Flights

Volunteers in Thailand on our wildlife and elephant conservation programs should book their flights to either Suvarnabhumi (Bangkok) Airport (BKK) or Don Mueang Airport (DMK).

Participants travelling to Thailand can arrive anytime between 6am-2pm on their Sunday start date.

Travel Insurance

We always recommend travel insurance for your trips for your own peace of mind.

Our wildlife conservation programs in Thailand are based in the Phetchaburi province of the Thamairuak district. This rural area is around three hours south of Bangkok. The nearby village is only ten minutes’ walk away from the volunteer base and rescue centres. Here, volunteers can find street food vendors, restaurants, 2-small supermarkets and an internet cafe. The nearby tourist locations of Hua Hin and Cha-am are approximately a 45 minutes drive from the project.

Our programs in Thamairuak run from 1-12 weeks, beginning on every Sunday of each month.

Your orientation as a volunteer in Thailand will begin on Sunday, after your arrival at the centre. Upon arrival, volunteers in Thailand will be greeted by the coordinators and shown to their room. Later in the afternoon, volunteers in Thailand will spend time being briefed on all theoretical aspects of the program. The team will brief you on health and safety, whilst providing you with an introduction to the work you can expect on the placement. You will then receive a tour of the rescue centre. During this time, the coordinators will explain more to you about why the program exists and how you can help. The tour will last 3-4 hours and also includes a chance to meet some of the rescued animal residents living at the centre. The remainder of the day will be a chance for you to get to know your fellow participants and relax.

Our international support team are available before your trip if you have any questions to help prepare for your trip.

The in country team and partners take care of all the volunteers, local staff and day to day runnings of the centre. Katie and the rest of the local team will live and work on site alongside you so there is always someone closeby should you need any support throughout your trip.

Our Widlife Rescue Centre & Elephant Refuge programs are available throughout the year and require volunteers year round to help with the running of the centre and grounds.

If you’re flexible with dates and able to travel any time during the year, consider joining this program outside of the busier summer months of July and August when the centre still needs helping hands to care for the animals throughout the off peak seasons.

If you have not travelled much before, it is really hard to know what to expect. When anticipating their time overseas, many international participants (and their loved ones) are often concerned about safety and security. Although we can never guarantee experiences to be 100% trouble-free, we have taken all necessary precautions to ensure our programs are as safe as possible.

In the unlikely event that something was to happen, participants have various layers of support available to them:

• Centre Support Staff
• In Country Volunteer Coordinator
• International/Office Coordinator

Listed below are some general safety tips:

• Be modest with the amount of jewellery worn/electronics/valuables displayed in public
• Do not drink tap water
• Be cautious of beggars or crowds. Incidents can occur when is confusion to distract you.
• Be cautious about removing money in public
• Use reputable transport only. Our local staff will be able to recommend some during orientation
• Try to keep in groups at night and never walk alone along dark, empty streets
• The recognised tourist areas can be considered potentially high-risk areas for pickpockets and thieves
• Leave your valuables behind before a night out in the town
• For traffic safety, always keep looking to the left and right and walk slowly when crossing the road
• Do not accept drinks or food from strangers

In line with the rest of South East Asia, Thailand has a tropical climate. Generally speaking, this means that it is hot all year round. The best time of year to visit Thailand is in January and February when it is generally cooler and dry. The hottest months are April and May where the temperature rarely drops below 30-degrees Celsius. The rainy season is between May-October, with June, September and October being historically the wettest months. However, like all tropical climates, the rain comes in short sharp bursts. This means that despite it being the rainy season, there are usually large dry spells throughout the day.
Like many places in the world currently, Thailand is experiencing unstable weather conditions so the seasons can alter year to year so don’t base your trip too much on the above months.