tmvolunteers.org » thai mueang volunteers

Cara’s volunteer experience with Thai Mueang Volunteers

TMV — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 10:07:12 +0000

Cara from England would like to share her volunteering experience with us here in Thai Mueang. So here it is…

Just before I left the UK I felt so stressed. Scared about my whole trip I set off anyway and spent two anxious days getting to Phuket. When I arrived and saw Nett standing there with a sign in purple bubble writing with my name on, all my fear instantly dissolved and I’ve been relaxed ever since. Nett is absolutely fantastic and can sort anything out for you within minutes. She has taken us to two weddings, a funeral, shopping at Central (where we managed to find tea bags!!), to local festivals and always knows the best places to eat and what to order. If anything I think I may have been too well looked after because now I don’t want to leave!

Basically, I came out here because I am thinking about becoming a teacher in the UK when I head home. I wanted to test myself and see whether this was something I enjoyed and was capable of. Now that I’m leaving I am seriously considering doing a TEFL course instead and coming back to Thailand. I have found so much satisfaction when a lesson goes well. You just pray that the next day some of it will have gone in!

I arrived before the schools were open in October so spent a few weeks teaching adults from Health Centres, Hotels and some Monks at a local Temple. One of my favourite memories is when I learnt that, as a woman, you can’t pass anything to or accept anything from a Monk…unless they are throwing an inflatable world globe beach ball at you! In this scenario it’s best to catch it rather than dive the other way for fear of accidentally offending Big Monk. During this time there were five of us and we were team teaching. I think all of us found this a massive challenge and were all eager for the school holidays to finish so we could have classes of our own.

Anders has given us a lot of advice and been a bloody lifesaver with lesson plans at times but most importantly made me understand the importance of creating your own lessons. Personality is the most important thing to put across. You will have fun, the kids will have fun and if they enjoy it they’re more likely to learn.

I think I have found lesson planning the most difficult thing. It gets easier to think of things to do but I never seem to be able to find a good balance. I either plan way too much and nothing gets done, or to counteract this, plan hardly anything and then get stuck on what to do. There is nothing worse than have 40 pairs of eyes on you waiting for the next task when you’re trying to make it up on the spot!

I have been shocked by things I’ve now seen and heard about the education that Thai children get. Even though Anders had told me already I was still shocked the first time I walked into a classroom to find the class being taught by a television screen. Not even being supervised by a teacher! It’s been lovely as most of the kids are keen to learn and keen to please. Thai people are so friendly, you literally can’t walk down the road without people stopping to offer you a lift.

It has also been a massive challenge learning to share a house with four people and only one bathroom! It has been incredible how quickly you form attachments with people though. Being in this environment has meant I was a lot more open a lot more quickly.

One of my favourite days was our Barbeque down at Georges Pizza place. Weirdly, we had 5 people’s birthdays within 4 days so we had a big party with amazing steaks and copious amounts of vodka. Anders has taken some shockingly bad videos from that day which I’m not too happy about but all in all it was a great day with the group.

I have learnt so much about teaching and a lot more about myself. Before now I had no idea I would be able to cope when faced with 40 1st graders, all desperately trying to make me understand them and some practicing their fighting techniques on each other. I will definitely take a lot away from this entire experience. I would recommend Thai Mueang Volunteers to anyone. It’s a totally worthwhile experience but just make sure you are prepared for some hard work and some fun times!

Cheers now,
Cara xx

Tweet This Post

Denali – Thai Mueang Volunteers

TMV — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 11:55:40 +0000

My name is Denali, although while I’m in Thailand, I am going by “Dee” since it is a much easier name to remember. “Dee” means “good” in Thai, so it’s a decent nickname.

I’m traveling with my older brother, Yoshi, and my good friend, Gina, and we’ve been in Thai Muang for a little over a week. We arrived at 6:30 in the morning on an overnight bus, and Anders and his friend, Tia, were kind enough to pick us up and drive us to the volunteer house about 1km from the main road. It’s more enjoyable to walk at night time, after the sun has gone down. People passing by have offered to give us rides to our destinations on numerous occasions. We jump in the back of pick-up trucks, ride in the side carts of motorbikes, or sit on the back of motorbikes (this option, I’m not so fond of, since I crashed twice on a motorbike in Southern Thailand in December).

