Overview
As the name suggests, under the Teaching English Volunteer Program in Thailand volunteers are placed at different school setups across the Bangkok city to teach English. Volunteers must understand that the children at these schools come from less privileged families and the administration is not well equipped to handle the quality of their education. Short staffing and teacher-student ratio is also an issue here. Students of these schools are mainly children of immigrants who have come from Myanmar and Cambodia. A usual class would comprise of 20-30 students. Placements are given to volunteers both at the primary as well as secondary schools depending on their level of education and proficiency in English teaching. This is a great volunteer abroad opportunity for students on their gap year looking for international work experience. This can also add enormous value to their future career prospects.
Program Requirements
Volunteers must be 18 years or older at the time of joining the project. Participants should have an open mind and flexible attitude for working in a new and different environment. Volunteers need to be flexible, open-minded and have a passion for working with children. You should also be proactive and have an ability to take initiative All volunteers must provide additional documents such as a clean criminal background check report, Resume/CV and passport copy prior to joining the program.
Volunteer Roles & Responsibilities
Typical volunteer activities under the teaching volunteering program in Thailand include;
- Assist the teachers to provide low-cost teaching material and fun for the children.
- Teaching Conversational English to students.
- Assisting in other subjects such as computer teaching
- Sharing new ideas with the students and exchanging their views on different topics.
- Creating a playful environment and enhance the creativity of the children through painting, playing games, singing.
Volunteer Work Schedule
Volunteers joining the Teaching English Volunteering Program in Thailand, Bangkok is required to follow a basic routine on a daily basis. This covers everything from meals to volunteer work and back. It must be noted that every placement functions at a different pace and on separate timelines making the schedule slightly differ at times. A generic daily schedule for volunteers is as follows;
- Friday: Arrival in Bangkok
- Saturday: Orientation + neighborhood familiarization tour. 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 Bangkok.
- Sunday: City tour of Bangkok + Language classes
- Mon to Fri: Volunteer work
- Breakfast - To be self-cooked (ration is provided at the accommodation)
- Working hours at the placement - 08:00 am to 11:30 am and 12:30 pm to 04:00 pm
- Lunch - 11:30 am onwards (Provided at the placement)
- Dinner - To be managed by volunteers on their own outside
The same volunteer work schedule continues for the coming weeks
Weekends: Free to explore the city and indulge in some great weekend activities in Bangkok
Note: Please note, the schedule may vary depending on the particular project the volunteer is participating in.
Living
VolSol ensures that all our international volunteers are provided the same comfort as they get at their homes. We ensure that your stay, meals and other personal requirements are looked after well.
Airport Transfer
All international volunteers are required to arrive on Friday in Bangkok. Pick up from the Suvarnabhumi Airport is available between 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Volunteers are requested to wait at the airport if there is a time difference between the pick-up hours and arrival of flights. Also, volunteers who are already in Bangkok or arriving at Don Mueang Airport will be picked from the airport, their local stay, hostel or hotel. Make sure you inform us in advance.
Orientation
During the weekend an extensive orientation session is held. Volunteers are taken for the tour of the local area and visits to Victory Monument and Chatuchak Market. Detailed information about the activities would be provided after the enrolment in your respective programs. During this session, volunteers would be familiarized with local transportation, currency, culture and utility shops in the area. After their sessions, volunteers are again free to get their personal belongings and work done.
Accommodation
Volunteers will be provided with accommodation at a backpackers' hostel (The Yard Hostel), which is very close to our office in Bangkok. The closest BTS Sky Train Station is just about 8 minutes walk, and it's the most convenient means of transport while in the city. Volunteers will be accommodated in 4 bedroom dorms, where they'll have to share with other travelers. The hostel has a very happy vibe and it'll be a good place to connect with other travelers.
In case someone wants to upgrade to a private room, they'll have to pay roughly $30 extra per night. So, this may work well for couples, but be too expensive for individuals.
Meals
Volunteers are provided breakfast at the hostel accommodation and lunch is at the project site. For dinner, participants can explore the endless food joints in Bangkok, or just walk around Khao San Road, savoring whatever they would like to try!
During your Free Time
All the volunteers and interns in Bangkok have weekends free as well as evenings are free during the weekdays. You can head out to the beach destinations of Phuket, Pattaya or Koh Samui on the weekends and during the weekdays explore Bangkok city. Bangkok has a lot to offer for everyone and there are plenty of options to explore.
