English Teaching in
Support A Local Community
Help children, villagers & school teachers gain confidence & practice in conversational English.
Experience A Different Culture
Discover what life is like in rural Thailand while making new friends.
Affordable Long-Term Volunteering
Accommodation, work-day lunches and monthly pocket-money provided.
Project Overview
Gain experience teaching and learn about Thai culture by working voluntarily in a school for the benefit of a local community.
As a volunteer teaching English in rural Thailand, you will be supporting conversational English language learning activities, on a part-time voluntary basis for up to 3 months. Working alongside Thai teachers of English, you will be assisting small schools in the Thai countryside with conversational skills and confidence.
Your goal is to encourage children to speak English and help them to see the benefits of English communication skills, all while having fun! You will also have the opportunity to play games with the children, and take part in extra-curricular activities and travel experiences.
You can spend from 6 to 12 weeks on this project, allowing you to explore a different culture while working to support a local community. This project provides accommodation and a monthly pocket-money allowance throughout the duration of your placement.
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
By taking part in this volunteering project, you are helping to support the SDGs, which provide a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. The specific SDGs this project impacts are:
Location
There are four participating schools in this project – each school is small and located in a rural community. The schools are in the Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat) and Buriram provinces. Both are large provinces on in northeastern Thailand and each has a long history and culture.
Nakhon Ratchasima has two beautiful national parks in the forested mountains – Khao Yai in the west (Thailand’s oldest national park and newest World Heritage Site) and Thap Lan in the south. The province has long been the most important political and economic centre in the northeastern region. The economy has largely been dependent on agriculture, particularly rice, tapioca and sugar. There are many important prehistoric communities and ruins located in the province. The region, also known as Korat, is origin of a unique breed of cat known as the Korat Cat.
Buriram in Thai means “the city of happiness” and the province’s largest city, also named Buriram, has a motto: “the city of sandstone sanctuaries, land of volcanoes, beautiful silk, rich culture and the best city of sport”. The region is known for it’s humble rural communities, extinct volcanoes and many historical and cultural ruins of ancient significance that scatter the countryside. Buriram is also famous for sport and the local football team, Buriram United, is the most successful team in Thailand.
Both provinces are accessible from Bangkok within a few hours by train and bus. Buriram also has an airport with flights to Bangkok taking around 1 hour.
When you apply for the project, you will be given further information about the schools and you can choose which one you go to.
Dates & Duration
You can volunteer from a minimum of 6 weeks to a maximum of 12 weeks. Check below for our upcoming start and finish dates for this project.
- 2019
16th May 2019 – 30th September 2019
- 2019 - 2020
1st November 2019 – 15th March 2020
Costs
To join the project, you will need to pay a project sending fee plus an additional amount for insurance (approximately £1 per day). Please contact us to find out how much this would be.
- What's included?
During your volunteering placement, furnished accommodation and school meals will be provided. You will also receive a pocket-money allowance of 10,000 Thai Baht (approximately £250 GBP) per month throughout the duration of the project. While volunteering you will receive support from the English teacher of the school and our project partners in Thailand.
- What's not included?
Once your placement is confirmed, we can help you to organise your flights, travel insurance, and tourist visa but you will need to cover all costs. You will also need to organise and pay for any required vaccinations and medications you need while volunteering. You will need to pay for your police or background check. We also recommend that you have a little extra money for any travelling and additional activities you may want to take part in while in Thailand.
Eligibility Requirements
To join this project, you will need to be fluent in English, both spoken and written. You’ll have an enthusiasm for teaching, including developing and testing current and new curriculum resources and activities. The school would happy for you to be creative and try out new ways of teaching the students, for example if you have a particular hobby or interest, such as music or sport, you could combine this into the English lessons. You’ll need be flexible in your approach, and willing to organise your work in accordance with the varying needs arising at the schools.
You will need to be resilient and able to cope with change and to embrace the unexpected! You’ll need to be willing to adapt to different cultural situations, including working in different ways and different living conditions. You’ll need to have a strong motivation for helping others.
To be successful, you will need to clear relevant Police Record checks (such as PVG, DBS, ICPC) and understand and abide by our Safeguarding Policy. You will also need to eligible to apply for Thailand Tourist Visa.
If this sounds like you, we would love to hear from you!
How To Apply
If you’d like to apply for this volunteering project, please send your CV along with a Covering Letter to info@ivsgb.org.
Teach English in Rural Thailand
Project Details & FAQ
- What kind of work will I be doing?
As a volunteer teaching English in small, rural Thai schools, you will be supporting conversational English learning activities, on a part-time voluntary basis for up to 12 weeks.
During that time you will get to know another culture through working voluntarily in a school for the benefit of a local community.
You will work with the Thai Teacher of English to support their language education activities. Although the class is based on English conversation, the topics you can talk about with the children is flexible, such as food, maths, music, films, farming, sport or anything that relates to the children’s daily life.
The school is keen for you to develop your own learning activities with the children, so feel free to get creative!
- How many hours and what days will I work?
Volunteers will work for 25 hours per week, split across 5 days. There may be flexibility in which days are chosen.
The school hours are usually 9am – 12noon and 1pm – 3pm daily.
- Will I get support throughout my volunteering placement?
Yes! You will receive support from the English teacher of the school and our project partners in Thailand.
They will help you get to know the local culture and customs of the country and community. They will also support you in your daily activities within the school.
If you ever have any questions or need any help, they will be there for you!
- How long can I volunteer for?
The placement can last for a minimum of 6 weeks to a maximum of 12 weeks. It is entirely up to you!
Many hosts can be flexible, so if by the end of your volunteering placement you’re not ready to leave, there may be an opportunity to extend your placement too!
- How old are the students and what are they like?
The children are aged between 7-12 years old and come from less fortunate backgrounds.
- What are the benefits of joining this project?
By taking part in this volunteering project, you will develop new skills, develop or even learn a new language, make an impact on the local community, learn about different cultures, make new friends, gain confidence and much more!
You will also be contributing to these specific United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: 4. Quality Education, 16: Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions, 17: Partnerships For The Goals.
- How much will it cost?
To join the project, you will need to pay a project fee. Please contact us to find out how much this would be.
Once your placement is confirmed, you will need to organise and pay for your own flights, travel insurance, visa, vaccinations and medication. If you prefer, we can help you to make these arrangements through our dedicated partner organisations.
During your volunteering project, accommodation and school meals are provided free of charge.
We recommend that, should you wish to partake in any excursions, tours, travel or activities while in Thailand, you have your own additional funds to pay for these while on the volunteering project.
- How much pocket-money will I receive?
You will receive 10,000 Thai Baht per month, which is approximately £250 GBP.
- What is the accommodation like?
Your accommodation will be provided by the school. It depends on the location of your placement, but generally you will get your own private bedroom in the school house. The room will be fully-furnished and you will have access to WiFi and a shared bathroom and cooking facilities.
An example of the accommodation space within the school – furniture pending!
- Are meals provided?
Lunch is provided by the school during weekdays.
For other meals, the volunteer will be provided with a budget to buy and cook their own food.
- What is the weather like?
The climate in this region of Thailand is humid.
- What do I need to bring?
You need to wear long trousers while you are teaching – please do not wear shorts or a short skirt.
You will need to bring your own medication with you.
- Can I volunteer with my friend/partner?
Yes! There may be opportunity for you to do this volunteering project together. Please contact us for further details.
- Do I need a visa?
You will need to check your visa requirements. Generally, a Tourist Visa is sufficient. Please check at the Thai Embassy for further information.