Now to you:
You already made it to our site, showing that you are an extraordinary spirit. Exactly what we need. Contribute, everything you need is:

• open mind
• positive attitude
• compassionate heart
• knowledge, experience, practice
• motivation to help in any way that you can!

You can't imagine what your knowledge and your mind can change here.

Family volunteering in Northeast Thailand
Give your children the adventure of a lifetime with V2T in the unspoilt northeast of Thailand. Bring your teens or toddlers to explore the customs and culture of rural Thailand and at the same time help to support the village community.

Volunteering after college
is an adventurous option that you can take to make the world a better place, and benefit yourself a little in the process. College grads who aren't sure what they want to do with their lives are often advised to take an internship somewhere to get a feel for life in a certain line of work. Volunteering can serve the same purpose. You may find your passion is helping people. Volunt2thai is a place that can teach you a lot, it's real life no setup.

You are on the way to become a teacher?
You absolve a teacher training course? A pre-service teacher training course leading to a professional qualification a qualified teacher status, like "Lehramtsstudium in Germany" or "PGCE Teacher Training course? Complete your teacher orientation or internship at V2T in Thailand. V2T can sign Educational Agreements with your university / College. As an intern, you can gain initial pedagogical experience or expand your existing knowledge in one of the primary schools we work with! Your key task is to assist local teachers in teaching. If you already have previous knowledge, you can even manage your own class.

Joint intercultural learning
Volunt2Thai receives volunteers through "Mercy for Thailand" which is a partner organization of "Worldwide Volunteers" from Germany. The volunteers are sent via the Entwicklungspolitischer Freiwilligendienst weltwärts program of the German Federal Ministry, for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)

Social jobs
You will gain valuable international work experience. In particular, by working with local people in social institutions, you will gain deep insights into the lifestyle of local people while doing an internship in social work abroad.

Sabbatical for Local Engagement
If you take a sabbatical year, a prolonged hiatus in your career to fulfill some dream, consider to connect it with some social work. Here in the Villages there are many activities which allow you to deal with new things.You can reorient yourself and gain new focus.

Pensioners, retirees, we ask for your valuable knowledge
You were a teacher, craftsman, advertising expert? You would like to pass on the knowledge gathered in your life? Not only the schools, the project itself but especially the young volunteers can benefit from their knowledge.

Volunteering for veterans
No matter what your volunteer interests may be, there's a role you'll enjoy. Whether it's driving the Tuck Tuck, teaching at the schools, being good friend and advisor for young volunteers, grocery shopping or running errands for volunteers in your community, doing repair work, yard work or doing costruction, there's a need you can help fulfill.

TEFL, TESOL & CELTA certificate, you just received it and you're planning to teach in Asia? Great!
Give back, use your skills to support the underprivileged children. It will help you to gain experiance before you start a paid job. Its a win-win situation, you will get some real life training and the children at the schools which can not afford English teachers also come to lessons.

Volunteering with a group
If your group or university is considering a volunteering excursion to Thailand then contact Volunt2thai. We have the group volunteering know-how to ensure that your group volunteering experience will be one that you will never forget.

The presence of volunteers will drastically change the lives of the people in the villages over the next ten years and beyond. The current generation of six-year-olds will be educated in English, receive a general understanding of the world and acquire new insight into foreign cultures. This will positively influence and accompany them in their personal development.

The fundamental objective is to ensure that the children of the villagers have the same opportunities of career choice and international, transnational activities as their counterparts in the western world.

We also hope our project will attract attention for longterm economic growth in the village. The exchange of cultures to give the farmers and their families the opportunity to share their valuable knowledge is a plausible start.

Not only will a fair, additional income eventually be procured by farmers, but also negative developments such as the exodus of the younger generation to major cities will be stopped in this economically very poor region.

Your help would be greatly appreciated in the following areas

Corina Veit was 2015 18 years old and was 6 moths with Volunt2Thai, read about her experience.
Volunt2Thai - How was it back then? How is it today?

Written on

27 January 2018.

Read more: Volunteering after college

Hello my name is Jurgen Verbist,

at my time with V2T I was 22 year old and student in my final year of a bachelor degree physical education teacher in Belgium, studying at the University College Leuven-Limburg in Leuven.
 
