Long Term Volunteering after college
Long Term Volunteering after college
Sebastian 18, 6 Months at Volunt2Thai
For the past six months, I have been part of Volunt2Thai.
What started as a volunteer placement has become an experience that has shaped me both personally and professionally.
During this time, I didn’t just support the project — I took on responsibility. I worked together with international and Thai team members, helped organize projects, and learned how to adapt flexibly to new situations. Especially in an intercultural environment, you quickly realize: communication is everything.
I learned to:
work in a structured way, even under pressure
deal professionally with different mentalities
take initiative instead of waiting for instructions
solve problems in a pragmatic way
What was particularly valuable for me was the direct contact with people from different backgrounds. You quickly understand that real impact doesn’t come from big words, but from consistent and reliable work.
After six months, I can truly say:
I didn’t just help — I grew. In discipline, responsibility, and independence.
This experience showed me that I can step outside my comfort zone, perform, and create real value.
Jonas 17, 6 Months at Volunt2Thai
September 2023
My mother is a primary school teacher of a 4th grade class. In September, I prepared for Thailand together with her class. I had no idea about the country or what to expect. I was annoyed with school and just happy to experience something different. We watched a film about Thailand: Thai boxing, elephants, heat, monks, and very different food compared to Germany. I couldn’t really imagine what it would be like to actually be there in Thailand.
On September 28th, I got on the plane and survived the extremely long flight. On the evening of September 29th, Raimund and Nicki picked me up from the airport. It was dark, I was tired, and everything felt different from home — especially the air and the heat. We drove for more than an hour — on the left side of the road! — and that evening I talked for a long time with Raimund.
Then my first night in Thailand!
The first few days, everything felt unfamiliar. The food, the animals, the air, the people. I had a room all to myself, which was good. I quickly found Nicki and Raimund okay. Luckily, I could speak German with them. Soon I also met Anita and Alex.
I really liked breakfast: eggs, rice, salad. In Germany, I hardly ever had breakfast and wasn’t hungry in the mornings. I also liked that there was immediately something to do. Carrying rice bags with Nicki, watering the food forest, baking bread, cleaning the campus, fixing things, and more.
At home, we have two cats and a dog. Here, there were also many animals. The cats liked to keep me company. Of course, there were also snakes, beetles, lizards, and lots of mosquitoes. I’m getting used to it…
But the best thing for me was riding the motorbike. In Germany, you’re not allowed to drive anything without a license — in Thailand, basically everything. Traffic rules also seem to be more flexible. SUPER!
The first visits to the schools really impressed me. So many children, school uniforms, a different language, somehow loud and yet still a lot of respect for the teachers. Different from what I’m used to. With Raimund, I quickly felt comfortable there. But being a teacher myself is not really my thing.
I also got along well with Nicki very quickly. I was allowed to ride around on his motorbike, we did sports together and cooked together. Sports in Thailand are really exhausting and challenging. I also wasn’t as physically fit as Nicki. Nicki plays “Sepak Takraw” with his friends, and the game is super difficult. Bruises were guaranteed, but it was fun. You can also practice Muay Thai on the campus. That also requires a lot of strength and flexibility. I watched at first…
At the end of October, we repainted some walls on the campus. Raimund has a friend who can create really amazing wall paintings. I enjoyed that a lot. You can quickly see the results of your work. During that time, I also got to know more of the surroundings: catching frogs in the rice fields, driving into the city of Udon Thani, and visiting different schools that we regularly support. I was also allowed to visit Raimund’s family at their home and eat there — exciting, and you need some courage considering everything that’s in the bowls.
On October 29th, we celebrated and had fireworks. There was delicious food, and by then I was already sitting comfortably together with Nicki’s friends. I also had my first Thai language lesson with Raimund. Speaking is difficult, but I already understand a little…
November 2023
We regularly visit different schools with other volunteers. It’s always interesting. I watch, play with the children, and take photos or videos. Sometimes I also help with English lessons. I’ve gotten used to the heat and the weather. In Germany, winter is starting now and it rains a lot — it’s nicer here. But when it rains in Thailand, it’s extremely heavy and really hurts on your skin.
When Nicki is at school, I sometimes have time for myself. It’s nice that the cats are there. For my mother, I take photos and make a film about the campus. The children in her class find everything very exciting and have lots of questions.
Together with Nicki, I build a bamboo platform where we can lie down and jump into the water. I play with the children in the water or on the football field. There are also regular baking days. On November 15th, I visited a medical clinic. I had scratched some big mosquito bites, and the wound had to be disinfected. Very nice nurse!
I can really take part in family life here. Raimund’s children are regularly on campus, and sometimes we go to Raimund’s house to visit Grandma and Grandpa. It feels much more like family than I’m used to from hom
It’s also interesting to connect with the other volunteers. I’ve already met people from France, the Netherlands, Spain, and Italy. It’s a great chance to practice my English — although I think I’m actually learning more Thai than English here.
