Volunteer Programs in Rural Areas, Thailand

Did my first week on wildlife which I really enjoyed…… fab seeing the variety of animals, the sun bears were definitely my favourite! I'm now into my 2 weeks with elephants, just completed the 2nd day. It's a different feel to wildlife - the pace is slower and there's a lot of people in each group…. Walking and washing an elephant yesterday was really special, feeling very lucky to experience such things. The project is VERY well organised and they regularly ask for feedback and suggestions.

I booked to volunteer in Thailand through Oysterworldwide and they were absolutely fantastic through every step. From making booking the trip so easy to supporting me whenever I was there, I would highly recommend Oysterworldwide to anyone!

Thank you so much for everything it really warmed my heart :))) Last week, I was assigned to the Wildlife Center, and it turned out almost exactly as I had hoped. I spent most of the time with monkeys, especially gibbons (thank you so much for arranging this for me). I truly loved it — it was a very special and magical journey. This week is my second week at the Elephant Sanctuary. Being assigned to different elephants every day has been a completely different experience altogether. It's hard to compare the two, but I genuinely think having one week for each is a great and very balanced arrangement. Overall, I've enjoyed everything very much. The Thai staff are incredibly kind, and it's been a joy getting to know friends from so many different countries. Although the work is physically demanding and I do feel tired, my heart feels very full and satisfied. I still have a few days left, and I will continue to fully enjoy every moment here. Thank you again for all the thoughtful arrangements.

It is really beautiful here! I am very much enjoying my Stay here. The diving is great and the people are very nice too. Sorry for replying so late, but time goes by really fast here as there's so much to be involved with.

Volunteering here has been so wonderful! I got PADI Open Water certified! Its beautiful, I want to try to get more photos and videos of Koh Phangan!

I'm doing really well here—it's a very peaceful and beautiful place to be. The surroundings are stunning, the work is meaningful, and the elephants are incredible to interact with. Thank you to Oyster for facilitating this amazing trip and making the whole process so smooth. I’m learning a lot and truly appreciating every moment here.

I’m so exhausted by the end of each day here that I can barely keep my eyes open, let alone check emails! ; ) But it’s been SO incredible - hard but heartwarming work, and the animals are gorgeous as are the teams. I don’t want to leave!!!

I booked a wildlife volunteering trip in Thailand with Oyster Worldwide, and knew immediately that I was in capable hands. My coordinator was so quick to respond to emails and queries, happy to move my dates when life got in the way and delayed my initial booking, and provided me with all the info I needed before I set off. My three weeks in Thailand were an absolute dream. I spent the first two with primates, bears, birds and all manner of other beautiful animals, and then did the third week with elephants, and both experiences were magical. The work was hard – you're up with the dawn preparing food, harvesting banana trees, scrubbing bear pools and monkey enclosure – but it was the most rewarding I've ever done. I met so many brilliant people, staff and other volunteers, and made friends and memories for life. I cannot recommend it enough, and will definitely be booking another trip.

Back home after a hugely rewarding 2 weeks working with the elephants at the sanctuary. Think for a volunteering holiday such as this, a basic level of fitness is a must - especially when helping out on the harvesting of the banana tree trunks :)

Thanks for organising our placement here. It is brilliant. We are really enjoying the experience and meeting so many animals and people. The Centre is great, and has everything we need. Last working day tomorrow, and leaving Thursday. We will be sad to leave, but are looking forward to the next part of our Thailand adventure.

I didn’t expect to be pampered! I expected to be challenged, to be exposed to new things and nudged out of my comfort zone. I expected my thinking to expand, and it did…but in addition, my heart grew by 100 times! I would recommend this experience to anyone looking for a life game-changer. I am a better person because of saying yes to this opportunity!

Working with the elephants was so rewarding. The work was hard but every minute was worth it. My tips to other travellers would be take old clothes, you will get wet and dirty every day. Gloves are important! You’ll work hard but it is worth it. If you go for more than one week, I suggest you have a go at both sides of the WFFT volunteer program – Wildlife and Elephants. I absolutely felt that my holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts and supported conservation so I would highly highly recommend this trip!

