Safe Travels

Alright team -- the time is upon us. Most of you will be leaving for Thailand sometime in the next 48hrs. Others are already there or on their way.

Susanna and I leave early tomorrow (thu) morning from NC. We will be largely out of communication until we arrive at the hostel in Bangkok on Friday night.

If you experience travel delays or problems, there are several ways to get a message to us.

1) Call the Suk 11 Hostel at +66 02-253-5927 and ask for Susanna or JB OR leave us a message

2) Call Duncan Russell, who arrives late Thursday evening, at +01 336-253-2776

3) Call Global Village Habitat office in Thailand 800-422-4828 ext7530 (M-F 8am-5pm EST) or cellular emergency hotline is 1-229-938-6999

4) Call Global Village Office in Bangkok at +66 26640644 or on mobile (Candi) at +66 89-968-2040

5) You can email Susanna and JB but we won't be able to check email until Saturday morning at the earliest

Also our team cell number is +66 86-329-3592, but we won't have this phone on us until late afternoon (17:30) Saturday.

Reminder: For those in town by Saturday evening please plan to meet in the lobby of the Suk11 hostel at 6:30pm for a brief team meeting then our first official team dinner!

Unofficial team lunch: For those in town earlier Saturday that would like to meet up/hang out before the official start of team activities let's plan to meet at Noon in the lobby of Suk11. We can go out and grab a bite to eat and perhaps do a little sightseeing in the afternoon if people are up to it (i.e. not too jet-lagged).

For those getting in late on Saturday night: We may or may not see you when you arrive at the hostel. If we don't see you that night then Susanna and JB will be sure to be in the lobby of Suk11 at 9am on Sunday morning -- for those people that we didn't see on Saturday please plan to meet us there at 9am so we can discuss the plan for going to the airport (we will likely be leaving the hostel sometime in the 10-11am range -- we're taking a big van or two to the airport together for our flight to U.T.)

OK, that's all we can think of right now.

We wish everyone a safe journey and look forward to starting our adventure with you soon.

Cheers, Susanna and JB

R+R in Bangkok

With our final itinerary giving us several free days in Bangkok during Songkran, we asked our friends at Habitat Thailand to give us suggestions for activities/day trips. They responded with this:

For R&R, many tourist attractions will be opened except on the 15th of April (please find the attached document for more details). And Songkran is about water, just note that you might get wet everywhere you go, malls will be open, many small shops and all offices and embassies will be closed. The best place to play for Songkran would be at Khao-san Road and Sanam-Luang.

Also, There are interesting towns/island near Bangkok, you might want to explore;

- Amphawa Floating market;http://www.amphawafloatingmarket.com/,

- Kanchanaburi: http://www.kanchanaburiguide.com/, ://www.kanchanaburi.com/english/,

- Ayuttaya; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayutthaya_Kingdom, http://www.ayutthaya.go.th/eng_travel.htm

- Samet Island, Rayong province; http://www.kosamet.net/information.html, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ko_Samet

See our recent email for the attachments they refer to. We urge everyone to read the bkk.pdf file because it contains a wealth of information about various potential activities in and around Bangkok.

Please post to the blog or email us your thoughts on what most interests you. We plan to organize a few group outings (read: pay for and reserve in advance with the help of the Habitat Thailand office) while being sure to leave free time for individuals and/or small groups to do their own thing. We'd love your feedback before we make any executive decisions and we will be sure to notify the group whenever we have booked anything so that those who are already in country or are arriving early can try to avoid these sites.

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A Brief Clarification:

In Newsletter #3 (below) I meant to say about $5 USD when trying to estimate about how much people could expect to spend out of pocket / per day while on the trip. I'm sure you probably new I wasn't talking Thai baht there but I just wanted to be sure.