There is one bicycle shared between four volunteers at the moment, but since Yoshi rides the bike to his school a few kilometers away, he has priority on weekdays. Gina and I don’t mind very much, because our school, Wat Muang Pracharam Primary School, is only a 25 minute walk from the volunteer house, and the beach is only a 20 minute walk from the school. (Yes, Gina and I are slow-paced walkers.) The two of us have managed to be at the beach a minimum of once every day since we’ve arrived. On our way to the beach, people on the streets shout out “Hello! Where you go?” to which, we reply “bai ta lay”. This is one of the few Thai phrases I’ve mastered, and it means “Go to the sea.” However, as wonderful as the beach has been, we have had the time of our lives teaching grades 1st through 6th. We have each class once a week, and we have no classes on Thursday. Gina and I have never taught before, and when we tell people that we are both 18 years old, they are always very surprised. The teachers thought we were 25. On our first day, we arrived at 8am and watched their morning assembly- the band played music, each class stood in line for morning exercises and stretching, the flags were raised, and we made a brief speech to the school on a microphone to introduce ourselves. Since then, we’ve said “hello” and “how are you?” a few hundred times, given loads of high-fives and handshakes (a.k.a. “shake hands”), and gotten more hugs than imaginable. The kids have been wonderful.

I’ll write more later.

Tweet This Post

A Busy New Year for Thai Mueang Volunteers

TMV — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 05:22:12 +0000

At the moment we are having a busy time here at Thai Mueang Volunteers. Eileen who has been here since November is still at Ban Huaisai Primary School where she will be until January 23. Eileen is an archeologist, in her fifties, born in Singapore, American father, English mother, traveled the world, and has been married to Klaus, who is German, for 25 years. Whew, what can I say, she is Ms International around here. It is great having her here, since she has been here for over two months and she knows her way around, she has made my job a little easier. Eileen gladly shares her knowledge with the new volunteers, both about the area and her teaching experience at a Thai primary school. Maude, a British engineering student studying at a university in Singapore is here too, she is assisting Eileen at Ban Huaisai for a couple of weeks.

Yoshi, Gina and Denali arrived yesterday and they have been introduced to the teachers and the students at the schools where they will be teaching, they will start their volunteering period tomorrow. Yoshi is going to Ban Kownoi Primary School, and Gina and Denali will be teaching together at Wat Muang Pracharam. All three of them will be volunteering for three weeks.

Volunteer Teaching with Thai Mueang Volunteers

People who think that volunteer teaching with Thai Mueang Volunteers is going to be a holiday where you go and teach English every now and then… sorry, it is the other way around…
We are NOT a “voluntourism” organization, we do not see you as a tourist but as a volunteer English teacher who is here to teach proper classes, proper lessons, so…
Our volunteers are required to create meaningful lesson plans and to be prepared for the lessons they will be teaching. Our aims and goals are for the students to expand their knowledge of the English language, foreign countries and cultures, and we want to see them improve their language skills.
When volunteers arrive they go through a day of introduction about Thai culture, teaching at a Thai school, do’s and dont’s , how to create a useful lesson plan etc. We will never send a volunteer to a school unless we have made sure that they fully understand what is expected of them and they are fully prepared for their lessons.
Volunteers also receive Thai lessons, taught by Andoo, so they can get around in their spare time, ask for directions, haggle over prices, order at a restaurant etc. There will be plenty of time to enjoy the beach and other parts of this amazing country, in your spare time after school and in the weekends.
Future volunteers should know before they make the decision to volunteer and teach English with Thai Mueang Volunteers that we expect them to bring themselves into the classroom, we want them to use their skills and talents as tools to teach the English language, creating their own lessons from scratch and not just bring in photo copies from an English book. Remember, there is always people here to assist you in planning your lessons.

