Volunteer Asia » Volunteer Thailand

The ancient capitals, forested mountains and dynamic festivals of Northern Thailand are beguiling. Tourists venture here for the chance to explore Lanna temples, enroll in cooking or massage courses and trek into the mountains to visit remote hill tribe villages. But our volunteers see a side of this country that the average visitor misses altogether. Better yet, they enjoy the satisfaction of changing lives in small but significant ways.

Our enrollees are involved in a dynamic range of projects, from building homes for single mothers in crisis to working with children afflicted with HIV. In between are projects in orphanages, at private hospitals and on elephant camps. In every case, Friends For Asia volunteers are going beyond the routine holiday and traveling with a difference.

The following projects are ideal ways to volunteer in Thailand:

Single Mothers’ Home Building and Gardening Team
The single mother’s home is a full-on community, and it takes workers and volunteers from a variety of backgrounds to keep the project in motion. On the building and gardening team, you’ll help with various construction projects in a lush, rural setting just minutes away from Chiang Mai city.

Single Mothers’ Home Caregiving Team
Caregiving is a cornerstone of this project, and every minute counts in this assignment. Caregivers watch look after the children while their mothers enroll in classes and gain valuable work experience. Volunteers in this position play an integral role in helping disadvantaged mothers better their own lives and those of their children.

Elephant Camp
It’s easy to see why working at the elephant camp is such a popular way to volunteer in Thailand. You’ll participate in every aspect of the animals’ lives, from feeding to bath time in the river. You’ll also have the chance to help out in a local hill tribe school. Volunteers spend the night in their own plush tree house.

HIV Orphanage
HIV is one of the most devastating diseases in the world, and volunteers from Friends For Asia have the opportunity to assist one of the most prominent HIV relief programs in Northern Thailand. In this assignment, you’ll help to transform the lives of children born with the disease.

Magazine and Multimedia Internship
Chiang Mai is the cultural capital of Northern Thailand, and it’s a haven for creative expatriates. Interns collaborating with Friends For Asia have the opportunity to gain valuable on-the-job experience at the largest English-language entertainment magazine in the region. For the right candidate, this assignment carries the potential for publication.

Medical Internship
Thailand is a global medical tourism hub. Our interns partner with full-time doctors in a local private hospital, and they gain valuable first-hand experience commiserate with their level of education and qualification. Few hospitals in the West offer this level of access to medical students.

Teach English to Buddhist Monks
This is the quintessential Southeast Asia project, and you’ll never look at “temple hopping” the same way again. Volunteers teach English to novice Buddhist monks a genuine Chiang Mai temple. Saffron robes, ancient pagodas and intermittent periods of meditation combine to deliver one of the most authentic modes of volunteering in Thailand.

Teacher’s Assistant at International University for Monks
Ancient Buddhist teachings meet the world of Academia in this unique assignment. Volunteers collaborate with professors and Buddhist monks to help students refine their English skills. All of the students are monks, and they hail from all across southern Asia.

Children’s Home
This government-run orphanage cares for children who were orphaned in the aftermath of accidents, illness, abuse or drugs. This is a broad-ranging assignment, and volunteers assist with everything from childcare to mending toys. There simply aren’t enough staff to keep up with orphanage needs, so every volunteer’s contribution counts.

For more information about volunteering in Thailand, click here.