Travel from Bangkok Airport

Here is some updated info on travel from Habitat Thailand:

"The cheap and reliable way to get from the airport to the hostel is the airport express bus route AE3, get off at the stop near the Nana Sky-train station (Nana BTS Station), see the map as attached. If you arrive at the odd hours, taxi is best way, it should cost around 300 baht. Please find more information here; http://www.bangkokairportonline.com/node/55"

We're glad to see that people are sharing their flight/travel plans both via the blog and email. As those of us arriving from Canada and the U.S. generally are arriving very late at night, my guess is that many will opt for the taxi route, which at <$10 USD sounds just fine to me.

Arrival Flights

Hi Everyone,

Just thought I'd start a quick thread in the chance that anyone was getting in around the same time as one someone else. I contacted Suk 11 about the best way to get there from the airport, they said for single people transit is least expensive but for 2 or more you're just as well off to get a cab. 

After 36 hrs of planes and airports I plan on cabbing it either way. So if anyone wanted to catch a cab getting in around the same time let me know!

Arriving in Bangkok April 2nd 8:45pm!

Hey Everyone!!! I'm really excited to be meeting all of you! My mom has a co-worker stationed out of Thailand, and has been e-mailing me advice....She said the most common form of credit card is Visa, and then MasterCard. Not sure if this helps anyone out, but thought i would let you know!

Newsletter #3

Wow! Two weeks from this Saturday most of us will be meeting in Bangkok to begin our adventure. We are so excited.

First of all, let me extend a brief apology to those of you that have emailed us (particularly J.B.) with questions the last week or two, because I have been terrible at responding. It's been a crazy time recently as I'm about to find out where I will be for residency, and Susanna and I are trying to sell our house (excuses, excuses). But things have settled down a little for us and we should be very available from here on out as people work out their last minute details.

I'm also happy to report that I believe all team members are current with us in terms of sending their flight info, completing trip payment, and writing bios -- thanks to all for completing this. I can almost skip the obligatory reminders section, but not quite, as we need a few of you still to send us and Habitat a picture of your passport photo page (see Newsletter #2 for details). Thanks for taking care of this as soon as possible (at this point you would need to email or fax this, no snail mail).

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Updated Itinerary

April 3 (Sat) - Arrival in Bangkok; Team dinner at location TBD -- those who are in town should meet at the Suk 11 Hostel at ~6:30pm; hotel room provided (http://www.suk11.com/2008/index.html)

April 4 (Sun) - Travel to Udon Thani by plane; Nok Air, flight DD9210, departs 12:20pm, arrives 1:25pm; We will be staying at the Karin Hotel in Udon Thani

April 5 (Mon) - WORK DAY; AM visit to a completed Habitat house; Welcome dinner with local staff ~6:30pm
April 6 (Tue) - WORK DAY
April 7 (Wed) - WORK DAY

April 8 (Thu) - AM Visit to Sarnelli House (home for HIV-infected and abandoned children, http://www.sarnelli.org/pages/sarnelli.htm?sp=en); Lunch at Meakong River; free time upon return

April 9 (Fri) - WORK DAY
April 10 (Sat) - WORK DAY

April 11 (Sun) - Free Day - We have been invited to join our Udon Thani Habitat host, Tasani, for his church services from 8-9 am and then afterwards his church begins their preparations for the Songkran festival. While this is certainly not a "required" event I hope everyone decides to join in what should be a unique experience. I have no idea what religion/church he is, but that's just part of the adventure. In the afternoon, we are planning to go to the Udon Thani City Museum, but there will also likely be additional free time.

April 12 (Mon) - WORK DAY in AM; 1pm House Dedication; 6:30pm Farewell party with homeowners and local Habitat staff

April 13 (Tue) - Songkran Festival begins! Tasani is arranging for us to do some additional sightseeing in Udon Thani on this day.

