From war to classroom: A Myanmar teacher finds new hope in Thailand

“I’m happy because I’m doing what I love again. It’s the same job, just in a different place. I feel like I’ve regained what I lost.”

For many, teaching is more than just a profession – it’s a calling.
And this rings especially true for a 38-year-old former science teacher from Myanmar, who found herself starting over after war forced her to leave home.
 

She arrived in Thailand nearly two years ago, when escalating conflict made it impossible for her to continue teaching. Entering legally via Mae Sot on a seven-day visa, she later secured a passport, which allowed her to remain in the country legally.

In Myanmar, she had spent a decade teaching science at a government-run high school – a career that earned her respect and stability. But the war changed everything. Crossing over to Thailand, she feared she might never teach again.

“I felt sad and discouraged,” she told The Nation. “In Myanmar, I was a respected government teacher, but when I had to leave and work as a labourer, I felt stressed and hopeless.”

Like other migrants, her priority was to survive. With relatives working in a factory, she considered joining them. She was even open to working as a labourer at the factory.

Eventually, she ended up getting a job at a petrol station, where she worked for nearly a year before a chance encounter set her back on the path to teaching.

A relative introduced her to a teacher at a local school for displaced children, which follows Myanmar’s curriculum, using textbooks shipped directly from Yangon. With her experience, she was able to return to the classroom – this time in Thailand.

Now, two years later, she continues to teach students, many of whom have also fled the war. Despite the challenges, she finds Thailand safer and more stable than Myanmar.

Despite the difficulties, she finds Thailand safer and more stable than Myanmar. Still she misses home, especially during festivals and family gatherings, staying in touch with relatives who remain in Myanmar.

“If things improve, I want to go back,” she says. “But I don’t know if stability will ever return. During festivals like Buddhist Lent, people in Myanmar gather with their families. But here, I’m away from my family. That makes me lonely.”