Hello come and teach English as a volunteer around thailand

BEC volunteers teacher thailand

Welcome to BEC Volunteers
A special website for volunteer placements abroad

Currently you can find positions in different sectors around Thailand. Soon the selection will expand to other Asian countries.
You found the right website if:

• you are interested in cross-cultural experiences
• you want to help by teaching English, working in national parks or the tourism sector
• you don’t want to pay loads of money to a private organisation

Explore the Free Volunteers website to discover why helping can be as good as free, how it works, the possibilities and how it can be so easy!

BEC Volunteers - About

Hi, my name is  Somboon  Anudech  and my intention is to help by bringing together volunteers from all over the world who want to volunteer, and those in underprivileged countries who need their help.

I believe that education is fundamental to a better life and especially a knowledge of the English language, the language in which business is conducted globally. Having English language skills is a useful qualification to securing a good job and a better future. Many countries simply canโ€™t offer proper English language skills instruction to their students.

You found this website so you likely genuinely want to help by teaching and imparting your knowledge as I do. And along the way I promise you will have one of the most unforgettable experiences of your life โ€“ experiencing and learning about another culture.

In 2007 I came to Thailand for ten weeks to perform voluntary service as an English teacher with a private organization. The placement qualified as the internship portion for my course of study in โ€œEducational Sciencesโ€.

Being a student without very much money, I chose the cheapest service I could find on the internet โ€“ I paid a little more than 1000 Euros for the placement.
The experience was so fun and exiting but my accommodation wasnโ€™t the best. I couldnโ€™t understand how it could be seeing as I had paid a significant amount of money to participate. So I asked the director what portion of the money I paid for the placement the school actually receives to try to understand. The answer: nothing! The director didnโ€™t even know there was an organization behind the volunteers coming to the school!

In general these organizations are doing good things, but I asked myself why the volunteers have to pay so much money to work for free. I went back home to Germany, finished my studies, wrote my final thesis about โ€œExtending intercultural competencies by volunteering abroadโ€ and spent a year researching every kind of volunteer experience.

As you know probably, you can find lots of organizations which offer different projects in different countries, but typically they are very expensive to take part in and itโ€™s very difficult to find inexpensive or free volunteer placements. Those that are free normally have only one project, and if you donโ€™t want to do exactly this type of work at this particular location, you are back at the beginning of your search. Many times you are even required to join a church before you can help out there.

And this is why I decided to start my own project to connect volunteers from all over the world with placements who desperately need their help.

BEC Volunteers - How it works

The concept is easy; I look for new opportunities to offer you by visiting each placement in person to discuss the scope and possibilities with each project’s director. . From there, simply make contact with the project or projects that interest you directly by e-mail or phone to request any further information you may require. Actually the concept is similar to WWOOF, an organization which brings together volunteers and organic farms. Of course I do have some costs associated with researching, locating and interviewing the projects which is why my service is not completely free of charge, but it is priced so that everyone can have access to the kind of information that I wish was available a few years ago when I paid that 1,000 Euros!

Other similar organizations that ask you to pay much, much more have staffing and overhead costs that they need to cover; they may provide a volunteer handbook, information CD ROM, support staff in the country where you are placed, and perhaps even some minimal training before you start your placement. The question is: Do you really need all of that?

My experience is No!

Let me explain why:

• It’s easy to find information about teaching and cross-cultural experience just by doing a little research on the internet. (You can even find some useful links here).
• The minimal training the organizations provide can be a nice way to transition into your placement, but again, you can easily find everything they will tell you on the web.
• The local people at your placement are so friendly, helpful and thankful to have you that you simply won’t need anymore than they can provide and you will be working with them every day. They know your project better than any country representative could. In any case, you are more than welcome to contact me at any time with questions or concerns.

The choice is yours:

Pay loads of money to get a t-shirt and key-fob
OR
Pay a nominal fee of 15 Euros to get similar

In this way you are supporting the extension of FreeVolunteers to give more people the opportunity to help.

BEC Volunteers - Projects

Currently there are 10 placements on offer in Southern Thailand:

and soon i will offer you many school around Thailand  northern  Esaan more than 100 school.

