Phana Municipality

You will be teaching English in schools across Phana. This sleepy town is in the Isaan region of Thailand and while it has a quiet feel to it, there is plenty going on. You will quickly fall in love with this small town full of character. 

Your Project

Phana is a small town about a one-hour drive from the city of Ubon Ratchathani. This region of Thailand is known as Isaan and it has its own unique culture, language and identity within Thailand. Isaan is a poorer region of Thailand and has strong influences from neighbouring Laos, which is just on the other side of the Mekong River. The Isaan language is closer to Laos than Bangkok Thai and there is a multitude of influences from the many different ethnic groups that have populated the land over time. This all makes living here an extremely interesting experience. 

Phana is very close-knit and volunteers soon find themselves being involved in all aspects of community life, be it attending social events within the village or taking part in festivals. The town has a very quiet feel to it but there is a huge amount to do including kayaking along the river, volunteering at the local monkey sanctuary and cycling through the surrounding jungle and paddy fields where you will find no small number of beautiful temples. 

Volunteers work across different schools teaching a range of ages with a focus on improving the students English. You will either be teaching in a nursery for 1–4-year-olds, a primary school for 4-6-year-olds or a middle school for 7–15-year-olds. Class sizes range but you will usually be teaching a group of around 30 students. You will be seen as a valuable resource for the community. There are opportunities to teach extracurricular activities and become involved with English clubs and camps. In addition, you may be expected to help improve your fellow teachers’ English and become involved with secondary projects. Volunteers in the past have learnt Thai dancing and weaving with local women. You will also have a generous holiday period, both to explore the country but also to become immersed in Thai life in other ways. 

Accommodation

Your accommodation consists of a spacious two-bedroom house. It has a kitchen, living room, veranda and outdoor cooking area. Volunteers enjoy cooking for themselves but are often invited to their fellow teachers houses to enjoy local Thai cooking. You also have access to bicycles to be able to explore the area and visit the markets, temples and monkeys.