Having moved to the South East Asian nation after leaving public life, Ms Speedie has been teaching children English at an orphanage at Phrae in the far-north of Thailand.

"It absolutely fills your heart and fills your soul, that's the only way I can describe it," she said during a visit to Albury-Wodonga this week.

"These children have nothing, but they're loved, they're cared for, they're well fed, they have somewhere safe to live and when you see these children, they have two T-shirts, two pairs of shorts and a school uniform and that's it."

The 52 children are not strictly orphans, often their parents are unable to care for they're drug users or street workers, and they are left as weeks-old babies and stay until they're 17 or 18.

Ms Speedie learned of the orphanage through Albury school teacher Phil Shanahan who first visited in the early 2000s and has since led groups annually from the Border to assist the centre.

"I'll do it to the day I die," Mr Shanahan said, adding $200,000 had been raised on the Border over the decades to assist the Phrae children's village and two others administered by Mercy International in Thailand.

Ms Speedie has been to Phrae three times since February and plans to link up with a group led by Mr Shanahan in spring.

"I'm teaching from prep to year 10, I muck in and help in the kitchen after lessons and I've done some painting, you just get in and do whatever," Ms Speedie said.

She said having decided to live overseas she "wanted to be involved in the community and the culture, rather than just visiting".

"That's much more rewarding, you get to learn and know so much," Ms Speedie said.

Having been unwell and experienced the death of her sister, Ms Speedie said she was "very deliberative" in changing her life after being a councillor for 16 years and mayor for the last four before retiring at the end of 2020.

"Being on council was all about thinking 'how can I make a difference' and this is making a difference in a very different way," she said of her teaching.

"I'm not strategically thinking about how I do build a new library or raise $100 million to move a railway, I'm thinking 'how do I raise $60 to buy baby formula'."

Enduring tropical temperatures in the mid-30s and 99 per cent humidity, Ms Speedie says there are no iPads to enthral students, with sticks and a goat donated by a farmer providing entertainment.

"I've never heard a child over there say they're bored, their joy in life is over the simple things," she said.

Indeed she taped up a paper ball to throw to students who then had to say a word starting with a particular letter when they caught it.

Ms Speedie will return with some footballs and soccer balls and teach them about Australian Rules.

Asked if she was missing the Border she replied "not at all".

"I haven't cooked in five months because it costs two bucks for my lunch and dinner," she said.

If you want to donate to the service or sponsor a child www.mercy-international.com.

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