Thailand - Learn, Volunteer and Travel

My experience as an English volunteer in Thailand was incredible. Even though I was a minor, I felt completely safe because the team picked me up at the airport. Everyone on the team was extremely kind, and I had the chance to immerse myself in the local culture and learn from the people there. The highlight was definitely teaching English. I also made friends from all over the world—USA, Germany, France, and the Netherlands. I highly recommend GoEco; this is my second year volunteering with them, and I hope to continue next year!

Local organisation Green Lion did everything possible to make this experience worthwhile for our family. I also loved the fact they let us pick our own accommodation, seen that their own accommodation is not for a family with children. This way our children could calm down in the afternoons, away from all the "work talks".

The most memorable experience for me has been the placement. The English I have been able to teach in th short two weeks I've been in Hua Hin have made a real difference for the kids I've had the pleasure of working with. If I could extend my placement, I certainly would.

Being part of this program was so rewarding. Even though my stay was very short, it was nice to be able to give a hand to people in need. The GoEco team was extremely accommodating, insightful, and made me feel very comfortable.

I really enjoyed the traditional dance at the welcome party on the first night of my Learn, Volunteer and Travel program. The dresses looked so intricate and I could really get a taste of the Thai culture.

My two most memorable experiences during Culture Week were (1) breakfast at the monastery with the Buddhist monks, and (2) the visit to the "monkey town" of Lopburi. Every day of my teaching week was memorable in one way or another. The coordinators were great--very helpful.

I did the Culture Week, Sport Coaching and two weeks of English Teaching. All projects have satisfied me fully. This is a great organization, the days are organized with many things to do so that you are always in the company of other volunteers or coordinators. Even the idea of changing project is great because it let you make various experiences. I like to travel to know places and people. For this I am very happy to have done this incredible experience.

My last day at school was like a movie scene...I was struck by the way the kids progressed during my stay and it was quite hard to say goodbye to them. Though it was very challenging this day was the most rewarding one of my life. When I came to Thailand I was quite apprehensive concerning my stay as it was quite hard to fit in and overcome the cultural shock. However, the program helped me get familiar with the local culture and customs, and I met amazing people!

My most memorable experience was meeting all of the local Thai people, whether they were our coordinators or people living in the towns. I loved learning about all of the different temples and meanings behind them, as well as the culture!

When I boarded a plane in Chicago to begin my trip to Thailand, I was nervous. I had never taken such a trip by myself before and I was trusting that all would go smoothly. Up to this point, Go Eco and the team in a Thailand had been incredibly responsive and I had a feeling this was going to be wonderful. I was right. A representative was waiting to pick me up as soon as my plane landed in Bangkok and from that moment forward every detail and logistic was planned out and executed thoughtfully. The program coordinators in Thailand were some of the most thoughtful, energetic and caring people I’ve met. The accommodation in Thailand was beautiful and comfortable and the food cooked by locals was delicious! The culture week provided and opportunity to experience Thailand, including more tourist destinations such as historic ruins, but also unique local experiences such as eating breakfast with monks or participating in a local dance. As soon as I arrived in Thailand, I met some of the other volunteers and we became fast friends and formed a friendship that I know will last a long time. We are all looking forward to participating in more Go Eco programs!

I have to say I truly enjoyed the programme, and my seven days in Singburi, Thailand was well-spent. Apart from the decent living environment and catering, as well as welcoming and friendly staff; I found it amazing that the programme allowed us to fully immerse into the Thai culture. That is to say, I was not only given the opportunity to contribute to the local community by teaching them English, I myself also gained valuable experiences. In the welcoming party, we were allowed to enjoy various traditional Thai dances presented by locals, and even invited to join them on the dance floor. The elegance in the exotic Thai dance is something which I had not seen before. During my stay, the Loi Krathong festival took place. I learned from the programme coordinator that the purpose of this festival is to apologize to the "Goddess of River" for the pollution caused. I wore festive Thai costumes in the school in which I am volunteering, and took pictures with the children and teachers. I also had a nice time decorating the banana stem that would be put into the river at night while volunteering. That night, the view near the river shocked me. It was all shining lights from candles, and the scene was simply beautiful. There was no place I would rather be, than to be there gazing out at the endless river full of stars.

My experience was the best of my life! I traveled for 3 weeks, to the north and south. I learnt so much about Thai culture and the people were the most selfless and generous. I also did a variety of activities such as rice farming, snorkeling and hiking to say a few. Then i volunteered for 4 weeks which were very fulfilling and teaching the kids was very fun as they are eager to learn and interact. I also did construction and learnt how to build a wall. I felt extremely happy knowing i was helping the kids. Thailand is really the land of smiles!

Anyone with the means should do this without a doubt: it is an experience that stays with you for the rest of your life and inspires you to continue to do as much good for others and the planet as you can.

