Feelings about a trip

The first thing our group noticed upon arriving in this country famous for its tourism industry was the Thai people – gentle, calm, honest, enthusiastic, and truly approachable. Perhaps this is due to their culture and lifestyle being deeply influenced by Buddhist thought. According to the arrangements of the Organizing Committee – Bansomdeij Chaoprayar Rajabha University, my students and I, along with 11 other groups from different countries, experienced many destinations in Thailand. Each destination brought us surprises and excitement with its scenery, people, and the history, culture, and beliefs of the Land of the Golden Pagodas.

On the first day of our trip, we left Bansomdeij Chaopraya Rajabhat University at 5 am and traveled to Suphanburi province, about a 3-hour drive from Bangkok. There, we visited a secondary school. Surprisingly, all the female students had the same short haircut, which looked quite amusing and adorable. The school also hosted a cultural exhibition. This activity served as a very practical and meaningful form of visual education, promoting ASEAN cultures to young citizens. In the following days, the organizers skillfully arranged for students and teachers from different countries to blend and connect into groups. From there, members develop self-confidence and have opportunities to interact and exchange cultural and linguistic knowledge with each other through group activities such as: learning how to grow medicinal plants, making traditional medicine, growing bean sprouts from sunflower seeds, raising earthworms, making banana cakes, learning traditional dances... In particular, students and teachers get to experience being real farmers, planting rice in muddy fields under the scorching sun. These are truly interesting experiences. The next day, we went on a field trip to an old market called "Samchuk Market".”It's over 100 years old. Here, they sell goods from ancient times, reflecting Thai culture and life. At this ancient market, customers, especially tourists like us, can browse and bargain freely without needing to buy. The vendors are incredibly enthusiastic, always with friendly smiles on their faces. Our experiences in Suphanburi province culminated in a memorable program."The "Brainstorming Programme" was presented to all students and teachers when discussing "Amazing Thailand"."Once again, I was impressed by the organizers' thoughtful approach. They created a program that fostered camaraderie among participants, encouraging each member of the group to express their intelligent and creative ideas, and to present their surprises about Thailand. The judging panel consisted of teachers from various countries who scored and awarded prizes. The program was truly fun, youthful, dynamic, and incredibly beneficial, giving the children a chance to showcase themselves. Simultaneously, through these activities, the organizers indirectly promoted the image of Thailand and its kind, friendly people – “the land of smiles.”

Returning to Bangkok, we continued our activities from 7 am to 6 pm, including visiting the Siam Museum, the Royal Palace, ancient and sacred temples, and enjoying boat trips on the beautiful Chao Phraya River to admire Bangkok from both sides, witnessing the magnificent blend of a modern city and ancient temples... But perhaps the most memorable experience for our entire group, and the perfect way to conclude our 11-day trip, was the traditional art performance at Siam Niramit. The performance vividly recreated the ancient life of the Thai people through the reigns of the kings, from King Rama I to those who followed. The performance concluded with a depiction of the prosperous, affluent, and modern life of today. This artistic performance helped my students and I, as well as the entire group, understand why the Thai people love and respect their kings so much – because the kings sacrificed for their people, loved and cared for them even more than themselves. Many people shed tears when the image of the king was recreated; they wept with reverence, affection, and adoration.

The learning and exchange period wasn't very long, but the values ​​that the trip brought to each of us are difficult to fully express. Beyond learning about Thailand, the journey was also an opportunity for us, teachers and students, to interact and gain a deeper understanding of the culture and language of the ASEAN+3 countries, and to learn more about traditional culture through exhibitions and artistic performances showcasing the lifestyles of young people from each country. The bonds were strong enough to create new names formed by combining the names of the participating countries, such as Vieanmar (Vietnam – Myanmar), Comnesia (Combodia – Indonesia)… The end of the experience left everyone with a sense of nostalgia and regret, with tears shed, warm hugs before parting, and words exchanged between us."We don't say “goodbye” we only say “see you again”.

* Some photos from the trip