I was in internship for ten weeks in the different schools of Ban Lao with the purpose to teach (psychical education) and to learn to adapt to a new environment, culture and children. It think it is necessary for a teacher to always improve and abroad his knowledge but also spread his knowledge and internship is one of the last parts for graduating.

Hello, we are Kim and Ines from Germany.

We are 19 years old and finished High-school in 2017. After finishing school, we spent on year as volunteers at Volunt2thai in Thailand. We have been part of a program from the German state: Entwicklungspolitischer Freiwilligendienst weltwärts which is a program of the German Federal Ministry, for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The program enables young people to go abroad to do development policy work. Our from the “BMZ” supported  volunteer organisation is called “worldwide volunteers”. They held seminars to prepare us to go abroad and took good care of us.
 
Living in Volunt2thai:
We volunteer stayed in bungalows in the Volunt2Thai Campus. Inside you have everything you need, like a bed with bedsheets, mosquito net, a wardrobe and a fan, if it’s getting to hot. The four sleeping bungalows are connected by a roofed over dining area and a modern kitchen. In the kitchen you can find a lot of modern kitchen tools which will make your life easier at Volunt2Thai. For example, a gas cooker, a refrigerator, a toaster, a rice cooker, a mixer, a water heater and more. Cooking together with the other volunteers always was a pleasure and a great opportunity to improve your Thai cooking skills.  

Hi my name is Tabea Benz,

I’m from Germany I was 20 years old when I was 6 months at Volunt2Thai. I was really glad about combining the project with my physiotherapy skills. I wanted to improve my skills, help and care about people to make their lives less painful or a bit “sunnier”, even it’s just due to a smile or good conversation.

I also think that voluntary service has contribute to my personal development it offers one the opportunity to stand on the own feet. To find my way in a foreign country, to get to know people with other cultures and to learn a new language or to improve my English are very important reasons for me to do a gap. Understanding and tolerance are important values to build good relationships.

Social jobs

You will gain valuable international work experience. In particular, by working with local people in social institutions, you will gain deep insights into the lifestyle of local people while doing an internship in social work abroad.
 

Your help would be greatly appreciated in the following areas

Read more: Sabbatical for Local Engagement

Hello my name is James Norman Egan Volunteer with V2T since 2015 (yes that's me the one with the hat)

I was introduced to Raimund Wagner through a mutual friend just over 2 years ago and he told me enthusiastically about a developing project volunt2thai.com located in a rural area of Thailand about 70km from the city of Udon Thani. I made a vague promise to drop by if I was in the area and about 4 weeks later I decided to take a trip out to see what what was driving this guy.

Hi my Name is Alan Mc Cracken

I am a 20 year U.S. Navy veteran. After becoming bored with retirement I looked for something meaningful and exciting to do. Asia was a place I loved and V2T in Thailand seemed to be the best place for me.After six months with V2T I am sure it was one of the best decisions in my life. Raimund was enjoyable to work for and I can’t say enough good things about the other volunteers I worked with, all of which will remain very dear to me the rest of my life.

I worked with volunteers from Philippines, USA, Germany, Belgium, Ireland, Netherlands, U. K. , France , Vietnam Nam and Sweden. It was a very awakening cultural experience. Then there was the Thai people. What an experience that was! The villagers were welcoming, honest and very generous with the little they had. Wonderful, happy people that celebrated everything life has to offer. The children were my favorite part of volunteering.

Friendly, happy, loving and very proud of their foreign teacher. Eager to learn and with discipline and respect that is uncommon in the western world. A big piece of my heart will always remain with my students. The local Thai teachers were very pleased with my presence and helped me through any difficulty I encountered , scholasticly or culturally. They will also be a lifelong memory. I will always have the feeling that I learned more than I taught, received more than I gave and will forever cherish the time I spent there. I also had the opportunity to travel and see many beautiful sights, not only in Thailand but also in Laos and Cambodia.

I helped in construction, painting, obtaining building materials, class trips and other school functions. There was a lot of growth in the organization during my time there and I am proud to have been a part of it. This would be a great way to spend some of your time if you are retired and still feel the desire to do something that is exciting, adventurous and fulfilling. I now consider V2T, all the volunteers I worked with and many local people as family.

