by Somchai Darnsirichaiswad, USA
The volunteer experience that Thai Experience arranged for me was extremely rewarding and enriching. I was allowed to provide basic computer instruction to the staff of a vocational center in Nongkhai province. The staff members at the center were so appreciative that they presented tokens of appreciation. The whole place was filled with smiles.
The voluntary assignment was well arranged. I believe that a lot of preparation went into making this so successful. Nongkhai is enriched with the culture of Thai Isaan (Northeastern Thai). The province is a very safe and peaceful city, and its people are very friendly. Moreover, this city is very close to Laos, a day-trip to Vientiane (the capital of Laos) is possible.
Even though, this organization is relatively new, it is very well connected with the local government offices. Also, the organizers of this agency are bilingual and bicultural. That was very helpful in dealing with local people, village leaders, and government officials.
Communication can be a challenge because there are not many locals that speak English well. Meanwhile, it can be rewarding conversing with them.
Restaurants are everywhere. Food can be very spicy so use cautions. It is a lot of fun to explore the variety of Thai Isaan, Lao and Vietnamese foods at morning market, day and night street site restaurants. At the same time, it could cause some ailments such as diarrhea. Make sure you drink bottled water, not the tap water.