Exploring Kanchanaburi’s past was the topic of The Regent's School Pattaya trip from 9 - 11 June 2010.

Learning outcomes of the journey were to discover and evaluate Kanchanaburi’s role in World War II and to practice teamwork.
The trip started with a walk along the world famous ‘Bridge over the River Kwae’ where students became budding artists by sketching the bridge as it currently stood and then drawing what it would have looked like if they had been present during the bridge’s construction.

Information about the bridge’s history was gleaned from a visit to the war museum on the banks of the River Kwae, where students also got to field their own questions to the museum curator, who, as a little boy, was alive during the bridge’s construction and thus could give expert first-hand knowledge.

A visit to Hellfire Pass followed where students got to explore the museum and the pass itself.

Friendship was a theme that was mentioned in the visit to Hellfire Pass. Students penned their own poems based on this theme of ‘mates’ and friendship was continued afterwards with a whole afternoon of fun teambuilding activities.
A contemplative end to the trip was made with a visit to the World War II cemetery. Here, students got to find out how young the fallen soldiers were and also to contemplate on the preciousness of life.

A comment from a teacher on the trip summed the whole three days up brilliantly: ‘A great combination of practical, academic, team-building and free time.'

We all had a great time planting and doing activities including Scavenger Hunt, Oh! Elephant! Space for species and also other activities with elephants.

Despite the rain in the late afternoon we all still enjoyed our activities together. We planted both trees and grasses at the entrance of the Elephant World. At the end of the trip, the kids reflected on their experiences with lovely words urging us to take care of our trees, animals and environment!!

We welcomed several groups from the Klong Toey community to the barge. First there was a 2 day trip and then two one day trips. The kids are really enjoyed the experience and relaxed while they learnt new knowledge about the Chao Phraya Watershed and the history of Bang Pa In Palace too. They also had a great time swimming and canoeing in Chao Phraya river too.

So much laughter, so many stories. When past staff came together aboard the barge to celebrate 15 years of environmental education on the Chao Phraya River, it was as though they had never been away.

We remembered the maiden voyage and the first school trip, stormy times in Bang Sai Bay and personal achievements. We reflected on the vision shown by ML Tri and Tim Ellis in founding the program and its contribution to education today.

The day flew by with games and recollections, a visit to Ko Kret and sharing a celebration cake. We left feeling priviledged to have been part of such a special program, glad to have contributed to its development and to have honoured to have shared some of its magic.

During the early months of the 2010 school year, the Barge Program was able to welcome an intern from America whose prime responsibility was to develop a program to address the new issues of global warming.


During the course of her stay, our intern was able to develop four new activities to help students understand the importance of global warming in today’s world.

In order to see if the new activities worked well with students, the Barge Program called on Wells International School to come with a group of students to practice all the new activities which included a role-play game where students mimicked the atmosphere and how it responds to carbon dioxide emissions, an experiment to help students understand how temperature rises with added carbon dioxide and finally a visual lesson to show how sea level changes will affect Bangkok life.

Overall the students and instructors of Wells International School had a great day on the barge and the new activities were definitely a success! We here at the Barge Program are very excited to have these new activities available to all groups who wish to come to the barge and if you are interested in running the same type of program, we would be more than happy to help!

For two Sundays in a row, families from the British Club here in Bangkok joined the Three Generation Barge Program.


Not only did the families have a chance to spend some quality time with one another, they were also able to explore the Chao Phraya River. Parents were able to take their children out on our kayaks and paddle through the klongs around Nonthaburi. It was a great chance for many of the children to see typical Thai homes and the lifestyles of the local people.

After the families rejoined the barge, we headed up to the small island of Ko Kret where the children were allowed to try their hand at making pottery. As the students walked away with their heads held up high, proudly displaying the pottery they had made with their dirty hands, the parents had the chance to do some quick shopping before returning to the barge.

While on the barge, the families listened to stories about the river and participated in many of the activities we lead, such as digging through the water hyacinth to find little bugs and watching the river to win the River Bingo game! Overall, both days were great successes.

It was not only a privilege for our program to have the British Club Bangkok back on the boat, but it was comforting to see, even today, families being able to spend a whole day together with fun and smiles on the barge!

BIS Phuket sent two of their Year 5 classes to the barge for their annual Chao Phraya River exploration. Each class investigated the uses of Chao Phraya, discussed pollution issues, had a visit from an Asian open-billed stork, and practiced cooperation and communication in a range of team-building games.