A former volunteer, Turner Wright, has written an article about volunteering with Thai Mueang Volunteers at the Matador Travel website, you can read it by clicking HERE, khrup koon maa khrap Turner.

I’ve had this Calvin & Hobbes strip in my drawer for years now, and today I’ve “sticky-tacked” it on my wall, it makes me think of something my dad said about 100 years ago – “there are no stupid questions, just stupid answers”
Happy New Year
Anders

Tweet This Post

Volunteer Dave – Final Thoughts

TMV — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 08:16:34 +0000

The last two months in Thailand has absolutely flown in. It only feels like i have been here about two weeks. You are always kept busy. You can be organizing lessons for the following week, going little weekends away to various destinations close to Thai Mueang, perusing the local markets or simply sitting at the beach.

Myself and the other volunteer, Eileen. Organized a weekend away to Ao Nang. It is in the Krabi Province about two or three hours away from Thai Mueang. Getting there is very easy. You just need to speak to a Travel operator in Khok Kloi (20 min from Thai Mueang) and your transfers are done. I would recommend a website called Travelfish.com. I organized our accommodation there and it gives various choices of accommodation all over Thailand.

Once arriving you will see it is set amongst huge cliffs touring to the sky, Ideal for rock climbers. A Golden beach laden with Longtails waiting to take you to copious islands and little hideaways. It is like any Western beach resort. From the Costa Del Sol to Cancun to Lanzarote to Bali. It has an assortment of restaurants and bars ranging from Italian, Swiss, German, Thai and Irish. The prices will vary but almost all restaurants and bars will be double what you pay in Thai Mueang. Market Stalls lining the road wanting to sell you bracelets, bags, clothes, pictures and sunglasses. It is all very nice to see but it is all the same after 10 min.

On the Saturday morning we had arranged a 4 Island Speed boat trip. It leaves from Ao Nang early. You will see Maya Bay, made famous by the world renowned film The Beach. Phi Phi Island is also on route; here it is nearly four/five times the price of Thai Mueang. You will also see Chicken Island and when you arrive at Bamboo Island its nice just to go a walk around after the long Speed boat journey. It is definitely worth a visit. There is loads to do in the area. I never done it on this trip but on a previous visit I done Kayaking, seen the world famous Thai Boxing and seen a couple of waterfalls.

Back in Thai Mueang you have a market there which is always interesting to visit. You have the Thai Fishmongers that have fish caught from the Andaman Sea that morning. Fresh fruit and vegetables which you never see at your local Tesco or Wal-Mart. Bakers selling loads of little Thai cakes. Curio stalls selling traditional Thai Jewellery and artefacts and loads of clothes stalls selling the Thai fashion and the fashion you will see back home.

In and around Thai Mueang you can go little adventures. I loved to jump on my Moped and just decide on a road and see where I ended up. Travelling through little villages amongst the Rubber and Palm Oil Tree Plantations definitely appealed to my British nature. We always love to see new and uncharted territories where the locals stare at you as if you are from outer space. Coming across a deserted beach with not a person in sight was always highlight. Sitting there with your thoughts, watching the sunset and listening to some Ben Harper, Explosions in the Sky, Ulrich Schnauss and Groove Armada on the I-pod made me realise that I needed a change in lifestyle. Thai Mueang or experiences like this is what I need.

If you come here for the beach, food, Thai culture or to get away from your nine to five. Always remember that the teaching is reason we are here. These kids do need our help and we can make a difference, however small.
It made every day here worthwhile. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Please visit tmvolunteers.org for more information about my volunteer experience.

