My Volunteer Experience in Thailand – By Mary-Jo Morgan (Leeds, UK)

Volunteering in Thai Mueang Thailand has been the opportunity of a lifetime. Not only have I been able to teach wonderful, bright, enthusiastic children, I have also been able to really get to know Thai Mueang and some of the fantastic, but perhaps a bit eccentric, people that live here. In the one month I have stayed in Thai Mueang and the two weeks I spent in Takua Pa, I have made friends with some great people and I will never forget my time here.

I first volunteered with TMVolunteers in September for two weeks with two friends, Ami and Hazel. Nett and Anders were then living in Takua Pa, about an hour on the bus from Thai Mueang. In Takua Pa, it honestly seemed like we were the first foreigners the people there had ever seen! People often weren’t sure how to react when they saw us. Cars would beep at us in the street and, as the first volunteers in the school, some of the Kindergarten we were teaching almost passed out when they saw us for the first time. Teaching Kindergarten was brilliant and we tried to make it as fun as possible. We sang songs, played games, got the children to run, jump, hop, touch their toes and much more.

Kindergarteners are very active and made the lessons challenging for us because we were constantly thinking on our feet of new ways to keep them excited about learning English and stop them from losing concentration. It was amazing to see the children actually remembering what we had taught them and using their new words in the next lesson.
The teachers at the school were so nice to us. They came and chatted to us whenever they had a spare moment and they always made sure our lunch needs were catered for. When we were too picky to eat chicken feet (a delicacy here) we would be ordered a takeaway.

We also taught in the Diamond Hotel resort in Khoa Lak because the school holidays started at the end of our first week. It was a more challenging experience engaging adults in activities and we enjoyed getting them into groups and persuading them to ask each other questions. I really enjoyed teaching them how to give directions and to understand useful phrases like “the AC is broken”. I was amazed at how little English the hotel employees could speak, even at this luxury resort in Thailand. Thailand is unique in that it makes so much money from tourism, yet even the English Teachers here can’t speak English! If you would prefer to volunteer teaching adults than children, there is plenty of opportunities to do that here.

In Takua Pa, there were 7 volunteers, me and my friends from home, Sasha, Jodie, Kim and the only boy, Sean – who had come to Thailand to get away from women for a while. We had a brilliant time together and made several weekend trips as a group. One weekend we went to Bang Niang and took surfing lessons! Although Sean had to go home, the rest of us got on so well that we decided to all travel around Thailand together!

Mary Jo on the bus travelling in Thailand

I actually enjoyed volunteering for TMVolunteers so much that I decided to come back and do it again. Nett and Anders have now moved back to Thai Mueang, an old ex tin mining town on the coast, just down from Khao Lak. When I arrived here I met the lovely Rose. I took over from her, teaching at the same school and I was able to discuss the material she had already taught the kids with her. She also gave me a great tour of the local area and introduced me to some of the locals, including my friends George and Uncle Tin.

This time I volunteered for a month, because two weeks just wasn’t long enough. I have a million good memories from the past month, so here are just a few. The children at the school are so fun and enthusiastic. I love how they all shout “Hellooooooooo!” when you arrive. I love how in a month you get to know each child individually and can see their personality traits. I really enjoy eating lunch with the head master, Mr. Arrom. He always teaches me Thai and he has been really great about introducing me to the Thai teachers, who are sometimes quite shy around you because of the language barrier. I can now go to any Thai restaurant and order Thai food in Thai, which is all thanks to Nett, who orders our dinner almost everyday, and Mr. Arrom.

Mary Jo and Nett,  tmvolunteers in Thai Mueang

In Thai Mueang I’ve been teaching at Wat Patchatikaram primary school. Surprisingly, I’ve actually really enjoyed the lesson planning for school. It’s great to design a lesson and then see how it pans out in class. When you do a lesson plan and your lesson runs really smoothly, its so rewarding. I enjoy finding a range of ways to teach the children. I’ve used flashcards, games, songs, worksheets from the internet, worksheets that I made myself and listening exercises. It’s fantastic to see children learning and smiling at the same time.