If you have any questions around these subjects you are always welcome to ask me, just contact V2T for my contact details.

Volunteering for Veterans
No matter what your volunteer interests may be, there's a role you'll enjoy. Whether it's driving the Tuck Tuck, teaching at the schools, being good friend and advisor for young volunteers, grocery shopping or running errands for volunteers in your community, doing repair work, yard work or doing costruction, there's a need you can help fulfill. I was 6 months with Volunt2Thai and enjoyed it. If you are a social person and would like to work with children and young people from all over the world, I highly recommend Volun2Thai.
 

Your help would be greatly appreciated in the following areas

HI my name is Eric Ulmer,

I am currently living in Thailand. I was attending a 3-week TEFL (teach English as a foreign language class) before venturing off to teach Thai kids. I was extremely interested in volunteering with a superb NGO and I found V2T.
 
I am an American who spent two years working with special needs/disabled children as an occupational therapy assistant, teaching them life skills. I hold two American degrees, a Bachelor's degree in TV/Video production and Associates Degree in Occupational Sciences. I absolutely love what Volunt2Thai is doing and I feel that it would be a great not only for me but also for others to learn to fit in the community and to gain experience before they start a paid job as a teacher or before their school contract starts. I love Thailand and I love working with kids.

TEFL, TESOL & CELTA certificate, you just received it and you're planning to teach in Asia? Great!
Give back, use your skills to support the underprivileged children. It will help you to gain experiance before you start a paid job. Its a win-win situation, you will get some real life training and the children at the schools which can not afford English teachers also come to lessons.
 

Your help would be greatly appreciated in the following areas

Hello, this is Rahabi from Montréal,

I'm teacher at collège Rosemont for 12 years. Volunt2thai is a wonderful organization, providing volunteers ( and my with group of students aswell) the opportunity to make this authentik expérience, learn new skills ( teaching) and immerse themselves in a thaï culture. For me, volunteering at V2T was very rewarding, of course, there was some challenging moments. The accomadtion at V2T is basic, but you easily adapt to living like a local, this includes eating rice three times a day too :).

Volunteering at V2T in Thailand is one of the best things I've ever done, it does not come without its challenges and culture shock, however, the experience exceeded any of the expectations I had. I strongly recommend this organization and invite you to dive in this wonderful region of Issan. I also invite you to read the testimonies of the Thailand Rosemont Project Co-workers, Edition 2018. These testimonies are accompanied by photos https://mobiliterosemont.wordpress.com/category/thailande

Volunteering with a group

If your consider to come as a group for a volunteering excursion to Thailand then contact Volunt2thai. We have the group volunteering know-how to ensure that your group volunteering experience will be one that you will never forget. Volunt2Thai Campus & Cultural Centre can accommodate groups of 8 - 20 people and help to shape individual programs / projects with a social aspect. If you have a project idea please contact us, we can examine your idea for feasibility and design the project with you individually. We look forward to your inquiry
 

Your help would be greatly appreciated in the following areas

Your job at V2T is to broaden the boundaries of the children and improve their understanding of the world with your influence and presence so that when they grown up they will be able to act in a wider intercultural dimension. With a better understanding of the world they occupy,  they will be better equipped to determine their own destiny. In simplest terms "all project participants will have left behind knowledge and good memories".

"I think one of the most important things in a child's life is to have the support and guidance of their parents as they grow and learn. The family unit and structure in Thailand is evident when this guidance is able to be accomplished. I am asking you to consider to Volunteer to further the most important asset Thailand has, their children.

This is something that I sometimes think we forget because we all get so busy in our adult lives. I so much value the guidance I was given as a child. I would ask you to think about that in your own situation for just one minute.

Now think about this you as an individual if you decided to contribute to these children's future would be investing in Thailands future for us all.

For you to donate your time and tell others to help as a community always does, would enable V2T  to establish through proper education, leadership,  a good, strong, Thailand for all involved. The sheer commitment to this project clearly shows the children, their families and the endless teams of volunteers know the bright future of Thailands youth is its strongest asset." - writen by Michael Pachero for Volunt2Thai

As a volunteer, you get the possibility to work and learn, with a great variety of things. You will work with the locals and gain knowledge through practical work. Your skills and experience will be used as an important component of the cultural exchange program.

