Teaching at a suburban Bangkok school and a rural junior/high school in the northern mountains.
Smiling Albino runs this volunteer teaching adventure to a) provide beneficial help and support to the local community and b) to provide the opportunity for Thai students to engage western teachers in a unique foreign classroom environment; and likewise to provide a unique interactive supplement to an adventure holiday for westerners. Ultimately, this program is an opportunity to enjoy some of Smiling Albino’s best activities while sharing time and energies in practical local outreach.
Thailand and its people are magical. An opportunity to combine adventure travel with volunteer teaching offers a very special experience that brings you into the very life and times of the ‘Land of Smiles’. This 14-day adventure combines the best Smiling Albino adventures, including our Bangkok and Ayutthaya day trips to classic outings in Chiang Rai province topped off with a dazzling beach extension on the tropical island of Ko Samet to send you home with a tan and a smile. This special program features five days of classroom teaching at two separate locations – Surao Hua Mark Noi Elementary School, Bangkok, and Santikiri Junior High/High School, Chiang Rai province, northern Thailand.
The price quoted is from the first day of the adventure in Bangkok until the end of our planned itinerary. We’ve also included an airport meet and pick-up for you. This adventure includes 80% of your meals, 14-nights of accommodation, all transport, two internal airline tickets (from Bangkok to Chiang Rai and back), all admissions, snacks, and at least Scott or Daniel as your primary adventure leader and volunteer facilitator at all times. You’ll rarely need to dig into your pocket to pay for things on your Smiling Albino adventure. During this adventure you’ll experience the greatest hidden treasures in the Kingdom, while leaving your mark by pitching in at local schools. Prepare for a life-altering adventure experience!
Day 0 - Airport Pickup (arrive at your leisure)
We’ll pick you up at the Bangkok International Airport, brush off the airline peanuts and whisk you through the streets of Bangkok to a cozy room with your name on it. Welcome to the City of Angels! We’ll go through the plan for the next 14-days and try our hardest to frighten you with outrageous lies and sordid tales of past Smiling Albino events. Ok, not really, but at least we’ll take care of all the details and make sure you step safely into ‘The Thai Zone’.
Day 1 – Bangkok Multi-Transport adventure
Bangkok is home to more than 10 million people and is quite possibly the most colorful, interesting and confusing city to navigate in Asia. We’ll utilize longtail boats, tuk-tuks, river ferries, the Bangkok Sky Train and even a motor scooter to visit the capital’s premier attractions such as The Grand Palace, Reclining Buddha, Wat Saket as well as other favorites only a local would know. A great riverside lunch and a private boat exploration through ‘Little Bangkok’ leaves us with a serene view of the nation’s capital. The only question is whether you’ll tell your friends about how you got to the sites or the venues themselves!
Day 2 – Ancient Ayutthaya
After breakfast we’ll board a private minivan to the ancient capital of Ayutthaya. This amazing UNESCO World Heritage is situated one hour north of Bangkok in Thailand’s central basin. Once regarded as one of the world’s most beautiful cities, Ayutthaya features magnificent Siamese ruins, tranquil canal-side villages and classic Thai summer palaces. Exploring the fortress of Ayutthaya on bicycle provides a stunning glimpse into Thailand’s glorious past. After our day exploring, we’ll return to our Bangkok hotel and rest up for our two-day teaching program at Surao Hua Mark Noi School in eastern Bangkok!
Days 3-4 – Teaching at Surowa Hua Mark Noi School
Located close to Smiling Albino’s Intergalactic headquarters in eastern Bangkok, this school has over 700 students from Kindergarten to Grade 6. Students here have rarely had the opportunity to interact, let alone receive classroom instruction from native English speakers before. You’ll be thrust into the limelight and reach instant celebrity status while being a temporary teacher at the school. We’ll prepare some fun English lessons, activities and give you the crash course in ‘Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages’. We’ll arrange nearby accommodation and transportation (perhaps a bicycle ride along the khlongs to school and back?) and help you settle in for two of the most amazing days you’ll have as a teacher.
For more information on Surowa Hua Mark Noi School and Smiling Albino’s English Fun Days program there, read:
Days 5–7 - Chiang Rai Northern Escape
After an early morning flight to the country’s northernmost province, we’ll begin our three days exploring this fascinating corner of the country. We’ll see many faces of Chiang Rai province, from jungles and hilltribe villages to multi-cultural mountain communities and enchanting life along the Mekong River. We’ll use mountain bikes, longtail boats, elephants and a four-wheel drive to navigate the remote back roads of Thailand’s far north. We’ll be sure to introduce you to a variety of incredible foods as we make our way along the Thai-Myanmar and Thai-Laoation borders, before settling down in Doi Mae Salong for our second crack at teaching.
Day 8 - Lesson Prep and Nature Hike
Located just six kilometers from the Myanmar border, Doi Mae Salong is home to 10,000 people, comprised mainly of Ahka (a Thai hilltribe group) and Chinese, originally from Yunnan province in China. The area is perfect for growing tea, which provides the economic backbone for the town. We’ll spend the day going over lesson plans, then head out for an optional hike in the gorgeous valleys and terraced tea plantations near our mountain-side hotel.
Days 9-11 – Teaching at Santikiri School, Doi Mae Salong, Chiang Rai Province
Santikiri School is home to 520 students in Grades 7-12. Many of the students come from poor families and the school operates on limited resources. Smiling Albino started our ‘English Fun Days’ teaching programs at Santikiri in July 2002 and our role with the school and community has continued to grow. We’ll spend 3 days teaching and leading fun English lessons at this wonderful school.
For more information on Doi Mae Salong, Santikri School and Smiling Albino’s ‘English Fun Days’ read:
At the conclusion of our teaching project we’ll catch an evening flight back to Bangkok where we’ll spend the night and prepare for a spectacular island/beach extension.
Days 12-14 - Ko Samet (3 days on the island, unaccompanied)
A private minivan will shuttle you three hours southeast to the island paradise of Ko Samet. You’ll spend the next three days/two nights on a quiet beach in a cozy waterfront villa. The itinerary is entirely up to you. If you have the urge to get out and about, we have contacts on the island to arrange snorkeling and fishing trips. This is the perfect setting to soak up some sun, reflect on the adventure you’ve just had and RELAX.
On the afternoon of Day 14 you’ll catch a speedboat back to the mainland and board your private minivan back to Bangkok. Don’t forget to email us some of your best photos! Until next time…
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