AIESEC in Thammasat University, a part of AIESEC Thailand, will hold andexecute its local project for the first time called Development for Childrenwith Disadvantages or DEC-D Project in short. “DEC-D” is pronounced likethe Thai compound word “เดก็ดี” (“Dek Dee”) which means good children

Timeline: Start 14th March 2015, End 25th April 2015

Sawasdee! (Hello, there!)

Pattaya City, Thailand

To reinforce awareness of the problem about disadvantaged children

To reinforce equality for the disabled

To give opportunities to disadvantaged children to learn about the world , international culture and English language

To exchange cultures and promote Thailand and Thai culture

To promote cultural and social diversity

To cultivate young international volunteers to has more social awareness and to become the leaders of tomorrow with good values and morality

ObjectiveThe project’s objectives are mainly creating the positive impact to the society and provide with ones in a lifetime experience to both international volunteers and disadvantaged children.

DEC-D Project, this year, will be carried out at Father Ray Foundationwhich is a foundation taking care orphaned, abused, disabled anddisadvantaged children - located in Pattaya City, a famous tourist seasidecity of Thailand

Project Implementation

Work closely with Father Ray Foundation, take part in the foundation’s activities and AIESEC

activities when required.

Work in The Center for Children with Special Needs of Father Ray Foundation. Children with special needs are children with autism, Downs Syndrome, cerebral palsy or attention deficit disorder.

Do the foundation’s chores such as moving things, arranging class rooms, making teaching and training materials for children with special needs etc.

Arranging activities that help promoting the development of children with special needs.

Interns are strongly encouraged to do some research about your home countries’ techniques in developing and supporting children with special needs to apply to the children during this project.

Help and support the specialists while they teach or train the children.

Take care and look after the children with special needs.

Continued on the next page

Intern’s Job Description

Support the children with special needs both physically and emotionally. For examples, assist them during physical therapy session, encourage them, make friends with them, treat them fairly like normal people.

Having creative hobbies or talents and being able to teach those to the children are advantage. Art, playing musical instruments, magic shows, singing are recommended.

Prepare and present sessions on their country/culture to the children, their parents and/or local staffs.

Work Monday – Friday, 8.00 AM – 4.00 PM

From 10th to 20th April, the Center for Children with Special Needs is closed, but it’s not a holiday of the foundation. Therefore, the foundation may assign you to work in the other parts of the foundation such as Children’s Village for orphaned and abused children. (might be subjected to change)

During the project, please always keep in mind that you are a dedicated valuable volunteer, not a tourist, so please make the most impact to help the children with special needs.

Interns must arrive in Thailand on time, as shown in the agenda, to attend the MANDATORY Preparation Camp

There will be organized airport pick-up for the interns and the interns must provide with the details of their flights minimum with 2 weeks before the arrival

Have a recreative hobby or talent and be able to teach it to the children

such as sports, drawing, art, playing musical instruments, magic shows, singing.

Love children

Have high responsibility

Have high patience

Service-minded

Cheerful and open-minded

Requirements

Accommodation will be provided by the foundation to the interns. It will be the

foundation’s 3-star-hotel-like apartment inside the area of the foundation. 1 room per 1 intern individually.

Food will be provided 3 meals per day in the foundation. If you buy meal outside, you have to pay on your own.

Transportation to the foundation will be provided by AIESEC Interns will be picked up at the airport by AIESEC, only if you arrive around the time

mentioned in the agenda. (Airport pickup transportation fare will be paid by each intern –about 5 USD/person/trip)

The foundation also provide single bed, free Wi-Fi, TV, air-conditioner in the rooms (might be subjected to change)

Preparation session will be provided before the project starts Trainee Buddy for every Interns Farewell Party will be arranged for the interns at the end of the project

What is provided to the interns?

Accommodation

Interns are REQUIRED to pay 100 USD/person to AIESEC Thammasat

to help partially cover the project’s expense.

Besides 100 USD mentioned above, you are suggested to bring some suitable amount of money with you to use for your personal expense and trips in day off

Travel insurance is REQUIRED

Medicines for your personal health issue (if any)

Proper clothes. During working time in the foundation, improper clothes such as shorts, short skirts, tank tops, strap or strapless tops are prohibited.

Swimsuit – sometime the children have to do physical therapy in the foundation’s swimming pool, you have to assist the specialists. And, of course, you will need it when visiting beach and sea in Pattaya!

What do interns have to prepare?

Continued on the next page

Find some knowledge about autism, Down Syndrome and attention deficit disorder before hand. You are expected to be able to differentiate those kinds of children.

Interns are strongly encouraged to do some research about your home countries’ techniques in developing and supporting children with special needs to apply to the children during this project.