The barge cruised to Ayutthaya, allowing the students to experience the amazing Wat Chai Wattanaram. There was plenty of time to cool off with a few swims at Bang Sai Bay. A fun week was had by all!

The third BIS class was unable to travel to Bangkok to meet the barge, so a special trip was organized for two Barge staff to visit Phuket instead!

Some unique outings were organized to the Phuket Aquarium to consider adaptation, to the beautiful Ao Yon beach, and Nai Yang, where we spent time testing the water quality.

The highlight of the camp for many students was our adventure to Phang Nga bay with the Sea Canoe company, who showed us amazing rock formations such as The Piranha, silica ‘diamond’ crystals in a cave, and incredible micro-organisms that live in the sea water and glow when they move!

During the four-day camp we stayed at the school’s boarding house and lived together as a community, practicing three-minute showers, just as we would have if we had been on the barge! Thank you to BIS for hosting our program at school - it was a very memorable trip.

A very big thanks to Mr Morey and Miss Tik for making the trip go ahead and giving 5M (and the barge staff) such a great experience!

Harrow International School students visited the Three Generation Barge Program for multiple day trips in March.

The year 4 students enjoyed a day of exploring different habitats along the Chao Phraya River, as well as investigating adaptations necessary for living in those habitats.

During a stop in Ko Kret, the children were able to observe different plant species found in the farmlands of the island.

HIS spent time on the barge playing games which let them show their newly learned knowledge of adaptations needed for living in certain habitats.

Regents International School from Pattaya came on the Barge for three days in May.

Throughout the trip, the year 5 students learned about the history of the Ayutthaya period by participating it many different activities at several historical sites. Through such activities as making their own bricks using the ancient technique, the students saw the ways the Chao Phraya River was used in the past, as well as the present.

While visiting the historical sites of Wat Chai Wattanaram and Wat Phra Sri Sanphet, the Regents students used art, poetry, and guided imagery to learn the events that happened in ancient Ayutthaya.

While on the barge, the kids were learning to work together as a group through team building games and of course, barge crews. A teacher attending the trip described the entire experience with the Barge Program "friendly, caring, and informative".

Despite arriving at Survanabhumi Airport in the early hours of the morning on the third of April, students and teachers from Geelong International College, Australia were excited to join the Three Generation Barge Program on the Chao Phraya River.


They were all very eager and ready to start their three-day adventure through Bangkok and Ayutthaya. While on the trip, students received a balance of learning activities focusing on the natural and historical importance of Thailand.

The first day students learned about the Chao Phraya watershed and why it’s considered the life blood of Thailand. They also learned how to speak a little bit of Thai and had to practice by talking to the crew of the barge. A lot of fun and laughter was had.

The next morning students woke up very early to travel to Wat Niwet near Ayutthaya to participate in almsgiving. Students were amazed to see all the little novices dressed in their robes walking barefoot through the streets. Students and teachers were honored to be able to partake in something so culturally significant.

After almsgiving, we continued our journey north to the ancient city of Ayutthaya where students learned about the old capital and visited temples of great importance.

The next day, students had a chance to practice their Thai once again by shopping for breakfast in a local Thai market in Pathum Thani. Then it was back off to the airport to continue their travels to with VSP in Chiang Mai!

One of the accompanying teachers commented,

The Binus students came to the Barge Program for only a few short days before returning to Jakarta, Indonesia. During their stay with the barge, the students participated in experiential activities in history and environmental science.


By day, students traveled to the Grand Palace where they were able to learn the similarities and differences between the cultures here in Thailand and those of their own in Indonesia.

They visited the Royal Barge Museum to view the magnificent boats that carry the King and his family along the Chao Phraya River during special occasions. Students were in awe at the size and grandeur of the long, gold and jewel studded boats.

Once the students had finished their learning on Thailand’s historical significance, they rejoined the barge and started their lessons on the ecology and importance of the Chao Phraya River. Students had a chance to get their hands dirty looking for little macro-invertebrates in the water hyacinth and had the chance to witness how dirty water can get if people do not take care of the river in the game Watershed Puzzle.

Although Binus only spent a few very short days on the Three Generation Barge Program, students and teachers alike found themselves relaxing and enjoying their time on the Chao Phraya River!

