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Yo Jennebel,

I know ALL about AYC! Please ask me really specific quetsions that I will have no trouble answering.

Teacher Matthew

Hi

My name is Robyn.

I saw that you were asking question about AYC Thailand.  Im also coming over with them in the next 2 weeks and was wondering how it is there for you, working with AYC?

Hope you can help!

Thanks!

Thanks everyone for the insurance advice. What a sticky web.

No problem.

Home comforts eh? Well, no issue with toothpaste haha.  They've got all the big names here, Colgate etc.  Same goes for all toiletries.  I ean, they have Tesco and Boots out here so you aren't gonna miss out.  I would recommend bringing out some nice going out type clothes.  I came out here backpacking first and until I started buying clothes here I was continually wearing backpacker clothes and I hated it after a while.  Suncream's not an issue unless you plan on going to the beach.  You're never outside for long enough to warrant it.  I don't use insect repellant, insects aren't too bad a problem here but then again I never get bitten anyway!

It's true that some places don't have hot water.  My old apartment did but my newer, nicer and more expensive apartment doesn't.  You get quite used to coldish showers in the morning.  If you don't have hot water then the temperature is decided by the weather, my showers are boiling hot between noon and about 3pm because of the sun being on the water tanks all day!

The language isn't too hard to pick up.  I can speak to a decent level now and I haven't taken any lessons.  I can have basic conversations with people and know enough to get by ordering food, directing taxis etc.  It's the tones that are difficult.  Say a word with a different tone and it completely changes the meaning e.g. "mai" can mean: wood, new, burn, not and it also makes a statement into a question!!  Oh, and moo means pork/pig, took me ages to stop thinking it meant beef/cow!  And cow means rice, food and he/she depending on how you say it!

Last thing, make sure you bring enough cash out for a deposit and to live for the first month until you get paid.

Any more questions just fire away!!

hello,  I didn't come out with a placement.  I just booked a one way flight and tried to find a job when I got here.  I had an interview with AYC but ended up working for an agency called Kids Square.  After 9 months of that I have just secured a job at a large school, directly employed by the school.  Working for an agency is fine, I'm actually glad I did it.  It's kind of like a safety net in a way.  Bear in mind though, like all agencies in any industry, they will be taking a cut of what the schools pay for your services so your pay reflects this.  Like I said, agencies are ok but bear in mind that there are better paid jobs out there.  Doing what I did might not be a bad idea, work in a placement/for an agency for a semester, get experience under your belt and then go find a better job yourself for the next semester (October/November time).

If you give my first blog post a read it goes into more detail about exactly what I went through to get my first job.  Should hopefully answer any other questions you have :-)

Good luck with Thailand, it's a great place to work and live.  Any more questions don't hesitate to ask.  Where will you be working?  Bangkok or out in one of the provinces?

Gaz