Sawasdee KMUTT Summer Camp 2013 @ Thailand

I will tell my personal experience in Sawasdee KMUTT 2013 Camp (19 August - 2 September) :-) 

Day 1

First day arrive Suvarnabhumi Airport, the Thai Buddies has waiting for us in the gate 4. The friends from Taiwan have already arrived. We depart from the airport the KMUTT Bangkuntian campus.  It takes a hour to reach the campus using van. After we arrive, the Thai Buddies take us on the campus tour. It is a nice campus with full of the facilities. Because we have no activity at this day, Thai Buddies bring us to the Central Rama II Plaza using the shuttle bus service from KMUTT. After we finish, we go back to our dormitory at Bangkuntian Campus.

Day 2

At the morning, the bus has arrive and ready to depart to KMUTT Bangmod Campus. After we arrive, we had a tour campus at Bangmod Campus. We continue our activity with campus introduction and ice breaking activity so that we can get know each other well. There are around 70 participants for this program from 5 countries. The participants come from Japan, China, Taiwan, Indonesia and Cambodia. Lots of the participants come from Japan.  After we finish, we have a free time, so my friends and I went to the Siam Centre for sightseeing.

Taking Photo with all Participant of Sawasdee KMUTT Camp 2013

Day 3

This is the first day that we going to do the activity of this program. We will learn the Thailand Language and Culture for 3 days. Learning Thailand Culture and Language are fun. We learn a lot of thing like how to introduce our self, how to order food in Thailand Language, what kind of Food that has in Thailand, the culture and many more. At the first day we learn about how to introduce our self. We even get our Thailand Name. It was fun and I want to say big thank you for my teacher, Khrū Gate and Khrū Pucoi for teaching us.

Day 4

Thai Dessert

The second day of Learning Thailand Language and Culture is about food. Today our teacher is Khrū gate and Khrū Juice. We learn what kind of food that has is Thailand, how to order the food with Thailand Language,  colour in Thai Language, and make the Thailand salad the Som Tam. We even had a chance to try the Thailand Dessert. Our Teacher brings K̄ĥāw tu, Luuk Chup, Khaw mao and my favorite dessert the Jaa Mong ghut. It was delicious and it was so lucky that I can try the rare dessert in Thailand. That is the Jaa Mong ghut

Day 5

The last day of Learning Thailand Language and Culture is about the Thailand Culture. Today we have to present our country culture too.  Today we learn the Thailand traditional dance, Thailand festival. It was sad that today is our last day to study the Thailand Language and Culture. I miss my Thailand teacher.

Day 6

Today is free day for us. So my friends and I went to Ayutthaya. Some of my friends go to Patthaya. We also accompanied by the Thai Buddies. Because I went to Ayutthaya at that day, so I’m going to tell my experience in Ayutthaya.

Ayutthaya is one of the UNESCO site. It takes 2 hours to go there by Van from Bangkuntian Campus. First we stop at the front of Wat Niwet Thamprawat. I was getting lost in here because I go buy some food. After I buy the food, I found all my friends are missing. I thought they go across the river to the Wat Niwet Thamprawat. So I go there to find them, but I cannot find them in there. So I go back to the bus stop point and I find the public phone. Luckily I found the Thai Buddy. I’m so grateful that I can meet her. And I’m also grateful that I can visit Wat Niwet Thamprawat alone. It was a beautiful temple in there. The building is like a church and European Building style. After I met the Thai Buddy, we go to the Bang Pa-In Palace. It was a cool place to see. There are King palace, vast gardens and landscaping, Wehart Chamrunt (Heavenly Light), a Chinese-style royal palace and throne room; the Warophat Phiman (Excellent and Shining Heavenly Abode), a royal residence; Ho Withun Thasana (Sages' Lookout), a brightly painted lookout tower; and the Aisawan Thiphya-Art (Divine Seat of Personal Freedom), a pavilion constructed in the middle of a pond. It feels like we’re in Europe, China and Holland because the building ambience was very similar.

Ayuthaya Floating Market

After we finish exploring the Bang Pa-in Palace, we went to the floating market at the Ayuthaya Floating Market. When we arrive, we can see attraction for riding the elephant. But it was too expensive for me, 500 baht for 20 minute riding elephant. Next we went to the floating market. Actually to me the place it’s not the floating market. It’s only an usual market, but they open in in the bank of the river. But we can ride a boat to explore the market on the river. We try the boat in there, it cost 20 baht to ride the boat and 10 minute exploring the market. We don’t have to ride a boat if we want to do shopping. That’s why I say that this place is actually not the real floating market. But I think this place is a nice place to visit. There are many shops that sell food, clothes, accessory, and souvenirs. When I was there, I try eating ice cream in there. It’s delicious ice cream. For the meal, I try the chicken noodle. The taste for me is just usual food, I prefer to eat Indonesia Chicken noodle. Hehehe. After finish eating, we just walk around to see the floating market.

Next destination is to go the Wat Yai Chaya Mongkol. It is a Buddhist temple. It cost 20 baht to enter. We can see sleeping Buddha statue, and there are many Buddha statues and some Stupa. I’m so excited to get here because this is the first time I visit to the ancient Buddhist temple. I entered the temple. We can see 7 Buddha statue meditating. Many people give the statue the gold paper to cover the statue with gold. When we go outside the temple at the top floor, we can see the view of this temple and we can see the stupa. Then I went to the sleeping Buddha statue. I pray with my Thai Buddies in there. It is very nice to visit there.