Mary-Jo volunteer English teacher in Thailand

Of course, the teaching is only for about 4 hours most days so you get plenty of time to spend exploring Thai Mueang. The food here is amazing, and my favorite thing to do in Thai Mueang is eat. There are lots of restaurants you would never be able to find unless you were told by the people that live here. One of them probably has the best Pad Thai in Thailand and it only costs 40 Baht (about 80p). I also like going to the beautiful white sandy beach here. I go most days, sometimes in the morning before school. The beach is breathtaking and stretches right up the coastline. Nine out of ten times it’s just you and whoever you’re with! But if Thai Mueang is too quiet for you, you are just a bus ride away from plenty other places, which Anders is always more than happy to advise you about.

Mary Jo volunteer teaching in Thailand

Staying in the volunteer house is also really fun. I like staying up, listening to music and chatting on the porch at night. At the moment I’m living with a really cool couple from California called Kat and Garrett. We have got on really well and always seem to have a laugh together. We always go for tea with Nett and Anders and we’ve even started going for lunch with them quite often as well! Chris, our friend who teaches at another local primary school usually comes too. So our dinner table is always full of great stories and banter.

Overall, I’ve had an unforgettable time volunteering in Thailand and I will be very sad to leave. I think this experience has definitely taught me to be more independent and given me more confidence in myself to overcome the challenges that life brings. I would like to thank Nett and Anders for having me in Thai Mueang this month. They are really friendly, enthusiastic people who really believe that the volunteers make a big difference in Thailand and they are always there if you do need anything. If you are thinking about travelling to Thailand, in my opinion, volunteering is the best way to get to know Thai culture and you will not regret it.

Mary Jo in the Jungle

 

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Rose Lipscombe Volunteering in Thailand

‘Could you write something for our blog?’ Is a question I have heard a lot from Anders lately and well I’m the last one in the volunteer house. So here goes Rose Lipscombe trying to write a blog for Thai Mueang Volunteers! In all honesty I’ve not attempted this sort of writing since I was in secondary school and even fueled by teenage angst it was pretty dreadful l!

This is a brief overview of my experiences while volunteering. During my time here I have been lucky enough to form a new friendship group of truly unique and wonderful people, who have challenged, irritated and overwhelmed me.
Over the month of October (school holidays) we taught as a group, in hotels, health centers and even a group of Buddhist monks. Teaching and lesson planning as a group was difficult as I felt overly self-contuse about making small and (looking back on it) irrelevant mistakes. Lesson planning was hard going, but really necessary. However, laughing with a class of monks, who had the energy and humor very similar to that found in any group of boys, hearing the quietest member of staff at a hotel greeting me confidently in English, more than made up for lesson planning blues.

The students where ever we were teaching were a little shy at first but it was clear that they were eager to learn.
In November we moved back to Net and Anders home town of Thai Mueang, this took a bit of getting used to their were five of us living in one small house and the usual issues with who was going to do the washing up and who purchased toilet roll last, but all in all it was really good fun. Lots of nights in playing cards, star gazing and putting the world to rights. The food also got a lot better and a lot cheaper thanks to Sue-jin at Bam Bam’s restaurant, Georges Pizza at the beach and Towy’s cooking at Lucky restaurant!

With the start of a new term all the volunteers got a school each to go and teach English in grades 1-6. I have been teaching at Wat Patchatikaram School, I don’t think I can accurately describe my school, its pupils, teachers and charmingly eccentric headmaster. You just have to meet them to and you would understand what I mean.

However here are some tips for volunteers!

  • Make the most of your free time, you will only teach on average 3/4 hours a day, go cycling exploring the national park etc!
  • Plan a few weekend trips away, Anders and Net can always give lots of advice but its best to do a little reading before you leave.
  • Bring smart (cotton) clothes and for teaching at a yellow, green, pink, purple and blue polo top or shirt, I wish I’d known this but Thai teachers wear a different colour for each school day, it’s such a small gesture but would be much appreciated.
  • There will be children with learning and behavioral difficulties in your classes partially in the younger years, I know it sounds like something that shouldn’t need saying, but don’t just write them off or ignore them. A little love and interaction goes along way for these children in particular.
  • At Patchatikaram have lunch with the Headmaster, he doesn’t speak a lot of English but he will give you very entertaining Thai lessons, he will make you laugh a lot! (I avoid the school canteen it made me sick the first day). Then go and get some dancing or tackro lessons of your Grade 5-6 who are keen to practice their English and teach you Thai!
  • No lesson plan is full proof! Always have a work search or a crossword to whip out if case of emergency (did I mention the canteen food!).