The food tastes really good to me now, and Nicki is an excellent cook. I really enjoy rice with chicken or having a barbecue in the evening. But I don’t eat fish or all the raw dishes! The chickens are slaughtered here on site — oh wow!
December 2023
I’m doing well. I have a Thai family, ride around in all kinds of vehicles, and get to do sports. I have more strength, better endurance, and I’m in a better mood than I was in September.
On December 5th, we’re going to Udon Thani to watch a Muay Thai competition. Very young children are already fighting, and sometimes I find it quite unfair in terms of their age and size differences. By German standards, it’s a very tough competition.
There’s a lot of work to do on campus right now, especially in the Food Forest — irrigation, planting trees, and piling up soil. I spend an entire day in the garden counting the trucks delivering soil. I have no idea what Raimund was doing that day, but I’m sure he had more fun than I did…
My mother at home is also very enthusiastic about her garden. I already know one thing: I definitely won’t become a gardener!
The next day, one of the houses is painted again. I really enjoy painting, and the result looks beautiful.
We are regularly in the schools, maintaining and improving the campus, and I spend time doing sports or just hanging out with Nicki and his friends. Sitting around and playing on the phone is just as popular here as it is back home with my friends.
I can have good conversations with Nicki and Raimund.
Mom sends pictures. Our Christmas tree at home looks smaller than usual — or maybe I’ve just grown.
On December 26th, there is a big celebration here where Anita gets especially dressed up. We all have to get up incredibly early, and there is a long procession to Anita’s school. I don’t know events like this from Germany at all. Everything feels very ceremonial and full of respect for the school.
December 31st, New Year’s Eve. There are some small fireworks, a barbecue, and we release lanterns into the sky. In Germany, I would now be running around all night with my boys setting off firecrackers — but here it’s family time. Also nice, but a whole night of setting off fireworks would have been more my thing…
January 2024
For the last time, I extend my visa. As annoying as the process is every time, it now feels kind of strange. Back in Germany, I definitely want to get my driver’s license for a 125cc motor scooter right away. My mother writes to me about how much it costs (license and scooter) and how long it takes. Incredibly expensive!!! Here, everyone just drives whatever they have through the traffic.
Finally, the package from my mother in Bremen arrives. Unfortunately, the coffee spilled throughout the whole parcel, but everything else survived. I didn’t even know there was whisky from Bremen — apparently, you have to leave home to discover that.
We take a trip to a temple complex nearby. Everything is very colorful and yet still solemn. I don’t understand much about the religion, but I find the complex beautiful and more cheerful than our dark churches. There are also many different temples and rooms, each with a different meaning.
Together with my mother’s class, we do a joint school project. Both classes receive the same worksheets and topics: “Energy” and “Happiness.” It’s different from the usual lessons here, but everyone participates really well.
With Tino, a volunteer from Switzerland who is also a Muay Thai trainer, I can train properly again. Slowly, I’m getting better and building endurance. In the evenings, Raimund and I go together to a festival. Funny, but the music is not really my style.
February 2024
I’m looking forward to going home, but I will miss many things here. What I really appreciate is the big family that is always around. Nicki has become like a brother to me. Anita and Alex are like younger siblings — sometimes annoying, but still nice to have around. Raimund has become like a father to me. We talked a lot, even about things my mother doesn’t know anything about.
I still smoke — my mother won’t like that — but cannabis doesn’t interest me anymore.
When I get home, we definitely need a rice cooker, and I hope I’ll be able to cook like I did here with Nicki. I’ll also miss Nicki as my hairdresser! He’s really good at cutting hair, and we even got a barber’s chair on campus.
In Germany, I’m looking forward to the fresh, cool air, my room, and my soft bed. And of course, our dog. I have no idea what will happen next with school or my vocational training… But one thing is certain: I want to sign up for driving school right away.
I spend my last night alone in Udon Thani. Raimund and my “siblings” take me there and then have to head back. Saying goodbye doesn’t feel good. One more moment to reflect — and to enjoy a wonderful shower at the hotel.
Thailand is really very different from Germany. The weather, the language, different rules at school, in traffic, and so on. It was a very beautiful time — and I will definitely come back again someday.
Corina 18, 6 Months at Volunt2Thai
Volunt2Thai - How was it back then? How is it today?
Written on
.When I first came to Ban Nong Phong two years ago everything was different! Many things have changed and developed both visually in the village, at school or in the temple, and structurally of the whole project. The following text is a report of the things that have changed.
The first thing that caught my attention was all the new houses that have been built in the village. It was very simple back then: The old wooden house, in which grandma and grandpa normally slept, and another house for the volunteers were the only buildings that existed. Every morning and evening we cycled to Raimund and Linly to have breakfast and dinner. So we mainly stayed at the village to sleep and construct things inside and outside the houses.