Three Generation Barge Program celebrated World Water Day on 30th March 2010 with a half day of activities with the Wat Taepakorn community close to the Barge Program office at Bangplad, Bangkok. We divided the activity into two parts, activities on the Barge and others on Wat Taepakorn field.

Sprinkle Company Limited supported by providing drinking water for everyone and caps for the community committee.


Forty-Eight students and several adults joined the activities to raise awareness of the importance of clean water and to learn more about the Chao Phraya Watershed. The students all made a commitment to help to save our water resources.

We all enjoyed World Water Day and hope that our community values water a little bit more.

BIS International School Phuket spent the middle of March visiting the delights of Chiang Mai.


The aims of the trip were to acquire skills in survival, experience the culture of Hmong and Karen hilltribes, participate in team building activities and to have fun!

Highlights of the trip included visiting the Buffalo Farm and a few hours of Jungle Cooking which resulted in a delicious lunch and dinner, all this made by the children themselves!

Challenging the students and teamwork were an essential part of this trip. A hike to the Karen Village resulted in the following response from one of the teachers: ‘It was something the children don’t get to do in Phuket. The hike was the right challenge level and length time for this age of children’

Teamwork involved children working in groups to make the best raft and shelter. The rafts were constructed by the children themselves and each group had to cross the Three Generation Community for Learning Stream a number of times to test their rafts stability. A BIS teacher commented: The children have plenty of academic opportunities at school and the teambuilding was exactly what the need’.

A teacher’s comment about the worst thing on the trip…. ‘Going home!’

In February, the Three Generation Barge Program had the pleasure of taking The Regent’s School, Bangkok on our first Chiang Mai trip of the year.

Students learned about the various hill tribes of Thailand by carrying out investigative work and presenting what they found in the hill tribe museum. They also spent a night in the Karen village and experienced hill tribe life first-hand.

We visited the highest spot in Thailand, the very summit of Doi Inthanon, and students rounded off the trip in style by getting covered in mud while learning about rice farming and the use of buffaloes at the buffalo center!

Exchanging the cold of a Canadian winter for the January cool of the Chao Phraya, a group of adults from Salt Spring Island enjoyed a weekend discovering the River of Kings and all it has to share about thai culture.


A busy morning was spent exploring the Bang Sai Art and Craft Center workshops, regional houses and aviary.

Later the group wondered at Wat Niwet, the "temple in a church", and then marvelled at the huge sitting Buddha at Wat Pananchoern before enjoying the dramatic story of the fall of Ayutthaya against the backdrop of Wat Chai Wattanaram.

As the group headed off on the next leg of their journey, they took with them fond memories of our little rice barge and life along the Chao Phraya.

13 - 15 January 2010

Bromsgrove Y5 came with us on the Barge to explore Chao Phraya Watershed and Ayutthya, and to experience lifestyles along the river while having fun and working together as community.


On the first day, they introduced themselves and engaged in some fun activities such as swimming, canoeing and ended up the day with the team building activity Stepping Stones. They were all challenged by the three minute showers, but most of them were so good that they were done on time.

On the second day, they headed to the old capital city, Ayutthaya, where they started with brick making. Everyone enjoyed playing with clay and succeeded in making beautiful bricks, which they all took back home.

In the late morning, they set out on Tuk-tuks to explore Ayutthaya. After a long day filled with new knowledge and enjoyment, they came back to our barge for cooking and cleaning before dinner.

The last day was the hardest day because they had to shop for our breakfast from the local market. Everyone did a great job, because everything was eaten!

Students from Bromsgrove Year 7 joined us on a trip to Khao Yai, investigating the biodiversity of life and interrelationships of plants and animals. We identified many animal signs along the Nong Pachee and Mor Singh Tor trails.


For the Community Service Project, we helped add salt and minerals to a man-made salt lick. Salt licks are uncovered red dirt areas where animals gather to lick the minerals to regain their strength and supplement their diet.

The Bromsgrove Year 8 students visited the rainforest in Khao Chamao National Park and Chantaburi with its mangrove and marine ecosystems.


Not only did they swim at the waterfall at Khao Chamao, they also kayaked at Kung Krabane Bay through the mangrove forest. They investigated a local fishing village and Sattahip Sea Turtle Conservation Station, where they learned about human-wildlife interaction.

Sirindhorn M2 English class had their annual English Camp with Three Generation Barge Program.


This year in Chantaburi, the students enjoyed the walk along the mangrove boardwalk, especially when they spotted mudskippers, snakes, crabs and kingfishers. Their days were filled with on-going activities and games, all in English.

