The School … The Villagers …. and the setting was incredible
The coordinator in Thailand was incredibly organized and really lovely. He picked me up from the airport, told me all about the school, even took me there in person and generally looked after me every step of the way.
The school was really lovely and all the villagers went out of their way to look after me and the setting was incredible. The children were amazing and were so easy to teach. After a couple of days in the classroom it felt like I had been teaching for a month or more. I can definitely say it was the best summer of my entire life and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants an incredibly fulfilling personal challenge.
Sarah Bothwell (Suphan-buri)
Christmas was amazing in Thailand
My experience of volunteering in Thailand is one that I will cherish for the rest of my life. I arrived just on the 21st of December 2010 and celebrated Christmas and New year in a village near the school. Christmas was amazing in Thailand. They don’t celebrate it. It was so different. The teachers in the evening went out of their way to decorate a tree for me. It was one of the best Xmas presents ever. It really made me realize so much. New year was really good fun. We set off a lantern to represent everything bad that had happened in the past year to start a fresh new year. I then had string tied around my wrists to wish me good luck for the new year. It was really good seeing how new year was celebrated in a different culture.
I spent two and a half months in the school and have enjoyed every minute. Every experience with each different set of people I found to be so different, but each time has been enjoyable. I found some people are here more for travelling and didn’t really get as involved as much as others, where as some really got in to the flow of teaching like me. I got more out of the experience the more I put in.
Overall I found my experience to be so rewarding and has inspired me to want to teach English as a foreign language. I have loved every minute and enjoyed everyone’s company. I am so grateful for what everyone has done for me.
Devon volunteered in Lop-Buri Thailand
My Thai story
After safely being picked up at the airport I met one of the coordinators at stupid o’clock in the morning, and you could not ask for a nicer person to meet after being awake for 36 hours and the sun was rising.
I felt safe and I knew that this thing was real "OH MY GOD!! I have to teach Thai children how to speak English."
All I wanted to do was to Teach in a school down in the South of Thailand, but the placement offered was Manoawan School, a couple of hours north of Bangkok. When I arrived I was very happy immediately I could not stop smiling the kids were amazing.
These Children have characters that put a smile on your face Almost! every day. I was teaching at the same school for just over 2 months and you truly become connected with these individuals.
I came to Thailand on a spiritual journey and teaching was the greatest foot hold to help me on my journey.
I had the idea that I would continue teaching once the school holidays were complete, I left for the south. My Ideas slightly changed. I have now found a great passion for Diving, (it turned out to be the right thing to have started in the north.)
This passion for diving has kept me in the same place for the past nine weeks. (Oh yeah, open water was my greatest Fear.) This adventure would not have been made possible if it was not for the amazing children, the experiences that took place, the people I met, the fun I had and most of all the hard work, commitment and passion that the volunteer coordinators for making all this possible.
So Thank you very much.
Nicholas Lewis