Plug adaptor. Thailand’s electricity is 220 volt. The socket type is presented in the picture (the third type may don’t work in some places in Thailand)

Carefully read through this booklet, especially the job description, what interns have to prepare and Do & Don’t lists

Afternoon of 14th March 2015: Interns arrive at Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) or Don Muang Airport (DMK)

15th March 2015: Preparation Session at Thammasat University, RangsitCampus

16th March 2015: Interns start working at Father Ray Foundation

25th April 2015: Farewell Party and End of Project

26th April 2015: Interns travel back to their home countries or desired destinations

Brief Agenda

Father Ray Foundation is a charitable organization in Pattaya,

Thailand. It currently cares for more than 850 underprivileged, orphaned,abused, neglected and abandoned children and students with disabilities.It was found in 1974 by late Father Ray Brennan, an American ChristianPriest in the Redemptorist Order.

The foundation welcomes every people from every religion. Despitethe founder and the directors of the foundation was/is priests, thefoundation is not a church or any kind of religious place. Most of the staffsand children in the foundation are Buddhists, like most of Thai population,and also some are Muslims. The foundation will never make you toparticipate in any religion-related ceremony or teach you bible.

About Father Ray Foundation

Father Ray Foundation is a big foundation which consists of:

Vocational School for People with Disabilities

School for the Blind

Children’s Home

Outreach Work & Drop-in Center

Children’s Village

Day Care Center

Center for Children with Special Needs Interns in this project will work here

Do & Don’t in Thailand

• Do respect all Buddha images. Buddha images are held sacred and sacrilegious acts are punishable by imprisonment even if committed by foreign visitors. • Do dress properly when visiting a temple. • Do remove your shoes before entering a temple, somebody’s house • Do treat monks with the highest respect. • Do try and keep calm no matter what the problem or provocation may be. • Do eat with a spoon. Use the fork to load food on to the spoon. • Do lower your body slightly when passing between or in front of older people. • Do try and learn a few basic phrases in Thai, like “hello” and “thank you”. • Do smile a lot. Understanding the Thai smile • Do enjoy yourself. Thais like life to be sanook (fun). • Do ensure that you have a visa if you need one. • Do make sure you have adequate travel insurance.

Do & Don’t in Thailand (cont.)

• Don’t show disrespect towards the Thai Royal Family. It’s offensive both legally and culturally. • Don’t touch a Thai woman without consent. Despite the image portrayed in some bars and clubs, the majority of Thai women are conservative • Don’t be overly affectionate in public. Thai couples can be seen holding hands, but snogging your boyfriend or girlfriend in the middle of the shopping mall won’t win you too many friends. As with many things, Thais know that behaviour in the West is different to Thailand so you won’t be chased out of town for holding hands with your partner, but resist the temptation to do so inside temple grounds. • Don’t sunbathe nude. This is offensive to most Thai people although nobody is likely to say anything to you if you do so. • Don’t touch a Thai person’s head or ruffle their hair. Apologize if you accidentally touch somebody’s head. • Don’t do drug. Any kind of addictive substances are prohibited in Thailand, except tobacco (cigarette), caffeine (coffee, tea) and alcohol.

Do & Don’t in Thailand (cont.)

• Don’t get involve in any kind of prostitute-related activities or nude show since it’s illegal in every circumstance in the entire kingdom of Thailand, otherwise you may be seized and taken legal action against by the authority. AIESEC will take no responsible for this.• Don’t place your feet on the table while sitting, don’t point to anything with your feet and don’t touch anybody with your feet. • Don’t raise your voice or lose your temper; try and be jai yen (calm). • Don’t be offended by questions about age, marital status or what you do for a living. These are subjects that will often come up in small-talk. Of course, you don’t have to answer (especially the question about age), you can just smile and just say it’s a secret or “mai bok” (“not telling”).

• Don’t take Buddha images out of the country. Strictly speaking it is against the law to take or send Buddha images out of the country. However, this doesn’t mean that stores won’t sell them to you. They will sell them to you, but won’t necessarily tell you about the regulations. • Don’t overstay your visa.

Don’t drink or smoke in the foundation’s properties

During working time, don’t wear improper clothes such as shorts, short skirts, tank tops, strap or strapless tops.

Don’t spank or hurt the children.

Don’t shout at the children.

Don’t take a photo of the children with special needs without the permission of the foundation’s staff.

Don’t let anyone stay over night in your room.

If you have long hair, do tie your hair while working.

Do & Don’t in the Foundation

Songkran Festival is the biggest national festival of Thailand held annually

13rd-15th April. Therefore, interns will surely have chance to join in this joyfulcelebration!

The Songkran festival, traditional Thai New Year’s Day, is also wellknown as Thailand Water Festival. It’s originally celebrated as a way for the Thaipeople to sprinkle water on their family members and elders for good fortune andpay their respects to images of Buddha. Today, the festival has transitioned into 3days of water play fun, splashing locals and visitors alike with buckets of water,water hoses and super soakers as they gather in the streets. In these 3 days, waterthrowing can be seen throughout Thailand, some streets in downtowns are closedto turn into walking streets to play water splashing.