The best part of the trip was the campfire, when groups of students did environmental skits about marine and mangrove life.

11 - 12 January 2010

Earlier this month Garden International School Rayong traveled so far from the east coast to learn more about natural and human impact throughout the Chao Phraya Drainage Basin.


We went to Koh Kret and explored the way of Mon life. There, we also discussed geography, biology and chemistry and located our first water testing site.

When we got back on the Barge, we role-played and enjoyed an incredible moment when students acted their findings about Koh Kret life and water quality. That night, everyone was challenged to take a three-minute shower and you should have heard the screams!

On the second morning, we all woke up to a cool breeze while we had hot chocolate and breakfast. We then headed to Bang Sai Bay for swimming and canoeing which proved to be favourite activities. We continued working on water-testing site two during the way back and site three, which was in front of the Pepsi brewery.

The trip ended with discussion on river life, human impact and new ideas for better nature and human relationships.

The Barge Program started the new year with Concordian Year 6 students traveling along the Chao Phraya River.

Through interactive games such as Common's Dilemma and water testing experiments, the three days were filled with questions and discoveries about human impact on the watershed.

29 - 31 December 2009

After a few hours sleep to recover from a day of traveling, and with memories of deep snow still fresh in their minds, a group of environment students climbed aboard the Barge just south of Bangkok to begin their whirlwind orientation of Thailand.

With the main trip focus to collect data concerning fishing cats and tigers in the South of Thailand, the group of American students took the last few days of 2009 to get in touch with the life and culture of Thailand as the boat traveled through historic Bangkok and along the canals to Ayutthaya..

The group of undergraduates enjoyed seeing what was being grown on the mixed farms of Ko Kret and were excited to come across a green whip snake.

They puzzled over the lack of nesting evidence of the Asian Open Billed Storks who seemed more interested in riding the thermals above Ko Kret and were amazed by the diversity of life along Klong Manora as the Barge made its way to Ayutthaya.

A memory that remains in everyone's mind is surely the flood- lit splendor of Wat Chai Wattanaram by night against the beauty of the full moon. A truely memorable backdrop to learn a little of the history of Ayutthaya and the role that the Chao Phraya played.

27 November - 3 December 2009


Discovery Bay International School Year 8 came to Thailand to spend time with us for the first time. We had a seven-day trip on the barge, then went to Khao Yai and Kanchanaburi. Each location has added different focus and perspective to our trip.

On the barge we focused on the human impact to the river and environment. We did two water-testing sites and macro invertebrate investigation to study about the water quality index of Chao Praya River.

In Khao Yai, we hiked and learned about rainforest diversity and rainforest animals.

We were very lucky to see the bat cave and a wild elephant in Khao Yai National Park. In Kanchanaburi, students walked back to the time when WWII was happening in Thailand.

We went to the River Kwai Bridge, Hell fire Pass (the death railway), the Prisoners of War cemetery and interviewed the owner of the War Museum, who was there in Kanchanaburi during WWII.

We ended our trip with a splash at Erawan Waterfalls. We all had fun and were lucky to learn and see Thailand in other dimensions: we proved to ourselves that there is so much more to discover in this country!

Ko Kret was paid a visit by year 1 children from International School Bangkok.

The children spent half a day exploring part of the island and learning about how pottery is made and the use of different materials in making pottery. They tried their hands on pottery making and painting, taught by the local school students. They also watched the professional potters spin the pots at amazing speeds at the pottery factory.

The day ended with some shopping time, where they could buy the traditional pots that they had been learning about.

The class joined the barge on a river investigation. They learned about the river habitat and usage by the people and wild animals.

They sang the Boats on the River song, listened to the Giving River story, and drew a large map, which showed riverside activities they observed that day.

Three Generation Barge Program accompanied children from Shrewsbury International School on a trip into Khao Yai National Park to explore the rainforest and to learn about life-cycles.

The children fearlessly completed two hikes in the rainforest, where they marveled at the nature around them, whilst seeing the various adaptations of plants and animals. Although the trip was at points challenging for the students they all had a great time, and took home memories and new skills that will last for a lifetime.

Year 6 students from Bromsgrove International School came with the Three Generation Barge Program on a five day action packed trip to Chiang Mai.

The students made it to the summit and conquered Doi Inthanon! While on the mountain we looked at the changes between the bottom of the mountain and the top. They also spent one night in the Karen Hilltribe and saw the rainforest from a new height as they completed the Flight of the Gibbon!

