My name is Cody Cummins and I'am a 28 year old man from Overland Park, KS.  I came to volunteer at Baan Dada on August 13, 2007.  It has been the most wonderful experience of life.  The kids are worth every mile traveled to reach this place.  On October 10th and 11th we held a mini-olympics in Sangklaburi for orphans from 4 homes in the area.  It was so much fun and you can see pictures of this event at www.myspace.com/baandada.  This region of Thailand is extremely beautiful as well with its steep mountains and dense rain forest.  I plan to visit Baan Dada on a regular basis for the remainder of my life.  I hope for the childrens sake you come and make a difference as well.

Cody Cummins (28 year old male USA)

ccummins@cumminstools.com

I have had the opportunity to volunteer at Baan Dada several times
over the last two months.  I am a student in Bangkok right now, so I
go on the weekends out to Western Thailand which is about a six hour
bus ride.  It can be done in 5 hours at best.  While staying at the
orphanage, accomodations are very basic and the diet is strictly
vegetarian.  I don't mind eating vegetarian since I am there only for
four days at a time, but for volunteers staying longer it can get a
little old.  Trips into town are made on occasion for groceries and
dinners to break the monotony.  Volunteers are given freedom as to
what they want to do to help, which is good for some, not so much for
others.  The key is to stay busy, whether it's doing something on "the
list", something that comes from Dada, or something of your own
creation that needs to get done.
Obviously it is all about the kids, and they are such wonderful people
from a variety of backgrounds and circumstances who all need some
extra love and support.  You can stay there as long as you want, and
although I unfortunately cannot stay longer than a weekend right now,
I see myself returning to Baan Dada many times in the future.

Steve Romito (27 year old male USA)

smromito@carolina.rr.com

I was lucky enough to volunteer at the orphanage for a few weeks in Oct 2007. It was my first experience of any volunteer work, so naturally I was a little nervous and didn't know what to expect. The following may sound like a bunch of tired cliches, but I promise you they are the honest truth. My whole time there, was the best time off my life and was truely life changing (and how!!). I have a completely different perspective on life since my time there. I am not going to pretend everything was rosy because it wasn't. The first few days were tough to adapt to the orphanage surroundings, food and conditions, and were also very emotional, hearing some of the heartbreaking stories regarding some of the kids. But, once I got over this and truely realised that this was about the kids and not me, it was easy to come to terms with the conditions. The kids are what its all about and I sware you will never ever meet a happier bunch of children in your whole life. These kids have nothing but the clothes on their back and the beautiful smiles on their faces. It felt special being a part of a big family who all look out for each other more than anything. It really puts your whole life into perspective. Since my return I am now sponsoring one of the children (Eh Dudu) there who left a mark on my heart that will always remain.

Like I say, it's about the kids, but selfishly, they gave me some of the most precious memories of my whole life. I think I learnt more about life from them, than they did from me.

Please feel free to contact me if you want to know anything. I will answer everything honestly.

Andrew Potten (29 year old male UK)
andrempotten@aol.com

Hi, we’re Bob & Sandie Mills from Australia & we’ve done a Bangkok/Jomtien Beach trip with Volunteering Thailand on route home after volunteering at Baan Dada for 10 weeks. The trip ran very smoothly, it was most enjoyable & was just what we needed to recharge our batteries.
Cody from Volunteering Thailand met us at Mo Chit Bus Terminal & accompanied us to Hotel Ibis Siam in Bangkok for check-in. The room had a comfortable queen-size bed, separate shower in the bathroom, air-conditioning, television, refrigerator & telephone & was clean & well presented. Wireless internet access was available in the lobby. Breakfast was included & we enjoyed fresh fruit, fruit juice, cereal, yoghurt & croissants but there were other fresh & cooked dishes to suit most western tastes.
Cody met us at the hotel for our transfer to Jomtien Beach by Volvo car. The trip was in air-conditioned comfort & was most acceptable. On arrival, we were booked into a double seaview room at JB Guesthouse (Oasis) overlooking the beach. The room had a comfortable double bed, air-conditioning, television, refrigerator, bathroom & a great view of the beach & sunsets over the ocean. The room was serviced each day. From the guesthouse, we had immediate access to the beach, shops, food, restaurants, internet cafes& various water activities such as jet skis, banana boats, para-sailing & wind surfing. Pubs, wine bars, massage rooms, tattoo shops & laundries abound with massages available right along the beach front. Songthaews (vans with 2 rows of seats in the back) & taxis are readily available or motorcycles & cars can be hired if one wants to venture away from Jomtien Beach.
We enjoyed a day trip to Coral Island which Cody had organised for us. An air-conditioned van picked us up from our hotel & transferred us to central Pattaya where we joined our guides, Rit & Pat, for our speed boat transfer to Coral Island. The speed boat trip was exhilarating albeit rough with a couple of tourists experiencing sea-sickness. On the way there, two stops were made. The first stop allowed those who wished to experience para-sailing to do so for 400 Baht while the group waited & the second dropped off those who wished to do the sea-bed walk for 1500 Baht. A seafood lunch was served at the Chinatown restaurant with a vegetarian option for those who don’t eat seafood. We enjoyed an island tour after lunch. For us, who have been to the Great Barrier Reef, the coral viewing was a non-event. For others, it may be different. The return trip to Pattaya by speed boat & to the guesthouse by van happened as in the morning. Photos were available for sale from the day’s activities at the tour office.
Cody organised & accompanied us to transfer to White House Hotel. The room was spacious, had comfortable twin beds & a bathroom. The hotel had two pools, a restaurant, fish ponds & gardens to make the surrounds pleasant & relaxing. The buffet breakfast, included in the package, catered to eastern & western diets with fresh & cooked foods & dishes available.
Both accommodation places were built in Pattaya’s boom days so they aren’t new & sparkling but serve the needs of budget travellers who want clean, comfortable accommodation close to services & attractions etc.
The same driver who took us to Pattaya collected us on time for the transfer back to Bangkok. From the same Ibis Siam Hotel we stayed in previously, it was easy to get a taxi to the airport the next morning in time for our flight home.
We enjoyed our trip to Pattaya & appreciated the organisation & support provided by Cody of Volunteering Thailand. In a foreign country when you don’t speak the language, it is great to have reliable transport & suitable accommodation organised so you can enjoy what the place has to offer or just to relax knowing that transfers will happen without further cost & that you will get to the accommodation safe & sure. We can recommend Volunteering Thailand to assist you to volunteer and/or holiday in Thailand. You can contact us by email for further information.

Bob & Sandie Mills (47 year old female & 65 year old male Australia)

bob_sandie@bigpond.com.au