• 2 Primary Schools (+Nursery) in Krabi Province
• 3 Primary Schools (+Nursery) in Trang Province
• 1 Primary School in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province
• 1 Secondary School in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province
• 1 Secondary School in Trang Province
• 1 Guesthouse in Khao Sok National Park, Surat Thani Province
• 1 Travel Company in Phuket / Krabi Province

At schools you will teach by your own or support a present English teacher. You can also teach English and take care of children at the kindergarten. At the guesthouse, located on a beautiful lake with more than 100 amazing islands of limestone mountains, you can teach English, guide tourists on a  longtail boat and help the Thais to understand the bookings. At the Travel Company you go by boat to different, paradise like islands between the provinces Krabi, Trang and Phuket like Kho Phi Phi where Maya Bay, the beach of the movie “The Beach” is located. Teach the staff English on the boat and help them to take care of the tourists.
At most placements you will get free accommodation and meals. If they cannot provide that or in case you do not like it, it is easy to find very cheap rooms or apartments for rent (around 200 Bath per night or 3000 Bath per month). Proper meals start from 30 Bath.
Some of the placements are located near tourist centres where there are lots of things to do in your free time. Others are located in more rural villages. As you can imagine, these smaller, rural placements need your help more. Some have an English teacher already, but others don’t, and there are different levels and locations to suit all volunteers.

One thing is for sure, at each and every placement the locals will welcome you with open arms and help you in any way that they can. Join them during your free time to really experience how they live and what life in their area has to offer. Find out about rubber tree plantations and processing; learn how to make coconut milk and how to cook authentic Thai dishes; experience the “easy life” that the Thais cherish; and perhaps learn the secrets of how they find their happiness.

BEC Volunteers - Culture

I collected interesting and importing information about Thailand and its culture. Below you can find:
- Facts about the country
- Education
- Language
- Religion
- The Royal Family
- Some useful tips
Facts about the country
Name:               The Kingdom of Thailand
Climate:            Tropical
Capital:             Bangkok
Population:        63,39 Million, 75% ethnic Thais,
                        14% is of chinese origin,
                        3% is ethnically Malay,
Tribes:              about 5 Million
Language:         Thai
Religions:          Buddhism (about 95%),
                        Islam (about 4%),
                        Christendom, Hinduism, Animism (about 1%),
Government:     Parliamentary democracy and Constitutional monarchy
King:                 Bhumibol Adulyadej since 09. June 1946,
Coronation:        05. May 1950
Prime Minister:    Abhisit Vejjajiva
GDP total:          US$ 547.060 billion
GDP per capita:   US$ 8,239
Currency:            Bath
Education
Compare to other Southeast Asian countries Thailand enjoys a high level of literacy and education is provided by a well-organized school system of kindergartens, primary, lower secondary and upper secondary schools, numerous vocational colleges, and universities. The curricula for primary and secondary schools changes such rapidly that schools and their teachers are not always sure what they are supposed to be teaching. Still many children finish school after the primary school to help the parents out at work. Most schools cannot provide an English teacher.
Check out the website to find out more about schools, students and teaching in Thailand.

Language
Thailand is the only country in Southeast Asia witch was never colonized by an European country. The most important symbol is that Thai language has been used since the Sukothai-period (more than 700 years ago) until today. Thai language is the principle language of education and government and spoken throughout the country. Thai is, opposite to most European languages, like the languages of the neighbouring countries, a tone language. Most monosyllabic words get a different meaning, depending on the pronunciation and the pitches. There are five different tones: rising, falling, high, medium and low and an own alphabet:

It consists of 44 consonants, 9 vowels and 15 diphthongs and triphthongs. For foreigners is the pronunciation and the accentuation super hard. There are words with the same spelling, but they have up to seven different meanings, depending on the articulation! Fortunately the grammar is easier than in English.

Religion
94.7% of Thais are Buddhists of the Theravada tradition.  Muslims are the second largest religious group in Thailand at 4.6%. Religion influences everyday life. Temples can be found everywhere in the country and often you can see a group of monks with their orange robes in the street. Almost every male Thai has been a monk for a short or long term in his life. There are different little ceremonies people like to do and many are used to visit the temple. The Buddhism in Thailand is mixed with a little bit of superstition.