The Sonakul House spent the weekend at a resort in Supanburi, lounging around the poolside, watching buffalo shows and even riding one. The two days were filled with group activities like collecting water chestnuts and making tyedye cloths with natural dyes. To conclude our fantastic weekend, we went to a water park to refresh ourselves on a hot sunny day.

On the 2nd - 5th November, year 5 students from St. Andrews International School spent some time on the sun soaked beaches of Chantaburi. While in Chantaburi, students learned about the adapatations and importance of mangrove forests while observing the forest in its natural state.

Other activities included visiting the aquarium, turtle conservation centre and a big campfire to end the trip in style, and of course many games were played to ensure the students had lots of fun on their school trip.

On November 2, students from Wat Yom joined us on the Barge down stream. Although the weather was a bit chilly, we still enjoyed the canoeing and swimming in the river.

We also learned about how the river community affects the water, making it dirty for other animals to live in, and what we could do to protect clean water.

ในวันจันทร์ที่ 2 พฤศจิกายน 2552 ที่ผ่านมาทางเรือเราได้มีโอกาศต้อนรับคุณครู และน้องๆนักเรียนจากโรงเรียนวัดยม จังหวัดอยุธยา ซึ่งเป็นทริปการเรียนรู้เกี่ยวกับลุ่มเจ้าพระยาของเราที่เราทุกคนอาศัยอยู่ เพื่อสร้างจิตสำนึกให้น้องๆรัก และตระหนักถึงความสำคัญ และประโยชน์ทั้งหลายที่เราได้รับจากลุ่มน้ำเพื่อการอนุรักษ์ที่ยั่งยืนต่อไป วันนั้นเป็นวันที่เพิ่งจะเริ่ม บรรยากาศฤดูหนาว อากาศเย็นสบาย แต่ลมค่อนข้างแรง แต่น้องๆก็สนใจเรียนรู้ ตลอดจนร่วมทำกิจกรรมต่างๆ ได้แก่ กิจกรรมสำรวจแม่น้ำ เกมส์ต่างๆ ว่ายน้ำ พายแคนู อย่างขมีขมันไม่มีย่อท้อจนจบวัน

Students from Kardinia International College Year 9, traveled up the Chao Phraya River for environmental and cultural learning. We visited the Grand Palace in Bangkok, interviewed the people of Ko Kret and nuns in Ayutthaya, and did alms giving to the monks at Wat Niwet.

At Wat Poh Tang Tai, we all enjoyed playing games and interacting with the younger Thai students. We played the Watermelon game, where the kids tried to pull us apart from each other… it was intense.

On the 26th - 30th October, children from the Regent’s School Pattaya spent time learning about life in the North of Thailand.

During their visit to Chiang Mai the students spent a night staying in a Karen Hilltribe village. They also enjoyed various other activities such as interactively learning the processes behind rice farming and taking part in some jungle cooking.

The trip was finished off in grand style with a Kantoke dinner, which included traditional northern food and traditional northern dancing.

On October 12 and 13, the barge staff took year one students from Early Learning Center for a day trip down the Chao Phraya River.

The staff introduced the children to the people, places, and things that exist on and around the river in a game called "River Bingo".

In addition, the ELC students learned what happens to the river when there is too much pollution in an experiment called "River Soup".

After being led in a Klong Tour, the children participated in the activity "Sound Map", getting the chance to relax and listen to the noises that they heard along the river.

On October 9, participants for the Green Networking Days monthly meeting joined us on our barge for the World Water Monitoring Day event.

We tested the water quality of the Chao Phraya within Bangkok city through four parameters: temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH and turbidity.

With participants from various background and professions such as researchers, university students, green companies and many more, the day filled with heated discussions and ideas for a greener tomorrow.

Green Networking Day is a networking group setting monthly meetings to learn and discuss the connection between a greener business, higher efficiency and increased revenues.

World Water Monitoring Day is an international public program, promoting water protection awareness on through engaging in basic water quality tests on their local water bodies.

On September 23 and 24th, the Year 11 student from Harrow International School's geography course spent a whole day on the barge to work on a case study of the Chao Phraya water usage.

They conducted chemical and physical tests checking the water quality among three points along the river, including a site near a factory out pipe.

Other activities included role playing of different river scenarios as well as river observations, which all tied together in deciding who's responsibility it is to clean the river... All of us!

