Peace Corps Thailand Volunteers live all across the diverse landscape of Thailand from the mountains in the North to the plateaus, rainforests, and UNESCO World Heritage Sites spread across the Central region and into the Northeast, down to the beaches in the East and South – PCVs are represented in almost every corner of the country.
With so much to see, especially off the beaten path, we asked our staff writers this month what makes their site so special. For more inspiration on places to visit in Thailand check out our Take Me To or Through Their Eyes series.
Kiera Hurley, 135 YinD
Monkeys and mountains and monks oh my. My site is in Lopburi, Thailand or better known by Thai people as muang ling or ‘monkey city’. There are just about 5,000 monkeys living in Lopburi province. They are most notably found to be hanging out around Phra Prang Sam Yot which is a 13th century Hindu shrine built during the Khmer empire. However, if I don’t want to venture 30 minutes to Lopburi city center – I can just stay at my site and find monkeys here. I’ve seen monkeys drinking leftover smoothies, playing on a grassy field, jumping on roofs, eating watermelon, playing with each other, and scheming on how to find food for their babies. They’re honestly quite entertaining and even cute as long as you don’t bother them. I was warned by a family friend before leaving for Thailand to watch out for the monkeys but took it more as a joke than a possible reality. Of course the universe works in silly ways, and I ended up at a site where monkeys are the highlight of the town.
Along with monkeys, I have been blessed with six cats, a golden retriever dog, and 10+ family members! There’s no shortage of activity going on at my home and makes my site that much more incredible. On any day of the week I can be greeted by aunts and uncles, cousins and sisters, or babies and kittens. Being around so much life and energy fills me with such positivity. My host family is extremely close with each other and have welcomed me into the chaos with open arms.
We have rice fields in the backyard and will often go out there to swing in the hammock in the trees while the younger boys bike around like mad men. On weekends we take the Thai phrase, sabai sabai very seriously and my host aunt and I will often spend all day lying down while the cats roam around searching for attention. If we find ourselves bored my host sisters take me to coffee shops, to play volleyball, or we’ll head to the mall for KFC and Dairy Queen. Not surprisingly, it’s the people that make the place and I’m so grateful for all of the animal and human creatures that make my site feel like home.
Bradford Reszel, 134 TESS
One thing that makes my site special is our local noodle shop! Owned and operated by a retired couple in the front of their home, they only are open for lunch. My counterpart and I are regular customers, usually going two to three times a week. We always get the same thing – yellow ramen-style noodles with sliced pork, pork meatballs, vegetables, and then we each add our desired amount of spicy pepper vinegar, fish sauce, and dried chili pepper. By far my favorite dish in Thailand, I even took my parents when they visited during the school break back in April!
Cloé Fortier-King, 134 YinD
I could rave about the fruit stands, succulent khao soi, my darling students, or the stunning nearby art gallery, but for me, the best part of my site is the sky. Day after day my eyes are tugged upward and my head pulled out of the sand of my thoughts. I’m reminded of my scale, how utterly tiny and impermanent I am. Every petty inconvenience or moment of frustration is dwarfed by the miles and miles of uninterrupted blue, cotton candy clouds, or dancing light beams—the wondrous display of the day.
Michael Swerdlow, 135 YinD
What makes my site special? What a hard question… Can I answer everything? I don’t even know where to start. I’m located in the north of Thailand in Chiang Mai. Northern (or Lanna) culture is something I have come to fully embrace and love participating in. From the festivals, foods, temple architecture, and much more — Lanna culture is certainly special. Another extremely special aspect of living in the North is biking daily through the mountains of Chiang Mai. Sometimes, I can’t help myself and bike to an open field and just sit marveling at the beauty of the Chiang Mai mountains. Elephant sanctuaries are famous in my area and they are within biking distance.
I could certainly expound about Lanna culture and everything else that makes my site unique. However, I would say sometimes the simplest elements are what makes a situation the most special. For me, that is my kids. Yes, every current Peace Corps Thailand Volunteer is working with children, but my kiddos are what gives me the biggest breath of fresh air. Even though I am here to help teach them English and life skills, I am learning a ton from them. Some of my biggest cultural lessons come from my daily interactions with my students. I have always loved children’s sense of wonder, creativity, purity, and joy. They keep life fun and exciting, especially as we continue to share our cultures and learn from each other.
Some of my favorite interactions come from my daily interactions with my students. Their questions about American culture and English are enough to keep me on my toes. Outside of the classroom I love engaging in activities with them. Two of my favorite activities are playing a math version of Scrabble and reading a book to them in Thai as I practice my reading.
What makes my site special? Everything.
If I had to pick one thing: my kiddos.
Samantha Stolworthy, 135 TESS
Bianca Palese, 134 TESS
There’s so many things I could talk about, but one thing that I think my site has that no other does is a champion competitive Scrabble team (in Thailand it’s called Crossword). Alongside my two counterparts I help coach our four teams, two in grade 8 and two in grade 3. The grade 3 teams are actually not old enough to participate in tournaments yet, but you gotta start early!
I had actually never played Scrabble before coming to Thailand but now I know all the intricacies of the different dictionaries, tournament rules, and play for at least two hours a day. It’s such an amazing game to teach the students English because they are constantly learning new words and practicing writing. And while it’s not required to play the game, I teach them how to pronounce the words based on phonics also. Seeing them succeed and traveling with them has been one of the highlights of my service. This past weekend, my boys grade 3 team placed 14th in their very first competition (they were also the youngest team), and my girls grade 8 team took the gold!
Alyssa Strong, 135 TESS
I’m a firm believer that the people are what makes a place special. And trust me, I LOVE THE PEOPLE AT MY SITE! My students treat me like a celebrity every day, and I work with a fun staff that is super motivated to learn English just to speak more with me. I feel so loved by the people in my community but (as hippie as it sounds) my safe haven and comfort since the beginning of my time at site has always been the hill.
In a vast area of flat farmland, there is one massive hill that rises over my town. The hill seems random and out of place, but whenever I look up and see my random hill, I know that I am home.
When I walk out of the front door of my host family’s home, the hill always greets me. It stands firm and never changes (besides getting a little greener during the rainy season). And in a life full of constant change, it’s nice to have something that remains still.
The hill is home to a temple with a massive Buddha statue, my favorite coffee shop, epic reading nooks, and a man that sometimes wears a Florida Gators basketball shirt (which is so ‘small world’ because that’s my alma mater).
I frequent the hill both alone and with community members. I often climb the 654 stairs or run up the songtaew path to the top. Every time the teachers at my school want to exercise, they know I will gladly meet them there.
The top of the hill feels like the top of the world. I can see my entire town and many miles more. A wave of peace and serenity washes over me every time I’m there. It’s the place I continually rely on to clear my head at the end of a long day. It grounds me, it challenges me, and it continues to spark my curiosity for exploring.
The hill is a great mystery full of hidden paths that not many people walk down and hidden gems that I continue to discover. The beauty of the hill leaves me in awe every time I visit. With every climb to the top, I stop and take a moment to look down at the town around me, count my blessings, and remember just how lucky I am to know this little corner of the world.
Sticky Rice 