Teach in Rural Thailand

An opportunity to teach in rural Thailand and to live in a rural homestay within the community.

You will be working in one of twenty selected target schools in the rural provinces. We work almost exclusively in the NorthEast (South of Laos and North of Cambodia) in a region called Isaan. The mountains of the North and the islands of the South of Thailand are fine for vacations, but the NorthEast is the poorest region of Thailand, but also the most traditional, where people are very welcoming and friendly. It is very rewarding to go somewhere that hasn’t been over-touristed and lost their appreciation of foreigners already.

In general, you will teach in rural high schools with 500-2000 students, from twelve to eighteen years old. Students already have basic English skills and you will work with the schools’ English teachers to develop lessons for the classroom (songs and games are preferred). You will be expected in to teach in the classroom 3-4 hours per day. You can choose if you would rather work in a smaller rural school or a larger town school (to the right Julia, British volunteer, teaching English in a local market).

A main aspect of the programme is the rural homestays. You live with a Thai family in the community. Indeed, one reason this programme has been so successful is because the Thais take such good care of their guests.

Though you will be teaching very poor students in the most remote provinces of Thailand, the homestays are quite comfortable (see typical homestay house to the left). You will get a Western style house, a proper bed, bathroom, and three fine Thai meals a day (see to the right). Most of the homestays are in small towns in rural areas. You will have access to email, a telephone, and shops. Hosts are middle to upper class Thais with the means to support a foreign guest. Students are generally farmers’ children who may see English as a way to gain entrance to a college in the future.

Requirements:

You may apply if you meet at least six of these seven requirements:

Have a College/University degree
Are at least twenty years (20) old
Have some teaching or volunteer experience
Don’t drink or smoke every day
Likeable personality and tidy appearance
Outgoing, creative, and independent
Willing to adapt to another culture

Teaching in rural Thailand does not require any special training. You need to look good, dress well, smile, make jokes, and constantly adapt yourself to new situations.

The motto of this programme is: “Expect the unexpected”. If you are not flexible, patient, or adaptable, you will not enjoy life in rural Thailand.

Training:

When you meet our Programme Manager for training, we’ll show you basic language and culture skills. Most of our schools are secondary level, age 12-18, with 500-2500 kids in them, and you will probably see all the students in a month. We can give you advice on where to get ideas for teaching games. After a few classes, generally volunteers understand what they need to do. The level of English in rural Thailand is so low that you won’t be teaching anything too tough, and creating plans to fit your kids is part of the whole experience. There will be teachers around to help you if you ask them to. You will have internet access at school. There are also phones for making/receiving calls. On the weekends you can either chill at home, arrange to meet other volunteers, study Thai culture, or Thai food, sit with Buddhist monks or travel with your hosts.

Dates and durations:

Most volunteers join for 1-2 months, but 2 weeks it the minimum and 4 months is the maximum - and we have places during the following months:

1 to 28 February 2010

15 to 31 May 2010

1 to 30 June 2010

1 to 31 July 2010

1 to 31 August 2010*
1 to 15 September 2010
1 to 30 November 2010
1 to 31 December 2010

We are flexible with dates, you don't need to start on 1st of the month. These dates are there just as a guideline. You can join anytime throughout the year, except for during the schools holidays (September-October and March-May). Couples and families are also welcome.

Costs:
The cost for 1 month (or less than 1 month if you join for just 2 weeks) is 290 GB pounds, 2 months cost is 360 GB pounds, 3 months is 430 GB pounds.

All meals and accommodation while at your homestay are covered by your host school. The above cost covers:

Administration costs organising your volunteer programme in Thailand with your host school, homestay and with WorkingAbroad Projects
More specific info about the Volunthai experience, including contact info for your host school and instructions for obtaining a visa
Info about where to stay in Bangkok, how to get there from the airport, and plans for your first meeting with us in Bangkok
Basic travel advice and preparation advice before you arrive in Thailand
An orientation in Chaiyaphum (a small town between Bangkok and your homestay) that includes language, culture, and eating!
Food and accommodation while at your homestay
Access to our staff by phone and email
Access to internet at your school or in your village
Weekends free to relax and explore
Nearby clinics and hospitals that are up to Western standards
Access to shops, temples, exercise areas, etc , while at your homestay

What is not included are your flights to Thailand, your own transport to your homestay and your own personal expenditure. In addition, it is mandatory for you to take out a medical/accident insurance coverage, which is also at your own cost.

Visas
Once you are confirmed on the project, we will offer advice on your visa. There are usually several options, depending on how long you’re travelling in Thailand and how long you’re volunteering with us etc.

Rural Thailand
We do not work near sensitive border regions, nor do we work in areas where malaria is a risk. Doctors and hospitals are nearby and up to Western standards. Overall, Thailand is a very safe place to be.

To Apply

If you are interested in joining this project, you will need to fill out the online application form (you can also print it out and send it to us by post) – to secure a placement on the project, please complete and submit the form including two references and your deposit of £110. In addition, we require you to email us a recent photo to show to your host (Victoria.McNeil@workingabroad.com). If for some reason, your application is declined, we will reimburse this deposit fully. However for those who are accepted, the full amount needs to be paid two months before departure. Once the full sum is paid, you will receive a pre-departure package with all detailed information on your project, suggested items to bring etc.

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