An Education Volunteer in Thailand: An Interview with Nadia

a smiling Nadia, a volunteer in Thailand, with her enthusiastic students
P1 students give all the energy & enthusiasm a teacher could ask for!

In this interview, we hear from Nadia Perez Lourido. Nadia is working as a Peace Corps Education volunteer in Thailand. What Nadia shares gives us a better understanding of the work volunteers do. We learn about the challenges, rewards, and personal growth that happens from volunteering in a new place. Nadia talks about living in a different country, working with local people, and dealing with surprise situations. Join us as we learn about Nadia’s journey and see how volunteering with Peace Corps can change lives.

Table of Contents

Volunteer Experience and Motivation

1. Tell us more about serving as an Education volunteer in Thailand

I am an English Teacher in a primary school from P1-M3 (1st-9th grade)

During my 1st year I taught all the grade levels 1-2x a week, but for my 2nd year I  focused on grades 1-3, and taught them every day. I wanted to see/showcase the difference between interacting with students every day vs 1-2x a week, and it has been incredible to see the growth of my  1st-2nd graders. As an education volunteer I am here to support my counterparts and fellow thai teachers with preparation of activities for lesson planning. 

A typical day for me is:

  • 7:50 am – Walk to school  (it takes me 8 minutes to get to school)
  • 9 am – First class 
  • 12:00 – lunchtime
  • 2 pm – Last class of the day

During my breaks I make a point to prepare online activities and meet with my counterpart to discuss topics to teach. I have an hour break for lesson planning from 3-4pm and I walk home after 4pm. 

2. What motivated you to join the Peace Corps and choose Thailand?

What motivated me to join was my desire to travel, see the world, and be part of a community. I had gotten my TEFL certification a year prior to serving, so teaching was still very new to me. I wanted the opportunity to learn and gain more experience while also visiting a new country. I had heard great reviews from friends about Thailand being an amazing country and great place to be an English teacher and they were right. I chose PC because it aligned with my desire for cultural exchange with an interest in collaboration.

Living Arrangements and Cultural Integration

3. Tell us more about your home situation

I live with a WONDERFUL host family of 4. Mom (mae toy) and Dad (pa-kai) and their 2 daughters, Soda (15 yrs) and Seagram (18 yrs). My host parents are government officials. My host dad is the head of subdistrict Li, and is known as the “nayok.” 

I am blessed with a big home and my own room with AC. My host mom cooks delicious Thai dinners most nights, so I am taken care of in every way! In Thailand, it’s common for families to live together so the uncles, cousins, and grandparents are all our neighbors. I am in the mountains and the roads are very busy and narrow so not ideal for biking but thankfully I have the support of my family to get rides to any place I need to go to. 

There is also a bus that stops at my school and is in the direction of Chiang Mai, one of the bigger cities, which is only 3 hours away. I say only because Bangkok is a whopping 9 hours and I’ve gotten so used to that bus ride, 3 hours feels like 30 minutes:)

4. Any memorable experiences or interactions you’ve had?

My most memorable experiences have been all the sweet mundane moments I’ve shared with my coworkers and host family. Laughing and singing karaoke. Eating mu kratha in front of our house surrounded by twinkle lights and the full moon. I talked to my host sister about manifestation and the magic of talking to the moon. So now every full moon I see her outside and it brings me so much joy to know we share that connection.

In regard to my job, I will never forget being flown to Laos with my students and co-worker to promote the Blue School Project. Seeing my student’s faces light up while flying on an airplane and visiting a new country for the very first time. Just being part of an experience that I know they will never forget, gives me hope and inspires me to continue.

two teachers in front of a class on recycling
Teaching students how to separate trash into categories-organic, plastic, paper, cans

Surprises and Challenges

5. What has surprised you most about challenges in Thailand?

In relation to my work, my biggest surprise is how similar the struggles of Thai teachers and US teachers are with taking on many responsibilities beyond classroom instruction. In my school, many teachers take on administrative tasks because there isn’t really an administration team, so the teachers are doing a lot of the document work for the many activities that take place in the school. This oftentimes gets in the way of their teaching time, but since there isn’t money to hire more staff or more teachers, there is not much that can be done.

Another aspect that came as a shock was the challenge with environmental education. There hardly is any of the sort happening in the schools. Community members are burning trash, and there is not really a recycling system (yet) in my village. 

HOWEVER, I am seeing the interest and am so thankful to be part of a school that has partnered up with a project that aims to promote environmental education and warn about the effects of PM 2.5, like the Blue School Project. So you could say that this challenge is also serving as the inspiration for my 3rd year. I hope to be more involved and find creative ways to promote environmental education in my school as well as the rest of Thailand.

6. What challenges did you face while working on Education projects?

I think the biggest challenge is the balance between activities/projects and formal education. I find it quite ironic that many “education” projects or activities that take place in schools mean that most of the time is spent in preparation (meetings, snacks, food, documentation, decoration etc, etc) so much so, that classes get canceled or pushed back to make these events happen. It’s proven to be difficult to find the sweet spot of having school activities and daily classes, instead of too much of one without the other.

7. Could you share some of the secondary projects you have been involved?

My school is in collaboration with the Blue School Project, a project focusing on PM 2.5 education in schools around Thailand.  Finding out about this project allowed me to support my coworker and students by helping them prepare for exhibitions and presentations around Thailand and across the country. I’ve prepared writing material for my students and coworker to share in the climate actions workshop in Chiang Mai and an innovation & technology exhibition in Khon Kaen. 