April 14 (Wed) - Flight back to Bangkok; Nok Air, flight DD9211, departs 12:20pm, arrives 1:25pm; R+R in Bangkok (Hanzel, our Habitat contact in Bangkok, will advise about cultural activites) -- we will provide several whole group cultural activities for these days but also want to allow people for free time to explore the city during Songkran -- either as a whole group, smaller groups, or individuals -- depending on individual preferences and what is available to us. During these days (April 13-15) we can guarantee that breakfast and dinner will be provided and we will eat as a group -- lunch will depend on what the group is doing (or not doing) and how much money we have allocated to cultural activities. We will be figuring part of this out on the fly, so if people do any research beforehand or have suggestions for Bangkok activities/restaurants/etc please let us know!

April 15 (Thu) - Songkran in Bangkok; see April 14; team dinner at Suan Lum Night Bazaar (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suan_Lum_Night_Bazaar)
April 16 (Fri) - Songkran in Bangkok; see April 14; team farewell dinner at Cabbages and Condoms (http://www.pda.or.th/restaurant/restaurant.asp)

April 17 (Sat) - Departure from Bangkok

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About Arrival and Airport Travel

We're still waiting to hear back from Hanzel at Habitat Thailand about the preferred method for getting from the airport in Bangkok to the hostel. Unfortunately, we will be unable to coordinate and pay for everyone's individual cab fare/train ride/whatever from the Bangkok airport -- the logistics of this would be too complicated and Habitat does not allow us to make cash payments to team members. Each team member is responsible for getting themselves from the airport in Bangkok to the hostel and vice versa on April 3 and April 17. What we would suggest is that team members could share their flight/arrival info (either on the blog or by email) and then individual team members will be able to meet at the airport and travel to the hostel together. The one exception to this will be the two of you who have 1am flights out on April 17, because they will not be needing hotel rooms that night we will pay for a taxi cab to the airport at that late hour.

Again we will forward the suggested airport travel method once we have it, but it appears that there will be several options available and it shouldn't be very expensive.

Susanna and I arrive around 11pm on Friday night (4/2). We anticipate being at the hostel most of the day on Saturday as the team arrives throughout the day and night. We would suggest that those who are already in Bangkok plan to come to the hostel to check in at noon, and then those that are in town could meet in the lobby at 1pm on Saturday (4/3) -- potentially to get lunch together or to plan some activity for the afternoon.

All other official "team" transportation will be arranged and paid for by us (i.e. trips to airport for travel to/from Udon Thani, trips to/from work site, team cultural activities, etc).

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FAQ

The rest of the newsletter, we'll take the time to answer several questions some of you have asked recently...

What should I pack/bring/wear?

Here is the packing list that we just received (verbatim) from Habitat Thailand, beneath it you will find a few comments from J.B. / Susanna:

Clothes: Keep in mind that humidity in Thailand is high almost all the time, so pack light cotton and airy clothes.

The following list is a guide to use when packing your suitcase

Men Work site: Jeans, shorts, T shirts, sturdy work boots or shoes. Casual: Tidy shorts and T shirts Evening: Tidy but light & casual (open neck) Church: Long trousers, long sleeve collar shirt Footwear: Runners, flip flops, sandals

Women Work site: Jeans, shorts (below the knees), T shirts, sturdy work boots or shoes. Casual: Long skirt or trousers, T shirts Evening: Tidy but light & casual Church: Long skirt and long sleeve blouse Footwear: Runners, flip flops, sandals

General Work gloves – cotton is good Hard hat Swimming attire Towel Sleeping bag – if village stay Scrubbing brush (small) Hat – broad brimmed Toiletries Sun block Sun glasses Camera – with extra film and batteries Umbrella or plastic poncho – small fold up Passport copy – a photocopy of your passport Medical Kit – (small) include: band aids, antiseptic, mosquito repellent, dehydration salts, diarrhea pills Note: It is important to seek medical travel advice from your local Doctor or Medical Travel Center before leaving regarding the prevention and treatment of country specific diseases and illnesses such as Malaria.