Students from International School Bangkok spent a day with the Three Generation Barge Program exploring the culture, economy and environment of Ko Kret.

While walking around Ko Kret, students spent time interviewing local residents to find out first hand information about the island. Back on the barge, they enjoyed activities such as mapping Ko Kret and presenting the information that they had gathered.

On a hot sunny day Kardinia students enjoyed their swimming and canoeing in the Chao Phraya River. We all felt refreshed before going to Wat Po Tang Tai School to play with the students there.

After walking around Wat Chai Wattanaram, one of the glorious temples that still stand today, the students learn about the past and present of Ayutthaya and how glorious it once was. The students then spend time to reflect their experience into stories and poems.

The Sriboonyanon Riverside school had a trip with the Three Generation Barge Program on 27th August 2009.

25 M5 students and two teachers enjoyed the barge and realized the importance of the Choa Phraya river and the problem that it faced from human impacts.

วันที่ 27 สิงหาคม โรงเรียนศรีบุณยานนท์ โรงเรียนริมแม่น้ำเจ้าพระยาได้ร่วมเดินทางไปกับเรือเราเป็นครั้งแรก นักเรียนชั้นม.5 จำนวน 25 คนและครูอีก 2 ท่าน ได้มาลงเรือในวันนี้ ต่างสนุกสนานและได้ความรู้กับไป และสิ่งที่พวกเขาได้มาก คือได้รู้ความจริงว่า แม่น้ำเจ้าพระยายังคงความสำคัญขนาดไหน และปัญหาที่เจ้าพระยากำลังประสบอยู่จากการกระทำของมนุษย์ เป็นแรงบันดาลใจอีกทางที่ช่วยเสริมให้พวกเขากลับไปทำกิจกรรมดีดีต่อสิ่งแวดล้อมและแม่น้ำเจ้าพระยาต่อไป

The Work it Company in cooperation with Pollution Control Department arranged a 1 day workshop with Chao Phraya riverside schools from 9 provinces along the Chao Praya river. Students and teachers learned how to use macroinvertebrates as bioindicators.

ทริปบริษัทเวิร์คอิท

บริษัทเวิร์คอิท ร่วมมือกับกรมควบคุมมลพิษ จัดการสัมมนาเชิงปฏิบัติการเพื่อการอนุรักษ์แม่น้ำเจ้าพระยา โดยตัวแทนครูและนักเรียนจากจังหวัดต่างๆที่แม่น้ำเจ้าพระยาไหลผ่าน นักเรียนได้เรียนรู้การใช้สัตว์เล็กๆเป็นดัชนีวัดคุณภาพน้ำ ซึ่งนับว่าเป็นประโยชน์กับโรงเรียนและหลายโรงเรียนจะนำกลับไปทำที่โรงเรียนตัวเอง

Once a grand vision

Once a grand vision,
Engulfed by war and fear
Thus a grand ruin.

All those sleepless nights
Where the soil was marked with tears
The sky tinted red.

Their faith had fallen.
With their capital no more,
A new city rose.

By Leila Cao, Firbank Grammar, Australia

Firbank Grammar: Memories of a week on the Barge and in Kanchanaburi

Laughter and leadership - activities with Thai riverside school
Ideas and insight - interviewing a Buddhist nun
Releasing turtles - exploring Pathum Thani Market
Fun and frivolity - last night talent show
Somber reality - Visiting war sites in Kanchanaburi

From June 29-July 1, about twenty Khao Yai National Park rangers and other Khao Yai staff took part in an English training at Khao Yai with Barge Program staff.

During the three days, the participants learned many words and phrases, and how to answer some questions that foreign visitors may have, such as what options visitors have for accommodation and how to get to certain sites within the Park.

Activities were held both in the classroom and outdoors. Much knowledge was exchanged between Khao Yai staff and Barge staff, and fun was had by all!

Everyone pushed themselves in learning as much as they could, and this certainly is only a starting point for the rangers and other Khao Yai staff to expand their English even more.

Watdusitaram students and Barge staff joined with Thai Bridgestone and WWF staff at WWF's Rangsit site to celebrate World Environment Day.

After learning about the importance of planting trees and doing positive things for the environment in today's world, the participants took to the fields to either plant rice, fruit trees, or native trees.

Everyone had a fulfilling experience, and hopefully their efforts will not just end with the day but continue all year round.