We also had the privilege of promoting the project in Laos as well. It has been a pleasure to witness their growth in presenting in Thai and English and being able to share knowledge with other foreigners. 

two teachers with painted hands
Celebrating Scouts Day with my counterpart Teacher Ying

Advice and Support

8. What advice would you give to someone considering serving as an Education volunteer in Thailand?

I would say leave expectations out the door. I know it’s almost instinctive to want to get a second and third opinion but you will attract more adaptability & resilience if you surrender yourself to the mystery and let yourself be surprised. If you have an interest in service and in education let that interest and curiosity guide you. Don’t worry so much about outcomes and meeting “goals” worry about taking in the environment and its people. Work towards nurturing those new relationships. 

An interest in serving is really all you need to thrive.  Show up, observe, and learn FIRST. Through learning, you will be able to conjure up all the inspiration and motivation you need to collaborate with your counterparts. Keeping in mind that this is a team effort, you can take the lead when necessary and you can serve as inspiration, but the work is not on you alone. You are not there to fix anything. You are there to inspire & be inspired through this cultural exchange.

9. How has the Peace Corps training helped you during your service?

It helped in the sense that it provided me with a lot of information and I appreciated the language classes. But I took everything with a grain of salt because I knew that at the end of the day, I had to make my own decisions based on my specific community and their needs. Peace Corps training will offer you ways to cope with and handle many hypotheticals that you may or may never encounter. Keeping an open mind and using your own discernment will help you make the most out of this, and not feel so overwhelmed with the information overload that is PST. 

Teachers and students around a presentation table talking with visitors
Promoting the Blue School Project and importance of air quality monitors in Vientiane, Laos

Practical Tips and Language Learning

10. Anything that you packed or didn’t pack that you’d like to tell future Thailand volunteers?

I packed a plastic water bottle with a filter and a life straw, that I never opened because we get bottles of filtered water in my house. I also packed many long-sleeved items I never wear. My biggest advice is don’t worry so much about toiletries and getting all the clothes right. Bring essential items to look good in but wait until you are at site to form your outfits. Many schools will provide you with polos to wear as well. Some schools are strict about dress code and some are very relaxed like my school. Some sites are also colder/hotter than others. BE PATIENT. You will have plenty of opportunities to gather supplies in Thailand and for much cheaper than in the USA.

11. How has learning the language been?

Language learning has been a bit stagnant for me for personal reasons. I think a part of me wanted to challenge myself to connect with people in a different way, beyond words. It has been fun and just the right amount of awkward to find ways to communicate using my body, face, hands, images, google, music, etc but I enjoy it. I told myself  I need to make more of an effort to learn the language during my 3rd year so that is the goal. 

I am aware there’s a lot more I could do professionally and for my community if I practiced speaking more. But regardless I’ve never felt more seen and taken care of than I do now, being in a country where I can’t speak the language. That fact continues to baffle me!!

3 students and 2 teachers pose in front of a conference sign
Representing the Blue School Project alongside my students and coworker, during the MEKONG FORUM 2024 in Khon Kaen

Social Identity during Service

12. In what ways do you think your social identity has shaped your approach to community engagement and service?

Being a Latina from Puerto Rico has absolutely impacted the way I view Thailand and feel connected to it. The palm trees, hot weather, flowers, fruits; the overuse of garlic and onion, all bring me back to my roots. On the bus rides when I’m surrounded by so much greenery I can almost confuse it with my homeland. I make these connections and share them with my community members (coworkers/host family). I smell, taste, and see so many things that feel familiar and I like to make note of it. It’s always so refreshing to find similarities in an otherwise foreign place, I find that through that act I become more inspired to collaborate and share with others.

13. What challenges have you faced, especially as a Latina, and how did you overcome them?

I think the main challenge has been missing many loved ones who are in different parts of the world. There are days when I miss the deep conversations with friends, listening to my native tongue, and hearing Spanish music playing outside. But all these are quickly fixed with a phone call, text message, watching a movie, or making a playlist. 

Throughout my service, I’ve learned that the people and things I love and hold dear to my heart are a part of me. No distance can break that connection. I can always channel their energy because that energy is within me. I find comfort in that.

14. What advice would you give to others considering joining the Peace Corps?

It may surprise you all the ways you will learn about yourself in your attempts to learn a new culture and language. Your perspective may shift, as well as your sense of self, and the things you once held dear. So my advice is to value those slow moments of stillness and introspection. Take in the experience and let it wash over you and transform you. But in a less dramatic way, just enjoy the process and be open to learning & grow as an individual.

Final Thoughts

15. Any last comments or observations you’d like to pass on to future Thailand volunteers?

Your mere presence will be far more impactful than any action plan you’ve made up in your head. So be present. Take in each moment as it comes, and enjoy it:)


What are you waiting for? Opportunities like this don’t come often. If you have a passion for service and an adventurous spirit like Nadia’s, apply to the Peace Corps today. Expand your horizons, push your limits, and create positive impact as a volunteer. You never know how serving as a Peace Corps volunteer could change your life.


The content of this post does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Government, the Peace Corps, or Thailand Government.

About Jim Damico

My name is Jim. And I have served in the Peace Corps in Thailand, Mongolia, Nepal, and now Armenia. I set up this website to help others interested in PC or already serving. For more info click the "About" link at the top of the page.

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