Volunteer Thailand | Temple Teaching
Temple Stays are a unique opportunity to experience Buddhist monastic life. We at Travel to Teach are proud to offer several Buddhist Monasteries or Wats where our volunteers can stay and really submerge themselves into the true belief and culture of Thai Buddhism.
Volunteers can either choose to take part in a monastery temple stay where they can teach English to the novice monks, a Wat where they can meditate and reflect, or a more serious Wat where volunteers are expected to take a vow of silence. If you are interested in the Buddhist way of life and the teachings of Buddha then this really is a must do.
We work with monasteries and after further assessment once you have arrived in Nongkhai, our coordinator will place you in which monastery they deem appropriate.
The program can be combined with other volunteer programs and we would highly recommend combination a stay in the temple with other volunteer programs in Thailand. If you stay at one of our other Thai programs first it will give you a chance to adapt to Thai culture and lifestyle before moving on to the Wat.
Some of the monasteries we work with are:
Wat Nuen Pananao is a very strict Wat. It accepts both men and women to stay in the temple and stays in the temple have to be continuous; for the duration of the stay the volunteer cannot leave the temple. You have to take a vow of silence for the first month of your stay and you must be prepared to follow all the rules rigorously. This Wat is quite beautiful and may be the one that most resembles the western idea of a Buddhist Wat.
Wat Pratat Wittaya is situated 6 km outside of Nongkhai and has a school inside and because of this, it also has many young novices. It is very ambitious when the school is concerned and many of teaching monks speak very good English. In this Wat you can also teach while staying in our volunteer houses. In this Wat you can also learn about meditation because they have some monks that speak very good English.
Whilst staying in the Wat volunteers are expected to respect the strict rules and conditions of the temple. Whilst these rules are not as strict as those for the monks and nuns, they can come as a shock to unprepared volunteers. Those who would like volunteer in the forest Wat must understand that this is not an easy task for everyone and be prepared to adapt. Also we cannot accept volunteers who will change their mind half way into a stay because it will disturb our relations with the Wats. If you are unsure of your dedication, you should begin by teaching in a Wat and decide to stay there once you understand the situation.
Travel to Teach are offering a discount of 340 USD for couples or friends applying to volunteer in Thailand or Mexico. All the more reason to encourage your partner or friends to join you on your adventure!
Please note discounts are only available for people applying to volunteer together in the same location in Thailand or Mexico.
Apply now to volunteer in Thailand during the months of May, June or July and receive a 135 USD discount!
Please note the spring and summer discount is only available for people on a single placement in Thailand and cannot be used in conjunction with any other discount or offer.
| 2 Weeks | 4 Weeks | 8 Weeks | 12 Weeks | 24 Weeks | Extra Weeks |
| $615 | $750 | $1025 | $1295 | $1950 | $55 |
Read how your fees are spent or compare our
prices with other volunteer organisations.
View our prices in other volunteer locations's or
combine your stay in Thailand with stays in other locations as part of a
combination
stay.
Our application process typically takes two or three weeks, but can
be speeded up if there is a need for that. When we receive the initial
application from you, we will send you our full application form.
(1) Complete the Initial Application Form:
The first stage of the application process is to fill out the brief initial application form. Upon
receiving this we will send you the full application form.
(2) Complete the Full Application Form:
Fill out the application form. After receiving this we will assess your
suitability and place you on one of our programs.
(3) Placement info:
We will return detailed placement information and an invoice. If you
accept the placement you should pay the invoice and send us receipt of
payment by email or fax.
(4) Program Fee:
The program fee should be paid to us at least 2 months before you are
due to start your placement. However please be aware that we have a limited
amount of placements, so placements will only be secured when we
have received your payment.
(5) Communication:
Once you have made your traveling arrangements you should mail your time
of arrival and the means of transportation and we will confirm pickup.
You can join us for any amount of time, from a week to six months. We do recommend a trip of three to six months since it offers the best value. Regardless of the length of your stay, you will be able to learn some Thai and you will have time to get to know a new culture, come to know its people, and form relationships that will outlast the duration of your stay.
Dates of arrival: All teaching will start on the Monday after the introduction.
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August: Sat 7, Sat 21 September: Sat 4, Sat 18 October: Sat 2, Sat 16, Sat 30 November: Sat 13, Sat 27 |
December: Sat 11, Sat 25 |
| January: Sat 8, Sat 22 February: Sat 5, Sat 19 March: Sat 5, Sat 19 April: Sat 2, Sat 16, Sat 30 |
May: Sat 14, Sat 28 June: Sat 11, Sat 25 July: Sat 9, Sat 23 August: Sat 6, Sat 20 |
September: Sat 3, Sat 17 October: Sat 1, Sat 15, Sat 29 November: Sat 12, Sat 26 December: Sat 10, Sat 24 |
Volunteers usually live in small houses in the temple grounds. The houses have a main room with a bed and fridge and a seperate bathroom and shower. Conditions vary form Wat to Wat and are the same as those for the monks, so very basic.
