Thailand
Faculty: Kathy Weiss, Stephanie Fisher
Class Meeting Time : Wednesday
STUDENT COST: $1800
This course will focus on the cultural diversity of Thailand, looking at the diversity of religious faith, ethnic groups, and societal life in Thailand. Course time will be spent becoming familiar with these and other areas. We will seek to experience aspects of Thai life including learning to speak some Thai before we depart on this trip.
We start our trip in Bangkok visiting historical and religious sites including the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and the Grand Palace in Bangkok. We will see the importance of river transportation when we visit Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. We will head north and visit the old capital of Siam in Ayutthaya before heading back south from some beach time complete with snorkeling and swimming. Then we travel by train to Chiang Mai by vast plains of rice fields and head into the hills. In Chiang Mai we will visit the Elephant Conservation Center and take a Thai cooking class. On the way to spending a couple of days helping children we visit the Karen, one of Thailand’s hill-tribes. If permitted we will then have the opportunity for brief visits to Myanmar (Burma) and Laos. Our return takes us to Chiang Rai for final shopping at the night market and then flights back to the US.
IMMUNIZATIONS WILL BE REQUIRED
Preliminary Itinerary
|
Day |
Itinerary 2016 |
|
1 |
Leave US. Fly to Thailand. |
|
2 |
Arrive at Bangkok airport |
|
3 |
Bangkok City tour |
|
4 |
Bangkok: Damnoen Saduak Floating Market |
|
5 |
Bangkok Free day: Chao Phraya River Dinner Cruise |
|
6 |
Bangkok to Ayutthaya: Explore the old capital of Siam |
|
7 |
Ayutthaya to Pattaya, afternoon to explore the beach town |
|
8 |
Pattaya: Boat trip - swimming, snorkeling and sunbathing. |
|
9 |
Pattaya - Free day |
|
10 |
Pattaya to Chiang Mai by night train |
|
11 |
Chiang Mai: See local temples, Winter Palace and learn about the Northern Thai hill tribes. |
|
12 |
Chiang Mai: Biking to Wiang Kum Kam Afternoon visit Sankampang District (handicraft industry) |
|
13 |
Chiang Mai - Free Day |
|
14 |
Chiang Mai: Lampang and Elephant Conservation Centre |
|
15 |
Chiang Mai: Thai Cooking class |
|
16 |
Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai: Hot springs, Long-tailed boat to Karen Hill tribe |
|
17 |
Chiang Rai to Mae Sai: Volunteer work at Children Project in Mae Sai. |
|
18 |
Mae Sai: Volunteer work |
|
19 |
Mae Sai to Chiang Saen Possible visits to Myanmar (Burma) and Laos as exploring the Golden Triangle |
|
20 |
Chiang Saen to Chiang Rai: Free day leisure, Sunday night market |
|
21 |
Chiang Rai to Portland |
