Koh Samui Building

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K O H S A M U I   B U I L D I N G   |   T H E U L T I M A T E T R A V E L G U I D E

hey there!On behalf of everybody at Bamboo, I would like to offer you our sincerest thanks for

choosing this incredible experience with us. We guarantee you an amazing time and we’re

all very much looking forward to having you with us.

I imagine that right now you’re very excited about your upcoming volunteering experience

so this little guide has been put together to explain a little more about your time with us on

the Koh Samui Building Experience

  

*Please note this is not a group project, we can not guarantee that other people will be on

this project, however, you will have a Bamboo volunteer coordinator alongside you. 

Peace, Love & Bamboo

Mark (& the other pandas, Steve & Colin)

Volunteering Highlights

A night on the world famous Khaosan

Road, in the heart of Bangkok's backpacker

hub.

BANGKOK

Get your hands dirty improving the

schools and local community whilst

on the project. 

GIVING BACK

Get to know the children and the teachers

of the schools you'll be supporting on your

building projects.

MAKE NEW FRIENDS

Guided experience of some of the most

incredible sights of Bangkok.

SIGHTSEEING

Weekends to explore the Island

of Koh Samui, with its white

sands, nightlife and seafood

restaurants.

EXPLORING THE ISLAND

As a volunteer in this development project, your

time—and money—will be spent maintaining and

sustaining a handful of Koh Samui schools. From

fixing desks and building classrooms to repairing

windows, constructing playgrounds, and even

putting in sinks, our project coordinators will guide

you through the process of building a school from

the ground up—so don’t worry about learning the

basics of carpentry and rubbing up some calluses

before coming.

With little income to operate these government-run

schools, everything from the curriculum to the

classroom needs updating, and, during these weeks,

we will undertake reshaping not only a school but

also a community.

Because this project depends on various

community-specific factors, including school

requirements, weather, safety, and budget,

customers will only partake in developments that

the community prioritizes or desperately needs.

Often, these changes occur during rainy season

(October to January) , at which time the island

floods.

T H E I N F O R M A T I O N Y O U N E E D T O K N O W B E F O R E W E B E G I N K O H S A M U I B U I L D I N G

ABOUT YOUR PROJECT

BUILDING

ACTIVITIESArrival weekend

Founded in the 15th century, Bangkok’s

sterling skyscrapers may announce a

city of glamor, of a burgeoning future,

but hidden in the megastructures’

shadows are alleyways and markets of

ancient Asia.

We’ll launch right into Thai life and

leave you to relax, explore, or devour

obscene amounts of Pad Thai in this

chaotic city for your first night.

Friday – Arrive in Bangkok Saturday – Bangkok Today, we’ll venture into the sunny

streets for a tour of Thailand’s “City of

Angels,” with visits to temples Wat Arun

and Wat Pho. We’ll also dine at a

floating market and hop on a boat tour

along the city’s ledges. Taking in the

sprawling cityscape, we’ll enjoy the

views of a city amid transition.

By nightfall, we’ll transfer back to

Samui for your final day of relaxation

before the building begins.

Sunday – Koh Samui How would you spend a day in

paradise? Lounge on the beach?

Continue the Pad Thai eating? Hideout

and watch Netflix?

It’s all up to you.

What's includedKOH SAMUI BUILDING

1. Airport transfer

2. Daily support from our

experience team 

3. In-depth orientation in Bangkok 

& Samui

4. Unaccompanied transfers from

Bangkok to Koh Samui (Bus/Boat) 

5. Return transport from the

volunteer house to project each

day

6. All accommodation

7. All lunches when at project 

FAST FACTS

ENTRY

REQUIREMENTS

Your passport MUST have at least 6 months validity

from the date that you enter the country.

Depending on your country of citizenship you may

be entitled to a 30-day visa-free entry into the

Kingdom of Thailand. This means that you can

simply turn up at the airport, present your passport

and receive free entry for a maximum of 30 days.

These countries include the U.S.A., the U.K.,

Australia, Canada and most European nations.

To check if you’re entitled to this, find your country

in the following list:

http://www.thaiembassy.com/thailand/changes-

visa-exempt.php

Please be aware that you cannot obtain a visa for

Thailand from within Thailand.