Cheers

Dave

Friendly Bongalows - Ao Nang, Krabi

Phi Phi Islands, Thailand

Tweet This Post

Dave from Scotland, volunteer at Wat Muang Pracharam Primary School

TMV — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 14:49:49 +0000

After my long flight, I was eager to get out of the hustle and bustle of Bangkok. So I decided to get a bus from Bangkok down south to Thai Mueang. You can get a flight to Phuket but the prices vary depending on what season you are here. After my 10-11 hour bus trip to Khok Kloi. Anders picked me up from Khok Kloi. We had a short trip from Khok Kloi and then I was at my desired location, Thai Mueang.
The Volunteer house to my surprise was a lot more spacious and secluded than I envisaged. It is set back amongst a rubber plantation on the outskirts of Thai Mueang. You have the odd moped flying past on the road but apart from that you have sounds of subtropical insect’s screeching away with densely populated subtropical flora waving in the wind.
Thai Mueang Town itself is only a 2 min moped ride or a 10 min walk from the Volunteer house. The town is small and you pass through in a matter of minutes. It has all the essentials ranging from the post office, internet cafes, pharmacies, banks and little family run stalls selling loads if weird and wonderful things. There is a market every morning in the town selling fresh fish caught that morning from Andaman Sea. It has all kinds of tropical fruit which may not get back in your home country. Eating out in Thai Mueang is adventure all in itself. There is close on a dozen family run restaurants around Thai Mueang selling various traditional Thai dishes at very reasonable prices. But if you are missing home there is not very many Western restaurants. There is a little restaurant by the beach which sells homemade pizza’s which is also very nice. In general Thai Mueang supplies all your basic needs.
As you travel out Thai Mueang parallel to the beach you will again pass various restaurants looking onto the beach. After 2/3 miles you will come to the Thai Mueang Turtles Conservation. These researches are rearing small and injured turtles and re-introducing them back into the wild. They are doing a fabulous job as the turtle population is diminishing due to over fishing and pollution in their habitats. They also breed loads of different types of tropical fish and lobsters. It is well worth a visit.
Further up the beach you come to Thai Mueang National Park. It is very tranquil and picturesque as you don’t have very many people walking along the beach. It’s better to go for a swim here as over the last 30/40 years there was Tin mining on Thai Mueang beach. So as you enter the water it starts to get deep very quickly and the currents are pretty strong. But on the beach at Thai Mueang National Park you can walk out into the glass like water for about 20 metres and it won’t go over your head. Within the National Park you also have several waterfalls that you can visit. There are about 4 dotted around Thai Mueang.
Teaching in Thai Mueang has been brilliant. On my first day the school gathered for their assembly to pay respect to the King and to the Buddha. One of the teachers was translating everything for me. Then she turned around and said ‘’This is when you make your speech to the school.’’ I was totally gobsmacked but I couldn’t back out. It was all very off the cuff but I managed to muster up some words.
The children at my school have been a joy to teach. Every time you walk into the class they huge smiles and eager to learn. I have been well prepared but something’s you can’t prepare for. I found that if you get the students out their seats and doing activities outside the classroom it gets them interested and willing to learn. The younger students love to draw and colour in. So you can integrate that into your lessons you might find it beneficial. The older students again more hands on work tend to be better. If you get them to cut out shapes, making flags and up to the front of the class to write on the blackboard it works wonders. The teachers at the school are very welcoming and are very keen to make your time at their school enjoyable as possible. They are always on hand to give you a helping hand in the classroom if you are struggling to get the students to understand your work. During lunch at school the teacher’s have loads of different dishes that one can try. Some are very nice but others worth a try and then you know for next time to give it a miss.
My stay so far in Thai Mueang has probably been the best experience in my life. It wouldn’t have been like that if I didn’t have the support from Anders and Net. They are always there for a helping hand and to give you support throughout your stay. No doubt I will probably have some more questions and queries before my time is up.
I have found a quote by Marshall Berman which I thought was quite appropriate for my time here in Thai Mueang.
‘’ To be modern is to find ourselves in an environment that promises us adventure, power, joy, growth, transformation of ourselves and the world – and at the same time that threatens to destroy everything we have, everything we know, everything we are.’’
Cheers
Dave McFall

If you are interested in learning more about volunteering with Thai Mueang Volunteers, please visit our website HERE

Dave, volunteer at Wat Muang Pracharam Primary School.

One of Dave's classes.

Tweet This Post