Valuables - Please don’t bring valuables especially jewelry as the security of such items can not be assured. Travel Light – It is wise to keep your baggage to a minimum and light. If you find that you have difficulty carrying your bags by yourself then you probably have packed too much! Tools – If you would like to bring with you any second hand (or new) tools that can be donated to the affiliate once you have left then please know that they will be greatly appreciated. Please don’t pack them in your hand carry back as airport security will take them from you. Any thing of this nature needs to be checked in to the aircraft hold with or inside your suitcase. The power supply in Thailand is 220 volts. Gloves – It would be really appreciate of volunteers bring their own gloves. Otherwise, volunteers can buy cotton gloves at worksite. J.B. and Sus say: 1) You don't need to bring a hard hat 2) Sandals/flip-flops are fine but NOT for the work site (bring closed-toe, sturdy shoes -- sneakers are fine -- work boots/hiking boots might be best) 3) We will have a very comprehensive basic medical kit that will be available both at the hostel/hotel and at the work site. Everyone does not need to bring one of their own, but certainly bring whatever medications you anticipate individually needing 4) Take his advice to travel light and don't bring non-essential valuables 5) That being said, hopefully several of you will be bringing cameras so we can have lots of nice photos to post to the blog --------------------------------------- How Can I Be Safe At The Work Site? (OK no one asked us this question but Habitat Thailand wanted us to give you the following information): Construction Safety Safety at our work sites is important for all of us. Safety is an attitude of care and concern for yourself, and for others who are working with you. The way to be safe is to think and act safe. We ask all volunteers to take to heart and observe safe work practices throughout the build. Here are some reminders: Dress with safety in mind: Clothes should fit comfortably but should not be baggy (long sleeves should be buttoned). Steel toe work boots are preferred but sneakers with solid soles are fine. Volunteers should wear only closed-toe shoes (no sandals). Please leave jewelry (necklaces, bracelets, rings, etc.) at home. Hard-hats are required when overhead work is being done and eye protection is required when operating power tools. Each volunteer should bring two pairs of work gloves. Before working…Survey! Before working in any area, please survey the space around you. Look around your feet and overhead for obstacles and potential hazards. Organize the workspace within your reach. Be especially careful when carrying long objects, such as rebar and lumber, so that you do not hit other people. Watch for excavations, openings, edges of slabs and slippery spots. Power tools: If you are assigned to operate power tools, know the correct procedures. This will ensure your safety. Before operating, inspect the cords, electrical outlets, blades. If a blades or part has to be replaced, disconnect first from the power source. Support the stock properly and never reach under material while it’s being cut. Protect your eyes with safety glasses when operating power tools. We also advise use of safety glasses when nailing. Maintain good “Housekeeping”: A clean job site is essential to work site safety. Please keep trash in dumpster and scrap lumber where it belongs. If nails are protruding from scrap lumber, bend them down or remove them with a hammer. Keep track of your tools. If you see something that does not belong, pick it up and set aside in a safe spot. Remember, return all tools, ladders, etc. to the proper place at the end of a workday. Roofs and ladders: Exercise caution when using ladders. Do not use the top two steps. Have a partner hold and steady the ladder. Only one person at a time on a ladder. Watch for temporary overhead power lines. When working on the roof move slowly and carefully. Use a toe board when necessary. Be careful with tools and other objects so they don’t fall off. Falling is a major cause of injury on the work site. Lifting and carrying: When lifting, stand close to the load, bend your knees, grasp firmly and then lift by straightening your legs. Keep your body vertical. Get help with heavy or long loads. Don’t lift beyond your strength. Select the correct tool for your work: Carry only those that you need. Think and concentrate on your