International teacher Camilla decided to try teaching in Chiang Mai, Thailand… “And so we are now preparing to move to the Kingdom of Smiles. I’m back in the UK for the time being, and each drizzly day makes me congratulate myself on my decision. Teacher Horizons has opened a door to the world for me, and I’m really excited to explore it.”
I first heard about Prem Tinsulanonda International School in 2014 when Alex from Teacher Horizons contacted me to ask if I would be interested in teaching in Thailand. I hadn’t really thought about Thailand as a place to live, but something about the opportunity was intriguing. Perhaps it was the exotic-sounding name of the school, maybe it was the fact that the Headteacher Mr Alun Cooper once led the innovative Think Global School and was clearly someone with interesting ideas about education, potentially it was the idea of being able to eat Thai food all day, every day. In any case, my interest was piqued, and I chatted to Alun on Skype about the position. It transpired that the role wasn’t actually available after all as the member of staff who was going to leave had decided to stay. I filed the interaction under ‘Well That Was a Fun Dream for a While’ and stayed happily in my role at an education charity in London.
Thai street food
A year later, having decided to take some time out of my professional life to travel a little and to try my hand at writing, I found myself in Thailand. In a lovely flash of serendipity, Alun contacted me at about the same time to tell me that the role in Chiang Mai was available again. I fixed a day to visit, jumped on an overnight train from Bangkok, and found myself preparing for an interview in a very small and busy backpackers’ hostel.
This is not something I would recommend you do. Firstly, I had come away with almost nothing in my backpack, and certainly not anything resembling professional dress. I was told that the best place to find some smart clothes in Chiang Mai was Chinatown, so I jumped in a tuk tuk and headed there. After a tricky few hours’ shopping, (an activity I find hard enough at the best of times, let alone in 32 degree heat, attempting to speak Thai, and doing my best not to be distracted by the street food) I finally found a suitable outfit. Elated, I went to pay for it, only to be told that in fact they were only for sale in bulk. That was how I ended up with a small shop’s worth of ladies’ fashion wear and significantly less money for noodles.
That night presented more challenges. My hostel was very small, the people very friendly, and every other evening I had been there I had enjoyed a few bottles of Leo and a bit of dancing like the best of them. The night before my interview I went to my room early and found out that the walls might as well have been made from candyfloss for all the soundproofing they provided. I prepped for the interview with my headphones on, got myself all tucked up in bed by 10pm, and then was kept awake until three in the morning.
Luckily, the excitement of the next day did away with any tiredness I might have felt. I was met by a driver in the car park of a temple (a novelty), and driven to the school through increasingly green and mountainous countryside. I had seen a video the school had posted on their website to give prospective visitors a sense of what the place was like, but nothing prepared me for the beautiful grounds I discovered there. I was taken around the school in a golf cart(!), visiting the auditorium, the library, the swimming pool, the tennis courts, the lake, the golf course and the cricket pitch. Then they showed me the farm, with lemongrass, kaffir limes, rice, pigs, and even water buffalo. It’s fair to say that I was greatly impressed.
Camilla’s school from bird’s eye view
I had a good conversation with both Alun and the Head of Secondary. Other members of staff were also kind enough to give me their time and answer my questions. I saw a lesson taking place with two different year groups exploring forces through the use of oversized Angry Birds and massive catapults. Most importantly, I hung out with some Grade 6 students at lunchtime who told me lots of jokes and agreed the best thing about the school was the teachers who apparently were ‘brilliant’. I was sold.
Happily, I was offered the job a few days later. The next step was to encourage my boyfriend to buy a ticket to join me in Thailand for Christmas and New Year to see if he would be up for moving there. I did little to persuade him on the phone, knowing that the country, city, and school would speak for themselves. They shouted joyfully and he liked what he heard.
And so we are now preparing to move to the Kingdom of Smiles. I’m back in the UK for the time being, and each drizzly day makes me congratulate myself on my decision. Teacher Horizons has opened a door to the world for me, and I’m really excited to explore it.
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