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Volunteer Teaching English To Monks in Chiang Mai Thailand
The Teaching Monks Program in Chiang Mai offers the opportunity to work at monasteries and temple schools, where you can teach young monks elementary subjects while engaging in interactive exchange sessions to learn about the spiritual aspects of their lives.
In Chiang Mai, Thailand, you teach at one of five monastery or temple schools, working with novice Buddhist monks aged 12 to 18. Day to day you assist the school's own teachers with English lessons, run conversational English practice, help with basic computer classes, and exchange views with students on everyday topics. The role suits adults age 18 and over who want a structured teaching placement and are comfortable in a religious, education-focused setting; no teaching qualification or prior classroom experience is required.
Placements run 2–12 weeks, with starts twice a month (fridays), next on 2 Oct 2026. You live in a shared Volunteer House in Chiang Mai with other volunteers, with breakfast supplies at the house and lunch at your school on weekdays; dinners and weekends are your own. Programs start from $1,039 (deposit included). The schools themselves are part of what makes this placement distinct: some of the temples are centuries old, and lessons are shared alongside monk teachers, with daily assembly and meditation you can join or simply observe.
Your role on this program
- Teach conversational English to novice monk students in small groups or full classes
- Assist the school's own teachers with lesson delivery and low-cost teaching materials
- Support basic computer lessons alongside the regular teaching staff
- Lead simple activities and games that build spoken English practice
- Exchange ideas and views with students on everyday topics and culture
- Help teachers adapt classroom activities to a range of English levels
- Join morning and after-lunch assembly and prayers if you choose to take part
Exact duties vary with the placement's needs, the season and your experience.
Role boundaries
You assist the school's monk teachers and local administration; you do not replace qualified staff, set the curriculum, or lead the school independently. A criminal background check is required because the placement involves working with minors, and school staff together with your program coordinator oversee your day-to-day work.
A typical day and week
A typical volunteer schedule under this program is as follows;
Friday: Arrival in Chiang Mai
Saturday and Sunday : Volunteer Orientation, city tour and cultural activity. Volunteers also read through reports completed by past volunteers in the projects.
Monday – Volunteers begin service
On Monday, volunteer coordinators escort volunteers to their volunteer project location by local transportation and introduce them to the administration and staff of the school. More expectations, daily schedule, grade levels to be taught and other special activities and announcements with regards to volunteer’s and school’s schedule are discussed during this time.
Saturday and Sunday – Days off
Volunteers cannot go to the children’s home during the weekend. You can take part in other activities or take this time to relax or explore the city of Chiang Mai.
Note: Please note, the schedule may vary depending on the project placement and changes can be there due to local circumstances.
The Daily Schedule at the Temple Schools is as follows ;
- 8:00 am – Morning Assembly and Prayers
- 8:30 am – Classes begin
- 11:10 am – Lunch/Break
- 12:10 pm – After lunch Assembly and Prayers
- After Assembly and Prayers afternoon classes begin
- 4:20 pm – School ends for the day
A volunteer is free to come and leave the school as they wish. It’s recommended to stay at the school during most of the day to get to know the staff and students as well as possible, but a volunteer is free to leave the school during times when they do not have classes, if they have something they would like to do off campus.
Throughout the day and during assembly the students,faculty and staff pray and practice meditation. If a volunteer wants to participate in these prayers or meditation they are welcomed to do so. If a volunteer does not want to participate in the prayers they are asked to be respectful towards those who are taking part in the religious activity.
Timings are the placement's usual pattern; the local team confirms your hours at orientation, and they can change with school terms, clinic rotas, weather and the project's needs.
Who can join and what you need
- Minimum age 18
- No prior teaching experience required, but fluency in spoken and written English is expected
- Clean criminal background check report issued within 12 months of the start date
- Resume/CV and passport copy submitted before joining the program
- Open-minded, flexible, and proactive attitude for a new teaching environment
- Travel and medical insurance, either your own policy or one arranged by Volunteering Solutions
The placement, its limits and your part in it
The placements are five monastery and temple schools in and around Chiang Mai, some centuries old, which provide secondary education to boys who cannot afford schooling elsewhere. The regular teachers at these schools are themselves Buddhist monks, and school administration runs and oversees daily lessons; volunteers work inside that existing structure rather than setting it up.
