Short-term Exposure Trip toThailand

Sawasdee (HELLO in Thai language)

We are glad you are coming to Southern Thailand.

This document is a tool to prepare for your arrival in Hatyai.

It will tell you some of the cultural and social things you need to know while you are staying in Southern Thailand. It will also inform you of some of the guidelines while staying in Hatyai and being involve in cross –cultral community.

Blessing to you while you prepare to arrive in Southern Thailand!

Sincerely,PALAY Team_________________________________________________________________________________________

About ThailandThe Kingdom of Thailand, previously known as Siam, is situated in the heart of Southeast Asia with Bangkok as the capital city.  It shares a border with Cambodia to the east, Laos to the northeast, Myanmar to the west, and Malaysia to the south.  Thailand, with its shape resembling a head of an elephant, is around 198,114 square miles, or roughly the size of the state of Texas.  The Kingdom borders two bodies of water—the Gulf of Thailand to the south and the Indian Ocean to the west.

GEOGRAPHYThailand is divided into four natural regions: the north, northeast, the central plain, and the south. The north is a mountainous region comprised of ridges, natural forest, and deep, narrow alluvial valleys.  The northeast is an arid region characterized by a rolling surface and undulating hills.  Central Thailand is a lush, fertile valley and possesses the richest and most extensive rice-producing area in the country.  The south is hilly with thick forests and rich deposits of minerals and iron ores.  The southern region is also the center for rubber production and the cultivation of other topical crops.

CLIMATEThailand has a warm, tropical climate affected by a seasonal monsoon. Thailand experiences a rainy season from June to October and a dry season for the rest of the year. Temperatures average 75 to 92 degrees Fahrenheit, with the highest temperatures occurring from March to May and the lowest appearing in December and January.

RELIGIONBuddhism is the faith of approximately 95 percent of the population.  Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, and other faiths are also openly practiced and protected under the Constitution.

A Brief Overview of the Culture of the ThaiFollowing is an overview of Thai culture. It is not exhaustive and will not replace what you will learn once you arrive. You will certainly always be learning and always finding the exceptions.

EXPECT ATTENTIONForeigners stand out in any country and it is no different here. People will greet with “hello, hello, hello” and “where you go?” In most situations, you can simply smile and say “hello (Sawadee Khrap/Kha).” Thai people greet each other with “where are you going?” If you don’t know what to say, always smile.The smiles communicate the warmth of friendly people interested in knowing who you are and why you are here. Therefore, present your best smile to all the Thais. You’ll be surprise they will always smile back at you. Anyways, this is the ‘Land of Smiles”.

SOCIAL AND PHYSICAL HIERARCHIESThai society is very hierarchical and everyone has different places on the social ladder. Respect is paid and received according to your position on this ladder. Parents are higher than their children are; older people are higher than younger ones; men are higher than women are; monks are higher than lay-people; and the Royal Thai Family is highest of all. The Royal Family’s pictures will be seen all over the country, therefore it must be treated with respect and not be made fun of. All the money and coins also has the King’s picture imprinted on it. It is considered “illegal” to step on the coins as this will be like stepping on the King’s face.

The body also has its hierarchy. The head is most sacred and it is impolite to touch someone on the head (even a child). Patting men on the back is also considered impolite. The feet are the lowest point of the hierarchy. Therefore, when sitting down and crossing your leg, the sole of your feet must not face an older person or another person for that matter. That is considered impolite and disrespectful.

A Brief Overview of Social system

In the Thai social system, the village is the unit. It was in former days, a self-contained one in its economy and needs. The people's habits and customs were based mainly o n agriculture and religion. Most villages had a Buddhist monastery and a shrine for a village deity. The monastery served their spiritual as well as the people's education. All arts, crafts and learning emanated from the monastery. From birth till death it centred round it. Its precincts were the meeting place for social gatherings on festive occasions. As to the village shrine it was used only occasionally in times of distress or on New Year's Day when offerings were made. It had nothing to do with Buddhism.

No doubt Buddhism softened and tamed animism in many of its cults. The above is only a fundamental and comparative statement, which a student has to bear in mind when dealing with modern cultural problems. The social system, habits and customs as seen in modern times are superficial modifications of the fundamentals and in a comparative degree only. 

In some outlying districts where there are retarded developments of culture due to lack of intercommunication and new ideas, the people are still in their primitive state, quite in contrast to the progress in the capital, towns and cities. In these progressive parts "old times are changed, old manners gone" and a new type of cultures fills its place. This is a sign of progress but it must come gradually. Adapt the old to the new but not in a revolutionary way. The new cultures have also their dangers with problems to be solved, because people take too much interest in politics. To adopt new cultures wholly unsuited to the needs, which are peculiar to, and characteristic of each particular place is a danger. Culture ought to be varied with characteristics of its own in each locality and area, harmonizing, however, with the whole-a unity in diversity.

HATYAI

GeographyHat Yai is a district of Songkhla province in the Kingdom of Thailand. 60 km to the South are both the Malaysian and the Thai immigration check points at Danok and Padang Besar while Songkla City is 30 km to the North East. Bangkok is more than 900 km to the North.

Population Hat Yai has a small population of about 200,000 (not updated yet). Ethnic Thais formed the majority, though the area has historically been a migratory crossroads, and thus strains of Malay and Chinese produced a degree of ethnic diversity. Integration is such, however, that culturally and socially there is enormous unity.

LanguageOther than the official Thai language which are taught in all Thai schools, the ethnic groups that comes from various parts of Thailand also speaks their own dialects. In Hat Yai, due to the strong tourism influence from Singapore and Malaysia, the Hokkien dialect is also commonly used for business interactions. English, Chinese and to a lesser extend Malay make up the rest of the minor languages used.