T H E I N F O R M A T I O N Y O U N E E D T O K N O W B E F O R E W E B E G I N

THE NITTY GRITTY

THAILAND

TRAVEL INSURANCEIt is essential that you arrange travel insurance that

provides suitable cover for the duration of your trip

before you travel.

Bamboo offers a comprehensive policy through our

partners, AHI. Please contact us for more

information.

VISA and passport requirments

are YOUR responsibility

30 days free if from US, UK,

AUS or CAN (plus most  EU

countries)

Located in the heart of Bangkok’s nightlife, our lovely

little guesthouse includes free WiFi and air

conditioning in every room. It is also equipped with a

private western-style bathroom (no squatting!) .

Rooms are either twin (2 separate beds) or triple (3

separate beds) share. Double beds are also available

on request.

Breakfast is available in the restaurant across the

road.

ACCOMMODATION

BANGKOK

KOH SAMUI

Our volunteer house in Koh Samui will soon become

your home from home.

Each house has western bathrooms with hot water.

Rooms will be shared (4 per room max)

There is free WiFi available and local washing facilities

a short distance away. Air-conditioning is also

available upon request at an additional weekly cost.

1000 THB per week.

In addition, you will be just a 10-minute walk from a

beautiful beach.

The kitchens are fully fitted with everything you need

to live comfortably.

RAMBUTTRI HOUSE

BAMBOO'S VOLUNTEER HOUSE

FAST

FACTS: MONEY

Basic costs of things:

Water 5 - 40 Baht

Beer 50 - 150 Baht

Street Meal 50 - 150 Baht

Restaurant Meal 100 - 250 Baht

T-shirt 100 - 500 Baht

Memories - Free of charge

Remember to tell your bank

that you are leaving the

country to avoid your cards

being cancelled.

In Thailand you will be issued with the local

currency known as Thai 'Baht '

At the time of writing this document the

exchange rate is as shown below:

$1 = 35 Baht

£1 = 44 Baht

It 's a very helpful idea to bring some local

currency with you if you can get it. If not,

there are heaps of ATM 's in the airport and on

almost every street corner in Bangkok.

General day to day living in Thailand can be

very cheap with meals costing as little as 50

Baht, a beer for 80 Baht, bottled water for 5

Baht and upwards.

Samui is a popular island for tourists therefore

making it more expensive than other parts of

Thailand, however It 's highly likely that you

can live on as little as $10-$15 per day unless

you like to eat at high end places, shop or

party then you need to budget accordingly.

MONEY

FAST FACTS: FAUX

PAS

Packing for a trip to the unknown is always tricky.

It’s definitely worth doing a little bit of homework

on this one and to consider the local culture when

deciding what clothes to bring. For example,

Thailand is predominantly a Buddhist countries so

dress modestly and respectfully.

We live by the rule ‘one in, one out’- in other words,

you need to have either your shoulders or your

knees covered at all times. In addition, in Asia, it’s

often customary to remove your shoes before

entering a building so a pair of flip flops is very

much advised.

Being such religious countries, temples and

Buddhist monasteries are everywhere. During your

Bangkok tour you will be visiting different temples

where you will need to cover both shoulders and

knees.

You should also consider the weather. Thailand has

two prominent weather seasons: hot and dry and

hot and wet. Hot and dry usually runs from

November to April, hot and wet from May to

October.

The daytime temperature is quite consistent

throughout the year with highs around 33-38

degrees. The nighttime does vary with lows ranging

from 15 degrees to 28-30 degrees. We recommend

you bring a sweater/jumper for the chilly evenings.

Knees and shoulders need to be covered during

your volunteer project. Shorts are acceptable if

they are to the knee or below NOT above. Keep in

mind your clothes will get dirty, sweaty and maybe

ripped.  

CLOTHING

Take off your shoes when you step

indoors. Whether you’re entering a

temple or someone’s home, always

take off your shoes. This also applies

to some old-fashioned places of

business, but not in most modern

shops.

Practice the wai. Instead of shaking

hands, Thais “wai” to greet people.

The “wai” is a short bow done with

hands held fingertips-together close

to your chest or face. A proper “wai”

is not as easy as you’d think, so

practice a little to get the hang of it.