When we want to go to the last destination, suddenly the rain comes. So we cancel our last destination to the other temple and go back to our dormitory. But before that, we have a dinner with the Thai Buddies. My friend and I from Indonesia gave our Thai Buddies souvenir to them. They gave us flower too. It was so nice that we can give to each other.

Day 7

Jatujak Market

MBK (Mah Boon Kroong) Mall

Today is also free day for us so I went to Jatujak (chatucak) Market with my friends. It is the weekend market and the biggest market in Thailand and it only open at Saturday and Sunday. There a lot of kind of things that we can buy in there. So we separate our self to buy the things that we want to buy. For me, I interested to find used text book especially travel book like Lonely Planet. But I couldn’t find interesting book for me to buy, so I continue walk around the area. I buy some souvenirs for my friends in my country. I also buy a dress for my mum. I didn’t buy a lot of things in here because I don’t bring much money in here. I also try some Thailand dish. This time I try most popular food in Thailand that is Pad Thai. It is a fried Thailand Noodle, and the taste is delicious. I recommended this food :D. I also try the rice with stir mix vegetable. I like the taste too. After finish our shopping business in Jatujak Market, we went to the MBK Mall to do some shopping. After finish we went back to our dormitory. So at this day, I only do shopping job. Hehehe

Day 8

Today we are going to visit the royal site of Chilada. Have a lunch at a restaurant near the Grand Palace and it’s located at the bank of the Chao Praya River. After we finish, we go back to Bangmod Campus to discuss about the CSR Project.

Taking Photo at restaurant near Chao Praya River

Day 9

Today activity is to discuss and preparing the things for the CSR Project for tomorrow. We buy some material and Gift around the Bangmod Campus Shop. Everyone in my group was very enthusiastic, we make our national flag, we draw the Asia Map, try to make pencil pot from the bottle for recycle activity.

Day 10

We have to wake up in very morning today. We’ll depart to Phetchaburi Province today and each of group has to go to the different local school. My group got opportunity to visit Ban Padeng School. It is the most fare school compare with the other group.  It takes 1.5 hour from Rajabhat Phetchaburi University. We get there by bus. I enjoyed the view, it was very nice and beautiful. We reach the school at the evening. When we reach there, the principal has already waiting for us and the children look very happy when we came. They followed us to our room. At first, I tough that the school facility was bad because the location is the remote area near the Burma border. But when we there, they have a nice facility. We have bed on our room and Wifi service. I think we are the luckiest group because some other group didn’t have facility like we have. After we finish our lunch, we got a chance to visit Pakagayo Village near the school. We go there by truck. We must cross the river and climb up the hill to visit the village. It was very fun and interesting to look the local people lives. After we finish, we had dinner at school cafeteria. After that, we can see the fireflies on the bush near our room. It was very beautiful. And after that, we had a technical meeting for tomorrow CSR project. And then we go to our bed.

Day 11

Today we are going participate in teaching & learning in the Baan Padeng School. After we had breakfast in the morning, we watching the children gathered in the field to do the flag ceremony of Thailand. Well this is interesting because I never see other country flag ceremony, this is the first time I see other country flag ceremony. They have to do the flag ceremony from Monday till Friday. They have marching band to play the National Anthem. After the flag rise, they pray with the Buddhist chanting the Namakara Gatha. After they finish, they have to line up to enter their class. After that, we are going to do the teaching & learning. We are separated in 3 groups; each group will have Thai Buddies to accompany us. My friend from Japan, Hagi join in my group. Next we teach the 4^th grade student. We teach them Mathematic & English. Their knowledge about English is still not too good, so we teach them to sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. I hope they enjoy our teaching J. After we finish, we move to the other school. We take the mini truck. When we arrive, we prepare all the thing that we need to do the teaching. Although the location is remote, the facility of the school was excellent.  At 1 PM, we start our teaching with the introducing our country. Each of us introduces our country to the children. After that we teach them Basic English. And for the last, we teach them to make a pencil pot from the bottle. It is one of the example of recycle activity. End of today activity.

Day 12

Today we will go back to Rajabhat Phetchaburi University. We have to say goodbye to the children and school. We depart at the morning with the bus. After 1.5 hour journey, we arrive at the Rajabhat Phetchaburi. They have already waiting for us. Today, each group must present their presentation about our activity in the school. All groups presentation are very interesting, we have different experience to share. After we finish, we will explore the phetchaburi famous place. Start with the Marukatayawan Palace, Hua Hin Beach & Hua Hin Town. There a Food Festival at the Hua Hin Beach, so we went there to look around and try some food. After we finish, we went to Chatsila Market to do shopping. After we finish we went back to Rajabhat University and stay at the Rajabhat University Hotel.

Day 13

Today we will go back to Bangkok. But at the morning, Kozo is not feeling well. His head was hot and he feeling dizzy. So have a breakfast first. After we finish, we depart to Ram Ratchaniwet Palace. Next we visit the Wat Kho Community to see the local people live at the Phetchaburi. And for the last, we visit the Khao Wang Palace. There a lot of monkey at the palace. We have to climb up the hill to reach the palace. The palace has beautiful view, we can see around the city. After we finish we go back to back to Bangkok. 


KMUTT OIA has uploaded all of our VDO of Presentation. You can watch our activity at the CSR Project in the Video.^^ Below here is my group Video Presentation :)




That is my story on Sawasdee KMUTT Camp 2013. I have a lot of fun and unforgetable experience in this Programe. I learn a lot of thing in here, I learn to speak Thai language and culture, and friendship. I hope this programe will keep available in every year . 

KMUTT? YES! KMUTT YES!
Thanks for reading :)