The King
The current King of Thailand Bhumibol Adulyadej was born in 1927 in the USA. After his coronation in 1950 his family went back to Switzerland where he finished his studies. Publicly acclaimed “the Great”, he is also known as Rama IX. Having reigned since 9 June 1946, he is the world’s longest serving current of state and the longest-reigning monarch in Thai history. He is seen as so important by the Thai people that his ill-health has affected the markets. He is adored by the Thais, because he helped and supported them, especially the poorest in rural areas by visiting them personally and initiating different projects. Bhumibol also holds different patents on rainmaking since 1955.

Useful tips
There are some little rules of politeness and codes of behaviour in Thai culture which helps you to understand the Buddhism traditions, the way of live and getting more respect and closer to the people.
Try to learn basic Thai language
You will get more respect espialliy at schools if they see that you make an effort to speak Thai. There are two words for politeness you should know: “Khap” for men and “Ka” for women, what you just put at the end of a sentence. “Hello” in Thai is “Sawadee khap / Ka” and “Thank you” is “Khop khun khap / ka”.
The Wai
Thais don’t shake hands, they fold the hands. As older people are more respected than younger, you fold your hands in front of your chin when you say hello to younger people or people in your age. For older people you do the Wai in front of your nose, for monks in front of your forehead and for the king above the head. If someone does the Wai you should always do it too.

Respect older people
Be always polite to older people. You should do the Wai first. To older people it’s polite to say “Pi..” before their name. If they sit and you pass them, suggest walking ducked.
Mind feet and head
The Thai believe that the feet are the dirtiest part of the body. Don’t point on somebody with your feet, even not on pictures of the king or monks. Don’t step over somebody’s legs. The head is the holiest part of the body in Thais believes. Don’t touch it, even not the shoulders.
The King
The King is highly respected by the Thais and you can see pictures of him everywhere. Not only because he is the king, he really did a lot for his people, especially for the poor ones in his long life. If you speak bad about the Royal Family Thais would see you as a criminal. In Thailand every day has its colour and as the King was born on a Monday, which is yellow, many people wear yellow shirts on Mondays.  
Monks
It´s easy to recognise monks, because they wear orange clothes and have a shaved head. Be super polite and respectful to them. Women are not allowed to touch monks and should cover their bodies when they enter a temple.
Appearance
For Thais the clothes are a significant sign of respect, politeness and position. Teachers are highly respected and act as role models. As a teacher you should wear trousers, a shirt and shoes. Don´t smoke in front of students or even don´t drink alcohol in case you see students at night.

Don´t loose your face
Loosing face means that you are out of control of your “negative emotions”. Yelling, shouting and aggressions cause fear and misunderstanding. Based on the Buddhism Thais always try to avoid problems and look for the easiest way. If you loose your face Thais would respect you less and it would be hard to get to the same level of friendship as before.

Just try to remember these little rules and use them. It will make your stay and your relationships to Thais more comfortable. You will get used to it easily and you will understand more of the culture and codes of behaviour after you arrived.


Volunteer in Thailand where English is highly valued and native teachers are hard to find.
Volunteering abroad in Thailand provides an unrivalled opportunity to live and work alongside local people away from the beaten tourist trail. No experience is required just an enthusiasm to get stuck in wherever you are needed. After volunteering in Thailand, experience the hospitality and magical tropical beauty from the temples to the idyllic islands of the south.

Volunteer work in Thailand offers exciting and variety of experiences

There are many different schools for you to get involved in, situated all over Thailand. Volunteers choose their school on arrival which allows for greater flexibility and to get a more detailed update and information from the coordinators on the schools available. Friends and small groups arriving together are placed together and where requested and wherever possible single volunteers are paired up.  For a wider choice of school locations we are networked with more than a hundred schools all in need of volunteers.
Voluntary work in Thailand focuses on English teaching but as the school can often be the focal point of a community you could also find yourself helping at sports days, presenting awards at school ceremonies or even helping on school trips. Teaching in Thailand is a very rewarding experience.

In the classroom you may find yourself teaching the alphabet, playing bingo or singing traditional English nursery rhymes with younger children. Teaching older children can be more relaxed from helping them to work in pairs using simple lessons you have prepared and all materials lesson plans and teaching guides will be provided for you. We are aware that many of our volunteers have never been in a teaching role before and we give you all the support you need throughout your stay in Thailand. English in Thailand is an exciting opportunity to discover a new culture, and help prepare Thai children for a better future.

BEC Volunteers - Contact

Costs: £299 with a £99 deposit.

kittycat2514@gmail.com