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........organic food is nothing more than a marketing con. There is little evidence to substantiate most of the claims made by the organci food industry. For instance, there is no evidence whatsoever that pesticide residues on food are harmful to health. No disease associated with such residues, not one single perosn has had to go to hospital because of pesticide residues on food, not one person has ever had wriiten on the death certificate...death due to pesticide residues....what a huge con this all is!!!!

.....I think some people should just go home!!!! Why on earth are some people here....sexual tourists no doubt. I have been here 3 years now and people really do smile and not for any gain. But the point is I can' t read people's minds and if someone smiles then i take it. I teach in a thai school and kid's I don't teach and never will teach smile and are wonderfully respectful. They are not like this in the UK!!!! I like Thailand and the thai people. I wander out in my village every evening with my wife and son, and the warmth and friendlessness and the smiles from the people is often too much. And these thais are rich, got good jobs and don't want me to teach their kids, they just smile and are friendly. I wish people in the uk were like this.....

...........yeah I know spelling mistakes abound........but its my day off and i am very tired...so to preempt the replies........and obvious jibes............I am very very very sorry!!!!!

All the posts here offer good advice. Koh Samui is great for a holiday but its hot, too hot, and expensive. It might be a good idea to examine what you expect Thialand to give you. I came here 3 years ago and live in Chiang Mai and i am very happy and have no intentions whatsoever of moving back to the UK. I was veyr clear when i came of what i wanted from Thailand and because what i wanted was small that was then easily staisfied. My mantra of being here was freedom. freedomn from the rat race of london, freedom from unpleasnt people , freedom from work. However, it does sound i more left London than came to Thailand....but then whatever Thailand could give me directly was gratefully received, i did not expect much!! I live a quiet life with my wife and lovely 10 month old son. When i came at 49 years old i effectively retired, but the economic crisis has forced me back to work, it took me a month to find a job, how long woudl that take in London?? And i am not teaching english (which i find veyr boring) but Chemistry, which is much more fulfilling...and guess what I am grateful, it only took me a month, i didn't have to leave Chiang mai amd the job is much better than teaching english...wow this is a good place to live...then the benefits, the add ons if you like, very pleasant neighbours. In Brixton I used to hear gun fire once a year and people never smiled, the people here in general have good manners, the kids at school back home are abusive here they wai me and call me Mr Teacher, and smile (well some of the time). I get respect here as a teacher which is absent back home. The food is great, the weather not too hot....and its a Buddhist country, and i find it interesting being here. My wife has got inot making these wonderous fruit shakes with all this fantastic Thai fruits, different colours wonderful flavours, I never go this in the UK and one of my friends did either. What ever good things Thailand gives me is an add on........i feel free here and when the interest rates recover i can retire again, but then again i might not, the job i have is veyr hard but you know what it is so much more fullfiling than making some rich man richer back in London........

So do what poploe advise, come for a year travel around and may be have low expectations of what Thailand can do for you...in that way you are more than likely to be satisfied....

I have just gained a position as a chemistry teacher in a Thai school in Chiang Mai as part of their English program. Although, I am a well qualified biochemist, BSc PhD, plus a MSc in Environmental Science, I have no experience of teaching Chemistry to M4-6. Is there anyone out there who does the same and can offer some advice in how to teach? My view is to prepare simplifed notes based on the text book given to me. Present the notes and then talk in depth about the notes. Do this for 30 mins and then give them problems to do. Any advice.....anyone?????