Why give your time and pay a fee?
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Cultural Exchange Program Basic | 13,000 Baht |
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Cultural Exchange Program Regular | 18,000 Baht |
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Cultural Exchange Program Extra | 22,000 Baht |
One of the most important things to remember is that our program is not only about giving/volunteering your time and skills but it’s just as much about receiving. Every culture is different and has its “own way of doing things”. “It’s all about giving and receiving, sharing skills, learning from each other.” Not only you are giving but your local host organization has to prepare for you and support you as well.
Another important reason for using the program, is the support given by its staff in obtaining your visa. Visa regulations in Thailand are complicated, open to various interpretations and, it sometimes seems, often changed without notice. Due to the status of the university itself, your Non-Immigrant Education visa will be easily arranged for you.
In preparation for your sessions as a participant, you will be given a wealth of advice and support, both logistical and personal, together with an orientation on local culture and customs and basic language skills. A ‘safety net’ will be in place during your time with the program - the program’s staff is there to support you and help you with any problems you may have, an essential aid in an unfamiliar country.
With regards to your placement itself and dependent on your specific skills, any amount of time necessary will be invested to ensure we get it exactly right - we want you to truly enjoy this time in your life in a safe and appropriate placement. With specialist and unusual skills, finding the perfect personalised placement may take at least several weeks and maybe longer, plus a lot of work and travelling by the program’s dedicated staff! Much of the work will be done prior to your arrival, so that the individual program you have requested and agreed will be perfectly prepared before you start. If your placement involves an official Thai governmentally or locally structured organisation such as a special school, prison, service provider, etc, paperwork and agreements can take ‘Thai time’ rather than Western time! Patience is a virtue. Very occasionally it may take several months to find and set up an appropriate placement for a particular skill so that the participant concerned can just ‘arrive and enjoy’.
The reasonable cost of your placement, therefore, offsets the cost of recruitment and preparation, (however long this process takes and however tricky it is for our co-ordinators to finalize!) planning, in-country project coordination and program development, plus the wages of our staff, office space, international phone calls, training, materials, visa paperwork and other incidentals. The program itself is non-profit-making. However, due to the time and effort required to set up your placement, the fee is payable in advance and non-refundable should you change your mind.
The program gives you an authentic experience, free from commercialisation. Your time in Thailand will enrich your education, increase your self-confidence, help build your resume and give you the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the Thai community by sharing your skills whilst immersing yourself in the diverse and ancient culture.
So, there it is, the perfect opportunity to experience a dramatically different and fascinating culture first hand as well as ‘hands on’, and to work with local people in a cultural exchange system which promotes friendship and understanding as well as benefiting both sides. In this crazy world it’s essential that people from all races and countries join hands in cooperation and friendship - this is an ideal way to do just that!