task: If you are uncertain about how to do a task, or how to use a tool, ask your House Leader. First aid: First aid kits will be located on the work site at strategic locations. Know where the first aid kit for your house team is located. Tell your House Leader immediately in the event of an injury. Also, know the location of the nearest hospital or medical center. Speak up if something looks unsafe: So it can be immediately corrected. Further construction safety tips and instructions: Will be given by House Leader as they apply to specific tasks. Review these notes before coming to the work site. If you are unsure about something, ASK! Exercise caution and common sense. Please keep safety in mind and we will all have a smooth and rewarding week of building and completing the product of your week’s work: a new Habitat home for a Thai family. Drink enough water to avoid dehydration: Also take a rest before you become overtired. Sleep well to give your body and mind “energy” to work!!! What to bring · Extra t-shirts, hand towel · A small bag for personal effects · Two pairs of gloves. · Bring construction tools to use and donate. (aluminum pails, trowel, paint brush, hammer, tape measure) Anything you bring will save costs and ultimately help needy families. At the site, please take note… · Arrive promptly. Orientation will be given at the site and will start at 08.30 a.m. Work starts at 09.00 a.m. and ends at 04.30 p.m. (work time can be changed) · Make sure to stretch and limber up before and after work. · We encourage volunteers as much as possible to have lunch together. · Wear sturdy shoes with closed toes. We do not recommend sandals or open-toed shoes because of the danger of dropping heavy things on feet. · Wear loose and comfortable clothing: t-shirts or long-sleeved shirts (for protection against insects and sunburn) and long, durable pants. Shorts are permitted but not recommended. Abrasions, cuts and scratches are most common injuries at a build. · Wear a cap or hat. · Bring a pair of good work gloves to save your hands from blisters. · Sun block is advised for those with sensitive skin. ------------------------------------------- Should We Be Concerned About Recent Demonstrations In Bangkok? As some of you already know, there were large political demonstrations in Bangkok over the weekend. The coordinators of Habitat Thailand were in contact with us before the protests, and they felt at the time that the demonstrations were not a threat to our trip. They will continue to monitor the situation. As a matter of official policy, Habitat is unlikely to let us go on our trip if the U.S. State Department issues a travel warning advises Americans not to travel to Thailand. It is very unlikely this would happen -- but all we can do at this point is keep our fingers crossed that demonstrations continue to be peaceful or that they cease completely. You can check travel alerts here (none for Thailand right now): http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_1766.html You can read Thailand's State Department page here: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1040.html -------------------------------- What Should We Say At Customs? For the purposes of customs, you are considered a tourist but you should feel free to accurately indicate the purpose of and length of your stay. --------------------------------- How Much Money Should I Bring / Carry Around? This is a tough one. If you're planning on a tight budget for the trip (particularly if you're not drinking alcohol) -- then you really shouldn't need that much money once you're inside the "Habitat window" (April 3 -17). I would think that people could easily get away with average spending $5 per day during that time (expecting that several of the days, particularly the building days, you will spend nothing out of pocket), although if you have a few drinks at dinner and buy a lot of souvenirs it could certainly be more than that. ATMs will be available in Bangkok as well as Udon Thani, although frequent use will become expensive with various fees/charges. You will be able to use major credit cards in both cities as well. If you want to bring cash to exchange at the airport that is fine as well, but be careful carrying around a lot of cash (take precautions -- split the amount into several places, use a money belt, carry cash/cards in a front pocket, etc). ------------------------------- OK, I think that's all for now. Let us know what other questions you have.

