REPORT OF MY EXCHANGE

PROGRAM TO THAILAND

NAME:VANITHAA A/P PONNAIAH

ID MATRIC:AA13272
IC NO:931006016528
PHONE NO:0169403665

AIESEC in Malaysia
Block E-51-2, Zenith Corporate Park, Jalan SS7/26, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor,
Malaysia
T: (60)3 7887 1624 | W: www.AIESEC.my

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to honor and privilege, to thank AIESEC of University Malaysia Pahang
and Bangkok University to ensure that the exchange program is a success. I also accord my
appreciations to University Malaysia Pahang for the support accorded and for granting me an
opportunity to explore a new place and experience a new culture, where the language, ideas,
and people are so different. This has greatly impacted both my social and academic life.
Secondly, I would also like to thank my parents and friends who helped me a lot in finalizing
this exchange program within the limited time frame. Last but not least, I would like to thank
Sri Sawat Pithayakkom School for letting me to do my voluntary service in their school
without any hesitation. In fact, it was a very maturing moment; It was one of the first time I
ever felt like I was truly alone, which was surprisingly very empowering and motivating.
1.0 Introduction
This report is a brief of the activities that took place during my stay in Thailand. It also
contains valuable lessons that I have learnt and personal views of the different aspects of the
organization, people and work during my exchange program period.
Exchange program is an indispensable opportunity that allows a student to appreciate the
people's diverse cultures as well as the beauty of this planet. It also prepares the student
broadly for the working world instead of only concentrating on one's country alone.
2.1. General description of the organization.
Thailand is a home to a number of diverse people and cultures, all coexisting peacefully in a
country that is modernizing quickly. Tourism is presently its third biggest source of foreign
capital. The name of the project that I have volunteered is Sawaddee. The project starts on
16th July and ends on 28th august 2015. The duration of my stay in Thailand is about 6 weeks.
The objective of the project is to teach Basic English conversations and vocabularies to Thai
kids and sharing of cultures among participants. I was posted to Sri Sawat Pithayakkom
School by AIESEC of Bangkok University. Sri Sawat Pithayakkom School is located in
Kanchanaburi province which is about 5 hours away from Bangkok. There, I taught students
of Mathayung 1 to Mathayung 6.They are in the range of 13 to 17 years old teens. The
amount of students in a class room is about 20 to 30.I stayed in teachers doom together with
other participants from Taiwan and Malaysia. We were took care by a teacher named Amp.
He is an English teacher in the school. The working hours are from Monday to Friday from
8.00am to 4.00pm.
2.2. Project timeline
PROJECT START: 17 JULY 2015 & END DATES: 28 AUGUST 2015
JULY 2015 16th Interns arrive+ Airport Pick-up
17th Opening + Cultural Preparation (Preparation Camp)
18th HOW TO teach English in Thailand! (Preparation Camp)
19th LEAD your journey (Preparation Camp) + Send interns to schools
20th Interns start working in school Have Welcome Ceremony from schools to interns
13th AUGUST, Evaluation Day
24-27th AUGUST, English Day & Closing Ceremony in school
28th AUGUST, Pick-up and Farewell party in Bangkok
AIESEC in Malaysia
Block E-51-2, Zenith Corporate Park, Jalan SS7/26, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor,
Malaysia
T: (60)3 7887 1624 | W: www.AIESEC.my

3.1. Academics
During my stay in Thailand, I managed to learn about:
Leadership and professional management
Facility management
Strategic management
The main purpose of taking part in the exchange program was to experience life away from
home comforts; I learn how to be tolerant, patient, understanding, fun and how to make a
difference. For example, I was living in teachers doom with a Taiwanese and a Malaysian.
We have. The best part was represented by the courses I enrolled in, and the professors way
of teaching literally enchanted me. I could feel a human relation between teacher and
student. A relation, almost completely absent in the Malaysian system.
3.2 Student Exchange program provides students the opportunity to:

Broaden personal and educational perspectives

Explore and appreciate new cultures
Learn from prominent professors
Explore new areas of study
Live in different geographic areas
Look for future employment opportunities

4.0 Challenges during exchange:

Lack of choice
The main problem I was facing is food. Their food variation is totally different from
the food variation that we have back in Malaysia. This is because their main dish is
pork and I dont consume pork. As I was staying in teachers doom, the food I ate is
cook by the students and I dont have a proper diet meal. To overcome this problem, I
try to adjust with own food and ate when chicken is served.
Lack of information
This leads to a small number of possibilities. As Thai language is their main language,
the instructions and advertisement are all in Thai language. People in Thailand speak
limited English and it is hard to communicate with them. For instance one cannot
adjust to what he or she wanted to do or buy. To overcome this problem, I learned few
words in Thai language to communicate.

