Ban Phe Thailand

A kiss of salt from the sea and a wink of sweet from the land, Ban Phe is a gentle blend of abundant, inexpensive, seafood, and nourishing, sweet, tropical fruit that ripens year-round. Located on the Gulf of Thailand, Ban Phe is just three hours by bus from Bangkok. Less than a half-hour to the west is Rayong, featuring shopping malls and fast food chains like McDonalds and KFC. Transportation is incredibly inexpensive, so you need never feel ‘stranded’ in a small town if you yearn for the bright lights of a big city. We invite you to explore the local beaches and markets in Ban Phe. The amateur conchologist will find amazing deals on sea shells at the seaside markets and boat trips to Koh Samet island can be had for the price of a hamburger back home.

Like the mythical Mayberry on television, the people of Ban Phe are friendly and helpful. Thailand is known as “The Land of Ten Thousand Smiles”, and our residents fully live up to that promise. Whether you are renting a sailboard to skim over the turquoise waves or learning how to order a fresh, crisp, mango smoothie in Thai, you will be helped by polite, obliging folk who want you to enjoy Thailand as much as they do. Small town ambience, big city convenience; that’s Ban Phe!

Location

Our Thailand, Ban Phe course is located in our own, special-purpose facility. Situated 100 meters off the beach and approximately 2 km east of Ban Phe adjacent to the beachside pine forest of Suan Son, our 20-room hotel offers easy access (direct bus) from Bangkok, onsite internet access, onsite laundry service, roof gardens, lounges, and study rooms, affordable Thai and Western food, as well as easy access to Koh Samet and other beautiful Thailand locations.

Where

• the beach
• Approximately 150 Km south of Bangkok
• 2 Km from Ban Phe
• Easy access to Bangkok, Koh Samet and other popular Thai destinations
• Hotel is located directly across the street from a beautiful Thai beach
• A plethora of public transportation options throughout the country
• A small town feel with a dynamic cultural twist

Why

• A wealth of indoor and outdoor activities
• Free island boat trip to Koh Samet
• Four hours of "Survival Thai" language classes (Optional)
• PADI Scuba Certificate (Optional)
• Buddhist Meditation Class (Optional)
• Thai cooking class (Optional)
• The Flagship Course of the TEFL International locations

Who

• Your fellow students come from different countries and various continents
• Your teacher trainers are some of the most experienced and well-trained in the industry
• Your support staff is extremely helpful, courteous and will assist you with whatever you need
• The locals are peaceful, friendly people who generally like spending time with foreigners

How

• Fill out an application form and take that next step towards learning amidst the surreal beauty and tranquility of Ban Phe.

Course Fee

• Full Course Fee - 1,690 USD (with accommodation), 1,590 USD (without accommodation)
• Deposit (nonrefundable) - 500 USD
• Final Payment - 1,190 USD (with accommodation), $1,090 USD (without accommodation)(When remitting balance payment kindly check currency conversion rates.)

TEFL Course Schedule in Ban Phe Thailand

• 04 January - 29 January 2010
• 01 February - 26 February 2010
• 01 March - 26 March 2010
• 05 April - 30 April 2010
• 03 May - 28 May 2010
• 07 June - 02 July 2010
• 05 July - 30 July 2010
• 02 August - 27 August 2010
• 06 September - 01 October 2010
• 04 October - 29 October 2010
• 01 November - 26 November 2010
• 29 November - 24 December 2010

Transportation upon Arrival

Your accommodation is available starting on the Saturday before the course begins through Friday (5:00 PM) following the final week. We hope you will plan to arrive in Ban Phe by Saturday as this will give you a chance to relax and get accustomed to your surroundings before the course begins.

At 12:00 noon on the Saturday prior to the course start date, we will provide transportation from Suvarnabhumi Airport to your accommodation at the school. If you plan to get a ride at this time, please meet us at 12:00 noon infront of S & P Restaurant, Meeting Point Area, Level 3, Suvarnabhumi Airport. The driver will be holding a “TEFL International” sign. Those arriving at any other time will be responsible for arranging their own transportation. Please review the following recommendations.

Meeting and Greeting Gallery

Meeting Point Map

Bus from Bangkok to Ban Phe:

In Suvarnabhumi Airport, free shuttle bus service is provided for passengers and airport staff. Express route connects the main terminal directly to the transport center. From Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok, take Bus Number 552 (Suvarnabhumi Airport to On Nut BTS station). You may take a taxi or use the Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS) from On Nut to Ekkamai Bus Station. Take the next bus to Ban Phe (not Rayong), a 4 hour ride. From the bus terminal in Ban Phe, you may give us a call at 038 652 280 and we would be happy to pick you up. Motorcycle taxis are readily available and generally know where to find the school (as do most local stores and shops if you need to ask for help). If you choose to walk, head eastward for about 2 km and turn left at the first street, Road Number 3300. The school building is 150 meters on the right-hand side. The wooden sign out front reads “Siam English Training School” with the TEFL International logo.