Volunt2Thai builds bridges of knowledge, skills, culture and friendship between people of all ages from different cultures. Our location in a Thai village far from the tourist routes, is dominated by family values and the village’s daily life is still very much the way it has been for centuries.

Together with the village council and the village community, we have developed a concept for our "Generation to Generation" project. Our "Generation to Generation" project works like this: The villagers will teach you their culture, traditions and their specialist knowledge in certain fields and with the help of the locals you will get insight into skills and activities passed down through generations, all while helping the community.

You work with the community, establish new friendships and have the opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences. There is no upper age restriction. The work input is up to each volunteer’s personal strength and ability.

Non-mandatory assets are: First Aid certification, TEFL/CELTA certification, Thai language classes, previous teaching experience, previous farming experience, previous NGO/volunteer work, etc.

Volunt2Thai is based in Ban Nong Pong / Ban Nong Kung in the Ban Lao Tambon near Amphoe Phen and Udon Thani, in the northeastern province of Thailand, which is renowned for its beautiful lakes, forests, rivers and historic sites. This is where orientation and general administration is carried out. Volunteer projects are located in the surrounding area. A vibrant exchange between foreigners and villagers will take place get directions

The people of the village have known each other for generations. They grew up together, live together and will also be buried together. Everyone knows each other’s life stories of joy and sorrow. The Buddhist life of the community characterizes everyday life.

We devote our volunteer work as a thank you to the village community which, open-hearted and warmly, welcomed us and allowed us to integrate into the village life. We have a respectful partnership with the village and the villagers will show you special attention.

The number of voluntary helpers is being kept deliberately low so not to interfere with daily routines and the intimacy of the village.

In the morning Depending on the daily tasks, groups will be formed to go to the school to teach or with the farming families to the rice paddies, forests, waters, construction places and farmer’s homes (according to the season).

• 07:00h Shower, breakfast and morning meeting
• 08:30h Dividing into teams, go to school - others (pending on project)
• 12:00h Lunchtime, eat and relax, depending on the project site
• 13:00h Work continues on the project site.
• 15:00h Work at the placement ends and the evening is then free to be used for your own pleasure.
• 19:00h DInner (volunteers cook by them self in the campus kitchen)

Our program starts when the volunteer arrives and lasts for the length of time determinated by the volunteer. You can choose to stay for two weeks all the way up to one year. On the day after arrival all volunteers receive a program orientation and are given the opportunity to rest after meeting the other volunteers and team members.

Orientation covers everything you need to know for your volunteer program including an introduction to Thailand, the village, Thai customs, rules and expectations, safety, points of interests in Isan and the surrounding area and introduction to the running projects. The orientation will also give you a chance to meet other volunteers and swap contact details for weekend travel and socializing.

is guaranteed to get you noticed. Volunt2Thai has collaborative partnerships with NGO’s and educational institutions and works with a wide range of partners in all of its fields of competence for the development of different projects taking place at our project sites. At the end of the stay volunteers get an official confirmation certificate from our organization as proof of your active participation. This certificate can be presented to potential future employers, and thus have a positive impact on ones future career.

Give your children the adventure of a lifetime with V2T in the unspoilt northeast of Thailand. Bring your teens or toddlers to explore the customs and culture of rural Thailand and at the same time help to support the village community.

Although our village schools providing a basic education to around 650 children aged between 5 and 12 years old, resources are limited and teachers are in short supply. The children are hungry to learn and are ready to greet you with the warmest of smiles. Your children can join them in the classroom and experience primary school education 'Thai style' whilst your teens help with after school activities such as games, sports or arts and crafts. Realise your own teaching ambitions by teaching the students English though informal and fun classes. The whole family will be helping to provide the children with a better future.

During your stay with V2T you will have the opportunity to help the local community in so many diverse ways. From teaching at the village school to helping the farmer with his rice harvest or livestock, your contribution will always be greatly appreciated by the community. And every penny you spend locally during your stay directly  supports local jobs and in so doing helps to stem the flow of yet another generation of youngsters drifting off to the cities to find any kind of employment to support their families.

