Filipino Expats Blog in Thailand

What takes a teacher, an expat at that, to be a success in Thailand?

For Monalisa, founder of the 22-year-old Liza’s School of Languages in Nakhon Ratchasima, in the northeast of Thailand – it is not that plain and simple. She points to a serendipitous mix of reasons behind “success.”

For one, being married to a Thai is a definite advantage. “My husband (whom she met in the Philippines when they studied at the same university) helps me with the intricacies of Thai culture,” she said. “I learned a lot from him and this makes me suitably equipped to better understand and socially approach my students and their parents.” When asked how many students have enrolled in her school over the years, she said, “Probably by the thousands.”

Mona was also fortunate to experience extensive training from a well-known Catholic school in Korat (former name of Nakhon Ratchasima), where she first worked for 13 years. Coming from quite a different set of culture in Dumalag, Capiz in the Philippines, she was introduced to a new environment when she first set foot in Korat. “It was there that I gained exposure and understanding of the local culture and blossomed with inspiration,” she said. “It was there that I realized teaching was not simply the imparting of knowledge to students; it is an art – delicate and complex at the same time. Adjustments have to be made to best suit the student’s needs.”

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