Private Transfer: TEFL International is happy to arrange a private car service to greet you at the airport and transfer you directly to the school, at the cost of 2500 baht (about 55 USD).

Important Note:

Regardless of your arrival day and time, we ask that you assist us in preparing for all arrivals by providing us with your travel arrangements via email – essential if you plan to use the provided airport transfer on Saturday. Please do so as soon as your travel plans are confirmed and at least one week prior to your scheduled arrival time. Help us help you by providing this information!

Should you have any problems with transportation going to Ban Phe or meeting the driver, please feel free to call us at the telephone/mobile numbers below:

Ban Phe Office: +66 038 652 280 or 038 651 833 +66-38-652-280

Accommodation Details

1.) A private room located within the school building. All rooms have air-conditioning, a private bath, and are clean and adequately furnished.

Bedding and towels are included in the room. All rooms will be cleaned and the linens changed by the hotel staff once per week (Friday or Saturday). As well, a vacuum cleaner and cleaning materials are available for trainees’ use.

There is no hot water available in the hotel bedrooms. (Given the warm climate, most trainees don’t mind!) However, there is one available bathroom with hot shower on each of the 2nd and 3rd floors if needed. Please be conscious of others who may wish to use the hot shower by not taking long showers.

You may check in from 9:00 AM on the Saturday prior to the course start date and you must check out by 5:00 PM on the Friday after the course.

2.) Small bungalows or rooms for rent near the school. Some bungalows or rooms have air-conditioning and some have electric fans. The staff in Ban Phe will help you book for this.

Guest Policy

Please note that we do not allow guests to stay in rooms within the school building except for the receiving area.

If you are attending the course with a friend, spouse or relative, you will have to arrange accommodation outside the school.

Refundable Deposit

There is a refundable deposit of 2,000 Baht that is returned when the accommodations are given back clean and undamaged. This also covers deposit for keys, locker and books.

Room Keys

If you lock yourself out of your room you will be charged 30 Baht to be readmitted. Any lost keys or key ring costs 300 Baht.

Building Hours

There is a security guard at the school 24 hours a day, therefore the front door always remains unlocked. Please be quiet and respectful while in hotel hallways after 10 PM and during early morning hours, as your fellow trainees may be sleeping.

Internet

There is no internet access at the school but there is a computer shop just 100 meters away.

Telephone Service

Hotel staff will answer the phones and assist you with placing calls Monday through Friday.

You can receive incoming calls on the phone lines +66 038 652 395 but we ask that your callers consider the timing of the call. Messages will be taken if you are in training and given to you during the break. Classes will only be interrupted with urgent messages.

These phones may also be used for outgoing calls however they are PIN Number phones and therefore you will need to purchase a phone card from reception.

Mail

Outgoing mail can be left at the front desk and will be posted the following morning. We simply charge you the same price that the post office charges us.

Valuables

Please put all valuables and excess cash in the safe at the front desk, and put away other valuable items when rooms are being cleaned over the weekend. Do not leave cameras, tape players, etc. in the classroom overnight.

First Aid

All minor injuries can be treated at the training location. Medication for food poisoning - including antibiotic drugs - is available at local drug stores. In the case of food poisoning or other stomach problems trainees are advised to temporarily avoid eating. Drink only bottled water until the symptoms subside and then gradually introduce other foods into your diet beginning with steamed rice.

If there is any serious injury, please inform the Course Director or one of the staff and transportation will be provided to Rayong Hospital for treatment. An emergency contact list is posted in the classroom.

Meals

There are many local restaurants and street vendors offering excellent, inexpensive Thai food. In general this food is very safe to eat, but please use common sense – if you doubt the quality, don’t eat it!

Drinks, Snacks, Personal Food

Items Coffee, tea, soft drinks and snacks may be purchased at a small cost from the shops across the street or down the road. Drinks may be taken into the training room during input sessions. Tap water is deemed unsafe in Thailand; therefore, please only drink bottled water during your stay. Bottled water is inexpensive and readily available throughout the town of Ban Phe.

On the ground floor there is a table with a hot water thermos where you can store your coffee/tea supplies if you wish to make your own. Please do not bring food onto the school premises or into your rooms as it will quickly attract insects.

Laundry

There is only hand, clothes washing facilities at the school and clothes-lines available on the 4th floor roof garden. As well, laundry service is available at a number of shops across the road.

Fire Escape

Should a fire occur, there is a fire escape on the outside of the hotel building. This can be accessed from the roof-garden on the 3rd floor. Climb up the spiral staircase leading to the roof area above the two separate bedroom units and the fire stairs can be found on the far side of the roof area.

Smoking and Drinking

Policy Smoking is not allowed anywhere inside the school facilities or inside any of the hotel rooms. Should you wish to smoke, smoke away from the school property.

Possession or the use of drugs is illegal. We have a zero tolerance rule pertaining to drugs, on or off of the premises.