Join the local cultural events, dress up in Thai costume and learn a little about the Buddhist way of life with a visit to one of the many beautiful temples in the area. The way of life in the Isan region of northeast Thailand has little changed over the centuries and a stay at the V2T campus will give you a more authentic experience of Thailand than a stay at the many popular tourist destinations. Why not make volunteering part of your Asian adventure and contact us today? Check out the video for an insight into family volunteering with V2T. 

Our experience - Testimonial Thailand 14 June to 12 July 2019 

With our family, consisting of Wout (6 years), Anoek (9), Charlotte and myself, we have been part of a small community in the Northeast of Thailand for a month. We stayed in a kind of compound where several volunteers could stay. Despite the fact that the facilities are less than we are used to in our little country, it turned out to be a wonderful retreat. We had a nice room, which we called our penthouse, a cosy communal area with various hammocks and a shower where occasional cosy beetles would delight you with a visit while showering and doing a message. The many insects in combination with the high temperatures certainly took us some getting used to, but you also get a very nice experience in return. During our stay we also met several volunteers, with in the first week a group of Canadians, then a group of Mexicans, followed by Portuguese and a group of Dutch young girls. So in our four weeks we met many interesting and nice volunteers from all over the world. 

In terms of work, we participated in the Ban Nong Kung primary school for four weeks. We gave English there, or at least made an attempt. Our children went to this beautiful school. We wanted to give our children an experience about how things are going in other places in the world. Thanks in part to this school, it has been a top experience for our children, and they look back on it with great pleasure. The children adapted easily and quickly had boyfriends and girlfriends. 

It is a very rural area with many rice fields around you. It is a poor area where people can use a helping hand. Although our presence has been short, you notice that the children have come to speak nice English. Whether that is due to the volunteers who are coming there for 5 years now or the teachers there, I do not know. But I am convinced that the Volun2thai project makes a positive contribution to the area.

It is a small community where everyone has always responded enthusiastically to our presence. It has been a special and educational experience in many ways. By staying a little longer in one place, we believe it is a nice way to get to know people better and to know the ins and outs of a community. And of course it is not all fun and fantastic, because you also come across yourself, which is also an educational experience for yourself. Sometimes it takes some time to find out how you can participate in such a project so that it leads to a positive experience for all involved, including yourself. For us it is at least an unforgettable month that we will never forget for the rest of our lives, just like our children. It is also very special that we have been able to experience this together with our young children.

This month was part of a longer stay with our family in Southeast Asia, where the question to our children where they would prefer to go back, they invariably mention the two volunteer projects (Sri Lanka and Thailand). Many thanks to all people and of course Raimund and Linly that we have been allowed to be part of this for a short period.

Steps to make a world trip with the family

In addition to good preparation, we have completed the following steps in the order mentioned. We deliberately chose to do it through the booklet and not deregistering from the Netherlands (which is also a possibility of not being subject to compulsory education). It seems a lot, but it is also easy to oversee.

Half a year prior to the intended departure: making a plan containing a place for the children's education. We deliberately opted for the period March - August, because there are relatively many school holidays in that period. This minimizes the missed education and there is no exemption required from the moment the Dutch summer holiday starts.

The first steps for us, after the global plan, were (half a year before departure):

• contact with the compulsory education officer (how we could do this, get permission, in accordance with the rules
• contact with the primary school, how they view this and to what extent support or teaching material is possible.

As a result of this contact, we chose to do volunteer work as part of our trip at schools abroad, whereby the children would then go to the schools where we were going to do voluntary work. In this way, they could experience education in another country. Our children are also formally registered at the school where we went, which obtained the exemption from compulsory education. In addition to lessons at the schools in Sri Lanka and Thailand, we have also taught our children using the Dutch learning material from their own primary school and digital tools (Squla, Qynzi kids, E-reader). We searched via internet for a suitable volunteer organization for the intended education. After first contact with the organization, it turned out that it was a possibility, so then proceeded more concretely and visited the organisation. 

