Program Description | Host Family & Community | Community Service Placement | Travel | Orientations | Eligibility
Program Description
Thailand, “the land of smiles,” and the gateway to Southeast Asia, draws more visitors than any other country in the region thanks to its breathtaking natural beauty, ornate temples, intricate cuisine, and ruins of ancient kingdoms. You’ll experience the engaging warmth of the Thai people who place a high value on hospitality and kindness.
You may be placed anywhere in Thailand, from the northern teak forests to the southern tropical beaches. Most participants are placed in regional capital cities or smaller towns.
AFS’s Community Service program gives you the opportunity to share in and contribute to the life of a community in Thailand by living and working alongside its members in a community-based service organization.
Accommodations will be either in housing provided by the community-based organization or with a host family.
Language
Thai is the official language of Thailand and the language that will be spoken in your host community, but you will be speaking English at your community service placement.
You are not expected to speak Thai prior to departure but we encourage you to learn as much as possible before you leave.
Host Family & Community
Your host family could live anywhere in the country but they are likely to reside in a regional capital or small town. Host families in Thailand, like all AFS host families worldwide, are volunteers and are not paid. They open their homes to participants in order to share their community and culture as well as to enrich their own family lives.
Thais
Thais are generally respectful and reserved. They are also caring, warm-hearted and sensitive, and they find it difficult to say “no.”
Extended Thai families are very close - which will give you a chance to visit your host relatives nearby. Families enjoy spending weekends together at home, where you will experience how Thai families are bound by tradition with a long history. Families are customarily patriarchal, but both parents usually work. Caring for the children and managing the household are generally the responsibility of the mother.
Meals
Thai food is some of the world’s tastiest cuisine. You will likely eat a lot of rice, paired with curries, fish and vegetables. Spicy pepper and peanut sauces are quite common. AFS Thailand is very accommodating for vegetarians. Typical meats include pork and chicken. A wide variety of fruit is available year-round.
Many host families in Thailand can accommodate vegetarians so this is a good destination if you have dietary restrictions. Strict vegans, however, are more difficult to place so please be as flexible as possible with your diet.
Community Service Placement
Past examples of community service placements include:
- Helping out at a local hospital or health clinic
- Working with animals in a zoo
- Teaching social and health issues to school children
- Volunteering at centers or homes focused on helping those with developmental disabilities
- Be part of an HIV/AIDS prevention program
- Be active in women and children support centers
- Do exciting marine habitat research
At the organization, you will be asked to pitch in and offer assistance in whatever capacity might be needed and to share the knowledge and experience you have gained from your home culture in the process.
No one expects you to be an expert with all the answers to local problems or the ability to change local conditions. Rather, you are expected to be a willing participant in a process of mutual discovery. This experience will present you with innumerable learning opportunities both personally and professionally.
Accommodations will be either in housing provided by the community-based organization or with a host family.
Travel
You will receive a Travel Notification email about 6 weeks prior to international departure with your international flight itinerary and detailed instructions for when to arrive at the Gateway Orientation site in Los Angeles. At that point, you may arrange your domestic travel. In Los Angeles, you will join other AFS-USA participants for an overnight Gateway Orientation before you travel together to Bangkok.
International airfare is included as part of the tuition, but you are responsible for arranging your own transportation to the Gateway Orientation.
Your Arrival
You and your fellow AFSers will travel together from Los Angeles to Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. After you have collected your luggage and passed through customs, you will be met by AFS staff and volunteers who will escort you to the Arrival Orientation site.
After the arrival orientation, you will meet your local AFS contact who will accompany you on your trip to the host community. Or, if you are placed near Bangkok, you may be picked up by your host family at the orientation site.
Your Return
You will return to Bangkok by bus one or two days before your international departure for an End-of-Stay Orientation. You will then travel back to Los Angeles with your fellow AFSers.
Orientations
In addition to the orientations that you will participate in domestically (the locally held Pre-Departure Orientation, the Culture Trek online orientation, and the national Gateway Orientation), you and your fellow AFSers will have several orientations while abroad.
These required orientations are intended to help you maximize your AFS experience, prevent culture shock and to gain knowledge, skills and a global understanding.
Arrival Orientation
This first orientation will take place upon your arrival in Bangkok. This will be a 1-2 day orientation that is intended to prepare you for your first weeks abroad. In addition to covering the rules and safety tips, there will be an emphasis on approaching your experience from an intercultural learning perspective. This is an international orientation so you’ll have the opportunity to meet other AFSers from around the world.
Mid-Stay Orientations
You'll have another 3-5 day orientation six to eight weeks after your arrival, this time in your local community. You will meet with AFS staff and volunteers to evaluate your first weeks and be offered guidance to make the continuing transition as smooth as possible, all while participating in fun activities, which may include elephant riding, river rafting, visiting a night bazaar and exploring the region's beautiful nature.
End-of-Stay Orientation
In the week before your return flight you will be invited back to Bangkok for a 2-day evaluation camp. This is your chance to reflect on your experience and to share with other AFSers. You will also prepare for the cultural readjustment that is a part of returning home.
Optional Activities
In addition to the orientations, many local chapters organize activities for students and host families throughout the year. These will vary from chapter to chapter but may include get-togethers, meditation camps, traditional Thai massage classes, or excursions to other cities or regions in Thailand. Unlike the orientations, these activities are optional and are not included in the tuition.
Eligibility
To participate in this program, you must:
- Be within the age range (located in the ‘read more’ drop-down) upon departure
- Be mentally, physically, and emotionally healthy in accordance with AFS Medical Evaluation Policies
- Have a U.S. passport at the time of application. Passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the program end date
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Have an open mind, willingness to be flexible, and the ability to adapt to new a culture, school, and environment
