Teaching English in Thailand
Quick Overview
Our English teaching program in Thailand gives you the chance to get beneath the country that tourists see, and discover the incredibly friendly people and unique culture that define this beautiful country. Community work is critical and you will find volunteering really makes a difference here. Social development issues such as unemployment and lack of education is high. Our teaching programs support children who can benefit from English literacy.
Our teaching programme in Thailand is based in Surin giveing you the unique opportunity to make a valuable contribution to the local community, and experience life in a typical Thai town. With support from our team you will teach English in a local school where the students wouldn’t otherwise have the chance to interact with native English speakers. The majority of the students are young learners and can get very excited when you arrive!
What’s Involved
For our teaching program in Thailand, you will be based in Surin, Northern Thailand. Surin is a vibrant Thai town, and whilst not as developed as big cities, it is packed with character and charm. The people are friendly, the food is tasty, spicy, and cheap; and spending time here will be an unforgettable and authentic Thai experience. The teaching program is ideal for students on a gap year, studying, or looking for an alternative holiday as you can make a real difference as a volunteer teacher abroad.
As a teacher you will get the opportunity to teach in local primary/elementary schools and occasionally local secondary/high schools depending on your comfort levels and ground needs. We usually place our volunteers in primary schools teaching children aged between 6 and 12 years old. With emphasis for volunteers teaching spoken English, you’ll spend your time creating lessons that can increase your students’ vocabulary and also communication skills. Past volunteers have left behind a number of teaching aids to help you with your lesson planning and local coordinators are always available to offer advice and support. On average there will be between 20 to 30 students per class, but some schools may have classes as small as 12 students.
It is possible to work in a secondary school on request; here the children will be from about 13 to 16 years old.The ages of your students will range from kindergarten age to sixth graders aged up to 12 years and you will be teaching one hour of English a week to grades 1-3 and two hours of English each week to grades 4-6. You will be co-teaching with a Thai English teacher who will guide you and support you whenever you need and the teachers we work with are always open to new teaching techniques, so you can rally contribute something positive to each lesson.
Our teaching programs play a vital role in helping Thai children learn important life skills such as English and to build confidence as they grow and develop as individuals. Volunteering to teach English in Thailand will help to break the poverty cycle and it will give you a chance to engage in meaningful travel whilst forming deep connections with all those you meet along the way.
All The Details
Surin, Thailand
Please note that teaching programs will not run in April, May and October due to school holidays.
| JAN | JUL | ||||
| 1/3/2020 | 1/10/2020 | 1/24/2020 | 7/3/2020 | 7/17/2020 | 7/24/2020 |
| FEB | AUG | ||||
| 2/7/2020 | 2/21/2020 | 8/7/2020 | 8/21/2020 | ||
| SEP | |||||
| 9/4/2020 | 9/18/2020 | ||||
| MAY | NOV | ||||
| 5/15/2020 | 5/15/2020 | 11/6/2020 | 11/20/2020 | ||
| JUN | DEC | ||||
| 6/5/2020 | 6/19/2020 | 12/4/2020 |
All our rates are in USD $ per person
| NUMBER OF WEEKS | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| USD $ | n/a | $1,199.00 | $1,349.00 | $1,419.00 | $1,589.00 | $1,759.00 | $1,929.00 | $2,099.00 | $2,269.00 | $2,439.00 |
What’s Included?
- Pre-departure support and materials – to prepare you for your trip
- Accommodation
- Experienced bilingual local staff team
- Airport Transfers (for Surin)
- Location orientation – a walking tour showing you the local markets for food, ATMs and amenities.
- Project training with the local Program Manager
- 24 hour support in your location.
- Transport to project sites
- Donation to school
Whats Not Included in your program fee :
- Flights to the program destination
- Daily Meals
- Medical and travel insurance (compulsory)
- Visa costs
- Personal shopping and gratuities
- Local excursions
Getting There
- The nearest airport for Surin Teaching the nearest airport is Bangkok.
- You can get visas on arrival for Thailand.
- Travel Insurance is compulsory on this program. You can get in touch with our team if you need travel insurance organised.
- We work with the Foreign & Commonwealth Office for travel to Thailand. Goto www.gov.uk/knowbeforeyougo to find out how best to avoid trouble when abroad. Packed with essential travel advice and tips, the website also offers up-to-date country information.
