English In-Person Classes in Koh Tao

Each week, volunteer teachers lead free English classes for children and young adults from Thailand and Myanmar migrant communities, using the common area at Wonderland Jungle Hostel as classroom space. Twelve children attend weekly, building foundational English literacy and communication skills at no cost to their families — classes run in direct partnership with the hostel.

Many of the students are from Myanmar migrant families living in Thailand. Thai policy formally entitles every child in the country to a free education, regardless of nationality or documentation status — but in practice, older students often run into real barriers: Thai-only classroom instruction, school-level enrollment practices that vary from school to school, and interrupted schooling histories that don’t line up with age-based grade placement. HAEA’s English classes are one of the ways students keep building toward their education despite that gap.

Alongside the group classes, volunteers provide free one-on-one private tutoring for students who need more focused attention, and HAEA sponsors places at Mee Fah ESL School for students pursuing more advanced English study locally, covering travel and accommodation where needed.

Part of HAEA’s six education programs →