There is also a strict "No Drinking" policy while on school grounds. What you do in your spare time is your business. However public intoxication at the school will not be tolerated.

COURSE ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Dave Hopkins with Graduates Students

TRAINEE COURSE FEEDBACK SESSIONS

There will be a trainee feedback session at the end of the course and we try to schedule after the first two weeks as well. These sessions are aimed to give trainees the opportunity to provide feedback regarding anything to do with the course, accommodations, and so on. We welcome your open and honest feedback so we can continue to improve the training course and the facilities provided at the training location. Although there are scheduled feedback times, please feel free to give feedback to the Course Director or the Academic Director at any time. Of course, we welcome all positive comments as well!

Problems and Complaints

If any trainee has a personal problem which may interfere with course studies, please talk to one of the trainers.

If any trainee has a complaint about any aspect of the course or about any of the trainers, please see the Course Director. If you feel that you would like to keep your complaint anonymous, please write or type your complaint and leave it in the suggestion box at the front desk.

In-town Transportation Songthaew (a pick-up truck with a cover over the bed and with seats along each side of it) is the main form of local transportation. Running along the beach road towards the Ban Phe shops are dark blue songthaews which can take you into Ban Phe or into Rayong. The trucks with a very high roof over the seating area go into Rayong, as do some of the lower-roofed ones. Ask before you get in. Prices are set for standard routes, and should be about 15-20 baht to Rayong and about 10 baht to Ban Phe shops.

Shopping

There are several areas in Ban Phe and Rayong where you can shop. Be prepared to bargain hard for all purchases other than food. As a suggestion, start by offering about half of the price quoted to you, and then work your way up to an acceptable price for both seller and buyer. Be prepared to walk away if you think you're paying too much; the seller will call you back if eager to make a sale. There are also large supermarkets and western fast-food chains available in Rayong.

Shopping Areas in Ban Phe - Traveling from the hotel, turn right at the beach road. In the first group of shops on the right just opposite the Nuantip Pier, there is a 7-Eleven convenience store, and a small but excellent Thai supermarket, where the woman who runs it speaks English. Further along in this same group of shops, you will find a drug store selling all types of medications including over-the-counter antibiotics, and a Kodak film processor. On the same side as the Nuantip Pier, there are several clothing stalls.

Further along the same road that runs alongside the bay and after a small break where there are no shops, the main shopping area of Ban Phe starts. Immediately on the left at the start of this second group of shops, there is a branch of the Thai Farmers' Bank with an ATM which accepts many different types of debit cards. Further along on the left is the Ban Phe Post Office.

Where the road narrows just after the main Ban Phe Pier, the market area of Ban Phe begins. This area contains several stalls selling cheap and excellent Thai food. At the end of the market street turn right on the main road to find yet another 7-Eleven convenience store.

Shopping Areas in Rayong - There are three main areas you may wish to explore:

1. At the first main T-intersection going into Rayong, with the main street going off to the left, there is a large and interesting food market about 300-400m along the right side of this road. The market is definitely worth exploring!

2. Laem Tong is further along the main road coming into Rayong and is a large shopping complex with smaller specialty stores and a large supermarket. It also has McDonald’s, KFC, Pizza Company, and other western food chains.

3. Big C / Makro are additional large shopping complexes to the east of Rayong, and require a change of songtaew to get there (from blue truck to white at the Rayong bus station).

Beaches and Swimming

For the best and cleanest beaches in the area, head to the left, away from the Ban Phe shopping area. The 10 miles of beaches here are not frequented by tourists (but are very popular with Thais) and are not raked on a daily basis. The water is very nice and the banana boats are fun! Even better is Samet Island with its world famous white sand, located only 30 minutes away by ferry boat.

Local Weather Conditions

The climate in Ban Phe is very tropical-like, with three distinct seasons: Hot from March through May, Rainy from June through October, and Cool from November through February. Average daily temperatures throughout the year are around a warm and pleasant 27°C. Even in the rainy season, the rainfall is brief and the rest of the day is normally clear and sunny.

As this description is an average, we highly recommend that you check current weather conditions prior to departure to assist you in your travel preparations.

Get Acquainted!

Before your arrival, we highly recommend you purchase a descriptive guide book or do some online research to familiarize yourself and get acquainted with Thailand and all it has to offer. For more information on Thailand and the village of Ban Phe, we recommend the following sites:

Lonely Planet Online www.lonelyplanet.com
Asia Travel www.asiatravel.com/thaiinfo.html
Asinah.net www.asinah.net/thailand.html

Download

Ban Phe Thailand Course Description and FAQs

Ban Phe, Thailand Center Staff


Bruce Veldhuisen Ban Phe, Thailand - Course Director	Dave Hopkins TEFL International - Academic Director	Jidapa Promruang Ban Phe Thailand TEFL Intl. Trainer & Thai Language & Culture Teacher