What makes these volunteer projects in Thailand the best? Find out! From tuk-tuks to temples. The sea to some of the most amazingly savory and sweet saldes—sold right along the street. It’s no wonder this picturesque Southeast Asian country is continually one of the most popular volunteer destinations...ah, it must be Thailand.
But there’s so much more than the pictures. Where modernity meets strong traditions, there’s always something just a short ways up the street, along the beach, or far off into an elephant reserve in the mountains.
Hospital, attentive, caring, and curious are just a few of the descriptions that travelers and tourists alike award Thailand. But it’s best if you check it out for yourself through a volunteer program in Thailand, where some of the best volunteer programs in the world can be found.
Work with children in a disadvantaged school, spend time in the hills with the wildlife, or gain legit patient care experience in a hospital. There is an abundance of both rural and urban volunteer projects to satisfy your most altruistic desires—whether you want to be in the forest, in the sea, or in one of its electric cities.
So let’s get started! Here are nine of the best volunteer projects in Thailand, according to reviews from virtuous travelers like you.
Top volunteer programs in Thailand this year
Don’t just volunteer in Thailand, volunteer with the best! Here are the top volunteer programs in Thailand this year according to reviews from travelers like YOU. Editor’s note: This information was accurate at the time of publishing. Please refer to each individual program for current data.
1. Elephant Conservation with Travel for Teens
Experience the north of this awe-inspiring countrying as a volunteer in Thailand. Discover the beauty of this Southeast Asian country while earning service credits in an elephant sanctuary. Here you will have the opportunity to be directly involved in the care and rehabilitation process working with some of the largest mammals on the planet.
Engage with the local host community while gaining a deeper understanding of these gentle giants. But that’s not all as a volunteer for one of the best volunteer programs in Thailand. Volunteers abroad in Thailand work hard and play hard. Participants will also have the opportunity to experience the majestic Pai river spending two days on a white water rafting excursion while taking in the sights of the breathtaking mountain pasages.
Not only will you have the opportunity to get up close and personal with the Thai wilderness, you will also have the opportunity to discover the peaceful charm of the country’s northern metropolis of Chiang Mai. Check out the countless historical temps and wind your way through the street markets. This program is open to anyone between the ages of 14 and 17.
2. Teach English with GoEco
Join forces with one of the leading volunteer programs in the country in the centrally-located Singburi region. This volunteer project in Thailand is a crowd-pleaser and an excellent summer volunteer program for college students. Teaching English as a foreign language is a rewarding and intellectually challenging experience.
Not only will program participants gain exposure in both primary and secondary schools, but they will also have the opportunity to share their time with disadvantaged families taking part in a host of community and social cohesion projects. New programs are proposed each month by the program coordinator affording students with a range of innovative programs.
3. NGO Development Internship in Chiang Mai with Kaya Responsible Travel
Join this one-of-a kind volunteer program in Thailand diving feet-first into NGO development. Whether you’re a student in a related field or just looking for a career change, this program is open to anyone who is passionate about NGOs and human rights.
With the aim of cultivating international development experience and understanding, this volunteer abroad in Thailand experience will allow you to help conduct important work while joining in cultural exchange. Participants stay in shared accommodation or homestays, providing an authentic look at life in Chiang Mai.
When you’re not working, you'll be able to enjoy your vibrant and unique host city, while getting to know your fellow volunteers and building your professional network.
4. Education and Wildlife Opportunities with Volunteering Solutions
Thinking about your summer break but you’re not that interested in taking a break? We’ve got just the solution—a summer volunteer program for college students in Thailand! Why not a two to three week volunteer and travel extravaganza.
First and foremost, you’ll have the opportunity to work with children in a multitude of welfare and development settings while simultaneously traveling this gem of a country. Then, you’ll have the exciting opportunity to head into the hills and experience time well spent on a local elephant reserve.
