My extraordinary life as an English teacher in rural Phuket

Since three years now I live in a tiny village, which is located in Phuket’s lovely countryside. The internet and English speaking locals can’t be found here and pineapple was the only eatable stuff familiar to me when I arrived here. I rented my house from a Thai lawyer and below me lives a Thai rural family. The oldest family member is the non-English speaking, 78 years old grandfather. This adorable man often comes to visit me and always brings some freshly picked fruit along. By now I can speak and understand some Thai and I always enjoy chatting with the old man who likes to smile and laugh a lot. He assured me that his three faithful dogs will protect our house against invading snakes but sometimes I fear some of the many dogs in the neighbourhood more than snakes, which so far I never spotted in the house’s direct surroundings.

I have a job teaching English in a little school. The majority of my enthusiastic students have rather poor and hard-working parents. These kids are, compared with students in the West, really a pleasure to work with. Their polite and respectful behaviour is something I never experienced with children when I was teaching in Europe. The lessons are always fun and often I let the children play roles. I think this method is the best way to teach them the English language. It is by far better than just letting them read books and write certain words over and over again. When giving classes I never speak Thai and prefer to act out all kind of situations. I have worked as an English teacher in Korea (Seoul), Vietnam (Hanoi), Czech Republic (Prague) and in Russia (Kiev) but teaching here in this laid-back rural environment is totally different from anything I have ever experienced before. I really started to love the simple way of live here.

Every Friday evening I drive in grandfather’s old but solid truck to the south of Phuket, where my friends Roger and Anne live. The ride takes about 90 minutes. My two best friends built a bungalow, made from rattan. The construction is standing on stilts and the blue ocean is just a two-minute walk away. The entire weekend I spend snorkelling, surfing, swimming and chilling out on the fabulous beach. After sunset we usually eat freshly caught and prepared seafood by the campfire while listening to our favourite music. It is really awesome, knowing a tranquil beach area away from the crowds of tourists. There is even a modest but good restaurant on ‘our’ little beach and a bakery, selling tasty croissants, can easily be reached on foot.

Sunday around 5pm I drive back again to my place. Once I arrive I thank grandfather for borrowing his truck again but he thanks me even more for returning the truck each time with a full tank. In the evening I prepare the lessons for Monday. God! I wish I could stay here forever. If you might be interested in teaching English in Phuket, this complete Phuket website provides useful information on living in Phuket.