Because students are minors, a criminal background check is required before you start, and your work is supervised by the school's own teaching staff with support from your program coordinator. Your contribution is to give students extra spoken English practice, help with materials, and take part in cultural exchange; the program does not claim specific learning outcomes, and you are not there to run the classroom on your own.
Our standards
- Responsible volunteer travel policyHow we choose, run and review every project
- Safeguarding policyBackground checks, supervision and our code of conduct with children
- Child & vulnerable adult protectionThe rules every volunteer follows on placement
- Certified B CorporationSocial and environmental performance verified by B Lab
- How we volunteer responsibly in ThailandCountry-level partner context and standards
Start dates
Weekly start dates, year-round — pick any week across the next two years.
Program fees by duration
Prices include your $249 booking deposit — which is deducted from your total program fee. Your deposit stays valid for one year, during which you may enroll in multiple programs. A 5% international banking fee applies to credit-card payments in USD or AUD.
| Duration | Total price | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 weeks | $1,039 | |
| 3 weeks | $1,119 | |
| 4 weeks | $1,219 | |
| 5 weeks | $1,329 | |
| 6 weeks | $1,439 | |
| 7 weeks | $1,549 | |
| 8 weeks | $1,659 | |
| Each additional week | +$175 / week |
Indicative conversion — your booking is charged in the currency you choose at checkout.
✓ What you're paying for
- 24 hrs Assistance and support from Staff
- Comprehensive Pre- Departure Information
- Airport Pickup
- 2 Day Orientation and half day city tour
- Cultural Dinner and Show
- Food – 2 meals a day
- Accommodation in Volunteer House
- Travel & Medical Insurance (Available at an extra cost)
- Certificate of Participation (On Request)
Not included
- Airfare
- Visa Fee
- Return Airport Drop
- Local Transportation
- Vaccinations
Accommodation & meals
Airport Transfer
Volunteers are picked up from the Chiang Mai International Airport in Chiang Mai by the coordinator or representative. Volunteers who’d be present already in Chiang Mai will be met by the staff at a designated meeting point decided beforehand. Please note that volunteers are provided pickup from the airport between 8am and 8pm only. In case you are arriving later than the scheduled pickup time, you are recommended to book your stay at a hotel near the airport and the local team will arrange your pickup from the hotel the next morning.
Orientation
All volunteers are provided with an extensive two day orientation including a city tour before starting their project work. The Orientation session covers areas like, local Thai culture, greetings, locations, transportation etc. Volunteers are also given a half day city tour of Chiang Mai and are given a cultural welcome dinner to make them feel immersed in the local culture.
Accommodation
Volunteers are provided accommodation in one of the two volunteer’s homes in Chiang Mai. Both the houses are located in close proximity to each other. Accommodation is shared with other volunteers. Nestled in the vibrant heart of the city, the two volunteer houses are just minutes apart, offering comfortable, air-conditioned bedrooms that can accommodate up to more than 30 participants. The houses offer facilities such as wireless internet, fully equipped kitchens, living room, washing machine for laundry, toilets and showers as well as air conditioned rooms. The accommodations have a large comfortable living room in which you can relax,watch movies or just surf the internet in your free time. The local coordinating team is available easily as the coordinating office is also located within one of the houses.The coordinators ensure that your project runs smoothly. Numerous restaurants, cafes, convenience stores as well as laundry facilities are located within a short distance.
Local Transportation
Airport pick up, the city tour and the transportation to and from the cultural show and welcome dinner are covered in the program fee. Volunteers in the Teaching Volunteer Project are responsible for their daily commute to and from the Volunteer House and their school. Volunteers are expected to pay anywhere between $1.50- $3.00 per day for transportation. Although all the schools where volunteers work are a decent walk from the house,many volunteers take this on foot option to take in more of Chiang Mai during their service. On your first day of your project, the volunteer coordinator will escort you to your school and introduce you to the administration at the school.Volunteers travel with the coordinator on that day by local transportation in an attempt to teach volunteers how to get to the school and back by themselves on the following days of their volunteer service.
