Scrolling through platforms like Preply or the educational tags on Xiaohongshu, it is easy to feel discouraged. With skilled teachers from countries with a lower cost of living offering lessons for a fraction of a UK hourly rate, it can feel like the industry is in a race to the bottom. The good news? It is a race you don’t need to run. The Global Reality We must accept that the market has changed. Teachers from the Philippines and Latin America are often excellent, hardworking, and provide a vital service for students who need affordable practice. This isn’t unfair; it is simply global economics. However, just because they can charge less, doesn’t mean you should lower your value. Why You Shouldn't Compete on Price. If you try to match the lowest rates, you will burn out. More importantly, price dictates your student. - Low prices often attract casual "shoppers" looking for a chat. - Sustainable prices attract serious students looking for results. Sell Value, Not Time To stand out, stop selling "English lessons" and start selling specific outcomes. As a native speaker or a specialised tutor, you offer things that bargain-hunting cannot buy: - Cultural Nuance: Understanding how and why we use certain phrases. - Idiomatic Fluency: Polishing advanced speakers to sound natural, not just grammatically correct. - Specialisation: Solving high-stakes problems like IELTS exams or business presentations. The Verdict The market is big enough for everyone. There is a place for affordable conversation practice, and there is a place for premium coaching. Don’t look down on the low-cost market—just choose not to participate in it. Stand firm on your prices, highlight your unique expertise, and you will attract the students who are looking for you, not just the cheapest option.

Looking to meet up with some people in Bangkok, even if it's just for the night or grab some cafe. Curious to see if anybody's gonna be in the area!

I’m filming a video about how Thailand has changed over the last 10 years, and I want your take. We all know the price of a beer has gone up, but I’m talking about the vibe. For those of you who have been here a while... What is the single biggest change you've noticed in Thailand since you first arrived? Is it the visa rules? The type of expats arriving? Or did it just lose that "wild west" feeling? Let me know in the comments.

In recent years, concerns about the effects of social media on children have moved from academic debates into government policy. Australia has now taken one of the strongest stances in the world by introducing a national ban preventing children under 16 from holding accounts on major social-media platforms. The new legislation places the legal burden on platforms, not on families. Companies such as TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and others must prevent under-16s from creating accounts and must remove existing accounts belonging to users below that age. Non-compliance can lead to large fines. Other countries are likely to follow suit, as a parent (although my daughter is now an adult) and a grandparent, I would always tell my kid and grandkids, "go out' enjoy the fresh air"! So as a parent I would try to stop my kid and grand kids from spending too much time on the phones and tablets, but feel angered now the government is going to do it!! How do you feel about this? Another step towards an Orwellian society in a democracy?!!?!!??!

My Thailand Spending Breakdown (March–December 2025) I’ve been tracking every baht I spend with borderline-scientific dedication, and the results paint a pretty fun picture of where my money actually goes. Thought I’d share the full breakdown here in case anyone’s curious about real-world cost of living numbers. These are totals per category: Housing: ฿119,998.86 - Older condo in Bang Kapi, this includes bills* Groceries: ฿66,548.00 - 2 People Transportation: ฿48,338.25 Travel: ฿45,290.93 Eat Out: ฿33,523.07 Education: ฿29,117.48 - Mostly Thai courses at a physical school Online Shopping: ฿19,848.62 - Damn you Lazada Take Away: ฿18,502.20 - You too Lineman? Snacks & Coffee: ฿17,836.82 - Cafe Amazon Simp Entertainment: ฿14,707.00 - Those damn cinema entries Clothing: ฿8,141.14 Pets: ฿8,227.45 - I got a cat BTW General Shopping: ฿8,960.84 - This is like my miscellaneous Wellbeing: ฿5,763.00 - Massages and Spas, occasionally Pharmacy: ฿4,584.62 Phone: ฿4,655.00 - True pre paid Gaming: ฿3,418.00 - Gotta get those fingers working Online Services: ฿3,123.44 - Your Netflix, Disney and so on Home Items: ฿1,766.00 - Washing machine coins, stuff for the house and so on Health: ฿1,585.00 - Out of pocket stuff like dermatologist A quick snapshot • Housing was the heavyweight, as expected. • Groceries quietly took second place, far more than all the “fun” categories combined. Note this number is for 2 people. • Transport and travel together form a very respectable chunk. • Snacks & Coffee… well, let’s just call that “mood maintenance.” • Education also turned out to be a surprisingly big investment. Apparently self-improvement drains more than just mental energy, especially when you trying to learn Thai. If you’re budgeting for life in Thailand "long-term or nomad style" this gives a fairly realistic sense of how costs balance out once the novelty fades and real habits kick in. Happy to share more details or monthly averages if anyone’s into expense-tracking nerdery. PS: I have health insurance and my company paid for it, so it's put of the picture.