January 12, 2009 1:31 PM PST
thanks Merlin. good looking out.
January 16, 2009 1:33 PM PST
hi everyone. i am new on here. my boyfriend (derek) and i are hoping to come to nong khai in september. we live in alabama.. it's cold here today! i can't wait to get to thailand.
January 16, 2009 1:58 PM PST
Welcome christined! I think it's great that derek and you may be traveling to NK in September. I hope all works out for ya'll to make your journey to Thailand. It will be a trip you'll always remember, especially if your trip includes volunteering with Isara. :)
January 16, 2009 5:48 PM PST
Welcome to Isara Christined. That would be great if you could join us here at Isara when you come to Nk. Just let us know when will you and derek will be here!!
Looking forward!! :)
January 18, 2009 11:40 AM PST
Christened and Derek! Hope your journey to Nong Khai works out! Did you find out about Isara on the idealist.org website? :)
January 18, 2009 11:55 AM PST
That's wonderful news, Christened. Welcome to the Isara Family!!! Gbya
January 18, 2009 3:01 PM PST
Yeah ginafish, I searched "volunteer in thailand for free" on google and idealist.org came up and had a link.
We are getting our passports this week!
The first step!
January 19, 2009 9:47 AM PST
The date we have set is September 15. What is the best airline to get to Bangkok and then to NK.? We want to fly out of Atlanta GA.
Ming, Do you know of any apartments in NK that have websites?
January 19, 2009 10:25 AM PST
Derek, there is a condo building that thartley, and sean stayed at during their visit, and pkgillock lived there before renting the ILC for 3 years or so. I think that thartley felt really comfortable there. They come furnished, you just have to set it up with the manager and get utilities and internet hooked up. They even have Western toilets! :D
I think thartley bunked at the ILC for a couple of days while making the arrangements for the condo, but there are also some nice hotels in town.
January 19, 2009 12:32 PM PST
Right on Ginafish.
Does anyone know the cost of the condo?
average cost of utilities?
and the internet cost?
January 19, 2009 12:37 PM PST
The condo will be about $130/mo and has GREAT views of the Mekong River and Laos. Your utility costs will depend on how addicted to air conditioning you are. lol Usually it's about $20-$30/mo. And the Internet is $30/mo too. But the ILC has high-speed internet and you're welcome to use it any time.
January 21, 2009 5:27 AM PST
Hi Everyone! My name is Dagny and I am planning on coming and volunteering with Isara at the very end of June for a large chunk of the summer. I am so excited. Christened and Derek, thank you for asking so many of the questions I was thinking of. I am in the process of trying to book my flight right now, so it was good to get some feedback. If anyone has any additional tips for travel information, please let me know. I also had another question. Does anyone have any tips or suggestions on what I can do to prepare for teaching there? Or any suggestions on how to familiarize myself with aspects of the language.
I really look forward to getting feedback, I am so so excited about this trip and organization!
January 21, 2009 7:11 AM PST
Hi Dagny! It's nice to see so many volunteers coming forward this year on Isara.org! Asking all these questions is very helpful because it helps the webmaster to include more specifics on the FAQ Volunteer page! ;D
Any former volunteers have suggestions for teaching materials? Or good websites for learning some Thai basics?
January 21, 2009 2:30 PM PST
Wow, thanks Derek, those look really helpful. I am in a constant search for any information I can find right now. What else are you and Christined doing to prepare for your trip?
January 21, 2009 3:23 PM PST
We just got our passports yesterday! And we are about to start using Rosetta Stone to learn a little bit of Thai. Derek also bought me a guidebook. We are trying to figure out a few places to visit while we are there. We're thinking Chiang Mai and Kata at some point. Anyway, there's a lot of anxiety with all of the things that need to be done, but, hopefully we can do it.
January 22, 2009 5:20 AM PST
Christined and Derek, did you already buy your tickets? If so, which airline did you decide to use?
Max, I know you came from Canada, but did you find an airline that you thought was cheaper than the rest? By the way, I am really enjoying reading your posts on the other blog! It is really helping me to get a better understanding of what it is like volunteering for Isara.
January 22, 2009 7:18 PM PST
haha no i think he means my thread in the volunteer section, i don't have a top secret blog.
Dagny: I personally found travelcuts.com to be the best, although i know there are many other good sites out there. My tip in looking for a flight is to identify an approximate date of departure and then check every single day for the same flight in that entire moth. I t often makes a HUGE difference on which day you fly. On Jan.10 my flight cost me 1275 CAD, and on Jan. 9 it would have cost me 2000 CAD. Take time, and research properly, it could save you as much money as you would spend in Thailand lol.
January 22, 2009 8:18 PM PST
I used expedia.ca for my tickets... When I went October 2007 it cost me about $950 to get to Bangkok Nd then another $60 to get to Nongkhai. I am currently working with a contact who can get people really cheap tickets for volunteer purposes but this woman is on extended leave and it may take another 6 months before she is back at her job and can access those cheap tickets again... I will be sure to let you all know when that occurs so you can get over to Thailand more affordably.
I flew on Eva air once to Thailand and then on China Air the second time. Thai airways is quite expensive. If you fly on a bargain airline like airasia or nok air to Nongkhai from Bangkok you had better be prepared to pay for any luggage over 15 kilos/32 pounds because thats their limit... Thai airways costs a bit more but they allow more baggage.
Dagny, christined and derek you can feel free to PM me any time and I will answer any questions you have. Max is correct... you have very little if anything to worry about in Thailand. My mother came over there to visit me and she said, "It's like the whole country is on valium" (extremely calm and happy) It kind of sucks being away from Isara, it limits what I can do to help directly.
Oh... Congrats to PK on getting that awesome news spot!!!! that is so cool, I am going to send the link to that to all my contacts!
February 17, 2009 2:39 AM PST
Hi, I'm interested in volunteering at Isara this April with some of my friends. I've already applied for it through the website but still get no response back though.
And I'm Thai...Am I eligible to participate??
February 17, 2009 9:39 AM PST
Hey Sunny!
You are absolutely eligible :). PK has been traveling alot, and I'm sure he's going through all his messages right now. But don't worry, we would love your help!
Are you in Thailand? Poot Phasa Thai Dai Mai?
February 22, 2009 5:37 AM PST
Hi All,
I am in Singaporean who is based in London for the last 3 years and I am looking to relocate back to asia with my thai girlfriend around mid April. After searching around, I am interested to volunteer in Isara for a couple of month.
Can I confirm that Visa run law had changed recently? And will Isara helpto draft a letter for volunteer if they intend to apply for a longer visa?
Lastly, I was in the soldier for 8 years which had bought me to Timor leste for UN mission and Humanitarian aid in Aceh during the tsunami. After that i been in the Ecommerce industry ( online gadget company ) while studying my master in Art. I wonder how can i help Isara with my experience and most improve the life of the people over there .