Program Cost
Please Note: -An application fee of $199 is charged over and above the program fee as an application payment. (A 4% international banking fee is charged at the time of payment)
What are you Paying for?
- 24 hrs Assistance and support from Staff
- Comprehensive Pre- Departure Information
- Airport Pickup
- Food - 2 meals a day
- Accommodation
- Travel & Medical Insurance (Available at an extra cost)
- Certificate Of Completion (Upon Request)
What's NOT included?
- Airfare
- Visa Fee
- Return Airport Drop
- Local Transportation
- Vaccinations
Program Dates
| Months | 2021 |
| January | 011529 |
| May | 14 |
| June | 0418 |
| July | 021630 |
| August | 13 |
| September | 03 |
| October | 29 |
| November | 12 |
| December | 0317 |
FAQ's
FAQ's Application and Program Details
As we have limited spots available in our programs and we serve on first come first basis, it is recommended that potential volunteers book their programs well in advance to get confirmed placements. You can book your slot by filling the application form online and pay the application fee of $250. You can pay your program fee later and also, in installments. However, the complete payment should be made 45 days prior to the starting of the program. If you are volunteering in a group, you can also fill a group application form.
For medical and healthcare interns, the following requirements are there:
Age limit is 20 years and above.
Statement of motivation is required.
Interns have to submit a CV/Resume.
Letter of recommendation from medical professional/doctor you’ve worked with is also needed
Interns are required to give a list of their preferred departments where they would like to work in the hospital.
Other Projects:
For Volunteers working at the kindergarten project, orphanage project as well as women empowerment project, mandatory criminal background check needs to be provided.
We encourage our participants to volunteer in a group. We take special care in providing you a placement and also customize your itinerary to make sure you get exactly what you are looking for. Also, we can design special group programs for groups of 5 or more. Our programs are designed to be safe, affordable and offer a great group volunteering experience to the volunteers.
In our experience of more than 12+ years we have enabled and facilitated volunteer program placements for college groups, university groups, high school groups, group of families, group of couples as well as groups of colleagues.
If you are already in Bangkok, we can arrange for a pickup from your local address/lodging/hotel. However, you will need to inform your in-country coordinator well in advance of the same.
Early arrivers can check for the local services, sim cards, from the airport itself. Telco sales counter is at the arrivals area (on exiting the customs).
For our returning volunteers, $50 discount is provided for the application fee for their next Vol Sol program.
Flights and Visa
We can also help you attain 90 days Non-Immigrant Visa as well. However, this takes a longer time to apply for and requires a lot of paperwork. Please contact us for further information on the same.
Please Note: During your time of volunteering, if you leave Thailand (for example: to spend a weekend in Cambodia and Laos), it will be your responsibility to re-enter Thailand and get the relevant Visa at the border.
Also, note that the maximum duration of visa at the Surin - Cambodia border is 15 days.
Etihad
EVA Air
China Airlines
Jet Airways
Thai Airways
Virgin Australia
Air Asia
Health and Safety
Hepatitis A and B
Typhoid
If you already have an insurance, you do not need to buy it from us. However, it is recommended to carry your insurance documents with you while you are traveling.
Accommodation and Living
Sandals or flip flops are a comfortable option and will come in handy as well.
For those traveling between November and February, please note, that the evenings can get cool, so a sweater/light jacket will be required.
Medical Interns need to carry their scrub, lab coats and professional clothing as the program requirement. More details will be provided to enrolled participants in their pre-departure booklets.
The house has a good road connectivity via BTS Skytrain system. A ride to Sky Train station would cost you around 20 Thai Bahts (80 US cents).
Breakfast is to be prepared by the participants on their own. The cooking supplies will be provided to the volunteers in the house. Lunch is usually provided at the project site and for dinner, you can go out with other participants and enjoy the Thai cuisine at any of the restaurants in the bustling city.
We encourage our volunteers to travel. We have designed various weekend tours which can be booked under the ‘Add-on Tours’ section in your ‘My Account’. The in-country coordinator will also help you book and organize the tours once you reach Thailand.
There are several temples (known as Wat) – Wat Arun, Wat Saket, Suthat and more. Wildlife enthusiasts can also go to Safari World, Bangkok National Museum, Crocodile zoo, Memorial Parks and a lot more.
A walking tour of the city is recommended as it allows you to explore the Thai culture in a fantastic manner.
Also, you can explore the popular floating markets of Bangkok and savor the tastes of the delicious local food that’s available there.
Connect with Past Volunteers
To read alumni interviews, visit the Meet a Volunteer section on our website.