We had four bikes for all the volunteers, but today there are eight bikes and two tuk tuks. It is now easier for the volunteers to reach places further away, especially with the two tuk tuks. There used to be only 2 pigs in the barn, but now there are about 10 to 15 pigs and two water buffallos. A third house for sleeping was built and there is a kitchen for preparing and cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner. Furthermore there is a storage room, a library with many books, teaching materials and music instruments. At the language cafe volunteers can store their food in a fridge, but the main purpose of the language cafe is the cultural exchange between volunteers and kids from the village.
During the holiday season the kids can play, learn English or take part in other activities at the cafe. The "book club" at the library will be opened two afternoons per week for the kids. Right at the entrance of the village a big photo wall welcomes you. Here you can see all the steps of the development of the project.
If you stay in the colourful houses of Volunt2Thai you will very quickly become a part of a big family! It is just like a huge outdoor flat-sharing community! The volunteers are very friendly, helpful and are well organized - which makes it easy to settle down in this 'family'. Everyone has to do something to keep the village clean and in a good condition - if everyone is doing that reliably, then it is great place to live together.
Another new house with two floors is in the building phase right now. On the upper floor there is space for some tents, and on the ground floor there will be a cultural centre for english lessons, seminars and speeches. You can already see the cooperations with some universities on posters on the outside of this building.
Since the project already has a wide reach across the globe, a lot has changed with all the volunteers.Two years ago the people stayed for only a couple of weeks and mainly did some construction work in the village and not very much teaching. Nowadays this has changed completely - all of the volunteers teach at different schools. After school they do some construction work, paint the houses or cut grass or trees. Everything is structured very well, and every Monday there is a meeting whereby everything that has to be done during the following week is discussed.
Another difference is, that most of the volunteers stay for a long time, at least a month, some of them even a whole year. That's a very positive thing, because the children at school can get used to one person for a longer amount of time, and they can improve their English a lot. But if all the volunteers leave after just one month, the kids have to start new with every new teacher.
It's also quite good, that there is not too much coming and going at the village. The capacity of the beds for the volunteers is getting bigger and bigger, so more and more schools can be supplied with English teachers.
When I first came to Volunt2Thai there were only two schools (Ban Nong Phong and Ban Nong Khung), that could get teachers on an irregular schedule. Sometimes volunteers went to the kindergarten in Ban Lao to look after the kids.
It was very hard to teach English back then, because the kids could only say and understand 'hello' and nothing else. We couldn't speak Thai, so we were not able to explain anything to them. You see - it was very complicated and sometimes impossible to teach anything. But we tried it and most of the time we played some educational games with them.
Today, two years later it is so unbelievably wonderful to see and listen to how much their English has improved. Nearly every student comes to you and starts talking and asking you stuff, so you can chitchat with them about simple topics. I am really amazed and excited by the improvement that all the volunteers have achieved in just two years! Right now it’s not only possible to teach in the same two schools as before, but also at Ban Nong Si Samran, Ban Lao and Ban Nong Hung. That's really awesome and great for all the kids who get the chance to learn English.
With the the new director and new teachers at Ban Nong Khung school they experience a significant upturn. The new director is very interested, motivated and very involved in developing more and more English lessons. You can really feel and see the progress of the project in each school! Many of the kids seem much more interested in learning a new language than two years ago.
Because of the project, many people in the surrounding villages are changing their minds about 'farangs' (European people).The presence of the volunteers is an enrichment for everyone! The cultural exchange between local and foreign people is huge. In some villages there are new shops being built because the need for it is rising. One family in Ban Nong Phong is offering a laundry service for the volunteers, so they don't have to drive 40 minutes to Amphoe Phen anymore.
Two years ago it was kind of a sensation, when you cycled along the village's streets but now it is already normal - the openness towards foreign people is increasing.
The biggest development at Mae Chi's temple in Ban Moo is that there are some new buildings made out of old wood. The „Chedi“ is also growing, and the dangerous bamboo framework got exchanged for plastered walls. Very detailed handwork is behind all of that. There are some art projects like modelling sculptures taking place at the temple. Mae Chi is like Volunt2Thai - you have to work hard and with all of you heart for something, even if there are occasionally very hard moments. But you always have to be sure that you are doing something amazing!
The presentation of Volunt2Thai in countries other than Thailand happened mainly via facebook back then. But nowadays there is a huge network of volunteers all around the world who stay in contact and represent the project. The members come from Hong Kong, Austria, Finland, the Netherlands, Scotland and soon from Switzerland too. In Austria 'Volunt2Thai Österreich - Verein zur Förderung von Freiwillgenarbeit' was founded and has already been at some volunteer fairs.
The Website www.volunt2thai.com has a completely new design and is very detailed, informative and continously updated.
The cooperation with universities in Belgium, Germany, France and Canada is great to spread the idea of the project! All in all I can tell you that Volunt2Thai has developed a lot since I first volunteered there. So many hard-working and kind-hearted humans helped to push the project forward. After two years I am very happy to see what has changed in such a short time!
I wish Raimund, his relatives, all the wonderful people in the villages and the whole Volunt2Thai family all the best for the future, and that the project continues to grow ike that!
This project is something very special and important!
Corina Veith - Volunteer at V2T 2015/2018