Project summary

Join a team running a 2 week English Camp programme for Thai children from 8-12 years old on the stunning and fun tropical island of Koh Phangan, off the South East coast of Thailand.

PoD summer English Camps are an exciting way to help and encourage Thai children from 8-12 years old to learn and practise English. The children are all from government primary schools.

Working with a group of other volunteers and our staff, your role will be to run 3 English camps (2 days long each) at different schools around the island. The camps involve as much fun and interaction as possible including games, sports, songs, art and other creative activities. They are also an opportunity to explore different cultures and the Thais are very keen to share some of their traditions.

How you will spend the 2 weeks

After a few days to acclimatise, settle in and have some local tours, we start the process of preparing for the camps. We will provide guidance, ideas and resources, and the group will run and manage each camp.

In between camps there will be time off to rest and prepare, and at the end there will be a couple of days to celebrate and relax. In your time off you can explore the island, and a snorkelling trip and Thai cooking course is included in the programme.

The location

Off the South East coast of Thailand there are three populated islands – Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao.  Heading North from Koh Samui, Koh Phangan is a dramatic mix of dense jungle and hilly terrain in its interior and granite outcrops and beaches along the coast. 

A popular destination for backpackers and travellers, Koh Phangan has plenty of facilities to make it a comfortable and exciting place to live.  Responding to the demands of tourism, parts of the island have developed quickly, but it still keeps its natural feel and has a strong Thai community.  Koh Phangan is a laid back, friendly and fun island with an atmosphere that means people usually stay a lot longer than intended.

As well as running two camps on Koh Phangan, the team will also normally travel over to the mainland and run one camp in the Suratthani province.  This is a much less developed area and a chance to spend time with a more rural Thai community.

How you can make a difference

For the Thai people, good English means good opportunities. The English camps are a really fun and active way of motivating and helping the children to learn. They are also an opportunity to share different cultures.

On Koh Phangan and the surrounding areas most of the jobs relate to tourism so English ability is particularly important in this location.

What's included

• A comprehensive information booklet and pre-departure support
• Travel advice and assistance
• Being met on arrival at Koh Samui airport / ticket for the overnight train
• Support for the English camps
• Thai language and culture training
• Lunch and transport on the camp days
• PoD polo shirt
  
• Local activities - visits, snorkelling trip, Thai cooking class
• 14 nights accommodation in your own beach bungalow
• Ongoing support, help and advice from our local team

What else to budget for

The following items are not included and estimates are given as a guide for your budgeting: flights (£450-£600), visa (free if less than 30 days), travel insurance, personal spending / living costs (£50-£75 per week).

Other projects you might also be interested in....

* Summer Camp in Tanzania

* Teaching on the island of Koh Phangan (Thailand)

* Teaching Assistant Bangkok (Thailand)

* Street children & orphan schools in Vietnam

* Teaching in Nepal

You can also combine this project with any of our other Thailand placements e.g. summer camps + elephant care.

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More details

Background information about the project

We work with 9 schools on the island of Koh Phangan and several schools on the mainland in Suratthani province. They are all Thai government primary schools with children aged from 4-12 years old. Schools range in size from 50-300 students.

Volunteer accommodation and food

You will have your own Thai beach bungalow right by the beach. Each bungalow has a bedroom, en-suite bathroom with toilet, sink and shower (cold water), and a veranda / balcony area outside.  They are fan rooms (not air con). The bungalows have 24 hour electricity and are all close to shops, internet cafes and restaurants.

Meals are not included in the placement although lunch is provided on camp days.  There are plenty of restaurants nearby, giving you a good choice for eating.  There is a also an excellent night food market offering many inexpensive dishes. 

Freetime and travel opportunities

In your time off you are free to explore the island. As well as stunning beaches, there is great snorkelling and diving, and jungle and temples to explore inland. The island is a popular traveller destination and there is a lively social scene with many bars and restaurants and of course the infamous full moon party!

Challenges

As this is a 2 week project we pack a lot in to a short period of time so be prepared to work hard and have a lot of fun! You should be willing to work within a team and be adaptable to living and working in a group.

There is no need to have any previous teaching experience, just enthusiasm, energy and a love of working with children.

Where does your money go

PoD is run as a non-profit organisation and does not receive any external funding. We charge a fee for all our placements to cover the overseas costs of volunteering and the costs of running our organisation in the UK. 

For PoD’s most recent financial year, almost 70% of volunteer fees went to the countries and projects they were working in, the remainder covering UK costs.

Volunteer reviews

Click here to read volunteer reviews for our Thailand teaching on Koh Phangan volunteer project.