After that:

• adjusting the plan, including the necessary budget (the costs during the volunteering period are considerably lower).
• contact with the employer for unpaid leave
• Schedule vaccinations 3 months before departure (some vaccinations must be repeated several times). Vaccination costs for family more than 2000 euros, so take a good look at the additional healthcare insurance
• renting out a home after approval from the mortgage lender and contact the insurer (household effects and building), with a lease contract through a broker (costs contract 300 euros).

If you have any questions, please send an email to sandervandermeer77(ET)gmail.com

Vrijwilligerswerk met het hele gezin! (oorspronkelijke tekst in het Nederlands) 

Thailand 14 juni tot en met 12 juli 2019

Met onze familie, bestaande uit Wout (6 jaar), Anoek (9), Charlotte en mijzelf, hebben wij een maand lang onderdeel mogen zijn van een kleine gemeenschap in het Noordoosten van Thailand. We verbleven daarbij op een soort compound, waar meerdere vrijwilligers konden verblijven. Ondanks dat de voorzieningen wat minder zijn dan wij in ons kikkerlandje gewend zijn, bleek het een heerlijk onderkomen. We hadden een mooie kamer, zelf ons penthouse genoemd, een gezellige gezamenlijke ruimte met diverse hangmatten en een douche waar af en toe gezellige torren je tijdens het douchen en het doen van een boodschap even kwamen verblijden met een bezoek. De vele insecten in combinatie met de hoge temperaturen waren zeker even wennen, maar daar krijg je dan ook een hele mooie ervaring voor terug. Tijdens ons verblijf ook meerdere vrijwilligers leren kennen met in de eerste week een groep Canadezen, vervolgens een groep Mexicanen, gevolg door Portugezen en een groep Nederlandse jonge meiden. Een hele leuke plek dus om vele interessante en aardige vrijwilligers vanuit de hele wereld te ontmoeten.

Qua werkzaamheden hebben wij vier weken meegedraaid op de Ban Nong Kung basisschool. Daar hebben wij Engels gegeven, of in ieder geval een poging gedaan. Onze kinderen gingen mee naar deze mooie school. We wilden onze kinderen een ervaring meegeven over hoe het op andere plaatsen in de wereld gaat. Mede dankzij deze school is het voor onze kinderen een topervaring geweest waar zij met heel veel plezier op terugkijken. De kinderen pasten zich makkelijk aan en hadden snel vriendjes en vriendinnetjes.

Het is een zeer landelijke omgeving met vele rijstvelden om je heen. Het is een gebied waar de mensen een steuntje in de rug goed kunnen gebruiken. Ondanks dat onze aanwezigheid kort is geweest, merk je bij de kinderen dat zij in al die tijd dat er vrijwilligers zijn gekomen toch wel aardig Engels zijn gaan praten. Of dat toe te rekenen is aan de vrijwilligers of de leerkrachten daar weet ik natuurlijk niet, maar wel overtuigd dat het project van Volun2thai een positieve bijdrage levert. Het is een kleine gemeenschap, waar eenieder altijd enthousiast op onze aanwezigheid heeft gereageerd. Het is op vele manieren een bijzondere en leerzame ervaring geweest. Door wat langer op een plek te verblijven, is wat ons betreft een leuke wijze om mensen en het reilen en zeilen van een gemeenschap beter te leren kennen. En natuurlijk is het niet allemaal genieten en fantastisch, want je komt jezelf ook wel tegen, wat uiteraard ook voor jezelf een leerzame ervaring is. Het is soms toch wel even zoeken hoe je op een dergelijk project kan meedraaien zodat het voor alle betrokkenen, inclusief jezelf, tot een positieve ervaring leidt. Voor ons is het in ieder geval een onvergetelijke maand die we de rest van ons leven niet meer zullen vergeten, net als onze kinderen. Heel bijzonder ook dat we dit samen met onze jonge kinderen hebben kunnen en mogen beleven. 

Deze maand was onderdeel van een langer verblijf met ons gezin in Zuid-Oost Azie, waarbij op de vraag aan onze kinderen waar ze het liefst naar terug zouden willen gaan, ze steevast de twee vrijwilligersprojecten noemen (Sri Lanka en Thailand). Heel veel dank aan alle mensen en uiteraard ook Raimund en Linly dat wij hier voor een korte periode deel van hebben mogen uitmaken.