Thai teacher shocked by rural school, goes anyway for the kids

No matter how passionate you are about something, if that passion uproots you and drops you into a new and entirely different world, then it is natural to feel overwhelmed. This is what happened to a newly deployed, freshly graduated Thai teacher from Chiang Rai who suddenly found himself assigned to a rural and remote school in Chantaburi.

While he initially was anxious to the point of tears, he puckered up and resolved himself to do it for the kids. Here are the details of what happened and how he eventually came to adore his new assignment.

A freshly graduated teacher tries to find his new remote school online

Aerial view of the small waterside Chantaburi village from Google Maps.
Image credit: Google Maps

In early August 2023, a newly employed Thai teacher was assigned to his new rural school in Chantaburi. Not knowing the school, he did what any of us would do: he Googled the school.

What he found shocked him.

Apart from the pin on the map, he could barely find details about his new school online. In fact, the Google Maps listing didn’t have a phone number and the website was a template that hadn’t even been filled in.

He was about to start his new assignment and now he wasn’t even sure how to even get to the school. So much like a budget adventure traveller seeking the cheapest possible accommodation, he called the nearby homestay business to ask about the school.

Apparently, the accommodations for the teachers did not have running water! This obviously distressed the teacher quite a bit.

Doing it for the kids

Two primary school students in Chantaburi solving math problems on the white board.
Image credit: kongphop_q via TikTok

But he quickly found himself resolved to give this a shot. In a TikTok sharing his experience, he said he thought of the kids. The school had only a couple of teachers and 28 kids in total. If he simply gave up now, who would teach these kids?

He also received plenty of support from his friends as well as his family.

So he and his family went through the usual religious ceremonies to help boost his luck before his new venture. They also prepared plenty of essentials for his new life teaching on a remote island in Chantaburi.

Falling in love with the new environment

A small waterside town in Chantaburi with a school in the back.
Image credit: kongphop_q via TikTok

The teacher continued to document his relocation on TikTok. Having lived his entire life in the mountains of Chiang Rai, it was a bit of a shock to be living for an extended period of time in the oceanside town of Chantaburi.

After the 12-hour drive, he got on a small boat with his belonging for another hour’s worth of traveling to his new lodgings. The only way to get to his new school was by boat, highlighting just how remote this was.

But after arriving at his new home, he found that it wasn’t the nightmare he was imagining. They had recently renovated the home and despite the tight spaces, it was very comfortable.

In fact, the teacher said that he was quickly falling in love with the rustic charm of the rural village. He was warmly welcomed by the tight-knit community. The local homestay even gave him a free boat tour as well as informed him that he had an open invitation to use their shower if he wanted to.

He ended his TikTok by saying that he was glad that he resolved to come here to help the kids instead of giving up because of the potential hardships.

Things may not be as bad as they first appear

Good education does not come easy. For young kids, a good education is an absolutely essential challenge that opens doors. But this opportunity would not exist if not for good teachers who may have to relocate to a new town and endure discouraging hardships.

Thai education has a long way to go before it can compete on the world stage as a nation, but teachers like this are what will make it possible for it to get there. While initially overwhelmed, this teacher’s story serves as a great inspiration that teaching can also be a sacrifice that should be celebrated. If one were to truly dedicate their life to bettering others, one does not always get to choose to do it entirely on their own terms.

If you’re not as adventurous as the Thai teacher, but want to try something new, then check out Alice’s Pizza for Thai-style water mimosa pizzas. Or if you’re looking for a new regular haunt, theCOMMONS in Thong Lo is a community mall with excellent food options. Otherwise, you might want to check out traditional roast pork at Moo Hun Song Pee Nong.

Cover image adapted from: kongphop_q via TikTok

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