Con'grad'ulations to Nok!
A Degree in Computer Science
"I thank you. You have given scholarship for me to study the undergraduate degree. Now I graduated, because the scholarship you have given to me makes me successful in a bachelor's degree. I wish you a happy life and good health. Thank you very much for everything given to my family. I will remember the good things, and in the future I will be a model for others in my life."
Andaman Discoveries scholarships provide financial support for underprivileged children, allowing them to complete high school and, for the talented students like Nok, university as well. Nok's mother was injured in the tsunami, and the scholarship, along with her mother's part time job, was enough to get Nok through school.
Thirty students in our scholarship program are in need of further sponsorship, so if you're interested in helping, please send us an email.
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Holiday For the Kids!
A Little Jungle Hike, Camping, and Environmental Education
 On a fresh Saturday morning, Andaman Discoveries, along with a team of very willing volunteers, decided to give the children from the Southern Thailand Orphanage project and the Youth Group from Ban Lion an amazing holiday. We arranged an adventure-packed weekend for the children to our nearby islands on the Andaman Sea.
A few drops of rain in the morning did not keep us from jumping on the boat! Our poncho's all packed, we were off to Koh Ra for a hike in the pristine jungle. There were 50 children excited to run through the jungle and explore the area, and enough guides to help them through the days activities! [Read more]
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Welcome to "Ae"
New Staff on Phra Thong Island
|  After an extensive interview process, we hired a new project manager. Pereeya "Ae" Suksaard is from the nearby village of Tung Nang Dam, where she is the co-coordinator of the Community Tourism and Conservation group. Ae received training on the following subjects: community history, local politics, English lessons, environmental education curriculum, and how to volunteer coordination. Now, Ae is helping to create a community center, plant a village garden, and help prepare |
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Reduce and Reuse
Drinking water containers for homestay group
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While locals are accustomed to drinking the well water on Koh Phratong, visitors often find the strong taste of iron overwhelming, and the community tourism group had been supplying guests with small, 1 litre, plastic bottles. To reduce plastic waste in the village, and save on the cost of small sized bottles of water, we supported to homestay group in purchasing 20 large (5 gallon) water containers. When half the bottles are empty, they are taken to the mainland for refilling.
Thanks to Planeterra, Mangrove Action Project, and Naucrates for their partnership on this project.
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Forest School & Lodge
Tourism Education in Beautiful Surroundings
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July saw the arrival of 9 new students to our Forest School and Lodge project; here the students will receive a first class education up to the age of 18. The school also runs a hospitality center with 4 beautiful lodges that offer training and hands on experience for students interested in this area of work. The benefits of the program equip them with a great understanding of the hospitality field. [Read more]
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Summer Volunteering in Thailand!
Experiences Giving Back to Children
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"I loved every minute at the placement and regret only coming for two weeks. Although I have seen progress from the children at the Thai/Burmese Junior school, I would have loved to have stayed longer to really reinforce what I taught them in these two weeks and see a significant growth in their confidence and ability to communicate in English, that is my only regret. I have never felt as welcomed as I did in Kuraburi and the Thai/Burmese junior school (without the kindness of the locals, the teachers and the AD staff this trip would not be as amazing as it was). Thank you for everything! I will see you very soon."
Susana R, volunteer at the Junior school in Kuraburi, June 2011
 "I remember my first day at school, I had to give a short introductory speech during the morning assembly. I was so nervious, but then 800 students welcomed me with a friendly big smile. I felt a lot better! I spent 3 days teaching English and Manderin to 4 different classes. It was hard to explain abstract ideas because of the language barrier, thus I tended to play games with them & let them learn the language in a enjoyable & relaxing way. I believe the most important thing to learn a language is not to be afraid of it & enjoy every single lesson. I am glad that students enjoyed the lessons and teaching days.
Rainy L, volunteer at the Kuraburi high school, July 2011
[Read more!]
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Tourism Marketing Training
The Skills that Pay the Bills
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 While the villagers in Ban Lions have become skilled providers of community tourism, they are also in need of marketing skills to ensure their long term independence. Three leaders from the Ban Lion community tourism group spent two days in Phuket at a training organized by the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Participants had a chance to learn skills such as identifying and reaching target markets, communicating unique selling points, and networking.
Thanks to Planeterra for their partnership on this project.
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Phra Thong Community Center
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Development Projects in Action
 In cooperation with Planeterra, Mangrove Action Project, and Naucrates, we are creating a comprehensive facility that conveys the meaning of life in Ban Lion, and is uniting the community through a common purpose.
Outcomes:
- Renovation and restoration
- Termite control
- Foundation reinforcement and septic tank installation
- Painting
- Furniture and equipment for meeting area and museums
- Architectural design assessment and consulting
[Read more]
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Teaching The Teachers?
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Southern Thai Cooking
In the past two months we've started a new fun event here in Kuraburi: a cooking class for willing volunteers to learn how to cook and present local Thai dishes!
In this class volunteers learn how to make dishes such as Lab Tohu, Yam Kai Dao, Tom Yum Goong and more. This class is set up to learn more about the Thai culture and the local people and gives volunteers the opportunity to cook Thai dishes back home. [ Read more] |
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Why Us?
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Andaman Discoveries' internationally recognized community development and tourism projects make a real difference. Our International and bilingual staff have extensive knowledge, allowing guests to enjoy a true cultural exchange.
We have developed comprehensive teaching materials for those planning to volunteer in a school. And for folks new to Thailand we can arrange regional transport and accommodations, and even offer advice on traveling (our staff loves to explore the country, too!).
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Stay Connected!
Become a friend and be fan on Facebook, follow our moves on Twitter, and watch us on YouTube!
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"I basically enjoyed every second of it [teaching] even though the conditions are hard and you sometimes feel really exhausted. It is a full time job to teach at the Burmese Learning centre, but the children are lovely to be around and I had a lot of fun. I wish i could stay longer!"
Friedel G, volunteer at the Burmese Learning centre, July 2011 |
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