AIESEC in Malaysia
Block E-51-2, Zenith Corporate Park, Jalan SS7/26, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor,
Malaysia
T: (60)3 7887 1624 | W: www.AIESEC.my

5.0 Conclusion
To sum up, the exchange program is an indefatigable promoter of learning, and vital in
breaking down the barriers to cultural understanding and securing world peace for future. In
fact, it is a key to achieving international competence hence should be encouraged by all
means possible.
Actually, the benefits of an exchange program are very clear and even if the program is a total
failure one always learns something new. In general you get more than you were expecting,
but sometimes you do not realize, you just get it step by step. Fortunately, all my main
expectations were met. However, there are many challenges to meet some other expectations.
For instance there are a lot of difficulties in getting adapted with the local people. Just to say,
it is difficult to know the credits you have been doing once you are back at home. Hence a lot
of efforts have to be put in place to lighten the bureaucratic load of the program.

AIESEC in Malaysia
Block E-51-2, Zenith Corporate Park, Jalan SS7/26, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor,
Malaysia
T: (60)3 7887 1624 | W: www.AIESEC.my

Testimonial
The project I participated is Sawaddee Thailand. The project started on 16 th July and ended on
28th august 2015. The project was mainly a volunteering program to teach the Thai kids Basic
English conversation and vocabularies. The main purpose of the exchange was to develop the
ability of speaking English for the students in rural areas and I learnt different religious and
cultural background of my own. I taught English in Sri Sawat Pithayakkom School. The
school is located in Kanchaburi province, which is about 5 hours away from Bangkok. My
students were in the range of 13 years old to 17 years old teen. I was there for 6 weeks. I
gained a lot of experience about living and working there. For me, seeing a new culture was
one which could not be achieved in any other way than exchange. I also taught Sri Sawat
Pithayakkom sub campus which emphasis more on agriculture. I was teaching the teaching
the kids from that school only on Tuesday. We have farming day on Tuesday, where the
students together with me will be farming in the morning and in the evening; I will be
teaching them English.
You cant put a price on these things: an experience away from home, gaining independence
and making new friends for life. As an exchange participant, it prepares me for life away
from home comforts; I learn how to be tolerant, patient, understanding, fun and how to make
a difference. For example, I was living in teachers doom with a Taiwanese and a Malaysian.
We have different understanding about cleanliness and language but end of the day we able to
tolerate and live happily till end of the exchange. The facilities provided were very basic and
people there talk very limited English. So, we have language barrier to communicate.
Together with my friends from other countries, we learned basic Thai language to
communicate with them. As well as the setting being a cultural experience, the beauty of the
exchange is to live and work with people from Poland, Egypt, China, Morocco, Indonesia,
America, Taiwan and Pakistan. I don't think I've ever been in a more diverse setting before
for such a long period of time. It has given an advantage to me.
In todays digital world we forget how important being outside in the fresh air is, we forget
how we can have fun without electronic devices. I visited few caves, resorts and dam which
carry me away to nature. I have experienced religious festivals, visited the temple with
students and learnt about a new way of life while ensuring that the students also had a great
time. Now, I am back from exchange and would like to work in diverse areas. I have
overcome the language barriers and appreciating the differences and using the strengths that I
have learned in daily life. There was also an opportunity to travel during the weekends. It was
interesting to see other side of Thailand. It was different in few ways compared to Malaysia.
Thailand was so colorful. Thailand is rich with culture and the Thai is very loyal towards
their king and Queen .I think the exchange has made me more independent and confident. It
is something that everyone should try.I will definitely recommend this project to my friends
in future.

AIESEC in Malaysia
Block E-51-2, Zenith Corporate Park, Jalan SS7/26, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor,
Malaysia
T: (60)3 7887 1624 | W: www.AIESEC.my

My Expenses
Title
Accommodation
Meals
Transport
Souvenir
Flight ticket
Insurance
Visa
Others

Amount (RM)
Rm 10x42days=rm 420
Rm100
Rm688
Rm150
-

Total=Rm1358

AIESEC in Malaysia
Block E-51-2, Zenith Corporate Park, Jalan SS7/26, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor,
Malaysia
T: (60)3 7887 1624 | W: www.AIESEC.my

APPENDICES

Figure 1 shows the receipt of my flight tickets.

Figure 2 shows my travelling insurances

AIESEC in Malaysia
Block E-51-2, Zenith Corporate Park, Jalan SS7/26, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor,
Malaysia
T: (60)3 7887 1624 | W: www.AIESEC.my

Figure 3 shows my students doing mothers day card

Figure 4 shows one of my classes

AIESEC in Malaysia
Block E-51-2, Zenith Corporate Park, Jalan SS7/26, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor,
Malaysia
T: (60)3 7887 1624 | W: www.AIESEC.my