Bio: Pat Kent

Hello everyone and sorry for the late post!! Words cannot describe how excited I am to be taking this trip with all of you! This will be my first time traveling with habitat for humanity and I really cannot wait for April to get here. I absolutely love to travel (as I’m sure all of us do!) and throughout college I took the opportunity to study and travel throughout England, Wales, Scotland, France, Ireland, The Czech Republic and Austria. However, the greatest trip for me was when I visited Costa Rica to study sustainable business. During our stay we helped out the village we were staying in, not only by finding ways to help their local economy but also by helping to clean their community and build basic structures. It was such a great experience that I knew I wanted to do something similar again someday, which got me interested in Habitat! Last summer I backpacked up the coast of Australia with a friend and EVERYONE we met mentioned how beautiful Thailand was. I knew I had to go someday (though I didn’t know how soon!). Put those stories together and that is why I decided to do Habitat for Humanity in Thailand! As for hobbies and interests- I like being active and as vague as that may sound you can pick anything from kayaking to running and I probably enjoy it. Other than that I enjoy reading, playing guitar, listening to music, going to the movies and hanging out with friends.

I am glad we have such a good group going and I am looking forward to meeting all of you! If you have any questions at all feel free to shoot me an e-mail at patrickjkent@gmail.com

Slight Changes to Itinerary

Team,

A few small changes to update you on. We will be staying a different hostel in Bangkok (better location and cost). Also we will be spending an additional night in Udon Thani before returning to Bangkok -- this is both for budget reasons (cheaper in U.T. than Bangkok) and so we can experience the Songkran festival in two different cities. These hopefully are the last changes to our itinerary from an accomodations/dates/cities perspective. Updated info...

In Bangkok:
Suk 11 Hostel
website: http://www.suk11.com/2008/index.html
dates:
Arrive Sat Apr 3; Depart Sun Apr 4
Arrive Wed Apr 14; Depart Sat Apr 17

No change to Udon Thani hotel but we will be there one additional night.

Addendum to Kristi's Bio

Hey everyone, this is J.B.
I have to apologize to Kristi because she sent me her bio about 2 weeks ago and I forgot to post it to the blog. I was cleaning out my inbox and found it. I will post it here as an addendum to the brief bio she posted below (probably while cursing me). Sorry Kristi!

Kristi Reed Bio:

I grew up in Indiana and was encouraged by my family to travel and experience life to the fullest. I developed a strong passion for art, design and architecture at a young age and continue to study, explore and practice in this field. I attended Savannah College of Art & Design and relocated to San Francsico after graduating in 2001. San Francisco and Northern California have provided adequate stomping grounds for my burning curiosities around nature, exploration, the outdoors, environmental studies and health. I've successfully integrated these interests into my design career. I am a Sr.Architectural Designer at a small high-end residential Interior Design firm. I spend most of my days designing custom furniture, lighting, architectural detailing, etc. I have spent the past two-years transforming our processes into "sustainable" concepts and enjoy educating my colleagues in the design community about Sustainable Design. I completed my certificate degree in Sustainable Design at UC Berkeley a year ago and am considering attending the Presidio Graduate School next year...maybe. I've been volunteering my time in the local community both as a willing and able body and moreso as a designer. I've designed a school and dormitory for homeless & underserved youth, which is yet to be implemented. And I donate my time to Architecture for Humanity on various community projects around the Bay Area. And I LOVE to travel!! As grounded and committed as I am here, I try my hardest to pick up and see the world as much as possible! I've traveled to Turkey, Australia, Japan, Peru, Costa Rica and more... Never to SE Asia, so I am thrilled to have this opportunity!! And moreso I am looking forward to meeting you all and sharing this experience with you.

Bio: Dan Stern

Hey everyone, sorry about the late post but I have been traveling (in Thailand!) for the past three days.
A little bit about me: I have recently finished my undergraduate degree in political science and economics. I now work as a marketing director for a company called Skican and was lucky enough to take a little break from work to come enjoy Thailand. I'd like to thank Susanna again for allowing me to lend a hand on the global village trip, I'm sure we will all get along great and cherish the memories we'll have for a lifetime.
Thailand is probably one of the most beautiful places I have ever set my eyes on. Just finished having the most wild time at the full moon party. I will be updating all of you whenever I get the chance to stumble upon a internet cafe. I very excited to meet you all in a month. Talk to you guys soon.

i am just catching up so i can respond to any of your blogs

Bio: Kristi Reed

Hi Guys ~ I'm going to be short for now as I'm in the midst of my busiest week of the year. I am headed to Big Sur in a few days for my annual camping/birthday trip. Each year has grown in size and I'm planning for more then 50 campers this roun! So as you can imagine, I'm quite busy. And I can't believe I leave for Thailand just a few weeks following!! I'll write more once I return to my sanity next week. 'Til then : I'm reallly looking forward to this trip, opportunity + to meet all of you!!