TimeTime in Hat Yai, like the rest of Thailand is seven hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT + 7).

ClimateHat Yai, like the rest of Thailand lies within the humid tropics and remains hot throughout the year. Average temperatures are about 31C, ranging from 36C in April to 28C in December. Hat Yai does not have her fair share of the cool season although there are three seasons in Thailand. There are only the hot season (March to July), and the rainy season (August to February).

ReligionLike the rest of the Thai population, the majority of the people in Hat Yai are Buddhist. The national religion is Theravada Buddhism, a branch of Hinayana Buddhism, practiced by more than 90% of all Thais although Hat Yai may have a lower percentage. The remainder of the people adheres to lslam which is the second largest group, Christianity, Hinduism and other faiths - all of which are allowed full freedom of expression. Buddhism continues to cast strong influence on daily life. Senior monks are highly revered. Thus, in towns and villages, the temple (wat) is the heart of social and religious life.

T.E.A.C.H EDUCATION CENTRE

T.E.AC.H (Teaching English And Changing Hearts) Ministry is an English Language Center that uses teaching English as a tool to reach out to students and share them about the love of God through classroom activities that encourages sharing of experiences and faith, regular parties with testimonies or gospel sharing, giving of gospel literature or through the lives of the teachers and staff who simply seek to be a blessing in the student’s lives.

OUR COURSES

1. English Conversation Courses Elementary levels (3 levels) Intermedeiate levels (3 levels)

2. Special English Course for Children Once a week course

3. Summer English Workshop During summer holidays (March – May)

4. Holiday English Program During school breaks

5. Village Outreach – THEPA DISTRICT During weekends (Saturdays)

6. School Outreaches – Singhanakorn School- Every Tuesday afternoon Tung Nai School- Every Wednesday to Friday morning

OUR STUDENTS Primary 1 – 6 Students (Children’s English Conversation Courses)

Secondary 1 – 6 Students (English Conversation Courses)

University Students (English Conversation Courses)

Young Professionals

OTHER GENERAL INFORMATIONTRANSPORTATION

Big buses Vans Tuk-tuk – little “vans” with two benches on the inside facing each other. Motorcycles

HEALTH AND HYGIENEDo not drink the water! In thailand, most of the drinking water comes bottled, so care should be taken to drink this water only and not the water that comes out from the faucet.

FINANCEThere are many Cash machines (ATM’s) where you may withdraw cash from your local bank if your card is compatible. Withdrawal through cards like VISA, Mastercard and Plus are everywhere.

Thai currency ( BAHT )

1 US $ = 30.90 Baht ( may change)1 Malaysian Ringgit = from 9.50- 9.70 Baht

ESTIMATED EXPENSESAccommodation - TEACH DORM = 100 Baht per person/night

- HOTELS = 500 - 600 Baht per room/night (2-3 stars)

Food - Normal food stalls = 50 -60 Baht per meal (simple meal)

Internal Travel - Tuk-tuk = 15 Baht per person- Motorcycles = 20 Baht per person

What to expect while in this trip:o If you are coming as a volunteer teacher, most of your time will be taken to meeting and teaching the

students at TEACH but the following things will also be done during the duration of your stay.

1. 1st day will be the General orientation (Thailand and the minstry) and Security guidelines.

2. Prayer walks to the University, Market, M villages and temples. This is a time for prayer and meeting different people.

3. Conducting “Friendship survey” to the University students. Friendship survey is a kind of survey where one can ask questions from the students, personal information and beliefs. This can open a way for gospel sharing. At the end of the survey Gospel tracts are also given.

4. Attending and sharing daily devotions at TEACH. Staff and short termers take turns in sharing the devotion everyday.

5. Doing chores at TEACH Center.

6. Helping TEACH staff in giving out brochures, promoting the courses.

7. Attending a Thai local church every Sunday. Experience worship and word in an entirely different language. It’s a real blessing to see Thais worship and fellowship with them.

o TEACH classes can sometimes be unpredictable, there are very busy months where there are very many students at the center but there are also ‘quiet’ months when there will only be a handful of students enrolled.

What you will want to pack:

Conservative clothes ( Thais tend to dress liberally, but since our focus people are the M’s therefore it is advisable to dress conservatively)

Women - Dresses, skirts must be no less than knee level. No sleeveless and fitting shirts please. Jeans and slacks are acceptable. Blouse and Slacks during teaching hours. TEACH uniform will be provided for teachers.

Men - Pants, shirts with short sleeves, a couple pairs of long shorts.

Comfortable walking shoes Toiletries (can also be purchased in Hatyai) Sunglasses Hat (optional) Small compact umbrella Camera A small pouch/pack to carry with you that provides a place to carry passport and money securely. Bible.

Some basic words to remember:

Sawadee (Khrap - male speaker) - Hello (Kha - female speaker)

Kob Khun - Thank you Sabai dee mai - How are you Thaurai - How much Lot dai mai - Bargain Pai - Go Hong Nam - Toilet Khaw pat kai - Fried rice chicken Rongrem - Hotel

Important address and telephone numbers:

TEACH EDUCATION CENTER49/21, Soi 6, Niphatsongkhro 1Hat Yai, Songkhla

Thailand 90110Phone number: 074220042

Contacts Numbers:Jesu & Lalaine - 074- 232477 (Home), 0824341984 (mobile)palay4him@gmail.comTeach House – 074- 555384

Thank you and we pray that you will have a blessed trip here in South Thailand!

God bless and we’re looking forward to work with you!!