I completed my PhD Viva almost a year ago now and despite passing I have had no luck at all with jobs. I don't actually know if I want to pursue academia anymore - it seems to me it is very hard to get a fulltime job. I was lucky to get funded for my PhD so I didn't lose anything (except four years I can't get back) but my uni offered me no teaching experience and I am seriously broke now and no one else will employ me. I take my PhD off my CV for other jobs but seems at 37 I have little experience in the 'real world' as I freelanced for so long in other things.

So I have a chance to lecture in Thailand and I'm wondering if anyone has any advice. My big worry is what I would be coming home to - more job searches/ unemployment in the UK? And of course the move over there and living under a censorious military dictatorship.

Any advice appreciated.

Regarding Thailand in particular, I think it might be very subject-dependent. I think it would be very hard to teach Politics for example, but Business or Chemistry would be less of an issue. As I understand it academics have been visible in protesting against the military coup, so I doubt it would be something that you could ignore. How much it would actually bother you, I think though would depend on your own views. Some academics enjoy working in various not very democratic places. With Thailand you've also got to factor in how stable you think it would be.
In terms of your wider question about would it help you get a job in the UK. For academia I don't think it would really help but also wouldn't really hinder (everyone knows what the job market is like). As you lack teaching experience it may even help a bit but the deciding factor will remain how strong your publication record is compared to other candidates. Outside academia, I think it would depend on whether you were able to network in the non-academic world there, make useful contacts etc.

It would be lecturing in the humanities but, yes, of course, there is censorship to consider over there. I don't necessarily *mind* staying apolitical over there - it isn't my country and having been to Thailand twice I'm well aware that much of the population is not entirely warm to white 'farang' men and women anyway! I'm more bothered about my own country and the creeping xenophobia/ flag waving and demonisation of the poor and immigrants.

But, basically, this wouldn't help me in academia? If that is the case I don't really want to go. There's no point in spending a year out there and returning to further unemployment.

Hi Tez1,
I'm currently living right next to Thailand in Malaysia (not a citizen of either though) and can say a few things about this. Academics from the UK are quite highly regarded in South East Asia, and I think you'd be welcome at the faculty. As you said, living among the locals might be a bit of a problem - just like the UK, they do tend to see foreigners as troublemakers (everywhere this, these days!).
Being a expat in Malaysia and in the region is wonderful - BUT only for a short stint. You'll probably find the professional and academic environment somewhat different here - and you may like it, or more probably you may not (which is why I'm trying to leave :D).
With regards to politics, it is usually best to keep quiet around here. Being a foreigner, that's not too difficult because you can always plead plenty of ignorance. There definitely is censorship, but I don't think you'll face it too much in everyday life, unless your field is politics or journalism, or something similar. If it is, then probably better to give vague generalized examples in class and carry out uncontroversial research. You may find though, that a large part of the population actually support your views to some extent. These days, middleclass/urban/student movements are gathering pace in the region. But as an outsider, best to let it go a natural course.
Since you are in humanities, on returning to UK, you could say that it gives you better cultural perspective (I don't know if that would work?). But, research-wise you might find yourself restricted here - which I think would be viewed negatively later - although, it does depend on the university. Malaysian one's are mostly no-no, don't know about Thailand, but Singaporean one's are very highly regarded all over the world for their focus on research. I'm wondering if you've tried for employment there instead?

it depends on the country on which you're staying. probably you wont have the same audience everywhere. So, understand your audeince first because humanity there is a censorship to consider.

Thanks for the replies - I hadn't tried Singapore but the censorship there is probably worse than Bangkok to be honest :/

So basically the advice is to try and stay in the UK and get published and hope to hell something opens up rather than shift one's life to the other side of the world? Is lecturing in Thailand really seen in that light?