Meditation and teaching!
Each morning the monks and novice monks at each temple walk around their local area between 5 and 6am and collect their morning alms. An hour or so is spent walking through the local village or area and collecting whatever food is offered by the local people and blessing those that give it before heading back to the monastery to prepare the first meal for around seven-thirty. For lunch, the novice, monks and volunteers will eat a repeat of whatever is left over from breakfast around 11-12. Then there is no food until the following morning. We advice our volunteers to drink plenty of soya milk and water, which should fill you up for the rest of the day.
Ask a local about the weather in Nongkhai and they will tell you there are three seasons, hot and wet, hot and dry and just plain hot. In reality the temperature can drop to as low as 10°C between November and February and the brief monsoon rains and Mekong river breeze throughout the summer months provide a welcome respite to the heat.
Nongkhai Weather Chart
Since the Wat is in Nongkhai volunteers will arrive and receive introductions in Nongkhai, staying in our Nongkhai volunteers dorms during their first weekend.
Trains
There are 2 trains a day from Hualamphong train station in central Bangkok, one departing in the early morning and another at around 20:00. We recommend the night trains since they are quicker and usually more convenient as most long distance flights tend to arrive in Bangkok in the afternoon.
The night train costs around 600 baht and most people manage to sleep reasonably well on them in comparison to the buses.
General information on trains can be found at traveller2000.com.
Buses
There are several buses from different companies daily from Bangkok to Nongkhai. Most buses leave in the evening and arrive in Nongkhai early in the morning. Although we recommend the trains as they are more comfortable if you do decide to go by bus the best option is probably the buses that depart from Kao San Road at around 19:00. These go directly to Nongkhai (and on to Vientiane in Laos) and are relatively easy to find. Its costs around 400-450 baht and you can buy tickets from any travel agency on Kao San Road. There are also regular buses from Bangkok's northern Mawchit Bus Station although this is extemerly large and chaotic, and probably best avoided if you've only just arrived in Thailand for the first time.
Flights
Three airlines fly daily from Bangkok to Udon Thani, Thai Airways and the budget airlines Air Asia and Nok Air. Nok Air also fly from Chiang Mai to Udon 3 times a week. There is a "limousine" (actually minibus) service from the airport to Nongkhai after each flight.
Joe currently works as project manager for Thailand. A qualified accountant, Joe volunteered with Travel to Teach for 9 months in 2004 / 05 and was only too happy to come back to Thailand to work for us. Originally from Nottingham in England, Joe enjoys watching and playing all sports (although he says that sadly he’s better at watching than playing).
Contact Joe: joe@travel-to-teach.org
Jim graduated from Khon Kaen University's tourism program in 2007 and initially completed a 3 month internship with Travel to Teach before joining us permanently. After working with us in Chiang Mai for 2 years Jim now helps manage our programs in Nongkhai. She is responsible for contact with schools and organising English camps and looks after our volunteers giving Thai language lessons and cooking classes.
Contact Jim: jim@travel-to-teach.orgThere are many options for your visa depending on the length of your stay.
One month tourist visa (free)
This is valid for 30 days and is granted free on arrival in Thailand by air. If you arrive at a land border you will currently only be given a 15 day visa. Please note you can only have three free one month visa stamps in any six month period.
Two/Three month single entry tourist visa (1,200 Baht - approx. 24€)
This is valid for two/three months after your arrival in Thailand. If you leave the country during this time your visa will become invalid. This can be arranged in advance at any Thai Consulate/Embassy. For a list of Thai Embassy's around the world see www.thaiembassy.org.
If you are staying in Thailand for more than a month and do not have time to arrange a 2 month visa, you can simply get your free stamp on arrival and then cross over into Laos after 30 days and apply for it there.
It's quite a simple process:
To revalidate your visa you will have to come to Nongkhai. Simply catch a tuk-tuk to the friendship bridge where you
will be able to get a bus across to Laos. On the far side of the friendship bridge you will get your Laos visa (approx $35).
Once in Laos you have two options, you can either return directly to Thailand receiving a 15 day visa extension or if you want a two month visa you will need to visit the Thai Embassy in Vientiane and spend one night in the city. Please note that for your Laos visa and for a two month Thai visa you will need passport photos and a photocopy of your passport. Vietiane is a 30 minute bus or taxi ride from the border.
You can also use your time in Laos to explore the country further and there are regular buses running from Vientiane to most of Laos including Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang.
You should tell your doctor that you are likely to go on a jungle trip in Northeastern Thailand and that you will live in villages in Isan. Keep in mind, Nongkhai is considered to be an urban area and one need not worry about malaria pills for staying exclusively in Nongkhai.
Also visit the WHO's (World Health Organisation) Travelers health informationOne of the conditions of entry onto our programs is that volunteers have travel insurance. Most importantly the insurance needs to include medical treatment and repatriation in case of unforeseen accidents or illnesses. Volunteers should purchase insurance independently and bring a copy of their insurance certificate with them for their local co-ordinator to check before starting their program. Read our terms and conditions.
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