Volunteer in Thailand with Friends for Asia

English Teacher Volunteer – Bangkok

Bangkok English Teaching Volunteer

Families in Thailand are eager for their students to become proficient English speakers. After all, English is the undeniable lingua franca of the world. However, the privilege of studying with native speakers typically goes to Thai students from more affluent families. By volunteering to teach English through Friends for Asia, you’ll have the opportunity to share your language abilities with underprivileged students from some of Bangkok’s impoverished neighborhoods.

English Teacher Volunteer Project Background

In Thailand, the school day begins every day (Monday to Friday) with the playing of the national anthem. Students usually line up in a courtyard or other common area, while their homeroom teachers inspect uniforms and take attendance. This is when the workday officially begins.

FFA offers a variety of teaching options. We offer placements at the primary (phrathom, kindergarten through 6th grade) and secondary (matayom, 7th through 12th grade) levels. You’ll learn as much as your students do while teaching English in Bangkok. Thai schools are a microcosm of the national culture. You’ll learn when and how to show respect in Thai culture and gain insight into the Thai systems of hierarchy and family.

Volunteer English teachers are able to bypass the window dressing that typical tourists get caught up in. By signing on to this project, you’ll take the fast track straight to the cultural heart of Thailand. The school is considered part of a trifecta of profoundly important institutions in Thailand — along with the home and the temple. With that in mind, English teachers are awarded great respect.

Volunteer Tasks for the English Teaching Project in Bangkok

The actual volunteer work that you’ll be doing depends to a large extent on the needs of the school at which you are stationed. FFA cooperates with several different schools in Bangkok. Doing so allows us to, for example, send teachers to one school when another is currently testing or working through special curriculum.

In almost every case, volunteer English teachers will be paired with a full-time Thai teacher at the school. Depending on your comfort level as well as the needs and preferences of the teacher, you may end up assisting with lessons or fully develop your own. There will also be ample opportunity to plan games and activities to engage with students.

Making a Difference in the Lives of Bangkok Students

English-language instruction is in demand in Thailand — especially now as we’re heading into the ASEAN Economic Community by the end of 2015. The problem, however, is that the bulk of the attention goes to students form relatively affluent families. The schools that they attend have bigger budgets and more resources, and this makes it much easier for them to set attractive salaries for foreign English teachers.

While there is no shortage of English teachers in Thailand — there are shockingly few native-speaking English teachers at the schools that underprivileged students attend. At Friends for Asia, we make a point of developing project sites that are less well-off financially. This way, we can send volunteer English teachers into communities that wouldn’t be able to afford them in the first place.

When you choose to volunteer as an English teacher in Bangkok, FFA can help to amplify your impact. We’ll place you in classrooms where students rarely have the opportunity to interact with Westerners. In such a way, you’ll be doing your part to close the privilege gap and lay the groundwork for a new generation of global citizens.

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English Volunteer Qualifications

Volunteer Thailand English Education

Volunteer English teachers have to be at least 18 years old to be considered. It’s also important that they’re fluent in written and spoken English. While veteran teachers are enthusiastically welcomed, teaching credentials are not required to volunteer to teach English in Thailand.

Beyond this, Friends for Asia requires all volunteers who will be working directly with children to file a certified police background check before their start date.

Volunteer Project Fees for the English Teacher Volunteer Project

Participation in the English Teacher Volunteer Project starts at a minimum of two weeks at $799. Each additional week is $119. Read more about why we require fees for volunteers and interns.

Volunteer Project Fee Includes

  • Comprehensive Pre-Departure Information
  • Visa paperwork (for projects over 8 weeks)
  • Volunteer Insurance
  • Airport pick up
  • Accommodation during orientation and entire project time
  • Breakfast every morning
  • Lunch every work day
  • 2 day Orientation (including half day city tour, cultural dinner and show)
  • Onsite Coordinator
  • 24 hour emergency assistance
  • Written record of service completion (for volunteers that successfully complete their project).

Volunteer Project Fees Do Not Include

  • Travel to/from Home and Chiang Mai (airfare, train tickets, etc.)
  • Thailand visa costs (if applicable)
  • International Medical Insurance
  • Cost of criminal police background check (required for this project)
  • Cost of transportation to and from Project site and and accommodation (roughly $6 per day)
  • Lunches on weekends
  • Dinner

Bangkok English Education Volunteer Start Dates

2018

  • January 8, 2018
  • January 22, 2018
  • February 5, 2018
  • May 21, 2018
  • June 4, 2018
  • June 18, 2018
  • July 2, 2018
  • July 16, 2018
  • August 6, 2018
  • August 20, 2018
  • September 3, 2018
  • November 5, 2018
  • November 19, 2018
  • December 3, 2018
  • December 17, 2018
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