To help celebrate World Environment Day, the Barge Program staff visited Somrutai Primary School and taught Kindergarten-Year 6 students about environmental issues, such as recycling and how to take care of our natural resources, through games and other activities.

The day ended with the Kindergarten students performing a song and dance routine about how everyone must protect rivers, and the year 4, 5, and 6's catwalking the fashions they had just created out of recyclable materials!

Students gathered WWII knowledge by visiting infamous historical sites such as the Bridge over the River Kwai, the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, and Hellfire Pass.

A highlight of the trip was being able to interview the Art Gallery and War Museum’s curator, who was a young boy during the War.

By participating in creative activities such as drawing, poetry, and drama, the students gained as much insight as they could into what life was like for the thousands of POWs and Asian laborers who helped build the Death Railway.

Grade 5 students from Concordian School, Bangkok, joined the Three Generation Barge Program on a land based adventure camp to Khao Yai.

Pupils stayed at Wild Lodge, a private Eco Resort and Outdoor Center on the southern slopes of Khao Yai. From this center the group tried their hands at archery and orienteering, enjoyed an afternoon of canoeing on a nearby lake, and enjoyed a barbeque and campfire.

For many though the highlight was tackling the ‘Low Ropes’ and ‘High Ropes’ course. With the low ropes the students had to work together to get through an adventure course involving obstacles set just off the ground.

For the more daring they could have a try at the high ropes, which was set over 10m above the ground. All students gave the high ropes a try and many conquered fears they had before arriving.

IB students took a detailed look at testing techniques and water quality along the Chao Phraya River. Results were gathered from the Beer Singh factory, near Ko Kret and also from a Klong by farmland on the island.

Some interesting results were gathered and some excellent comparisons drawn with regards to the way different human activities damage our river systems!

Environmental Management students undertook a land-use investigation on Ko Kret to discover environmental pressures and mitigation strategies on the island.

As always, the people of Ko Kret were happy to participate and the students learnt a great deal about this unique community!

To practice their scientific testing and hypothesis-making skills, IB students from Concordian International School spent a weekend on the barge, examining the water quality of the River in different locations.

Physical, chemical, and biological testing took place near factory, market, and residential areas. Additionally, macroinvertebrates, such as shrimp, snails, and crabs, found in water hyacinth were used as biological indicators of the Chao Phraya’s quality.

The data gathered will be of further use to the students back in the classroom, as they draw conclusions about the results.

As "history hunters" in Ayutthaya, Regents Pattaya Year 5’s explored the ancient structures of Wat Chai Wattanaram and Wat Phra Sri Sanphet, as well as the former Palace grounds.

Students also learned about the bricks that built this former capital of Siam (and then got to make bricks themselves!), and what it was like to live in the nearby Portuguese village in that time.

Traill International School, Bangkok, invited the Barge Program to come into their school for a day to help celebrate their Environment Day.

Pupils from Kindergarten age up to Year 10 were involved in learning about environmental issues in a variety of habitats.

Students were involved in activities and practical demonstrations to help them understand key concepts and current environmental issues.

Pollution Detectives

For 5 separate days in April Ruamrudee International School Grade 5 classes had a chance to come to the Chao Phraya River to do some water testing and figure out the quality of the River.

By observing the river, and then doing biological testing by looking at the macroinvertebrate species and chemical/physical tests such as dissolved oxygen, nitrates, phosphates, pH, temperature, and turbidity.

All the groups found the River to be of average quality, and discussed the ways in which it could be improved.

Exploring the Chao Phraya River and looking at the potential pollution sources and investigating its connection to Thai culture


St.John’s year 7 became real scientists in the field whilst exploring the Chao Phraya River, assessing water quality at different sites and looking at the River’s importance in Thai culture.

A day off the barge in Ayutthaya revealed how the Rivers uses have changed and human impact has increased over the years. Once back on the barge swimming and canoeing in the River was the perfect way to cool from the April heat!

ISPP Investigates the Chao Phraya River

The International School of Phnom Penh sent a group of grade 5 students to the barge in early April to explore Thailand’s Chao Phraya River. The group spent four days traveling from Bangkok to Ayutthaya, visiting many different sites along the way.

The ISPP students started the trip by observing the Chao Phraya River and how Thai people living along the river us it as part of their daily lives. This gave us a chance to consider the importance of the Mekhong River in the life of Cambodians. We also scavenged through water hyacinth plants to learn about the water quality of the Chao Phraya.