- For support on any of the above email us hello@volunteeringjourneys.com
Typical Schedule:
You will need to fly into Bangkok Airport on the start date. On arrival we will keep you in Bangkok for the first two days in before being transferred to Surin. Your first two days in Bangkok will include a tour of the city with the rest of the volunteers. After reaching Surin you will be given another orientation by the local team who will introduce you to the local projects.
- Friday: Arrival in Bangkok
- Saturday: Orientation + Bangkok tour. The orientation session will be conducted by the local coordinator, covering topic areas; such as safety, culture, language, places to visit, behavior, food, and other suggestion over things to do in Surin.
- Sunday: Transfer to Surin through an air-conditioned train
- Mon to Thursday: Volunteer work
- Breakfast – 07:00 am to 09:00 am (only for the first two days after arrival. Rest of the days, volunteers have to manage it on their own)
- Working hours at the placement – 08:00 am to 03:00 pm
- Lunch – 11:30 am onwards (the lunch timings vary depending upon the placement type. Can extend till 01:00 pm)
- Dinner – 07:00 pm onwards (To be managed by volunteers on their own outside)
What Happens When I Arrive?
Arrangements for Volunteers in Thailand:
On arrival at Bangkok you will be living in a guesthouse with other volunteers arriving on the same day at the famous Khao San Road. This part of Bangkok will give you the vibe of Asias hustle and bustle. Expect some noisy nights! The accommodation in Surin is in dormitory style shared houses close to the centre of town. Bathrooms are shared with your fellow travellers and have Western style toilets. There is a basic kitchen for you to use, and of course the accommodation has WIFI.
Your meals are not included in the program fee as culturally most Thai’s eat at the local markets. Everyday you can grab some food at the local morning and evening markets where you can get authentic local Thai cuisine. The food is fresh and delicious at these markets and its a great way of soaking in local culture and seeing how the locals live. There are some great options for both vegetarians and non vegetarians.
Daily Project transport to the schools will be arranged by the local team.
Health and Safety :
When you join our programs you can be assured we have carried out Risk Assessments to identify potential safety and health risks on projects and in the community. We share this information with you in our pre departure documents and on arrival. Our local staff are well trained and we provide 24/7 emergency numbers to all participants.
Weekends :
As you volunteer Monday to Friday your weekends will be free to explore Thailand or surrounding countries. In Surin there are many local bars, shops and restaurants in the town plus a night food market. The city is an extremely safe place to stay. Surin province once belonged to the Khmer empire (now Cambodia) so you’ll find scattered ancient temples from the same period as the temples of Angkor in Cambodia. The land border crossing in to Cambodia is located just an hour from Surin and is easily accessible from the town’s bus station. We highly recommend a short weekend trip to Cambodia if you can squeeze that in!
WHY VOLUNTEERS LOVE US!
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‘My experience in India was absolutely fantastic. Having never done anything like this before, Volunteering Journeys made sure I settled in well and supported me throughout my time. Being placed with an amazing family gave me the chance to experience Indian culture first hand. I was part of the Disabled Childcare Programs for two weeks. Although short, I felt the time I spent was so valuable for the children. If this is something that you are interested in I would 100% recommend it. The memories, friendships and experiences you will develop will be ones that you will never forget.’
Fiona Kirk
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‘The teaching experience was second to none. I was overwhelmed by the respect and politeness all the children have, which made it some much easier to work with them, even with the language barrier. The amazing thing about the schools I visited was that all the children are like little sponges, they absorb everything you say, teach and do! It’s quite outstanding how much they gain from just a small conversation in the playground or in the class room.
So in general if you are questioning whether you want to volunteer and you don’t know what company to go with, it has the be Volunteering Journeys. You will be well looked after, gain an immense experience and make friends for life!!!’
