After Year

In November, I was granted a new visa and work permit. That grants me another year here, and it got me thinking about my long-term future, having been here since 2021.

Despite all I have previously said about the excitement of special event days and school trips away, the nitty-gritty of teaching is still what’s most important to me here. Teaching my curriculum and working on projects, both in groups and individually, with the students, is what gets me up each day.

Before coming here, I had tended to bounce around a bit. A year here, a year there. Never really long-term. That has changed here as I have established good relationships with colleagues, with my employer, and most of all with students. The students I taught in M1 (Grade 7) in my first year here will be in M6 (Grade 12) next year and graduating. There is great satisfaction in seeing them as they grow and improve each year.

Thailand as a Base: Work, Travel, and a Life Well-Lived

I have talked about the working side of things a lot here, and I think that’s important as it is our main reason for being here. But living here has also given me and many of you tremendous potential to travel, particularly in Asia.

Suvarnabhumi is a major hub for international travel that ensures that almost all countries are accessible, sometimes just by direct flight. 2 weeks in Cambodia is cheaper for me than 1 long weekend in Dublin back home. Travel inside Thailand itself is relatively easy and affordable. There is a whole world out there that can be seen using Thailand as your base, and I intend to make that happen.

Choosing to Stay in Buriram, Thailand

So I’ve decided that I want to stay here in Buriram, Thailand, for the long term. I enjoy the food, the weather (mostly), and the people, and most importantly, I still enjoy what I do here extremely much. I’ve met a lot of good people and already have a lot of good memories, but I want to have more.

I wish you all well as you each decide your own futures.

Chris Whearty
Math Teacher, BP BFITS Program
Buriram Pitthayakhom (BP) School