Meals
All ingredients for breakfast are provided and volunteers can cook their own breakfast at the volunteer home. Essential supplies such as bread, butter, eggs, coffee, tea, fruits are provided at the accommodation and participants cook their own breakfast.
Lunch is usually taken at the project site on weekdays and for dinner you can choose to head out to numerous restaurants and cafes in Chiang Mai city. The city has so much to explore and volunteers love to go out and explore the numerous restaurants and cafes in the close vicinity of the volunteer accommodation. During weekends volunteers need to buy both lunch and dinner on their own.
During your Free Time
Volunteers can take part in the Thai Cookery classes or Thai Massage course which are available all around Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai also boasts of restaurants of every international cuisine. During the weekends, you can travel to the cities of Pai,Chiang Rai or fly down to the capital city of Bangkok. Some volunteers also head down south to Phuket for a short break in the islands and to explore the beaches.
Life on the program
Getting there and who looks after you in Thailand
Airport pickup
You are collected at Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX) between 8am and 8pm on your Friday start date; if you are already in Chiang Mai, staff meet you at an agreed meeting point instead.
Orientation and city tour
The first two days cover a orientation session on local culture, greetings, and transportation, plus a half-day city tour and a cultural welcome dinner and show.
First day at your school
On Monday your coordinator travels with you by local transportation to your school and introduces you to the administration and staff, covering your daily schedule and grade levels.
Ongoing daily support
The coordinating office is based inside one of the volunteer houses, and staff provide 24-hour assistance throughout your placement.
From volunteers in Thailand
Frequently asked questions
What will I actually do in the classroom?
You mainly teach or assist with conversational English, help with basic computer lessons, and take part in idea and culture exchanges with novice monk students, working alongside the school's own teachers.
Do I need teaching experience or a qualification?
No, prior teaching experience is not mandatory, but you should be fluent in spoken and written English and bring a flexible, proactive attitude.
What does a typical day and week look like?
Classes run Monday to Friday from about 8am, with morning and after-lunch assembly and prayers, ending around 4:20pm; weekends are free days in Chiang Mai.
How long can I volunteer and when do programs start?
Placements run 2–12 weeks, with new starts twice a month (fridays); the next start is 2 Oct 2026.
What is included in the program fee?
The fee, from $1,039 with $249 deposit included, covers airport pickup, accommodation in the Volunteer House, breakfast supplies and weekday lunch, orientation, city tour, cultural dinner and show, and 24-hour staff support.
Where do I live and what meals are provided?
You stay in a shared Volunteer House in Chiang Mai with other volunteers; breakfast supplies are provided at the house and lunch is usually at your school on weekdays, while dinners and weekends are on your own.
How does airport pickup work?
Pickup at Chiang Mai International Airport is provided between 8am and 8pm on your Friday start date; if you arrive outside that window you are advised to book a nearby hotel and staff will collect you the next morning.
What support is available if something goes wrong?
The local coordinating office is located inside one of the volunteer houses, and staff provide a 24-hour emergency contact throughout your placement.
Do I need a visa, vaccinations, or insurance?
Visa fees and vaccinations are not included in the program fee, and specific guidance on these is sent before departure; travel and medical insurance is compulsory, either your own policy or one arranged through Volunteering Solutions.
Who is this program a good fit for?
It suits adults age 18 and over who want a structured teaching role in a religious school setting and are comfortable with monastic routines like assembly and meditation.
Is a background check required since I will be working with minors?
Yes, a clean criminal background check report issued within 12 months of your start date is required before you can join this placement.
Can I join the students' prayers and meditation?
You are welcome to take part in the daily prayers and meditation during assembly, or you can simply be respectful and observe if you prefer not to participate.
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