The highlight of this two and a half month break is Songkran, or the Thai New Year celebration/festival. This important event in the Thai calendar will be touched upon in great detail in a couple of months.
##Volunteer Group #70 and Guests##
It’s been a very busy, but great few weeks with us at Friends for Asia. Group 70 has arrived and are working hard in their volunteer and intern projects. This is a very special group for us, as they have been our largest, most diverse group ever. At a total of 14 volunteers, we had seven nationalities represented. Having a big group, such as this is great, as they possess a diversity and energy we don’t see with our smaller groups.
This week is a big one for us, not only due to the large number of volunteers that we are currently hosting, but also because of the two important guests coming to Friends for Asia and our volunteer and intern projects. More about these different groups will be in our next update.
##Volunteer Thailand Coordinators##
Unfortunately I have some bad news to report… Aom, one of our Volunteer coordinators will be leaving Friends for Asia soon. Aom has worked with us for over a year and is a dedicated and great part of our Volunteer Thailand team. Her quiet strength and ability to make everyone feel comfortable has been a great part of Friends for Asia and our volunteers for the last year. Aom has decided to follow the path of her original study in graphic art. We wish her the best and thank her for her contribution to Friends for Asia and the countless number of volunteers she has graced with her knowledge and kindness.
A new volunteer coordinator will be taking Aom’s place soon. She has extensive experience in working with foreign volunteers and is a perfect fit for the position. More about this new mystery lady will be coming soon!
Nirandr, our safety and security coordinator. Nirandr is a Chiang Mai native with a master’s degree in international development and over 20 years of experience in working with foreign volunteers. We thank Nirandr for his commitment to Friends for Asia and his overwhelmingly successful efforts in keeping Friends for Asia and our volunteers and interns safe during their stay in Chiang Mai.
As you can see, it is highly important to us at Friends for Asia to offer our foreign volunteers and interns only the best, most qualified volunteer coordinators and support available in Chiang Mai and Thailand.
