What is the main focus of the Thailand program?
In Thailand, Lifeworks teams up with the DPF Foundation for underprivileged children. Founder and Senator, Ms. Prateep Ungsongtham Hata, was awarded the prestigious 2004 World Children's Prize for the Rights of the Child in recognition of her work with Bangkok's disadvantaged children. Students work in the kindergartens and schools created by the Foundation, with a focus on enhancing self-esteem for the children, through team-building games, art projects and teaching English.
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How many people go on this program?
The Thailand program is one of our smaller programs with between 10 and 15 students and two staff members.
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What is our accommodation like?
During the majority of the program, students and staff live together in hotels local to the project sites in Bangkok. In the past, during trips to the DPF's rural New Life Sites we have lived in accommodation provided by the DPF.
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Two staff members travel with you full-time and others may come and go for specific portions of the trip. Take a look through the staff FAQs for more information on the Lifeworks staff.
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From June to October expect rain and sunshine. Average temperature is 88-90oF with 87% humidity.
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In Bangkok, phone systems are good, and it is easy, though pricey, to call the U.S. However, with a time difference of about +12hrs, it may be difficult for students to call during daylight hours! Also, during our time spent in the countryside, there will be limited public payphones available. We mention this, so parents will not insist that students phone home when it might not be very workable to do so. As a backup communication system, the Lifeworks Thailand staff will be in frequent contact with our Sarasota office.
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How will I pay for calls home?
Students may use local phone cards or coins for calling. Students can also use a credit card or an AT&T calling card with an international U.S. direct prefix from many phone booths.
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How can parents find out what's going on aboard the program?
The easiest way is for students to place a quick call home to let Mom and Dad in on what's going on! Sometimes this doesn't happen though so, in 2004, we instigated a trip update system in which, at the end of each day, the shipmate leader of the day writes a few remarks in the log. If and when we can do it, this is then typed up and posted on the Lifeworks website.
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Can I get mail on the program?
Letters to Thailand will not arrive in time, but just because you can't send any letters, doesn't mean that you shouldn't get any yourself! Insist on a postcard from your student from every major location. Even if it just says -- "Hi, I'm shopping in the bustling, colorful markets of Bangkok and you're not -- HA HA -- Love you! -- gotta go," at least you can look at the pictures and dream...
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Can I email home from the program?
Many of the hotels that we stay at will have email, so it might be possible to stay in touch that way during those times. We suggest that students set up an email account such as Hotmail or Yahoo, which can be remotely accessed, as internet cafes are available in Bangkok and at some of our destinations.
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Do I need any specific immunizations for this program?
Although vaccinations for this region are not required, the CDC recommends that travelers have the Typhoid and Hepatitis A immunizations. We suggest checking with your physician for his/her recommendation. Allow plenty of time before your trip (CDC suggests 4-6 weeks) to see your health care provider. More information will be provided after enrollment.
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What about the travel arrangements?
Students come from all points of the compass, so coordinated air travel is of vital importance. For this reason, we ask that all students flying to Thailand book through Reservation Services International as they regularly obtain the best fares available, arrange group seating and provide close monitoring on travel days in case of flight difficulties. As airlines often change their schedules, Lifeworks cannot be responsible for the coordination of air flights that were not booked through Reservation Services International.
To ensure that those traveling from either the east or west coast of the U.S. make the trip in a single day, one group will depart from Los Angeles International airport (LAX) and the other from JFK in New York. We will have representatives in both airports and our oftentimes a staff member will fly with the larger of the two groups. The groups will rendezvous in Seoul, South Korea and travel together to Bangkok, Thailand. Additionally, it's often possible for us to help families connect with other families in their area to coordinate students flying together on the domestic portions of their itineraries.
For more information on flight itineraries and travel information, please contact...
Leah Hernandez
Reservation Services International
1.800.329.9000
(Texas +1.281.528.7727)
leahctn68@hotmail.com
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Can I use frequent flyer miles to get there?
Unfortunately, frequent flyer miles may not be used for the international portion of the ticket for this itinerary. The reason for this is that we require that all of the students fly together on a specific set itinerary. Additionally, for some of the programs, we rely on discounted group fairs to lower the cost for everyone.
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Do I need a passport or any special visas?
All students traveling to Thailand need to have a passport, which is valid for a minimum of six months after the date of departure. Visitors from certain countries other than the US, UK and Canada may require visas. To confirm whether or not a visa is required, please contact the Thai Embassy in your home country.
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