The wife and I want to give back to the local community. How can we do this?

[billd766]

Every 2 or 3 months my wife and our neighbours take over the kitchen at the local first school and give all the kids a really decent meal.

 

 

[justin case]

95 percent of all donations don't end up for the people who needs it

 

sticky fingers

[DavisH]

3 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

i pay four women's rent here in Hua Hin. 

 

i fixed one of my girlfriend's pick up truck transmission. vital to her business. 

 

another girlfriend I bought her a business and she really made a lot of money and super happy.

 

three others i buy bus tickets for and some cash for small presents for their children when they go home.

 

they really count on me. I am not joking. 

 

first six months in 2019 i have spent 673,588 in the local economy. 

 

I'm sure your small deposits are well appreciated ????

[DavisH]

1 hour ago, billd766 said:

Every 2 or 3 months my wife and our neighbours take over the kitchen at the local first school and give all the kids a really decent meal.

 

 

You could do that for the local orphanage too. I once visited Pakkret orphanage many years ago.  Their meals just looked like sustenance to me (lumps of hard rice stuck together is what sticks in my head). It didn't look like anything the kids would enjoy. 

[fishtank]

5 hours ago, Kurtf said:

Volunteer to teach conversational English at your local grammar school.

Good idea if you want to get deported.

[fishtank]

2 hours ago, billd766 said:

Every 2 or 3 months my wife and our neighbours take over the kitchen at the local first school and give all the kids a really decent meal.

 

 

One things Thais kids or otherwise are not short of is a really decent meal.

Good grief.

[ChouDoufu]

donate several cases of kid-sized motorcycle helmets to the local school.

 

hire a certified riding instructor to teach bike riding skills.

[davidst01]

17 minutes ago, ChouDoufu said:

donate several cases of kid-sized motorcycle helmets to the local school.

 

hire a certified riding instructor to teach bike riding skills.

quite a good idea to be honest!

[amykat]

14 hours ago, bikerlou47 said:

At the end of every year I donate money to local schools.

So you help make someone’s car payment each year???

[mamypoko]

fund outdoor exercise area. pull up bar and the like

[emptypockets]

Around my part of Isaan if, for example, it is someone's birthday or similar life event, the Thai people will get together, often both men and women, and buy a heap of food and go to the poorest school in the district and cook a really special lunchtime feed. The birthday boy/girl kicks in 5000 baht or whatever to pay for it. The merit making thing.

Quite  a nice tradition in my opinion instead of the 'whatya got me fer me birthday' that I'm more used to.

Perhaps the OP might consider something along these lines if he and his wife have Thai friends who could help out.

 

I'm not saying that's the birthday party - that happens later, as I have found on many occasions and ended up quite tired and emotional at times myself, along with everyone else. Good times!

[emptypockets]

1 hour ago, fishtank said:

One things Thais kids or otherwise are not short of is a really decent meal.

Good grief.

You'd be surprised. Re: my comments above the really poor schools around here have kids wearing worn out flip flops/thongs or even barefoot as they simply cannot afford shoes.

Remember a couple of years ago when the great sadness filled the country and people were asked not to wear bright coloured clothing?

The village head made a few announcements over the speaker system to ask people not to chastise people for wearing whatever they had as many could not afford to buy a new outfit, even if said outfit was black shorts and tee shirt or a black dress.

[Issannative]

As ppl above have said anything that you give will be good but give direct and the community will benifit good on you good bun

Sent from my LDN-LX2 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[daveAustin]

17 hours ago, fishtank said:

So that the Thais can cut them down and replace with concrete.

Gives them something to do, at least. ????

[Thongkorn]

I regularly use to help in the Hospital where my Thai Mother in Law worked, I use to do a bit of portering. The patients where mainly poor Burmese and Thais,

[Tomahawk21]

with all the exchange rate at present and visa changes id be surprised if anyone has any spare cash to donate.

[Pattayabeerbacon]

15 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Be careful that you don't upset the wrong people.

Doing something good is obviously good. But if some influential locals don't like what you do because you upset how things work then you won't only make friends. Be careful and think 

 

Would he go around the poorer schools in the UK and volunteer ?

if not then why do it here?

 

 

[BritManToo]

9 minutes ago, Pattayabeerbacon said:

Would he go around the poorer schools in the UK and volunteer ?

if not then why do it here?

UK schools wouldn't let him, you need qualifications, police checks, etc.

Not to mention the kids would rip him apart.

I used to teach in council estate schools in the UK, holy shit, you wouldn't believe what they were like.