Visiting Thailand meant a chance for the Cambodian residents to learn some Thai language, and it was fantastic to see everyone trying so hard and even using their new skills in the markets!

We also had a chance to discover Ayutthaya’s ancient treasures and learn about the fall of the mighty capital.

The ISPP students each produced a postcard while on the barge trip, which were sent home to Cambodia to remind them of their trip. We also got our hands dirty learning about traditional Ayutthayan bricks and having a go at making them.

On the return trip we traveled down Mae Nam Noi, giving us a chance to do some bird watching. There were hundreds of amazing birds to be seen, especially the brightly coloured kingfishers. Over the course of the trip the class produced a big event map, showing all the different sites and activities, a little reminder of Thailand to have back in their classroom.

The last night of the trip was celebrated with a campfire and, although rain meant we had the ‘fire’ onboard the barge, it was a lot of fun seeing performances and playing games. The highlight was finishing the night with marshmallows and popcorn!

On the final day of the trip we visited Ko Kret, giving the Cambodian students a chance to buy some Thailand souvenirs to take home.

Discovering Chiang Mai


This group learned so much about Thai culture, hilltribes, the Royal Project, and service learning. They went to play games and had snacks with the Karen children in Mae Klang village on Doi Inthanon, and also donated money and books to the children at Baan Vieng Ping Orphanage House.

We had a fun day at Mae Tang Elephant Camp; we did not just ride on elephants or did bamboo rafting, but learned about eco-tourism in Chiang Mai as well.

River Life Exploration

Two Year 5 classes thoroughly enjoyed their time on the barge. By partaking in various activities, the students learned about life along the river.

They especially liked the time off the barge when they were able to learn about Asian Open-billed Storks’ behavior, habitat, and adaptations.

The students from British International School had a great adventure in Chiang Mai the last week of March.

Exploration of the Karen village in Doi Inthanon, building shelters, raft building and jungle cooking were among the activities that the students participated in.

A visit to Chiang Mai is never complete without releasing the lanterns after the Khantoke dinner, which made the trip magical for them.

Rainforest Biodiversity Investigation in Khao Yai National Park

VIS Grade 8 this year visited Khao Yai National Park. We were very lucky to see a lot of animals very closely.

We saw gibbons, macaques, hornbills, sambar deer, barking deer, and porcupines. We saw bear tracks on the Nong Pak Chee Trail (good that we didn’t see the bear very close too!!!)

The students really enjoyed the hikes through the rainforest and learning about biodiversity and forest ecology. They helped maintain the saltlick for all the animals that we had seen and the other ones out there!

St. Andrews Y4 had an opportunity to explore the different habitats of Khao Yai.

In their exploration, they’ve learned about the inner workings of the rainforests, how macroinvertebrates show water quality, the secret life of insects, and how to work together as a team.

Students from Surin gained knowledge about the rainforest by spending three days in Khao Yai, as well as having the chance to expand their English vocabulary.

They learned about some of the plant and animal species of the rainforest and their adaptations by taking part in activities such as bird watching, collecting macroinvertebrates, and identifying plant species while hiking on a trail.

The students also played many educational as well as non-educational games and made memories to last a lifetime.

BIS Phuket students learned all about the Chao Phraya watershed and how important it is to Thailand through a variety of activities, including investigating the Asian open-billed storks that live near it, creating a watershed on the barge, and learning about the old capital of Ayutthaya and how it was a center of trade.

Through a game, they also realized how crucial natural resources are to the world, as well as using their communication and cooperation abilities by taking part in team building and problem-solving games. A great time was had by all!

With just a few weeks left in Thailand, Y9 students from Australia had the chance to discover more about the country by coming on a barge trip and visiting places like the Grand Palace, Summer Palace, and Ayutthaya.

On the last night, the barge’s stop at an elephant center was, according to participating teacher Andrew Watson, the “icing on the cake!”

Students had a fantastic opportunity to learn about the biodiversity of the rainforest.

Through setting up and taking down their own tents, cooking their own food, and helping out their classmates, the students learned valuable lessons in conservation and by collaborating with their classmates. They even saw an elephant at a salt lick during the night safari!

Participants learned about point and non-point sources of pollution during four day-trips on the barge.

They also investigated sources of pollution on Ko Kret by interviewing residents about water quality and water issues on the island. And, of course, who could go to Ko Kret without a bit of shopping?!