Bpai Tiao Video: Non Sang Bike Club

In Thailand, a bpai tiao is a trip of any length. I’ve written about some of my more significant bpai tiaos to tourist destinations here, to be used as travel ideas and tips.

Recently I went to help out friend and fellow volunteer Michael with an event for the bike club in his community. We all biked to the nearby national park and then did a variety of activities with the students there that focus on developing team building and leadership skills. It was truly a blast for both the visiting volunteers and the kids. Check it out!

Bpai Tiao: Christmas in Puay Noi, Khon Kaen

In Thailand, a bpai tiao is a trip of any length. I’ve written about some of my more significant bpai tiaos to tourist destinations here, to be used as travel ideas and tips.

Thailand may be 98% Buddhist, but Christmas is a big deal here. Christmas has been all over the advertisements and the big box stores have been decking the halls. Of course, many schools that have a Peace Corps volunteer see this it as an opportunity to get “the real deal” American Christmas experience at their school and enlist their volunteer to plan Christmas Day activities. My friend Jill was one of those volunteers whose school wanted some Christmas activities and she asked me to come and help her out. Happy to have to chance to spend the holiday with a friend, I agreed. Check out some of my Christmas Day activities!

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LGBTQ Safe Zone Training for Peace Corps Staff

Back in May, Peace Corps put out this press release, titled “Peace Corps Announces New Service Opportunity for Same-Sex Couples.”

It stated:

“Expanding service opportunities to same-sex domestic partners who want to volunteer together further diversifies the pool of Peace Corps applicants and the skills of those invited to serve overseas in the fields of education, health, community economic development, environment, youth in development and agriculture. Married heterosexual couples have been serving together in the Peace Corps since its inception in 1961. Currently, 7 percent of Peace Corps assignments are filled by married volunteers serving together.”

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Making Merit at Phra That Phanom

Phra That Phanom is a temple located in Nakhon Phanom in Isaan (Northeastern Thailand). It is said that some relics of the Buddha are interred in the stupa there. Because of this, it is a pilgrimage site for many Thai Buddhists to come and make merit. Check it out!

Non Sang Bike Club and Youth Development

One of the neat things about being a Peace Corps volunteer is that we know a large number of people in pretty much every corner of the country, and the work that each of us does sometimes requires more facilitators than are available at our site. This means that sometimes, we call on other volunteers to come to our site and lend a helping hand at a large event that we have going on, and we get to spend some time together and show off our sites to each other.

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Bpai Tiao: Diving in Mu Ko Surin and Khao Sok

In Thailand, a bpai tiao is a trip of any length. I’ve written about some of my more significant bpai tiaos to tourist destinations here, to be used as travel ideas and tips.

At the beginning of the month there were two Thai National Holidays, Father’s Day and Constitution Day, which fell on a Thursday and Tuesday respectively. Seeing as how we get Thai holidays off and are free to travel as we please on the weekends, a friend and I made plans to put our SCUBA certifications and living near some of the best diving to use and hit up a raved about national park.

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Bpai Tiao Video: Loi Krathong in Sukhothai

In Thailand, a bpai tiao is a trip of any length. I’ve written about some of my more significant bpai tiaos to tourist destinations here, to be used as travel ideas and tips.

Every year, usually sometime in November, Thailand celebrates Loi Krathong. It’s believed that the holiday originated in the ancient capital city of Sukhothai. Part of the traditions for celebrating include releasing small floats on bodies of water and floating lanterns in the sky.

Bpai Tiao: Loi Krathong in Sukhothai

In Thailand, a bpai tiao is a trip of any length. I’ve written about some of my more significant bpai tiaos to tourist destinations here, to be used as travel ideas and tips.

On the evening of the full moon of the 12th lunar month in Thailand, the holiday Loi Krathong is celebrated. Loi Krathong roughly translates as “floating crown.” People throughout Thailand make or buy little floats made from banana leaves and decorated with flowers. On them they place a candle, incense and their wishes on to send out on the water. The Lanna hill tribe celebrates the same day with the Yi Peng festival by releasing floating lanterns into the night sky.

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Bpai Tiao: School Field Trip to Korat

I’ve posted about the field trip that I went on to Chonburi with the 4-6th graders, and last week Wednesday was the 1st-3rd graders turn for some end of the semester fun.

I got a message from my co-teacher the day before telling me about it, since school has been out and I wouldn’t have known about it. She told me that they were going to go to the museum and the Korat Zoo. I figured, I haven’t been to the Korat Zoo before and it would be a good opportunity for me to spend some time with some of the other teachers at the school, so I went along.

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