Jemima Kershberg
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‘I took a short sabbatical from work in November 2013 and decided to come to India. I was helping at a small school in Fort Kochi, teaching English, Maths, Science and the odd nursery rhyme. The school where I volunteered had amazing teachers and the kids were great. Ridhi and the team organised everything brilliantly – from cycling tours to the backwaters, to hosting me with a family that made my stay feel like home. If you’re going to volunteer in India then I highly recommend Volunteering Journeys’
Glyn Owen
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“J’ai passé deux mois formidables à Kochi en travaillant comme volontaire avec Volunteering Journeys. Deux mois de ma vie que je n’oublierais jamais. J’ai rencontré des gens incroyables et participé à des projets qui me tenaient vraiment à coeur. J’ai pu voir l’aboutissement de mes efforts et le sourire sur le visage des enfants. Une expérience magique que je recommande à tous. Merci Rainbow”
Laura Prigogine
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‘I spent 3 wonderful weeks with the Volunteering Journeys team in Kerala, it marked the beginning of almost 2 months adventuring through India, and I can say without a doubt it was one of my favourite experiences of my time spent in incredible India! From the moment my plane landed and I was greeted by a friendly face and whisked away to a wonderful home, the local staff were incredibly welcoming, helpful, supportive and great fun to be around!
I spent my time volunteering in 2 local schools, assisting with English studies. The enthusiasm and joy with which the children approach their days will ensure you never want to leave!I cannot recommend Volunteering Journeys highly enough, it was such a joyful introduction to India – it’s culture, people and crazy beautiful way of life. You will leave with some fond memories and firm friendships’
Katie Parsons
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‘I volunteered by teaching English both at a school and at an all girls’ orphanage for two months. It has been the best experience of my life so far. I really got to know the children I was teaching and seeing the children’s English improve over my time was an incredible feeling. From being introduced to yoga to tasting delicious flavoursome Indian cuisine and living in “God’s own country”, has left me eager to return. I have made friends across the World who made my time spent in Kerala unforgettable. I highly recommend volunteering with Volunteering Journeys; Kerala is beautiful and you will gain fun memories.’
Elidith Cameron
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‘I spent two weeks running an art workshop which was absolutely fantastic. The children were so enthusiastic and bustled about with paste and paint, putting together the most amazing creations. They were not used to producing collaborative work and were thrilled when their individual efforts achieved a glorious whole. Their personalities really shone through and I became very fond of them in the short time I was with them. Thank you to Volunteering Journeys for enabling me to have such a wonderful experience!’
Jane Daniell
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‘There is some kind of magic that happens when you’re in India. The climate, the people, the warm welcome, the happiness in every person, the culture, it’s simply inspiring. On top of that having a group of friendly, thoughtful organizers guiding me through the program made my time volunteering with Volunteering Journeys one of the most memorable moments in my life.
If anyone reading this is considering becoming a volunteer, don’t hesitate, become a volunteer. It will be the most rewarding experience and adventure of your life. I assure you that you will have a vital impact on the community, the place and the children. I would recommend Volunteering Journeys without hesitation. Well organized and hassle free adventure. You get help and guidance with everything you need. Kerala was my destination. Safe, beautiful and very friendly. Just do it and have an adventure of your life!’
Harminder Athwal
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“Volunteering at the schools was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. Once again the friendships you create are irreplaceable. Admittedly, the first few days were scary, in the sense that my partner and I were only 18 & 20 yrs old and we were teaching women and children a language that was not their first. However the persistence and willingness of Indians is not to be tested. Each of our students put in 100% and naturally we became very personal with everyone and these women and children taught us much more. We came out of this experience with more than we had ever anticipated. It can’t be put into words just how much we learnt from volunteering. Ever aspect of our lives and mindset has changed.”
Aimee Chirio
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‘I think it was quite an eye opening experience to kind of see how people live and enjoy their lives very differently to what we do probably in UK. Even though comparatively they didn’t have as much, the children still came to school with a smile on their face and they were really keen to learn. They were ever so happy and always had a smile on their face regardless of the circumstances that they are living in, and I think that was an amazing experience for us to take back. We have comparatively much more wealth in the UK and we have much more available at our fingertips. Yet we were quite not so happy’
Andrew Davies
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‘We decided to volunteer as part of our family vacation. It was the perfect balance: making a contribution but not being asked to do too much, with Volunteering Journeys staff with us every step of the way to help, support, clarify, etc. I was also impressed that they didn’t feed us a line about how we were changing the world in a week; I knew going in that *we* would be the ones most changed, and the staff’s perspective’s was the same: we were making an impact by showing we cared and sharing experiences, which hopefully meant something to a lot of people.’
Bob Macauley & Family
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