25 May -2 June 2025: Special Olympic Belgium 

If you're someone who wants to try doing something solo far from home, but not just traveling like most people do—if you love adventure and aren’t afraid to make new friends along the way—I recommend looking for a volunteer project that interests you. Choose the kind of work you want to do, the country you want to visit, save up, and just go for it!

I first saw the announcement for the Special Olympic Games on VSA Thailand’s Facebook page last year, but at the time, my schedule wasn’t ready. So I just kept it in mind. This year, I saw another call for Thai volunteers for the same event and thought—this is finally the right time.

I checked airfares and compared prices before deciding to fly with Thai Airways from Hat Yai to Suvarnabhumi, departing around 20:40 and arriving at 22:10. The benefit of choosing the same airline all the way to Brussels, Belgium, is that your luggage gets checked through to your final destination. Also, I didn’t have to go through immigration at Suvarnabhumi Intl Airport because I had already cleared international immigration at Hat Yai—so I could just walk straight to my gate as an ICQ (International Connecting) passenger.
(One reason I chose Belgium was that I didn’t need to go to Bangkok to apply for a visa. I hold an official passport, which allows entry into some European countries—like Romania, Bulgaria, and Belgium—without a visa.)

While waiting for my flight, I met Esther, a Belgian woman who had flown from Japan and was transiting through Suvarnabhumi on her way home. We passed the time chatting. Her English was easy to understand, so I asked about the weather in Belgium (my only concern was the cold—I was worried I didn’t pack enough warm clothes). She also gave me tips on taking the train to Courtrai.

Luckily, the flight wasn’t full. I chose an aisle seat for easier access to the restroom. A young Belgian woman sat by the window, and the middle seat was empty. We got to chatting and even swapped snacks—she didn’t eat the crispy rice snack the airline offered (which is delicious, by the way), and I had too much bread and a giant omelet, so I gave her some.

After landing, I had to line up at the “All Passports” queue for immigration. The line was very long—it took about 1.5 hours. The officers didn’t ask much since they were rushing through the process.
(There’s a separate lane for Belgians or EU citizens, which moves much faster.)

Day 1–3: May 25–27, 2025

Three days before the Special Olympic Games officially began, our group of 7 international volunteers (2 Spanish women, 1 Mexican man, 1 Palestinian man, 1 French man, and 1 Thai woman—me) started work on May 26, helping set up the sports venue. We hung banners and prepared the facilities, working alongside local volunteers. Tasks lasted all day, with a 2-hour lunch break.

This type of physical work required endurance—we were outside in the sun, walking, bending, and stretching a lot. On the second day, we prepared the BOCCE court (pronounced “boc-chee” or “bocceh”), which is similar to pétanque. Interestingly, many Belgians didn’t even know the sport. When I asked a local volunteer why BOCCE was part of the Special Olympics Belgium, she said that it’s included in the Paralympic Games, so autistic athletes can participate in it here as well.

Day 4–6: Special Olympics Belgium (May 28–31, 2025)

Our team was responsible for assisting the athletes: escorting them to their seats, helping them put on their numbered jackets, guiding them to competition areas, and keeping everything orderly. The athletes were lovely and followed instructions well—maybe a bit slow at times, but always polite.

Someone asked how we communicated with them. Actually, we didn’t use much verbal language—we relied on body language to guide them. The local volunteers and game officials were kind and patient. Even though the games moved slowly, no one rushed. It was heartwarming to see. Many of them had been volunteering for years.

Volunteers of all ages worked hard, including many over 60 years old. I think this is the charm of volunteer work—you see people doing it not for money, but because they truly want to help.

Memorable Impressions:

• The Belgian people I met were friendly, kind, and always willing to help tourists. Anytime I asked for directions or assistance, they helped right away without hesitation.

• Transportation in Belgium was simple. From the airport, just take the elevator down to level B2 to catch the train.
  (The ticket from Brussels Airport to Courtrai station cost €24.30. I bought it at a staffed counter, where the officer asked if I preferred upper or lower level seating. Then I had to insert money into a nearby ticket machine myself. When I hesitated, a staff member quickly came over and asked, “French, Dutch, or English?” to find out which language I spoke. This happened often, even at the sports venue, since volunteers came from many countries, and Belgians themselves speak either French or Dutch depending on the region.)

• The food prepared by volunteers was delicious. I especially liked the tomato soup and the chive soup, which had a nice tangy taste.
  (Though that might be why I had a stomach issue in the middle of the night and had to run to the bathroom several times...)
  Meals were mainly bread-based, with rice served just 2 or 3 times. The rice was long-grain, similar to Indian rice. Daytime meals were mostly sandwiches or burgers, while dinner was a bit more special.

• Accommodation was in cabins, provided by Flexotels, a sponsor that supplied units for volunteers coming from afar. Each cabin had towels, blankets, a heater, and an outdoor chair. Special Olympics Belgium had many sponsors.
  (There were around 3,400 athletes and roughly 600 volunteers.)

• Work was both structured and unstructured. Some volunteers didn’t know what they were supposed to do at first, but once assigned tasks, they worked diligently. Some even cycled to the venue every day.

• Strong cycling culture: Bikes were everywhere—single-person bikes, bikes with kids or pets in the front, and people dressed in formal clothes cycling to work. Parking and bike locks were available nearly everywhere. You could even take your bike onto the train.

By Diyaporn Wisamitanan in JAVVA25-01 SPECIAL OLYMPICS BELGIUM 25 May -02 June 2025