Travel was honestly the main reason I decided to move to Thailand for a year. After graduating university, I knew I wanted to find a work opportunity that allowed me to travel too. I had never solo travelled before, and I was apprehensive of committing to backpacking alone. When I came across Impact Teaching, I was excited to find an opportunity for travel but one that did not require constantly relocating and navigating new places. 

I loved the idea of moving to Bangkok and having a base from which I could not only explore a country with a lot to offer but that has neighbouring countries popular for travelling- and that meant traveling at my own pace! And so far it has been amazing! I have enjoyed the stability of a job and a home base, have made great friends (also travel partners!) but have still had the freedom to go on lots of unforgettable trips!

So to answer the question, yes- you can definitely travel as a teacher in Thailand! A massive advantage to living in Bangkok is how well connected it is. Both domestic and international flights were so accessible as were the trusty sleeper buses. This meant as well as bigger trips, weekend trips were always a possibility. These were great as a cheaper option and as a well-needed breaks from teaching life! Islands such as Koh Larna and Koh Phangan were places I’ve visited within a limited amount of time. It’s so easy to plan some escapes from city life and come back feeling more revived! And as Thailand is relatively cheap, weekend trips are pretty manageable to budget. Sleeper buses are definitely are favourite of mine and my friends and accommodation is usually affordable. Food prices usually stay around the same, especially if you stick to Thai food and continue finding local spots. Other long-term teachers in my office were super helpful with recommending more local trips away too, which not only kept prices low but opened us up to some beautiful places I would have never have heard of! 

This is something I have loved about my experience so far- the people I have met through the Impact Teaching training and my co-workers. And we have managed to travel together! One of my favorite experiences was when myself and some other teachers reunited with our friend Will, who was teaching in Isan- Thailand’s rural region known for its unique cultural identity. He invited us to Ubon Ratchathani, where we explored national parks and the local town. It was somewhere I had never heard of before coming to Thailand. This trip gave us a taste of local, rural life- something I don’t think I would have been likely to unlock by solo travelling. I also brought in the New Year in Chiang Mai with everyone from training and it was great to share our experiences so far and bring in our new year with hopes of more good ones!

Travelling outside of Thailand was easier than I imagined too! My school was much more flexible than I imagined. When the summer holidays came about in March, we were given options on how much of the summer camp we wanted to sign up for. This is great as you can decide on how you want to split your time between earning money and travelling. I did opt for the whole two months off (eek!) but this gave me the chance to visit Vietnam. Myself and other teachers travelled from North to South, starting in Hanoi, and ending in Ho Chi Minh! The trip had too many highlights. The Ha Giang Loop offered insane views of the mountains in the north and Hanoi gave us parties down Beer Street! In Hoi An, we enjoyed the magical lantern boats and we squeezed through the war tunnels in Ho Chi Minh! After too many bowls of pho, I headed back to South Thailand to enjoy the beaches in Krabi and Phuket (where my dad was able to visit) and then the full moon party in Koh Phanghan! 

That’s not to say there weren’t some downsides to travelling as a teacher. For instance, I expected there to be more half-terms for travelling, as there is in England. However, the work culture is, of course, different here and before the summer holidays the most time off we were given was a long weekend of three or four days. Having a whole two months at once was great, but this meant limited travel in term time and this also meant budgeting the unpaid summer months off well, keeping in mind having enough for rent and bills too. Realistically, if I was to do this experience again, I would save up more beforehand and budget more sensibly whilst in Thailand- for when having this time off teaching. 

However, I have had a great experience living in and travelling from Bangkok. Even when not travelling much, Bangkok itself feels like a place I’m always exploring. Even when I was first settling down here, and not travelling, weekends always felt exciting because there was always a new neighbourhood to discover- I was already having great experiences without leaving Bangkok! Another great thing about this experience was having friends who were travelling Asia (including friends we met on the Ha Giang Loop!) come and stay. It was crazy to show friends around like a local! What has made this experience so fun is having a great homebase abroad and getting to know one culture so well, whilst also having the opportunity to see so much more- a great balance of stability and adventure!