FAST

FACTS: TRAVEL

For up to date information about the best travel

vaccinations to have before arriving in Thailand we

urge you to contact your own GP,  a travel health

clinic or to check the World Health Organisations

website. Bamboo are not medical professionals and

therefore can’t offer you medical advice.  

TRAVELVACCINATIONS

FLIGHTSThanks to the world wide web we all now have

access to great flight deals through websites such

as Skyscanner, Google Flights and more.

If you’d rather use the services of a booking agent,

the likes of STA Travel, Trailfinders and Flight

Centre are all available online.

IMPORTANT NOTICEOnce you have booked and confirmed your flight to

Thailand, please make sure that you have shared

your flight arrival time and flight number with our

team. Without those details, we will be unable to

guarantee your collection on arrival.

Did you know that?

Thailand is the world’s 20th most

populous country, with close to 67

million people.

Did you know that?

On any given flight the bathroom

door isn’t really locked when you’re

inside. Lavatory doors can be locked

and unlocked from the outside for a

multitude of reason. It allows flight

attendants quick access to locked

lavatories in case of emergencies. In

other instances, it allows the cabin

crew to restrict access to bathrooms

during takeoff and landing.

DEPARTUREDue to the wide of array of destinations accessible

from Samui, and that not everybody wants to travel

back to Bangkok, it 's far easier for our team to just

let you choose where you 're heading once your

placement has ended. Of course our team will help

you to organize tickets and a schedule but you will

need to pay for your onward travel yourself.

ARRIVALTo be eligible for the airport pick-up, please

arrange your flight to arrive into Bangkok’s

International Airport, also known as Suvarnabhumi

Airport (BKK) , on the Friday that your tour starts

between 6 am and 8 pm.  

ARRIVAL INFOBangkok International Airport (Suvarnabhumi Airport - airport code: BKK) is one of the busiest airports in

the world and can be a confusing place. To ensure that your arrival runs without a hitch please make sure

that you read through and understand the following instructions. If you have any questions about your

arrival at Bangkok International Airport please do not hesitate to let our team know.

Please be aware that there are two international airports in Bangkok; Suvarnabhumi (BKK) and Don

Mueang (DMK) . We are only able to meet travellers arriving in BKK. If your flight is planned to arrive in

DMK then you will need to make your own way to our hotel. The details of that hotel will be sent to you in

a separate email roughly three weeks before your tour is due to begin.

To be eligible for the Bamboo airport pick-up at Bangkok’s International Airport, please arrange your flight

to arrive on the Monday that your tour starts. If you can manage to arrive between 6 am and 8 pm one of

our team will be at the airport to meet you. If your flight arrives after 8 pm, we can arrange a night 's

accommodation at a hotel close by to the airport. A representative of the hotel will collect you on arrival

at the airport. Should you take the airport hotel option then we will have a driver collect you from the

hotel the following morning and transfer you to our starting point the following morning. More details

about this will be sent to you nearer your tour start date.  

To locate a member of the Bamboo team, once you have passed through Immigration (Passport Control)

you’ll need to collect your luggage from one of the carousels. You will then make your way to the main

arrivals area, passing through the green ‘Nothing to Declare’ channel. Once through you will enter the

busy main arrivals area.

As you enter the arrivals area Directly ahead of you is a large wall of glass windows. At points along this

wall, there are numbered ‘Exit’ doors. These are numbered 1 to 10. You will most likely be looking at doors

numbered between 6 and 10. At this point please turn to your right and walk towards Door number 3.

As you approach Door 4, directly ahead of you will be a mass of people holding name signs (please ignore

the people to your right) . As you walk past Door 4, please keep a look out for our team. They should be

easily recognizable with their Bamboo t-shirts and be holding a sign showing the Bamboo logo.

Once you’ve spotted our team, head over and introduce yourself. You’ll then receive further instructions.

Please bear in mind that we may be waiting for others to arrive, so your transfer to the hotel may be

slightly delayed but we will do everything in our power to get you on your way as quickly as possible.

