During this 4 months travel, I met lots of monks. They are all really friendly and easy talking. I learned a lot chatting with them.
I can't tell for other countries, but in Laos, lots of children become monk in order to have an education. They have a place to live, the citizen bring them food, they learn to read and write, and of course they learn the principle of Buddha.
Some people decide to become monk for only a couple of time just to help them to find their track.