Singburi - School Placement

Location Description
Greenway's Singburi camp is located on the riverside (River Noi - Little River) in the village of Tha Kham, near the small city of Singburi. There are several temples in the area, some of which are quite well-known.

These 3 accommodation options consisting of small bungalows are within walking distance from the nearest towns of Tha Kham and Tha Chang. Alternatively you can take a bicycle to these local towns, where you can find ATM’s, pharmacies, doctors, convience stores and local food markets. The local school Wat Klang Tha Kham also has a swimming pool that you are allowed to use for 50 baht.

The distance to the town of Singburi is 8 to 15 km depending on which accommodation option you choose. It takes 10 to 15 minutes into Singburi by car, where you will find all the amenities you need i.e. internet, shops, swimming pool, hospital, pharmacy, banks and restaurants. There are plenty of trips into Singburi or you can easily take a taxi for 200 baht.

Accommodation Options
Your new home will be one of our 3 Eco-Houses in Singburi in central Thailand - Brown House, Twin House or Lemon House.

The Brown House:
- This is where you stay during the Culture Week.

The Twin House:
- Dormitory accommodation with cold showers and fans

The Lemon House:
- The Lemon House has fewer bungalows and is slightly quieter than the Twin House.
- There are both dormitory rooms with cold showers and fans as well as twin and double rooms with warm showers and air conditioning in the rooms.
- If you wish to stay in one of the comfort rooms (with warm showers and air-con), you will need to book the Comfort Program (subject to availability).

If you wish to upgrade your accommodation to a single room, you will be staying in a dormitory room, but won't be sharing with anyone else. Please note that private rooms are always subject to availability.

All bungalows have single gender shared rooms with the 2 bunk beds. The maximum number of people per room is 4. All rooms have a private western style toilet and shower where the water is always cool - nice and refreshing in the heat (the comfort rooms at the Lemon House have warm water and air-con).

The doors and windows are screened (to protect you from mosquitoes). There are fans in the rooms. For your valuables, we have lockers available. We strongly encourage you to use them, even if our houses are generally very safe. There are limited laundry facilities so expect to wash your clothes by hand or do this at en extra cost in local launderettes.

All sites have a communal area where you can eat, relax meet fellow participants or use the free WiFi.

Important
A security cash deposit of 500 TBH is required for the key to your room. It is payable upon arrival in cash and will be returned when they key is given back at the end your stay. Please also bring a padlock with you.

Environmental Considerations
All participants are expected to be environmentally conscious and to use all resources with restraint, especially water, paper and electricity. You will be expected to clean up after yourself, and to play your part to keep the accommodation neat and organized.

Please Note
No alcohol is permitted in any of the Eco-Houses. However, most of the houses are within walking distance to the local shop and a make shift bar provided by the friendly locals.

Arrival Information
Please note: If you are arriving at DMK (Don Mueang Airport), please take the free shuttle to Bangkok International Airport (BKK). Then follow the instructions below.

Our transfer coordinator meets you at the BKK airport upon your arrival and arranges your transfer from the airport to Mo Chit Northern Bangkok bus station and then further on to Singburi bus station, where you will be met by one of our local coordinators who will take you to your accommodation.

How to Get to the Meeting Point at Bangkok International Airport:

After passing through customs, make sure you stay on the same floor and turn right and proceed to ENTRANCE 4. Our coordinator will be waiting for you in front of this entrance with a sign saying "The Green Lion". Our coordinator will not move to find you as he has firm instructions to stay at ENTRANCE 4. You may need to wait for several participants to arrive before the group leaves the airport.

If you arrive before 16:00, we will transfer you to Singburi on the same day. Arrivals after 16:00 may have to stay in a hotel next to BKK Airport for one night. In this case, we still will pick you up at the airport and accompany you to the hotel at no extra cost. You will be given a time to meet back at the meeting point the following morning for transfer to Singburi. Please note that if your program during the first week is outside of Singburi, you need to arrive in Bangkok before 12:00 on the Sunday to be able to join the program.