This sort of volunteering is a big commitment; it has been frustrating and tiring at times. The teaching has been challenging work, but for me the real challenge was to slow down, and coming to terms with how much time you have time to think here. Not working 12 hour days and not really being very useful, or independent as Net and Anders are so good at organising and sorting things, it really unnerved me. This little bit of Thailand will find even your most deeply hidden faults and floors, but love you anyway.

Rose volunteer English teacher

Rose at Wat Pratchatikaram Primary School in Thailand

Rose teaching English at a Thai school

Having fun at a Thai Primary school

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Volunteering in Thailand by Michele Angerbauer

“Hello, My name is _____ (fill in blank with name)”, “What is your name?”. Repeat this about 10 times and you will just get a blank look and no answer. Typical start to a day here in the Baan Huay Sai School where I taught English for around 1 month. Regardless of the fact that sometimes you won’t get a direct answer and sometimes your entire lesson will just get to mush, teaching English has been one of the most rewarding moments in my entire life.

I have just finished my first year at Uni, and I wanted to push my limits and figured volunteering would be a good bet. Thailand is one of the best places to do volunteering. The people, the culture, the atmosphere and so much more make this experience like nothing you will get at home. I remember first arriving here and meeting Anders, Net and the other volunteers. Instant friendship. Without each and everyone of them I am sure Thailand wouldn’t have been the same.

I had no idea how teaching was going to go. I mean it all sounded pretty straight forward, all you need to do is follow procedure. Screw procedure, I thought, I can do things my way, I don’t need to lesson plan. I will improvise. If I was ever wrong, well, that was the moment. Lesson planning is like the Holy Grail of teaching English as a second language. Make sure to go into the lessons over prepared. Better to be safe than sorry. But once you are in the lessons, you just feed off the kids energy, it’s like your adrenaline is pumping 3 hours straight, every day. There would always be laughter, and the concentration some of them had was just remarkable. Also make sure to cover your ears when you say the word ‘Game’. The kids just go nuts. Best way to end a lesson.

As a volunteer I not only taught English at a public school, but I also experienced Thailand from a non-tourist perspective. Which in my books equals towards: Priceless. Net, the other volunteers and I went to Khao Lak (semi-touristy, but not anywhere close to Patong), to a Waterfall, to shopping malls and almost everyday we went to the beach. Bliss. There is a 13km beach here, just for our pleasure. Not another soul is on the beach. Sweet as. The weekends were filled with fun stuff, and meeting just cool people. The friends that I have made here, will go down in history with me.

The memories are also priceless. I mean how many people can say that they have eaten chicken feet and crocodile, been stung by a scorpion, driving a motorbike everyday and been given fresh coconuts almost every day.

Unfortunately all good things come to an end. And my one month (Not nearly enough, next time I am going for 3 months, for sure) volunteering came to a quick end. Saying goodbye to the kids went alright up until the point where the wanted to hug me and kiss me on the cheek. Crying my eyes out is an understatement, I literally balled my eyes out. And what happens when 25 kids see a ‘farang” (foreigner) cry, well, they all cry, which made it even worse. Cheers. Off I go back to the ‘land of the long white cloud’ aka New Zealand. But as Arnold Schwarzenegger says “I’ll be back!”

Thank you Net, Anders, Rose, Lisa, Tom, Chris, Matt, the lovely people at Bam-Bam’s Restaurant (where we had Dinner almost every night) and the crazy cool people in Khao Lak. This ride has been AWESOME! Cant wait to catch you again soon.
Also future volunteers, a tip: You will have an amazing time here in Thai Mueang. No matter where you come from, how old you are or what your profession is you will love it! I promise!

Smile!Michele volunteer English teacher in Thailand

Photography Lesson with Michele and the studentsMichele Angerbauer volunteer English teacher in Thailand

Phratom 3 and Michele volunteer English teacherMichele volunteering in ThailandVolunteers in Thailand swimming in the waterfallVolunteer English teachers in Thailand in the waterfallMichele having fun with RoseCrazy volunteers in ThailandAt Tonprai Waterfall in Phang Nga ProvinceVolunteering in Thailand at Tonprai waterfall

 

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