Background:

Mac and Boosaba met and were married in Chiangmai. After their daughter was born in 1992, the family moved to Boosaba's home in Pah Leurat, a small farming village in Uttaradit province. During their two years there, Mac taught middle school English while his daughter, Benyapa, acquired Thai as her first language. The Bakewells are now based in Santa Barbara, yet they continue to enjoy several months each year in Thailand.

Inside Thailand was originally inspired by a spirited pen-pal exchange. When American teens wrote of their families, pets, and favorite activities, Mac's students immediately found new interest in English and eagerly replied:

I live with my mother and father and grandmother. We have six chickens, one cat and two buffalo. My favorite food is sticky rice with mango. I like to play volleyball and paddle canoes in the river. I hope you can come to Thailand some day.

The Pah Leurat students warmly welcomed the first Inside Thailand group in 1995, and are now eagerly anticipating their next summer's guests.

Related projects:

In 1996 Inside Thailand opened the Brian Brazier Computer Lab. That facility has since outgrown its original space, and in the summer of 2002 was expanded to the second floor of the village community library.

In 1998 and 1999, in conjunction with the Global Routes organization and various Rotary Clubs, Inside Thailand built the Pah Leurat Community Library. This multi-purpose structure now provides exceptional educational resources, and also serves as a community social center for the young people in this remote village.

In 2003, Inside Thailand alumna Rachel Ko launched a scholarship program called Thai Circle. Rachel's program is designed to reward dedicated Pah Leurat students with the rare opportunity to finish high school, while at the same time offering Inside Thailand alums a convenient opportunity to expand and extend connections with their Thai peers. Six years later, the first Thai Circle student graduated from high school and was accepted by three of Thailand's top universities. Nam Whan has chosen Chiang Mai University where she began as a freshman in June of 2009.

Long-range goals:

Beyond fostering the many durable benefits of cultural exchange, Inside Thailand aims to encourage and assist the young people of Pah Leurat in developing those perspectives and skills necessary to both honor their traditions and sustain their community throughout these rapidly changing times.

We invite you to explore this website and to contact us for further information.