All UK’d Out

* Note to readers: I deliberately did not format or correct the English in this submission.

Stick

first of all i will give you some background info

I was born in the uk and grew up in the north.
im around 25 years of age and i lived in the gambia for the last four years.
I never got to meet Hans Maier though.
but after reading his very interesting submissions..
i can back
up what he is saying and conclude that he gave a very accurate picture of the country
to the point that i can picture his situations and have actually been to most of the palces he is referring to.
I would recommend any stick readers to visit
there at least once.
Especially if black women are your thing. (the scene is not nearly as expensive as bangkok but not as many neons and go-gos niether)
Ive been interested (borderline obsessed) in going to thailand since i was 18. (it was
the thought of the girls that did it for me in the beginning)

but i never managed to reach thailand as of yet.
im muslim by religion of white british origin which adds a bit of a spin on things as a have religious duties that i should hold up (but sometimes i fail miserably)

i was married at the age of 20 to a gambian woman; hence the reason i lived in gambia.

But in a twist of fate in 2010 i ended up back in the uk.
and since then ive been struggling from one job to the next trying to save enough to leave this dreary shit hole.
i am not a very big fan of european weather and prefer the
humid heat of the tropics.
Maybe even and underlying case of S-A-D as i do get extremely depressed when british winter come around.
Anyway.. to get to the point.
I wish to fulfil my urge and relocate to thailand.
I am still married
and love my wife.. and im not really looking to go to thialand for the same reason as before.
I wish to seek work there as an english teacher.

but i realise that there are some obstacles in my way:

1. I dont hold any university degree.

And for all those overzealous expats who like to jump down newbies throats..(u get them in every country)

i know this is a big disadvantage.. but where there is a will there is a way

2. my written grammer is pretty poor (as you all can see)
but i do plan to improve on that and im currently reading TEFL for dummies (great book)

3. im not sure which is best most advantagious TEFL course is the best for me..

and doing CELTA is out of the question at the moment as i dont have a spare £1500 knocking about.
The qualities i thinks would go in my favour in thailand though would be:
1. i do have alot of 1 on 1 experience teaching english to
indian and arab friends.

2. i lived in a third world country for quite an extended period of time. so the culture shock and adjustment would not be as hard for me.

3. At present the thai baht and the gambian dalasi are nearly worth the same (give or take a few setang or bututs..from whichever side you're looking at it from)

This will help in my money management skills greatly as ive done business in gambia and know the money inside and out.
Basically im looking for some advice on what to do.. that is tailored to my situation.
By september i should have
raised about £2500
and that will be my starting funds.
I dont want for much except a safe place to sleep. and food in my stomach.

Also on the plus side; i dont drink, smoke or monger. (which most reader will be scratching their heads by now. wondering why i want to go at all)
Like i said.. it's mainly the weather and slower pace of live that attracts me
My main
headache is trying to find a job when i get there ASAP.

And im even happy to start at the bottom earning B20.000 per month.(as in gambia this is alot of money)

From this ..what i have been reading; i believe that i personnally could get by in the country on this amount.
I estimate about 5000 baht for rent per month.
lack of aircon does not bother me that much
About maybe another 5000 baht
for food.(and im addicted to thai red curry so that should be quite cheap there :o) )
And hopefully someone can fill in the gaps in terms of transport costs and additional things.
I am fully aware that without a degree i cannot get a work
permit.

And that working illegally could get me deported and even blacklisted.
but its a chance im willing to take.
Thailand is not the country im looking to end my days in..I just want to experience it for a while.
And as a plus side to
me personally.. visa runs to the border seem to me like the perfect excuse to visit another country.
i do intend to go back to gambia once i have gained some teaching experience and hopefully
get a job in the education ministry. (i have an
in-law quite high up in their ranks)
basically i just need to know wether it is possible to find work however basic it may be
and not be at great risk of crackdowns and paranoia.
I'd even consider working in provincial towns if there
was a better chance of work.
I believe that id make a good teacher and have been advised this by former friends that ive taught english to in the past.
One thing i have consiedered though is getting a so-called "life degree"
I know these sound very dodgy and are not the best option but they seem a better option than
the ones from the university of khao san rd.
Either way the word no does not really exist in my dictionary and im determined to get there by hook
or crook.
I must take this opportunity to commend stick on his work on the site over the years.
ive been and avid reader of this site for nearly 6 years (which is almost a quarter of my life)
Keep up the good work

I will cut this short for now and hopefully someone can give me some constructive advice. (end)

Thanks for the advice.. hope this is enough words to be accepted.
ive spell checked it and tidied it up a little bit. (the first draft was a bit rushed)

many thanks..

sam

Stickman's thoughts:

I admire your enthusiasm but I implore you to "play the long game"!

You would be much better off knuckling down in the UK, going to university and getting a degree (go for a degree in English or a degree in Education). Do that and you will be better prepared to teach and will qualify for a work permit. While you may be willing to take the risk of working without a work permit, spare a thought for your students. You openly admit that your knowledge of grammar is weak (which admittedly is not the be all and end all of being a good English teacher) but come on, students expect a teacher to know their stuff! You will be in a MUCH better position if you get a degree in the UK first!