The International Schools Review Forum

Does anybody have any news on VIS? Or Vientiane generally?

I'm thinking of applying but I am concerned that there seems to be an awful lot of jobs available.

Is it a good place to work?

Never worked there.

Director seems really good, met him in Bangkok at the fair.

Salary seems a bit low.

They are growing, thus lots of jobs.

What's low?

I've worked in VTE before, about 4 years ago. Prices were higher than neighbouring Thailand and many people went to Nong Khai for their weekly grocery shop.

Lovely place, quiet, if that's your thing, but not much to really do. Can get under your skin and you could end up staying longer than you planned!

Low for me is 31k for 8+ma

That is what Search list.

It doesn't rule the school out, as Laos seems interesting, and the director really seems to have a good vision for the school.

I find that a bit sad, thats only $2000 more than it was when I worked there over a decade ago.

It was a great experience then, one that I often look back on fondly but I agree with Mr. C4ke in that it could be a little slow for those looking for a lively out of school atmosphere. It would be interesting to know whether the school has retained its community atmosphere, if so then that would be a big positive.

That's lower than quite a few Thai IS pay, especially the few IB schools (one of which I currently work in).

You also need to factor in the higher cost of living in Laos and the more limited accommodation options in VTE compared to a large Thai city.

I would still recommend anyone to 'experience' Laos, just don't expect to live the high life and save lots.

Vientiane is a cool city. It's great for a visit and I imagine it would be great to live there too. The cost of living in quite high compared to Thailand, but certainly nothing as high as say Singapore. What I love about Vientiane is that there is so much variety in such a small place, especially when it comes to food. There's a lot more traffic in Vientiane now compared with a few years ago, and that can be off putting, but I still think it'd be cool to live there.

As for VIS, I've known people who have worked there and said good things. The IB has been running there for quite a while so it should be well established. Every place has ups and downs and although there are times it might not have been the best place in the world I've never heard of anyone hating it. With the salaries the way they are at the moment though, for me I'd work there with the main purpose being just to enjoy living there for a couple of years. You might be able to save if you're a bit tight, but if I were living in Vientiane I'd really want to enjoy it and pay the extra bucks to have a great time in the city and see more of the country.

Is it possible to sort childcare for pre-schoolers easily in Vientiane?