Be Like Jeff: Don’t Let Doubt Hold You Back—Start Teaching in Thailand and Live the BFITS Dream (Part 1)

Where do I start? Do you think I am referring to this story, this article? I am actually thinking about all those years ago. When I decided to teach in Thailand. I needed to know how to get started. You might be asking yourself the same question. Of course, it begins with research. You are smart enough to know where to look.

Or, you have done your research. Well, I know you have. That may even be why you are reading this page, this article, this blog. And if you’re dreaming of teaching in Thailand, this first leap can feel huge, but it’s also exciting.

Doing Your Homework Before the Leap

You should consider factors such as expected salary, cost of living, housing expectations, government stability, crime rates, industry turnover, availability, and demand. You are a smart one, I know. Because you probably looked at exchange rates, immigration, local customs, availability of your favorite food, utility rates, average daily temperatures, and weather patterns.

If you are in the advanced class, you also researched document acceptance, apostille (which Thailand is NOT part of The Hague Convention), poisonous local wildlife, water quality, infrastructure reliability, etc, etc, etc.

Committing to the Big Move

So, you have done your research. It is time to make the commitment. Take the leap. There is nothing left to do but take the first step. Get to getting it done. Sell your house. Sell your car and all of your belongings that are worth selling. Give away anything that you cannot sell.

After all, you are moving abroad. You are moving to the exotic land of Thailand. You do not need all that stuff where you are going. Maybe you came to Thailand and fell in love with the culture, climate, and people. Perhaps a friend has been telling you stories of all their adventures in The Land of Smiles. Maybe your love affair is based solely on your online research.

Falling in Love with Thailand

Let me tell you how I got started. I visited Thailand in August of 2019. Wow, was I smitten. As a cyclist, Thailand had everything I needed. The weather is ideal for cycling year-round. I have ridden in cold rain plenty of times. So the warm rain of Thailand would be a welcome change.

Heat, I was not afraid of that either. I just wanted decent roads, some interesting views, and someplace with interesting topography. Thailand, most definitely, has all of that. I even checked into the cost of having my bikes shipped there.

Building My Teaching Qualification

So, I started my preparation to leave my home country and move to Thailand to teach. Unlike some, I had never taught in a traditional role. I have a bachelor’s degree, but did not have a teaching degree or certification. I also did not possess a TEFL certificate (or its equivalent).

Not to worry, I had a plan. I found a place that offered TEFL certification in Bangkok at a very reasonable price. A 160-hour certification with a classroom teaching component. Exactly what I needed to start my teaching journey. The best part was that they offered guaranteed job placement assistance.

Enough said! This is the kind of clear plan many people use when they decide to teach in Thailand.

Checking Out Bangkok Life

I returned to Bangkok in October of 2019. Just a couple of months after I had visited in August. This was a very targeted mission. Find the TEFL school. Look at condos and other living accommodations. Conduct hands-on research in grocery stores.

Check out public transportation. I wanted to ensure I knew what my life would be like teaching in Bangkok, Thailand. I attended the TEFL school. I contacted the head instructor. I made an appointment and looked at where I would be studying to earn my TEFL certification.

Downsizing for the Adventure

I returned home and started taking steps to finalize my plan. I worked out a timeline to close out my life in my home area. I started downsizing my life. I reached out to my support network of friends and family to inform them of my plans. I listed items for sale on online marketplaces.

I needed to get everything in my life to fit into a few suitcases. This step was difficult but also surprisingly liberating. I found a home for everything I didn’t want to take with me to Thailand. I enrolled in the TEFL school I had visited in Bangkok. When I finished preparing my house, I listed it for sale.

When COVID Changed Everything

And then the COVID-19 situation began. Much like most people, I did not expect any of my plans to be severely affected. I resigned from my workplace in November 2020. After that, everything had to fall into place. There was no going back. The pandemic continued, however. Thailand had closed.

