Teaching volunteers Thailand | Community work volunteers Thailand

volunteer ThailandVolunteering in Thailand is bound to leave lasting memories. The most satisfying experience for volunteers comes through interacting with the people of Thailand, learning something of the language, and throwing yourself into work designed to help the local community. Love Volunteers' partner have vast experience of guiding and overseeing volunteers during their placements. We do all we can to ensure that volunteers in Thailand derive real benefit from their stay in Thailand, while remaining safe and gaining the respect of the people with whom they come into contact.

To spend time in Thailand – not merely holiday there – is eye-opening for all concerned. Whether teaching English, working outdoors, or at the elephant camp, every volunteer in Thailand becomes deeply immersed in this Far Eastern culture and gains an otherwise unattainable insight into a fascinating and vastly different culture.

Thailand is known as one of the most popular South East Asian travel destinations. Its beauty and the innocent friendliness of the Thai people is legendary. For trekking, scuba-diving, beach fun and eating, Thailand offers unique experiences.

You can find more information about Thailand in Lonely Planet's Guide to the country.

volunteering Thailand

Start and Duration

Programs in Thailand begin on 1st and 3rd Monday of each month. The Orphanage Program is only available for the first two weeks of each month. Volunteers are welcome to stay after those two weeks and participate in another program – mixing and matching between the various programs in Thailand is encouraged.

Volunteer Requirements

Volunteers must be at least 18 years old at the start of their placement and have completed a secondary school qualification. For English teaching a good level of English is required. Volunteers in Thailand should be able to devote themselves to a full working week. Contact us for more details or apply to volunteer in Thailand now!

Project Descriptions for Thailand

Teaching English in Schools

Our teaching volunteers have the choice of placements in Chiang Mai which is famous as Thailand's Northern retreat. Or in Surat Thani which is nestled in Southern Thailand, away from the hustle and bustle of Thailand’s larger cities. Here volunteers enjoy a more relaxed atmosphere and a great perspective as to how southern Thais really live.

The schools are always thrilled at the opportunity to welcome native English speakers. Regardless of whether you have a teaching background, your presence alone gives students and faculty the chance to practise their English skills as they would in the real world.

The role of a teaching English volunteer can be varied as it takes into account the needs of the school, the time of year, as well as the volunteers comfort level. On day one each volunteer will be paired with a Thai teacher. They can simply help out with daily lessons or if they have the confidence and the drive to do their own lesson planning, they can lead their own class. The students love it, and it gives Thai teachers the chance to catch up on projects and paperwork.

Please note, all volunteers who will be working directly with children must file a certified police background check before their start date.

Orphanage Program

Volunteers on the Orphanage program are based in rural Chiang Mai. They stay on the project site five days a week, and spend the weekend in Chiang Mai city where they can enjoy some rest and explore their surrounds.

The Orphanage project is only available for the first two weeks of each month. Volunteers who want to participate for more than two weeks are encouraged to stay and join another project.

Work on an Orphanage program is varied, making it difficult to say exactly what volunteers will be doing from day to day. Often the tasks of a volunteer will be dependent on the season, the weather, which maintenance projects or repairs need to be carried out and the number of volunteers currently on hand. As an indication, morning and afternoon activities might include gardening, painting, cooking and cleaning, fixing broken toys, teaching an hour or two of English at the local school, shopping at the local market for dinner or just preparing activities, such as soccer, painting or music for the children to enjoy when they return from school. Volunteers need to have an open mind and flexible attitude. A genuine willingness to help wherever needed will get you a long way.

Please note, all volunteers who will be working directly with children must file a certified police background check before their start date.

Outdoor Work

Volunteers will help with gardening and construction at a home for single mothers. The tasks vary accordingly to the volunteers skill set, the needs of the compound, the number of volunteers on hand, as well as the season and weather conditions.

The work can involve bamboo construction, laying cement foundations, painting, digging and maintaining gardens and harvesting the organically grown produce. Volunteers will mostly work outside in the heat, they therefore need to be in good physical condition.

Working with the single mothers to help them gain new skills and improve their quality of life is the number-one objective. As well as construction and gardening volunteers should be willing to share their skills and knowledge. This might include teaching English, computer training, or handicraft demonstrations.

While you will be supervised by our local team, it is expected that volunteers will exercise responsibility and use initiative while working on projects. Volunteers should have a basic knowledge of building and tools, be between the ages of 20-40 and enjoy working outside.

Teaching English to Buddist Monks

The teaching programs take part in Chiang Mai’s temple schools. As the background and skill set of each volunteer is different we will do our best to tailor placements accordingly. Depending on the volunteers comfort level, they can go into class with a Thai teacher and assist in daily lessons; or for those who are more confident in their ability to teach and manage a class, there is the option of planning and leading lessons. The hours are 8.30 am to 4.30 pm from Monday to Friday, teaching a total of 15 to 20 hours per week.

Volunteers need to have a good level of both written and spoken English to take part in this program. While English lessons are the priority volunteers also have the opportunity to teach art classes or share other skills with the monks. A flexible, and creative attitude is essential on this assignment. Especially considering there is a lack of teaching materials within the schools.

Placements are available in five temple schools where nearly all of the students are novice Buddhist monks. The same is true of the teachers, nearly all of whom don the saffron robe as a way of life. Many of the students come from impoverished families and wouldn't be able to afford an education if not for the charity of the Buddhist community. Students range in age from 12 to 15, and most have had little meaningful interaction with foreigners. Volunteers are therefore encouraged to take lunch with the novices and teachers, allowing plenty of time for out-of-class discussions and the chance for volunteers to get to know the monks they are working with.

