2008 Program Start Dates: January 7 & 21; February 4 & 18; March 3, 17 & 31; April 14 & 28; May 12 & 26; June 9 & 23; July 7 & 21; August 4 & 18; September 1, 15 & 29; October 13 & 27; November 10 & 24; December 8 & 22.

The Introduction Week is the first step towards an amazing stay in a new country! It’s an action packed and fun filled week that is dedicated to getting to know Thailand, and all of its cultural aspects, through an unforgettable immersion experience in Singburi. Loads of new things will be introduced to you as you experience the culture first hand.

Participants will meet the local people, taste the local cuisine and become familiar with the local customs. Enjoy a visit to the famous Buddhist Temple: Wat Phranon Jaksi, the old capital of Ayutthaya (including visit to the elephant village), Lopburi's museum and pagoda, and a cruise along the Chaopraya river.

Our schedule will be flexible but all introduction weeks typically consist of….

Sunday

After your transfer to one of our eco-houses in Singburi province, and have time for a shower, we will start with an introduction to the other participants, the group leader and the eco-house.

Monday

After breakfast, we will continue with an introduction to our receiving organization. Schedules will be given and a brief explanation of the program will include:

Introduction to Thai Culture: do’s and don’ts in Thai society.
Learning the first few words in Thai and also learning the difficult pronunciation of these words.
Thai children will welcome all participants in the evening, starting with a beautiful Thai dance.
After the Thai dance, the welcome party will start. During the party we will try to get to know each other quickly and play a presentation game in which you can perform something that is typical for your culture of origin.

Tuesday

We will start with a discussion on the different programs you have chosen for the rest of your stay and do an expectation check with all participants. Following this, we have an interactive Thai cooking class: after a short Thai lesson introducing the different ingredients you will learn how to cook these ingredients into a Thai dish!

After lunch we will continue the Thai lessons, after which there is some time to walk around the village. The late afternoon is free, as we are concerned that some participants might still have jet lag, and later in the evening we will have a nice dinner.

Wednesday

In the morning we start with another Thai lesson, after which will visit some of the beautiful and famous monuments and Buddhist temples near our centre: Wat Phranon Jaksi (A huge reclining Buddha image) and the Bang-Rachan hero monument. In the afternoon there will be some free time in town, to send your friends an e-mail and write all your experience in your web blog.

After a long day, there is time to relax and have a nice dinner at a restaurant nearby.

Thursday

Wake up at 8 o'clock in the morning and do not forget your camera!! We will have a full day of traveling with several visits programmed in Lopburi province. Somdet Phra Narai National Museum and Wat Phraputhabaht Temple are part of the day. In the evening we prepare for the school visit next day.

Friday

In the morning, we visit a school where we will do some activities with the children or teach English. During school holidays (from mid-March till mid-May and in October), when the school is closed, we visit a palm tree farm instead.

Just before lunch, we visit a local handicraft place, and the afternoon is free in town or Eco-house (internet, shopping, etc).

After dinner, there is a possibility of another Thai lesson, for those who are interested in Thai and want to learn more.

Saturday

All day trip to the ancient city of Ayutthaya is scheduled. Many ancient ruins and art works can be seen in a city that was founded in 1350 by King U-Thong when the Thais were forced Southwards by northern neighbors.

It is possible to book an elephant trip in Ayutthaya and buy souvenirs at street shops near the temples. In evening we return to the centre.

Sunday

Free time

*** Note: Thailand is a tropical country with occasional violent storms, heavy rains and floods. During such times, the above schedule may be subject to change.

Orientation/Introduction Food and Accommodations: Your new home will be one of our 3 'Eco Houses' in Singburi in central Thailand – the Lemon House, the Twin House and the Brown House. Singburi camp is located on the riverside in the village of Tha-kan, near the small cities of Singburi and Tha-chang. There are several temples in the area, some of which are quite well-known. You can find banks and Internet access in either of the neighboring cities, which are both about 15 minutes away by car. The office is located in our center and this gives the opportunity for each person to arrange personal needs quickly and easily.

Singburi is an interesting town of 142 km north of Bangkok and was founded in the pre-historical period. In the reign of King Rama V through consolidation of 3 small towns located on the bank of The Chao Phraya River north of Ang Thong. The three small towns, Sing Buri, In Buri and Phrom Buri, were then established as a new town on the west of the Chao Phraya River named as Sing buri.

Singburi currently occupies an area of 841.40 square kilometers and is administratively divided into 6 districts, Muang Sing Buri, In Buri, Bang Rachan, Khai Bang Rachan, Phrom Buri and Tha ChangThis camp is situated about 10 km from the town of Singburi and takes about 15 minutes from the eco- houses you will be staying in. In Singburi you will find all the amenities you could need i.e. internet, shops, swimming pool, hospital, pharmacy, banks and restaurants. There are plenty of trips into Singburi or you can easily take a taxi.

The Eco Houses sleep from 20 to 50 people. All houses have single gender shared dorm rooms with the number of beds ranging from 3 to 12. All houses have western style toilets and one even as an Asian toilet! Each bathroom has a shower and the water is always cool – nice and refreshing in the heat. All houses have a communal area where you can eat, relax and meet. Most of the houses are within walking distance of a local shop and a make shift bar provided by the friendly locals.

The doors and windows are screened (to protect you from mosquitoes). There are fans in the room. For your valuables, we have lockers available. We strongly encourage you to use them, even if our centers are generally very safe. There are limited laundry facilities so expect to wash your clothes by hand. All participants are expected to be environmentally aware and to use all resources with restraint, especially water, paper and electricity. You will be expected to clean up after yourself, and to play your part to keep the accommodation neat and organized. All food is included during your stay. The meals will be typical Thai fare, including plenty of rice dishes.

~ ~ ~

Weeks 2 & 3 – Volunteer, Culture & Adventure Programs

Week 4 – Beach Week

~ ~ ~

Apply for a Program

Return to Home Page

~ ~ ~

/i/Thailand/tn_Thailand_-_Twin_House_2.JPG