Again brilliant advice everyone good for me and anyone new to the idea! I figured I would have a look about before anything serious, thanks for all the assistance guys. After I book a trip I will be sure to post it.

if your looking to live and work here unless you have a degree in something teaching english would be your only reasonable source of income, i am a self employed builder and bricklayer by trade, so i know i can always pop back to england for a couple of months and top up my funds if i needed to, what i earn in a few months in england is more than what i would earn in a year in cambodia,
cambodia is a great place to live, try not to get sucked too much into the nightlife though, its a slipperly slope, with all the cheap alcohol and beautiful women is a hard temptation even for the strongest of willed men, but it seriously eats into your cash, im a lot more sensible with my money now but i used to easily go through a $1000+ a week on my evening social life, stay strong and focused my friend

Why Cambodia? If you just want to get away and start a new life why not put your education to good use? Companies in places like Dubai will hire people with MS certifications on good money and with great working conditions. If you want to live on less than $1,000 a month as an English teacher in a crappy apartment and live a very ordinary life - Cambodia will be great for you except I'm not sure that's what a 21 year old really aspires to. Cheap pot, cheap hookers and cheap beer are all wonderful things but honestly? None of them are worth pissing away the earliest part of your life for - starting out in a career and earning decent money is much more important early in life than later in it. A few years of hard work and decent earnings will give you cash in the bank which could be spent on starting your own business (or you could network your contacts and get a remote working but well paid job) or buying a home or doing something, anything, that gives you a much better standard of life.

In my opinion, Cambodia is not the place for a 21 year old dude with your skill set. You are too young to have totally flamed out in the U.S, so unless your running from something back home, think about it long and hard. Do you really want to be a TEFLer? At least do a real teaching certification in your home state. It takes a year and can be done online for not much more money than your TEFL course. That will let you apply at the real international schools and make an ok living (30-40k yearly plus insurance, living allowance and flights). A TEFL/TESOL is not good for much. Having said that, an extended vacation here is never a bad idea if it is just a change of scene you're after. You will have lots of hot chicks interested in you because you're young. Booze is also cheap.

well KEPTIC I am not running from anything I had a parking ticket. Once. as for why Cambodia Thegrinchsr? I have always been fascinated with SEA as well as all of Asia really and I am also a huge world history buff after doing a lot of research into SEA, I started looking into Cambodia specifically, after learning what I have about it I had a strange draw to the kingdom as much of a draw as you can without actually being there. I haven't flamed out in the USA however things here just do not seem as they should (friends of mine with decent B.A. degrees managing mcdonalds doing menial computer tech work for 30k which isnt much here) I do not enjoy the whole work to live idea ingrained into everybody here, I always pictured myself elsewhere without the stresses of western life, Id rather adapt to different kinds of stresses involved with being a foreigner honestly. I plan on having a look about before living there for any extended period of time of course. I can always come back to the US to earn a decent amount of cash per what jamie said. As for Dubai theres just no interest I have in going to any real middle eastern nation, very strict and very strange laws. Although I can still have a cold singha with dinner in Dubai , I could also be arrested for addressing a woman in public. Not my cup of tea. Once again thanks for all the quick responses guys, all information and opinions are much appreciated!

Robertf531 wrote:well KEPTIC I am not running from anything I had a parking ticket. Once. as for why Cambodia Thegrinchsr? I have always been fascinated with SEA as well as all of Asia really and I am also a huge world history buff after doing a lot of research into SEA, I started looking into Cambodia specifically, after learning what I have about it I had a strange draw to the kingdom as much of a draw as you can without actually being there. I haven't flamed out in the USA however things here just do not seem as they should (friends of mine with decent B.A. degrees managing mcdonalds doing menial computer tech work for 30k which isnt much here) I do not enjoy the whole work to live idea ingrained into everybody here, I always pictured myself elsewhere without the stresses of western life, Id rather adapt to different kinds of stresses involved with being a foreigner honestly. I plan on having a look about before living there for any extended period of time of course. I can always come back to the US to earn a decent amount of cash per what jamie said. As for Dubai theres just no interest I have in going to any real middle eastern nation, very strict and very strange laws. Although I can still have a cold singha with dinner in Dubai , I could also be arrested for addressing a woman in public. Not my cup of tea. Once again thanks for all the quick responses guys, all information and opinions are much appreciated!

30k is fine for a 21yo grad.

Robertf531 wrote:well KEPTIC I am not running from anything I had a parking ticket. Once. as for why Cambodia Thegrinchsr? I have always been fascinated with SEA as well as all of Asia really and I am also a huge world history buff after doing a lot of research into SEA, I started looking into Cambodia specifically, after learning what I have about it I had a strange draw to the kingdom as much of a draw as you can without actually being there. I haven't flamed out in the USA however things here just do not seem as they should (friends of mine with decent B.A. degrees managing mcdonalds doing menial computer tech work for 30k which isnt much here) I do not enjoy the whole work to live idea ingrained into everybody here, I always pictured myself elsewhere without the stresses of western life, Id rather adapt to different kinds of stresses involved with being a foreigner honestly. I plan on having a look about before living there for any extended period of time of course. I can always come back to the US to earn a decent amount of cash per what jamie said. As for Dubai theres just no interest I have in going to any real middle eastern nation, very strict and very strange laws. Although I can still have a cold singha with dinner in Dubai , I could also be arrested for addressing a woman in public. Not my cup of tea. Once again thanks for all the quick responses guys, all information and opinions are much appreciated!

Oh dear, you clearly know nothing about the Middle East. You won't get arrested in Dubai for speaking to a woman in public. Trust me, I spent 2 years in Dubai and it is the most relaxed place in the world - as long as you don't act like a disrespectful dick. Dubai is a party city (though be it one where drugs are near absent) - full of nightclubs, live bands, and *ahem* in many five star venues perhaps the finest menu of ladies of the night in the universe.

If I understand you correctly, you have a TEFL certificate but no degree.

You will find it difficult to get work teaching, the market is flooded with you, degreed females, the favourites for most schools, and a surplus of degreed males. You will have to compete with these people.