Edited August 10, 2019 by BritManToo

[lagavulin1]

On 8/9/2019 at 3:16 AM, 473geo said:

A couple in our village bought bicycles for the children to ride to school a very pleasant gesture

My Swedish neighbour ran a motor cycle road safety campaign for Thai teens. Free helmets included. 

We cooked lunch for the local old people's home. They were extremely charming & grateful. 

[Andycoops]

Build a playground for the kids in the village, if you live in one or go to the local hospital and donate to them, equipment or upgrades to the kiddies ward etc are always welcome.

 

[Pattayabeerbacon]

Just now, Andycoops said:

Build a playground for the kids in the village, if you live in one or go to the local hospital and donate to them, equipment or upgrades to the kiddies ward etc are always welcome.

 

Don't forget to put the donation on a big novelty check and put on Facebook for everybody to see.

[billd766]

14 hours ago, DavisH said:

You could do that for the local orphanage too. I once visited Pakkret orphanage many years ago.  Their meals just looked like sustenance to me (lumps of hard rice stuck together is what sticks in my head). It didn't look like anything the kids would enjoy. 

I suppose we could but what with living in rural Khampaeng Phet and 65 km from the city, I have no idea where the nearest orphanage would be.

 

I have just done a Google search https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=orphanages+in+thailand&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjpw7vIuvfjAhUKQI8KHepTBa0QuzEICQ&biw=1229&bih=578&dpr=1.56

 

and the orphanages seem to be in big cities hundreds of km away from where we live.

14 hours ago, fishtank said:

Sorry wrong post

 

[billd766]

14 hours ago, fishtank said:

One things Thais kids or otherwise are not short of is a really decent meal.

Good grief.

Obviously you don't live in rural Thailand living on 300 baht a day with one or two or more children.

 

It is difficult to pass on school shirts as they have a child's name embroidered on them. Shorts and sock can be passed on as they are not named.

 

Every 6 months or so my wife and son have a clear out of clothes and we have 2 or 3 families we give then too.

 

What do YOU do to help poorer Thais?

[OneMoreFarang]

4 hours ago, Pattayabeerbacon said:

Would he go around the poorer schools in the UK and volunteer ?

if not then why do it here?

It's good to volunteer anywhere in the world to help people.

But it's obviously also good to think how it's best to help the people - and not just do something what feels good but which won't help in the long run.

I remember some time ago someone donated computers to a school. What a wonderful idea. But the school had no electricity so it didn't really help much...

[peterb17]

20 hours ago, geoffbezoz said:

Well I thought that all of these "do gooder" clubs were only in it for their own benefit and ego.   Seems like you have now learned nothing ever changes, only the faces.

I posted in very good faith- and I am sorry that someone has had a bad experience with Rotary - that is not my experience and not a usual experience.

 

My club - with about 30 active members has done the following :

 

funded and built the Asean Education Centre in Pattaya - supporting migrant children - and has an ongoing commitment to fund teachers and support the organisation.

 

funds and supports the Water for Life project- these few people have traveled around the country and Laos, Myanmar giving out ( so far ) 16000 water filters and installing permanent filter systems. Ensuring at least a simple source of safe clean water

 

We support schools -providing uniforms , teachers, food etc - especially near the Myanmar border for displaced communities.

 

We raise a great deal of money for our local charities such as Hand to Hand etc.

 

We have built a totally new school in Laos 

 

Every year we travel to Mae Sot , Laos etc and give out about 700 Christmas bags - to some of the poorest villages - to give a few treats - but basics such as a toothbrush etc. 

 

The list goes on - HIV charities- organised a project to check the sight of elderly people - gave out free glasses and referred the elderly for cataract 

 

many more projects.

 

So

 

To the OP- just totally ignore the trolls that try to do down organisations such as Rotary- in all the clubs- I have only met decent people .

 

So investigate .

[marcusarelus]

21 hours ago, billd766 said:

Every 2 or 3 months my wife and our neighbours take over the kitchen at the local first school and give all the kids a really decent meal.

I taught at 10 different schools.  One was actually gourmet quality and another very good the other 8 were OK but nothing the local mayor wouldn't eat.  

[alacrity]

Giving help to educate young people is always a good option. Cash donations can be a big mistake though. "In kind" donations could be best if you have a specific intent.

 

For 8 years we supported young persons education through university for some. We got to choose the students we supported. Last year a new director was appointed to the school. The new director wanted to directly allot our support funds.

 

We fervently disagreed.

 

[BestB]

I read s story of 4 kids with no parents living off collecting trash right here on thai visa.

 

i located them, went over with truck full of food, bought them fridge, clothing and took them out for a meal. And will do it again 

 

there are plenty of opportunities to pay it forward????

[Thongkorn]

Some schools in the provinces would be greatful of pencils and writing books,

[CharlieH]

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