The experience is likely to be just as enriching for volunteers who will have the option to join in group meditation, recite mantras with students and celebrate festivals as a guest of the monastic community. Of course, none of this is compulsory, and no one will be offended if you limit yourself to the academics.

All volunteers in this project are required to submit a certified police background check prior to arrival.

Elephant Camp

The elephant camp is an exciting new program in Thailand. The project site is roughly 40 miles (65 kilometres) from the centre of Chiang Mai. Volunteers stay onsite during the week and travel back to Chiang Mai for the weekend.

The camp is home to about 70 elephants and has been operating for over 20 years. Tourists visit on a daily basis to interact with the elephants, and the revenue funds the care of the elephants and upkeep of the facilities. Part of the duties of volunteers is to fed and bath the animals each morning. In the afternoon you may have the chance to work with the trainers.

Beyond this, the nearby village is home to the staff and their families, most of whom are from the countryside. There are all kinds of ways you can help but teaching English in the local school in your free time will be great appreciated.

Volunteers should be able-bodied, enjoy working outside and with animals.

Program Costs

The program fees that Love Volunteers charges are on behalf of our local partners. These fees are used in the developing country to accommodate, feed and support volunteers, while running projects that directly benefit local communities. The program costs for Thailand are set out in the table below.

Volunteer period [weeks]	1	2	3	4	6
Children's Home	-	US$500	-	-	-
Orphanage Program	-	US$700	-	-	-
Elephant Camp	-	US$1100	US$1400	US$1700	US$2300
Teaching English in Schools	-	US$500	US$600	US$700	US$900
Outdoor Work	-	-	-	US$700	US$900
Teaching English to Buddhist Monks	-	US$500	US$600	US$700	US$900

Volunteer period [weeks]	8	12	16	20	24
Children's Home	-	-	-	-	-
Orphanage Program	-	-	-	-	-
Elephant Camp	US$2900	US$4100	US$5300	-	-
Teaching English in Schools	US$1100	US$1500	US$1900	-	-
Outdoor Work	US$1100	US$1500	US$1900	-	-
Teaching English to Buddhist Monks	US$1100	US$1500	US$1900	-	-

Other volunteers periods available. Please, contact LoveVolunteers for pricing of other periods.

A Love Volunteers registration fee of US$235 is charged in addition to the program fees and covers any placements you undertake for twelve months from the start of your first placement. The fee is refundable if you choose not to volunteer more than three months prior to the start of your initial placement. This fee ensures 24/7 pre- and post-placement support from Love Volunteers, checking and vetting of local organisations, a comprehensive information pack, as well as administration and marketing costs.

All transaction costs pertaining to online, bank or wire transfers are additional to the program fee and must be covered by the volunteer.

Accommodation and Meals

Accommodation is provided in a volunteer guest house, where rooms are separated by gender. Breakfast of toast, cereals, eggs, oatmeal, yoghurt and fruit is available each morning.

Elephant Camp volunteers spend Monday - Friday at the project site where they will either stay in guest rooms or in tree houses that overlook a river and forest. They will return to the guest house in Chiang Mai for the weekend.

Orientation

We require volunteers to arrive in Chiang Mai or Surat Thani between the hours of 8am and 8pm on the Friday prior to their project start date. During orientation local staff will introduce you to the team with whom you will be working, and will explain how the program works and what you can expect. You'll also have a chance to meet other volunteers in Thailand.

A Typical Week

The structure of the week will vary dependent on the project. Volunteers’ roles fit into a larger scheme and are vital to ensure the smooth running of the program.

Weekdays: After rising and having breakfast between 7am and 8am, you can expect to attend a daily meeting of staff and volunteers in Thailand at 8.30am. Work commences by 9am, continuing until 5pm. After 5pm, outdoor work volunteers are free for the evening. Those teaching English share extra-curricular teaching in the evenings - but don't worry you'll still have plenty of free time.

Weekends: On Saturday evening you will be taken to a local supermarket to stock up for the following week. Otherwise, you may choose to tour parts of Chiang Rai province, or venture a little further. Without travelling far, you can catch a boat that sails down the Mekong or can take a raft tour on the Kok River. You will probably want to visit the so-called Golden Triangle where the countries of Thailand, Myanmar (Burma), and Laos meet.

About the Country

Chiang Mai is the hub of Northern Thailand and is where most of the volunteer programs take place. Where the country borders Laos you'll find the Gate of Siam. This is a magnificent viewpoint where visitors go to perch on the mountain peak and gaze on Laos while standing above the Mekong River.

Chiang Mai's historical centre is the walled city, although only sections of the wall remain. Inside the remaining city walls are more than 30 temples in a combination of Burmese, Sri Lankan and Lanna Thai styles, decorated with beautiful wood carvings, Naga staircases, leonine and angelic guardians, gilded umbrellas and pagodas laced with gold filigree. The most famous is Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, which overlooks the city from a mountainside 13 km away.

Modern-day Chiang Mai has expanded in all directions, most recently to Ping River (Mae Nam Ping) in the east, where the famous Night Bazaar and the bulk of Chiang Mai's hotels and guest houses are located. Loi Kroh Rd is the centre of the city's night life, and Ratchadamneon Rd hosts the main Sunday night walking street market from Tha Phae Gate to the popular Wat Phra Singh.

The town of Surat Thani, where we offer an English Education volunteer placement, is a small and quaint southern Thai city. It has very little western influence, making it a great place to volunteer, learn and gives a great perspective as to how southern Thais really live. Surat Thani is the largest city near the westernmost islands in the Gulf of Thailand. An hour bus ride and another hour on a ferry is the most direct route to the island of Samui.

In general, Thailand is famous for its friendly people and its safe, yet exciting backpacking destinations.

Apply now! Or check out the FAQ or contact page for more information.

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