In the unlikely event that you can’t find our team, don’t panic! As long as we have your correct flight

details one of the team will be there. Please check again at the area between Door 4 and Door 3. If you still

cannot locate one of our team, please call the following number: +66(0)92-594-9491. If you have supplied

us with a mobile phone number, make sure your phone is turned on as we may be trying to contact you.

Once we have everyone we’ll transfer you all straight to the starting point for your  experience. On arrival,

we’ll help you to check in and give you more details of what’s happening for the remainder of the day and

tomorrow morning.

PLEASE PRINT

FAST FACTS: GUIDES

GUIDESAny tour is only as good as the guide – fact. The

input of a tour guide cannot be understated. Their

input into your tour, their little insights, the off-

the-beaten-track adventures, the knowledge and

experiences that they share with you will make or

break your time wherever you are in the world.

At Bamboo, we take the selection and training of

our guides and coordinators very seriously. Each

guide undertakes a structured training program of

three months and only once we’re convinced that

they are genuine representatives of Bamboo are

they signed up to the family.

Each of our tours has English-speaking guides to

support you, answer your questions, educate you

and to ensure that your time is unforgettable. From

time to time we may have new guides-in-training

on our tours. If you’re lucky to have a trainee on

your tour, please be patient. They are undergoing

training and therefore their knowledge won’t be

that of the trained and experienced guide who will

be accompanying them.  

TIPPING

Although not in any way expected or encouraged,

anybody who goes over and above the call of duty

to ensure that you have the very best time, may

deserve a special little thank you.

Did you have extra special service in a restaurant?

Did the bus driver make an additional pit-stop just

for you? Did your guide go out of the way so that

you could experience something unique? At

Bamboo we’re firm believers in Karma – what goes

around most definitely comes around!  

Our guides are the face of Bamboo,

and they come in all shapes and

smiles.

We love each and every one of them

more than Elephants love bananas.  

Whilst most of them are elite travel

mavericks in their own right, you may

come across newbies who are on the

path the greatness.

If you 're lucky enough to meet a

fresh-faced newbie, be sure to show

them your support and patience,

most guides remember their first

tours forever, so let 's play nice.

The 'must brings'HAVE YOU PACKED THE FOLLOWING?

0. An open mind

1. Backpack or suitcase

w/wheels

2. Bathroom and Beach Towel

3. Light, loose-fitting clothes

4. Long trousers & t-shirts

5. Flip flops or sandals

6. Trainers or Sneakers

7. Day pack/bag

8. Insect spray

9. Hat & Sunscreen

10. Reusable Water Bottle

11. Multi-use plug adapter

12. Padded gloves

The 'can brings'WHILST EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT, WE’VE COMPILED A MORE DETAILED

LIST FROM FEEDBACK OF SOME OF OUR PAST TRAVELLERS WHICH YOU

MAY FIND USEFUL AND ALSO WANT TO CONSIDER BRINGING:

0. Patience 

1. Medical Kit

2. Toiletries

3. General

- Small umbrella or water jacket

- Pillow and blow up mattress (for

added comfort)

- A Blowup mattress

- Earplugs

- Bandana

- Water shoes

- Home luxuries (can't live without)

Electrolytes / Rehydration Packets

Antihistamine cream / tablets

Antibiotic cream 

Imodium Nail brush / Clippers

Wet wipes

Tissues / Toilet roll

Travel hairdryer

TERMS & CONDITIONSPlease read these Terms and Conditions carefully as they form the basis of yourcontract with WeAreBamboo. This agreement is made at the time of bookingand becomes legally binding upon payment of your deposit. By booking aprogram with WeAreBamboo, you signify you have read and accepted theseTerms and Conditions

All programs advertised on our website and/or on Facebook are offered and/oroperated by WeAreBamboo Ltd. (trading as Bamboo and referred to asBamboo or ‘we’ hereinafter) with company number 59926953 whose registeredoffice is:. WE ARE BAMBOO LEVEL 2 61 SEAVIEW ROAD LOWER HUTT, NEW ZEALAND 5010

All travel arrangements are sold subject to the following conditions. Bambooreserves the right to update the Terms and Conditions at any time.

Please view our full terms and conditions here:https://www.wearebamboo.com/about/legal.php

Please note that the information in this pack is subject to changeat any time without notice.