Study Abroad for Lifelong Learners
June 2025
Rhodes College is committed to lifelong learning and strives to create opportunities for all members of our community to learn and share new experiences together. The Meeman Center for Lifelong Learning at Rhodes is excited to offer an international trip for Rhodes alumni, parents, and friends to travel to Thailand as part of a class led by Rhodes faculty member Brooke Schedneck. “Religion and Culture of Thailand” is a ten-day trip in northern Thailand, exploring sites and connecting with local people. We will visit temples, learn how to meditate from monks, gain knowledge of Thai cooking, and relax with elephants. Dr. Brooke Schedneck is an expert on Buddhism in contemporary Thailand who has led several groups of Rhodes students on a study course called Buddhism in Thai Society. Author of Living Theravada: Demystifying the People, Places, and Practices of a Buddhist Tradition (2023), Religious Tourism in Northern Thailand: Encounters with Buddhist Monks (2021), and Thailand’s International Meditation Centers: Tourism and the Global Commodification of Religious Practices (2015), along with dozens of articles and chapters on her research, Professor Schedneck will share her extensive knowledge of the cultural foundations of the country. She has lived in Thailand from 2009-2017, has made frequent trips during the summer months and a sabbatical year, and is a fluent Thai communicator. Through her extensive contacts, we will meet with several Thai Buddhists, Muslims, professors, and cultural mediators who will exchange their knowledge with us.
ANTICIPATED COST
$2500-$3000 per person, double occupancy. Single room supplement possible.
PROGRAM INCLUSIONS
- Six nights in Chiang Mai and three nights in Chiang Rai (including Chiang Saen and the Golden Triangle) at 3- or 4-star hotels
- Nine breakfasts at hotels and any group meals on the itinerary
- Air-conditioned van rides for transfers between cities
- Transport to all sites (temples, mosques, shrines, museums)
- Transportation for destinations on itinerary further than 1.5km/20 min walk.
- Readings, brief lectures, and guided discussions
- English-speaking licensed guides for tourist locations
- Entrance fees to temples and museums
- Fees for all courses and excursions (meditation, cooking, elephant camp)
- Tips for service providers
Optional pre-trip meetings on Zoom
NOT INCLUDED: Airfare; travel insurance; expenses of a personal nature; any items or meals not specified in the Itinerary or in the Program Inclusions.
PAYMENT SCHEDULE AND REFUNDS
A deposit of $500 per person is required to reserve your space on a first-come, first-served basis. Anticipated trip capacity: 18 participants. Final payment is due 90 days prior to departure. Payment can be made by credit or debit card. Please note that participation is limited to adults 18 years of age or older.
WITHDRAWALS, REFUNDS, AND CANCELLATION
In the event of a participant’s withdrawal, deposits will be refunded in full until December 1, 2024, after which a $500 per person administrative fee applies. Withdrawals received 61–90 days prior to departure will be assessed a penalty equal to 50% of the total program cost per person. Withdrawals received within 60 days of departure are subject to 100% penalties. Requests for withdrawal must be made in writing. No refunds will be made for any part of this program in which you choose not to participate. In the event of the program’s cancellation, all fees paid will be refunded in full.
INSURANCE
We strongly recommend the purchase of trip cancellation insurance, which is available for coverage of expenses in conjunction with cancellation due to illness or accident. Baggage insurance is also recommended. In the event that you must cancel your participation in a travel program, trip cancellation insurance may be the only source of reimbursement.