Songkran Festival

Pattaya is a city in Thailand, a beach resort popular with tourists and

expatriates. It is on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand, about 100 kilometers (62mi) southeast of Bangkok within, but not part of, Bang Lamung District in theprovince of Chonburi. Pattaya City is a self-governing municipal area. The mainsweep of the bay area is divided into two principal beachfronts. Pattaya Beach isparallel to city center, and runs from North Pattaya to Walking Street. AlongBeach Road are restaurants, shopping areas, and night attractions. Jomtien Beachin the southern part of the bay area is divided from Pattaya beach by thePratamnak Hill promontory. The city has offshore islands include the three "nearislands", Ko Larn (main island), Ko Sak, and Ko Krok located 7 kilometers (4.3 mi)from the western shores of Pattaya Ko Larn, or "Coral Island", Mu Ko Phai, the"far islands", Ko Phai (main island), Ko Man Wichai, Ko Hu Chang and Ko KlungBadan, located offshore further west of the "near islands", and Ko Rin, offshore tothe southwest, south of Mu Ko Phai.

About Pattaya

Pattaya

About Thailand

With twelve million foreigners flying into the country each year, Thailand has become Asia's primary destination for people looking to spice up their lives a little. Yet despite this vast influx of tourists and their cash, Thailand's cultural integrity remains largely undamaged – a country that adroitly avoided colonization has been able to absorb Western influences without wholly succumbing to them. Though the high-rises and neon lights occupy the foreground of the tourist picture, the typical Thai community is still the traditional farming village. Almost fifty percent of Thais earn their living from the land, based around the staple, rice, which forms the foundation of the country's unique and famously sophisticated cuisine.

Thailand is a constitutional monarchy, not similar to England’s, whereby an elected Prime Minister is authorized to be the head of government and a hereditary Thai King is head of state. The Kingdom of Thailand, covering an area of 514,000 square kilometers, lies in the heart of Southeast Asia bordering Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia. Thailand can be roughly divided into the mountainous north, the fertile plains of the centre and the many beautiful, tropical beaches and island of the South. The currency of Thailand is the Thai Baht. Baht come in both coin and banknote form. The size of Thai currency, both coins and bills increases with value and varies in color.

Geography and Population Thailand is the 50th largest country in the world; most nearly equal in size to Spain. Located just 15 degrees north of the equator, Thailand has a tropical climate and temperatures typically range from 19 to 38 degrees C (66-100 F). Thailand’s largest peak, Doi Inthanon, is 2,565 meters (8,415 ft) tall. Thailand covers 510,890 sq km of land and 2,230 sq km of water. The coastline of Thailand is 3,219 km long. Thailands longest shared border is with Myanmar (Burma), stretching 1,800 km. Thailand has a rough geographical area of 514, 000 sq km (200,000 sqmiles). This makes Thailand roughly equivalent in size to France or Texas. The population of Thailand comprises of roughly 65 million citizens, the majority of whom are ethnically Thai, though peoples of Chinese, Indian, Malay, Mon, Khmer, Burmese, and Lao origin are also represented to varying degrees. Approximately 7 million citizens live in the capital city, Bangkok, though this number varies seasonally and is otherwise difficult to accurately count.

Weather and Temperature The weather in Thailand is generally hot and humid: typical of its location within the tropics. Generally speaking, Thailand can be divided into three seasons: “hot” season, rainy season, and “cool” season, though Thailand‟sgeography allows visitors to find suitable weather somewhere in the country throughout the year. Located just 15 degrees north of the equator, Thailand has a tropical climate and temperatures typically range from 19 to 38 degrees C (66-100 F)

CultureThai culture has been shaped by many influences, including Indian, Lao, Burmese, Cambodian, and Chinese. The traditional Thai greeting, the wai, is generally offered first by the younger of the two people meeting, with their hands pressed together, fingertips pointing upwards as the head is bowed to touch their face to the hands, usually coinciding with the spoken word "Sawasdee khrap" for male speakers, and "Sawasdee ka" for females. The elder then is to respond afterwards in the same way. Social status and position, such as in government, will also have an influence on who performs the wai first. For example, although one may be considerably older than a provincial governor, when meeting it is usually the visitor who pays respect first. When children leave to go to school, they are taught to wai to their parents to represent their respect for them. The wai is a sign of respect and reverence for another. Thai cuisine blends five fundamental tastes: sweet, spicy, sour, bitter and salty. Some common ingredients used in Thai cuisine include garlic, chillies, lime juice, lemon grass, and fish sauce. The staple food in Thailand is rice, particularly jasmine variety rice (also known as Hom Mali rice) which is included in almost every meal. Like most Asian cultures, respect towards ancestors is an essential part of Thai spiritual practice. Thais have a strong sense of hospitality and generosity, but also a strong sense of social hierarchy. Seniority is an important concept in Thai culture. Elders have by tradition ruled in family decisions or ceremonies. Older siblings have duties to younger ones. Taboos in Thailand include touching someone's head or pointing with the with the feet, as the head is considered the most sacred and the foot the dirtiest part of the body.

Father Ray Foundation http://www.fr-ray.org/en/

Pattaya City http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pattaya and http://www.pattaya.go.th/?lang=en

Chonburi Province http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chonburi_Province

Further Reading