I can't pick a favourite because I fell in love with the whole experience, I am so amazed at what I have seen and learnt. I began my adventure in Singburi Guest house, for the newcomers. All the new people stay in one house for the entire week while we all do the culture week. It was amazing, getting to know everyone and getting to see the best attractions, lots of temples, monkeys and a lot of thai culture such as the thai lesson, cooking lessons and the BBQ. My first weekend was free, I met some new friends and we chose to go to Bangkok for the weekend, our Coordinator Phil helped us make it happen. When we came back from Bangkok on a Sunday, I was then transferred to start my week with the elephants. The elephant care week was amazing, and also tiring but amazing, we spent our mornings cutting down banana trees and feeding the elephants. After lunch, we would leave the elephants for hiking or for sightseeing, we saw some gorgeous waterfalls you don't want to miss. It was a packed week which also allowed us free time at night to walk around the town, so different from Bangkok and so peaceful. My last week in Thailand was with the children. They were full of energy and curious to learn about us. Though, it difficult to communicate with them, I had brought some colouring books and crayons to keep them occupied, they loved it! We had a blast all week. I enjoyed every moment, In Thailand the culture is different and so amazing. I got to meet new people and see what the organization was doing for the children of Thailand. I am amazed of all the beautiful sites I have seen and the program allowed me to move around some projects to make my traveling easier. I enjoyed the people I met, I was lucky to arrive on a week where there was 15 new people, we were a huge and amazing group that begun our touring week/culture week together, we still keep in touch.

I have never volunteered before and never worked with animals. I am a big animal lover (2 cats, 2 big dogs) so this is why I chose this project in Koh Samui. I got to see a paralyised dog up and walking again within the 3 weeks I was there as well as bathing some dogs with mange which helped their skin which was itchy . Getting the trust of a 3 legged mumma dog to let me pick up her 6 week old puppies and moving her to another enclosure to playing with some gorgeous little 4 week old puppies. Trying to get cat selfies was fun as well as brushing and bathing the puppies. I really enjoyed it. I loved the animal shelter and the interaction with the animals. The project volunteer at Koh Samui was awesome and great fun and we always had such random converstations on the way to the project but I loved it.

I had an incredible time and learnt so much from the animals I worked with, the staff at the Wild Cat Sanctuary and the other volunteers. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience and I would go back in a heartbeat. It was awesome having the chance to work closely with amazing animals and seeing how passionate the staff members were, and experiencing an authentic South African lifestyle.

I can not even choose one favorite thing about my project. I have been thinking for a couple days on how I could try to summarize my time in Thailand, and there is just so much. I have a hard time getting my keyboard to express all I need to say. I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to do this. I have never felt so inspired, so free to experience all that this world can give and take. I loved spending time with the children and supporting their community through teaching, renovation & construction work.They were so full of warmth, so dynamic, and so loving!.. I also got to see some really amazing things during the Siam Culture Week, but without a doubt the best thing about my trip was all the people (both locals & other volunteers) that I met.

My personal experience was incredible. My first week was Culture Week in the Brown House where I met people from all over the world who ended up being like my second family while I was abroad. I enjoyed seeing new things each day especially Ayutthaya and The Monkey Temple. My third week was teaching English in the local school although it was hard as the kids knew very little English, I really bonded with some of the older ones in the high school. The Culture Week in Singburi was the most enjoyable for me as we got to see so many different markets and temples which allowed us to learn about the history and culture of Thailand, but we also got to visit the Monkey Temple and Elephants for a more fun aspect.

The project itself was fantastic. I loved spending time and the beach and with the rest of the volunteers, but I especially loved the morning surveys where I got to see and find turtle nests. It was slightly different to what I had expected, but I definitely enjoyed myself very much. I was very lucky and got an incredible group who was funny and easy going and I can't wait to see again. The actual work was great because I got to see turtles in their natural habitat and I got to see them lay eggs which is something I would never have imagined doing. The patrols can be a bit exhausting since you have to be up at such weird hours, but every moment of it is worth it.

I enjoyed every moment, In Thailand the culture is different and so amazing. I got to meet new people and see what the organization was doing for the children of Thailand. I am amazed of all the beautiful sites I have seen and the program allowed me to move around some projects to make my traveling easier. I enjoyed the people I met, I was lucky to arrive on a week where there was 15 new people, we were a huge and amazing group that begun our touring week/culture week together, we still keep in touch. I can't pick a favourite experience because I fell in love with the whole experience, I am so amazed at what I have seen and learnt. I began my adventure in Singburi Guest house, for the newcomers. All the new people stay in one house for the entire week while we all do the culture week. It was amazing, getting to know everyone and getting to see the best attractions, lots of temples, monkeys and a lot of thai culture such as the thai lesson, cooking lessons and the BBQ. My first weekend was free, I met some new friends and we chose to go to Bangkok for the weekend, our Coordinator Phil helped us make it happen. When we came back from Bangkok on a Sunday, I was then transferred to start my week with the elephants. The elephant care week was amazing, and also tiring but amazing, we spent our mornings cutting down banana trees and feeding the elephants. After lunch, we would leave the elephants for hiking or for sightseeing, we saw some gorgeous waterfalls you don't want to miss. It was a packed week which also allowed us free time at night to walk around the town, so different from Bangkok and so peaceful. My last week in Thailand was with the children. They were full of energy and curious to learn about us. Though, it difficult to communicate with them, I had brought some colouring books and crayons to keep them occupied, they loved it! We had a blast all week.