Update for 2025
The volunteer program is being phased out.
Instead, we are offering a one-year App Developer program to take you from beginner level (little coding experience) to become a freelance “Full Stack” software developer.
There will be several tracks:
- WordPress web development, design & maintenance
- web (browser) apps
- Android/Apple apps
Because the program will be based on the Flutter application development environment and Dart, the various tracks will overlap. You will choose a specialization, but be able to expand to encompass the other tracks with minimal additional effort.
You will develop real-world applications (not mere “coding projects”) and have the opportunity to work with real clients upon graduating – but earn a reduced “trainee” rate, for the purpose of gaining experience and developing a portfolio for future professional work.
It’s mostly self-study, with a weekly (full day) workshop to discuss your progress, deal with technical issues and start work on the next week’s assignments. Technical support will be available remotely during the week.
The cost will be ฿100,000 for the one-year program, or ฿30,000 if you wish to attend & pay quarterly. The one-year program will optionally include a volunteer visa & work permit (so that you can legally work on client projects) – but will require half-a-day’s volunteer tuition per week.
You can start at any time as the projects and assignments are self-paced; with individualized tuition.
More details to follow…
We’re looking for volunteers or participants who can assist with software and website development, audiovisual production, marketing, business and finance skills, etc.
Most volunteers join us for a year at a time, but we also offer a kind of “summer program” for university students.
We can also offer an “internship” for recently-graduated students, students on a gap year, or anyone looking to gain professional experience while learning “on the job”, with no need to be registered for any kind of formal studies.
What we want from you:
- A weekly half-day group course in a useful subject such as marketing, copywriting, coding, voiceover training, youtubing, audio/video production & editing, business or personal coaching, or even musical training, chess, go (as a kind of “mathematical thinking” discipline), first aid, etc. It could be designed for kids (from around 8-18) or adults (e.g. the Thai parents and other volunteers or “digital nomads” in Chiang Mai).
- Alternatively, taking on the responsibility for an administrative aspect of the foundation, currently building & maintaining the website, marketing, fund-raising.
- ฿72,000 p.a. to cover the overheads and other expenses.
What we can offer you:
- 1 year volunteer visa and work permit
- A co-working / incubation resource with fast internet, recording studio, pro webcam or camcorder, home-cinema-style LED projector, cooking facilities, espresso coffee machine, etc.
- Assistance in developing your own learning and freelance work opportunities (e.g. for online teaching, or building your website, marketing, finding clients, perhaps even sourcing products or managing the logistics for importing/exporting goods).
- Assistance with inexpensive accommodation and helping with budgeting and living in Thailand, not to mention any aspect of dealing with Thai bureaucracy or suppliers.
- A bank account, driving license, help with purchasing a car or motorbike (and reselling it when you leave).
- The opportunity to work legally in Thailand on your own business or find freelance or temporary employment (e.g. teaching at summer camps). There is no degree requirement.
Whether you want to be a registered volunteer with the foundation or not, you may also be interested in our Language Exchange program to learn Thai using the Rapid Method. More details about this available on request.
NEW APP DEVELOPER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM for 2023
Do you want to be a professional app developer, either freelance or working for a software house?
We are offering a one-year rolling internship program (new, parallel stream starting each month). You will gradually increase your proficiency by completing increasingly complex development projects.
Most of the work is self-directed with weekly workshops to deal with difficult concepts, bugs and configuration issues.
Learning to code is easy. You can do that online by yourself with YouTube or Udemy or sites like www.code.org. In fact, you will be learning coding mostly by yourself anyway!
But to really understand how the various platforms work, what libraries you need to install and configure (and where to find them), how to manage your web backend or your Apple App Store or Google Play Store accounts, and how to design slick apps (and where to find the design objects) is usually an unfathomable, disorganized minefield.
We provide the real-world experience that equips you to be able to develop apps that can actually be used or sold commercially.
The cost of the program is ฿165,000, which includes the admin necessary for a “non-B” (business) visa and work permit. If you already have some other visa then you can enrol on the program as a private student, in which case the cost is ฿100,000 for the year or ฿10,000 per month.
More details in courses. Please contact us in the meantime…
