How to move to Thailand is a question I asked myself every single day for months – sitting at a desk in corporate London, working in HR, wondering if I could actually make happen. I wasn’t sure if i would be able to make it happen, I just knew that I didnt want to do life in the UK anymore. Today I am writing this from my apartment in Bangkok, where I now live and work as a teacher, teaching English as a foreign language. I am Abi – a British woman in her 30’s who swapped a 10 year HR career for a completely different life in Southeast Asia. This is my honest story, plus everything I wish I had known before I made the move.
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Why I Left My Corporate Job in London
The more I thought about how to move to Thailand, the more it made sense. I spent over 10 years working in HR in London and for a long time, it was fine. Good salary, good career progression, and all the things you are supposed to want. But somewhere along the way, fine stopped being enough. The cost of living in the UK was getting harder to justify. I was burnt out in a way that a holiday could not fix. And every time I scrolled through travel content online, I felt this pull towards something bigger, a life that actually matched the person I wanted to be. I had always been passionate about solo female travel and experiencing new cultures, and I knew deep down that staying put meant giving all of that up. So I stopped waiting and started planning.
Deciding to Teach English in Thailand
Once I had made the decision to leave London, the next question was what to do and where to go. Researching how to move to Thailand led me back to the same answer every time – teaching. Thailand had always been on my radar as a travel destination, the cost of living was significantly lower than the UK, and teaching abroad gave me a legitimate way to live and work in another country rather than just passing through as a tourist. Bangkok specifically felt right – a major city with a huge expat community, incredible food, brilliant transport links, and endless things to explore. I had never been to Thailand before I made the decision to move there. That took nerve but it was absolutely the right decision and i’ve not looked back since.
How I Became a Teacher in Bangkok – My TEFL and Visa Journey
This section covers exactly how to move to Thailand. I completed my TEFL certification online before I left the UK – most schools require a minimum of 120 hours, and it is the baseline qualification that gives you credibility to start applying for jobs. From there, I researched teach English in Thailand jobs through Teast and Ajarn – the two most popular job boards for foreign teachers, alongside recruitment agencies and Facebook groups. Most employers will also ask for original copies of your degree certificate, your academic transcript, and your original TEFL certificate, so make sure you bring these with you rather than relying on digital copies. I was offered a position at a school in Bangkok, which sponsored my Non-Immigrant B visa and work permit, the standard route for anyone figuring out how to move to Thailand to teach. Before I left, I set up a Wise account to manage transferring money between the UK and Thailand without losing a fortune to bank fees, and took out SafetyWing travel insurance for the move itself.
If you want the full step by step roadmap – visa requirements, TEFL advice, what to pack, salary expectations and more. I put everything I have learned into my own Teach in Thailand: The Complete Relocation Guide. It is the exact guide I wish I had before I made the move myself.
The Hardest Part of Moving to Thailand from the UK
Nobody warns you that knowing how to move to Thailand is the simple part – staying once you are here is where the real challenge starts. The hardest part for me has been the distance from friends and family. Time zones make spontaneous calls almost impossible, I have missed birthdays, gatherings and the small everyday moments back home that you do not realise you will miss until you are gone. There were nights early on where I questioned everything. Moving to Thailand from the UK alone is genuinely brave, and some days it does not feel brave at all – it just feels hard. But i’ve learned that the hard days don’t cancel out the good ones. You take the highs with the lows, and the highs here have been worth every difficult moment.
One Year On – How My Life Has Changed
A year on from working in corporate HR in London, I genuinely feel like a different person. I feel lighter in every sense – physically and mentally. My confidence has grown more than I ever expected, and I am far more sure of myself than I was sitting at that desk in London. Learning how to move to Thailand and actually build a life here taught me that I am capable of far more than I gave myself credit for. I have a routine I love, a job that challenges me in a good way, and weekends spent exploring places like the best things to do in Bangkok whenever I get the chance. I have also been fortunate enough to visit some genuinely beautiful places across Thailand, booking flights and getting around easily through Trip.com whenever a weekend trip calls. It’s not been perfect, but it’s been real and I wouldn’t trade it for the life I left behind.
Thinking About Teaching Abroad Yourself?
If reading this has made you think seriously about teaching abroad – then read on.. That feeling is worth listening to. Moving to Thailand from the UK is one of the most life-changing decisions I have ever made, and if you are sitting at a desk right now wondering whether it is possible, I promise you it is. The process of teaching English in Thailand is well established, the expat community here is huge and supportive, and Bangkok is one of the most incredible cities in the world to call home. Check out my full guide on how to teach English in Thailand for everything you need to know about qualifications, visas and finding a job. And if you are ready to go deeper, my Teach in Thailand: The Complete Relocation Guide covers every single step of the process in detail -from your TEFL to your first day in the classroom. For a broader overview of the country before you commit, read my full Thailand travel guide.
Frequently Asked Questions About Moving to Thailand from the UK
How do I start teaching English in Thailand?
The first step to teach English in Thailand is completing a TEFL certification with a minimum of 120 hours. Once you have that, you can start applying for jobs through Teast and Ajarn – the two most widely used job boards for foreign teachers in Thailand. Make sure you have original copies of your degree certificate, academic transcript and TEFL certificate ready before you apply. Most schools will not accept digital copies. From there, your employer will usually sponsor your Non-Immigrant B visa and work permit. For the full step by step process, check out my Teach in Thailand: The Complete Relocation Guide – it covers everything from application to arrival.
What qualifications do I need to teach English in Thailand?
For anyone researching how to move to Thailand as a teacher, you need a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in any subject and a TEFL certificate of at least 120 hours. Most schools whether government, private or international will require both. Some international schools may ask for additional qualifications or prior teaching experience, but for the majority of teach English in Thailand jobs, a degree and TEFL is sufficient to get started. Your employer will also need original certified copies of both your degree and your academic transcript so make sure you request these from your university before you leave the UK.
Is it hard moving to Thailand from the UK alone?
Honestly – yes and no. Knowing how to move to Thailand practically is straightforward once you have done your research. The paperwork, the visa, the job search all of it is manageable. The harder part is the emotional side. Being far from home, missing family and friends, and building a new life from scratch in Bangkok, Thailand takes real adjustment. But the expat and teaching community here is incredibly supportive, and most people find their feet faster than they expect. My honest advice – do your research, prepare properly, and trust yourself. Read my guide on is Thailand safe for solo female travellers for more on what life here is really like as a British woman.
Abi is a UK travel blogger, currently living in Thailand, sharing destination guides, solo female travel tips, and insider advice on exploring Southeast Asia. Through AGA Travel (Always Go Anywhere), she helps women discover the world with confidence, whether they’re travelling solo or joining one of her hosted group trips.