If you’re up for an adventure, this is one of our highest-rated volunteer projects in Thailand. While you’re at it, take advantage of some of Thailand’s most treasured adventure sports like trekking in the mountains, scuba diving in the deep blue sea, or snorkeling along the coastal waterways of one of the most picturesque islands in the world. From the city to the sea, this might be just what you need.
5. Medicine, Hospital, and Medical Volunteer Ops with ELI Abroad
Straight from the horse’s mouth, why not embark on an experience to change your life? ELI Abroad has reputable experience sending caring volunteers like yourself all around the world. And this includes some of their summer volunteer programs for college students. Interested in medical sciences? Check!
They have partnerships with rural medical clinics and urban hospitals. Or maybe you tend to gravitate more towards animals. Check! They have opportunities for volunteers in animal rescues. Maybe you’re not so scientifically minded and you prefer spending time educating youngsters. Check, again!
They have a host of opportunities for you to teach English to children. With an emphasis on integration and local sustainability, time spent as a volunteer abroad in Thailand with ELI abroad will afford you with both an educational and cultural experience you won’t forget anytime soon.
6. Wildlife Conservation with GVI
GVI cares about the wildlife population in Thailand. So much so, they have created durable partnerships that allow volunteers to collaborate with local communities that strive to preserve the Asian elephant populations.
This isn’t one of those gigs where you ride an elephant and have your photo taken. It’s more of a hands-on experience with the locals that are working to reintegrate these incredible creatures back to their natural habitats.
Participants will have the chance to work alongside local local mahouts, a local who cares for the prosperity of the elephants to ensure long-term conservation and survival, the way they were intended to live!
7. Teaching in Bangkok with Plan My Gap Year
With a wide range of volunteer abroad projects in Thailand, PMGY offers some of the most exciting and down-to-earth programs including Childcare & English teaching opportunities.
Located in the outskirts of buzzing Bangkok in the urban city Pathum Thani, volunteers have the opportunity to spend anywhere from two to twelve weeks with a highly reputable, award-winning international volunteer abroad organisation.
Once accepted, PMGY will help you take care of yourself from start to finish (meaning extensive pre-departure support service, an airport pickup, program orientation, meals, your accommodation and local support throughout your placement). That’s what we’re talking about!
Oh, and while you’re there, consider time on one of the uncountable postcard islands and visit some of the most ancient temples the country has to offer.
8. SLS TEFL & Volunteering at a Foundation in Thailand with Salisa Language School
Pack your passion, determination, and hands-on expertise with this stellar volunteer program in eastern Thailand. Most often overheard for its beaches, experience a different side of Pattaya on the eastern Gulf while being apart of a respectable civic project.
Volunteers are needed to help teach at Father Ray Foundation. This includes getting a 120-hour TEFL certificate, as well as teaching English to and playing English games with children with disabilities.
Whether you’re trying to expand your teaching skills or just make a tangible impact on the world, this volunteer project in Thailand is really something to be proud of. Come as you are, but be prepared to leave with a different perspective.
9. Participate in Community-Based Projects with Love Volunteers
Join fellow passionate folks as a volunteer in Thailand with one Love Volunteer’s several projects. Accompany local organisation while taking part in some solid grassroots initiatives with one of the most valuable volunteer programs in the world.
Not only are Love’s prices competitive, they also have stiff standards which help explain why they are continually rated one of the best volunteer programs in Thailand. If having a local impact while not forgetting safety and sustainability is your thing, this program provider might be exactly what you are looking for.
With programs all over the country, the choice of the backdrop of your Thai experience is yours.
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There you have it. Some of the best tried and true volunteer projects in Thailand from other do-gooders like yourself. Wondering how to fund yourself yourself? Check out our 101 guide for volunteering abroad to help get you from here to there. With an abundance of ways to get involved with local projects, and a wide range of social and environmental issues to choose from, it’s up to you to make the magic happen. Let’s go!
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