Arrivals after the weekend need to make their way to the Singburi bus station on their own. Under most circumstances, we only receive participants on the Saturday and Sunday before your program begins. We discourage late arrivals as it may take longer for you to settle into your program. Any emergency early/late arrivals need to be communicated to us via email [email protected] and the late arrival instructions need to be followed (see end of page).

Addresses:
Singburi office (also postal address)
40 / 1 Moo 4
Ban Vihan Khao
Tambon Vihan Khao
Tha Chang district
Singburi 16140
Thailand
Tel: +66 (0) 36 521 619 (office hours)

If you are lost or have any major concerns regarding transfer, please contact +66 (0) 86 001 2838

EMERGENCY Telephone number: +66 (0) 86 001 2838

Phil speaks English, so no need to get a Thai person to call these numbers.

Other Emergency Numbers:
1155 Tourist Police (The Tourist Police of Thailand are trained to assist you in English. Direct any safety concerns to them.)
191 Police
199 Fire Brigade
1669 Medical assistance

We highly recommend buying a cheap local SIM card for your whole time in Thailand (for your own personal safety and for easier/cheaper communication with the other participants, staff and family back home). This becomes especially useful if travelling to your project destination by yourself.

Late/Early Arrival Instructions

By Taxi
A shuttle taxi hired at the airport can bring you straight to the Greenway house within 3 hours. It should not cost you more than 2000-3000 baht, but it is important to confirm the price beforehand. More expensive options (limousine service) can also be arranged from the airport at higher prices.

By Bus
When you arrive at Bangkok International airport (Suvarnabhumi International Airport), pronounced: su-wan-na-poom), you can continue your trip by BTS airport rail link. This is the easiest and cheapest way to travel to the bus station. The distance from Suvarnabhumi International Airport to Mo-Chit is around 40 km. You should take the rail link all the way to the end station at Phaya Thai which connects you to the BTS skytrain. Take the skytrain to Mo Chit station the last on the line. The station is about 3 km from the bus terminal. Once you get to Moh-Chit bus terminal, please enter the ground floor to the right and choose to buy a ticket for the first class bus ("1st class" in Thai: Bpau neung) to Singburi Bus Station.

Start: Mo Chit Northern Bangkok Bus Station
Destination: Singburi Bus Station
When: 05:00-18:00 every day
Duration: 3 hours
Price: 115 baht

Once the bus leaves the bus terminal, please call the program manager (Phil) on +66 (0) 86 001 2838 to confirm your arrival time and to allow us to have a coordinator ready to pick you up from the Singburi bus station when you arrive.

Local (vegetarian) dishes on site, 3 meals a day during weekdays, 2 meals a day during weekends (brunch and dinner). The meals will be typical Thai fare, including plenty of rice dishes. You will have lunch at the school during the week. Please inform us of any dietary restrictions or intolerances during your application. However, we need to stress the point that you should not expect to eat as you normally do at home. We will do our best to see that you are well taken care of, but also as a volunteer, there is a need to be flexible and accommodating to the local food.

Dress code:
Casual dress is appropriate during your time at the school, however, no see-through clothes or low-cut tops are permitted.

Weather:
Thailand is a tropical country with occasional violent storms, heavy rains and floods. During such times, the program schedule may be subject to change.

Transportation:
Our Eco-Houses are located about 10-15 kilometer from the city, it's a little bit difficult to travel to town by public transportation, but it can be done by local taxi. Our staff can assist you calling a taxi at any time. There are also bicycles available for volunteers to borrow.

Money:
There are a number of banks and ATM machines nearby. The nearest one is just about 2 km away at Tha Kham market.

International phone calls:
SIM cards can be purchased at many stores in Thailand and even at the local village Tha Kham or Tha Chang. It is best to buy a Thai SIM card so you can contact any of our staff without having to worry about costs. These cards can also be used to call back to your home country (Thook Dee International phone card which costs 100 baht). Don’t hesitate to ask your coordinator for assistance.