Every flight I booked eventually was cancelled. Visas were not available either. It seemed like everything had gone off the rails all at once. I spent countless hours and days trying to keep my plans from failing. I eventually managed to jump through all of the hoops and arrived in Thailand in January of 2021.

Losing My First Teaching Path

Unfortunately, the six months following my arrival in Thailand were not ideal. As most of you are now aware, the pandemic has continued longer than expected. The TEFL school that I had visited, subsequently enrolled, paid tuition and housing fees at, eventually closed completely.

They went out of business and, despite promises to refund tuition and other funds collected from students, never did. I was now unemployed in Thailand and at a loss for what to do next. The situation with the pandemic was not getting better. The schools showed no signs of opening quickly.

Staying Busy and Staying Hopeful

I was panicked and very unsure of what to do. The lockdowns in Bangkok were common and did not seem to be disappearing soon. I realized the rest of Thailand was less restrictive. Many days I did not leave my condo in Bangkok. As a very active person, when the pools and gyms remained closed for so long, I went stir crazy.

I decided to buy a bicycle. In April 2021, I visited the bicycle shop and placed a deposit on a bicycle that was scheduled to arrive the following week. But the shipment never arrived. Days passed, and then weeks. The bicycle shipment was delayed due to the pandemic.

My Epic Cycling Escape

After six weeks of waiting, I started searching online marketplaces for a used bicycle. I have finally located a Cannondale bicycle that suits my purposes. I had decided, while waiting for the chronically delayed shipment, that I would leave Bangkok for a while and embark on a bicycle tour of Thailand. If the schools had opened while I was away, I would return to Bangkok, enroll in my TEFL certification, and start searching for a teaching position.

Thankfully, I was on a Thailand Elite visa and did not need to worry about that aspect of living abroad. The Thailand Elite visa is a five-year visa that allows unlimited stay or entry. Teachers in Thailand often discover adventures beyond the classroom that reshape their perspective.

Stranded in Phuket, I Opened a Restaurant

I purchased bags and other necessary gear to equip my bicycle for the journey, and I rode out of Bangkok on the morning of May 30, 2021. I planned to head south and take the scenic route when possible. I eventually ended up in Phuket in mid-June after riding over 1,000 kilometers. The pandemic and restrictions were getting worse. I had passed through countless government checkpoints designed to restrict long-distance travel. I was only stopped once because they did not expect someone to be going as far as I had.

After arriving in Phuket, my dreams of teaching were derailed entirely. Even though I had taken a COVID test prior to entry, I was quarantined for 15 days. While I was in quarantine, the island of Phuket was closed, and all interprovincial travel was restricted.

I was forbidden from leaving Phuket. I ended up being marooned in Phuket for 3 months. The lockdowns and COVID had now spread to the whole of Thailand. It seemed like the pandemic would never end. I had to cash out some investments to pay for living expenses.

I gave up trying to teach and started investigating the possibility of opening a restaurant in Phuket. I needed to do something instead of burning through my savings. I did open a restaurant in Phuket. I have since sold my restaurant. I also worked in Chonburi, managing an entertainment venue there. I was slowly building a life in Thailand.

Returning to My Teaching Dream with BFITS

But I was still not on my initial track. It had been 4 years already since I arrived, and I wanted to teach. I really wanted to teach in Thailand… In January of 2025, I decided to search again for teaching jobs. I had hoped the schools would be more stabilized, and I could have achieved better results if I tried again.

Well, at the time of this writing, I work for BFITS Thailand and teach at their partner school, Satit School of Suratthani Rajabhat University (SRU)โรงเรียนสาธิตแห่งมหาวิทยาลัยราชภัฏสุราษฎร์ธานี. I am thrilled that my journey has come full circle, back to why I initially moved to Thailand. Teaching in Thailand has given me purpose, and I know many teachers share the same gratitude. So, if you’ve ever dreamed of teaching English in Thailand, know it’s possible even after detours.

I hope you find my next article, which will discuss how wonderful my experience has been since joining BFITS and what I’ve done to get this far with them. Stay tuned!