Countries

Host Family

 

Students will live with host families in order to experience a true immersion into Thai culture. Families are selected based on recommendations from members of the local community, and each is carefully screened by AFS staff and volunteers. Many families hold a position of influence within their community, and all are highly regarded by their relatives and neighbors. Hosting communities exist through the presence of a strong volunteer support network, with a local volunteer, or “liaison,” available to each student hosted in the community.

 

Support Structure

 

Students are supported through a strong network of AFS staff and volunteers both in the United States and in-country in Thailand. Within the larger volunteer community, each student will have a local volunteer, or “liaison,” assigned to him or her, who is often either an alum of the YES program, a past host parent or a teacher at the student’s school. Each student will be given a cell phone after arriving, and will have the contact number for the AFS-Thailand office. In the case of emergency, a Duty Officer is on-call 24/7 in both Thailand and the US, and this number is made available to both students on-program as well as their parents.

 

Cultural Activities

 

YES Abroad students will attend four AFS camps throughout the course of the year, namely the Arrival Orientation, Cultural Orientation, Enrichment Camp and End of Stay Orientation. During these camps, a variety of enrichment activities in the form of community service will be offered, often including participation by Thai YES alumni. Past opportunities have included planting Mangrove trees in Samut Songkram and caring for animals in Chiang Mai. During the year, extracurricular activities will also be made available, including Thai arts, dance, cooking, boxing, and various musical instrument lessons.

 

School Life

 

Students will attend co-educational public high schools and will be placed in an upper secondary grade level. Like many American schools, the year is divided into two semesters; however in Thailand the breaks occur in October and April. The school day begins with morning assembly and singing of the national anthem with the entire school body, and continues on with eight periods, ending at 4pm. Students are expected to wear uniforms in all public schools. In addition to the core curriculum classes that are offered through high school, YES Abroad students will have the opportunity to take Thai language courses, as well as a variety of cultural-themed classes.