Everything went very well, the staff were great and of course the elephant experience was second to none! Daily work was hard, especially “harvest” but very worthwhile. Transfer from Bangkok was faultless and driver v. friendly. Accommodation was fine: we were expecting basic, but had own bathroom which was great. Lots of v. useful info on My Oyster system, this helped us prepare properly. Katie was very welcoming and the tour on day 1 was fascinating, as was hearing from the founder (Edwin). Project staff were great and v approachable. Highlight has to be feeding/showing elephants! Preparing their “enrichments” was fun too. Waking up to the sound of birds and monkeys was unreal. Dogs that live on site were v sweet. Many of the volunteers are young, don’t worry about age gap…just throw yourselves into it…feeding elephants before breakfast is great, even if it is an early start! Take lots of mosquito repellent! Treat even small scratches with antiseptic cream to prevent infection …pharmacies can sell antibiotics over the counter if needed. The village has a couple of places selling nice coffee! Go on the trip to the bat cave + market: The bats are extraordinary. Take lots of photos! It’s given our daughter some gap year ideas…many of the volunteers are on a gap year travelling around SE Asia. And interesting to talk to about their experiences. Made us think about going back to that part of the world next year!

I enjoyed my trip to Thailand a lot. It was hard work (and long hours), but with great people. I had a lot of fun caring for the elephants and the other animals at the sanctuary. The staff were very friendly and helpful. My room was comfortable (if basic) and I shared with three others. My advice to people thinking about this project would be to go for it, but to remember to bring decent footwear you don’t mind ruining (feet will be wet a lot of the time) and plenty of insect repellent!

Thanks to Oyster Worldwide for providing this beautiful project for me, I got to work closely with these amazing rescued animals from Thailand. Although their stories of what brought them to the sanctuary absolutely broke my heart, it filled me up knowing that they are at the sanctuary now and are being so well taken care of, and that I got to be a direct helping hand! This experience was so rewarding and nothing like I have experienced before. I got to meet so many people from around the world and form lasting relationships with both the volunteers and the staff. I miss everyone, including the animals, so much. I will definitely go back to both the country and the sanctuary.

Oyster Worldwide responded to this reviewMarch 18, 2019

Thank you for reviewing Oyster Worldwide! :)

I would definitely recommend volunteering with elephants in Thailand, as I thought it was an incredible experience. The work is tough, and the living conditions aren't what you would expect from home, but all of it is worth it once you have the hands-on experience with these majestic animals, and have the feeling of giving back and as long as you expect to work hard, you won't be shocked. Also, the fellow volunteers were all lovely, because they were all like-minded and all in the same position, so I made lots of new friends. OysterWorldwide helped me book this experience I'll remember for the rest of my life and they are such a helpful company, with lots of other volunteering schemes across the world. Furthermore, the elephants are the best animal - do this volunteering 100%. I learnt so much from going outside my comfort zone, and challenging myself.

Oyster Worldwide responded to this reviewFebruary 04, 2019

Many thanks for taking the time to review us! <br/><br/>Oyster Team

Working at the wildlife centre was an amazing experience, I made so many friends and learnt so much about animals and how to safeguard them! The centre was extremely ethical and oyster were supportive throughout the whole process. I would definitely recommend.

Oyster Worldwide were fantastic in helping me set up one of the best experiences of my life! Had an amazing amount of fun and worked hard volunteering with rescued Indian elephants. These elephants had been rescued from the trekking/riding industry, many of whom had been used in these industries for decades, so it was great to see them getting the good care they deserved! Oyster were great in helping me know what to expect when I got to Thailand. One of the most helpful things was being given a selection of useful Thai phrases with the phonetic pronunciations. These really helped me to understand the culture and way of life in Thailand a little bit more, and were definitely great ice breakers! Working with the elephants was a lot of fun and a real confidence boost! I was humbled to be able to take part in some of the amazing work the charity do. If you want to experience feeding, walking and showering an elephant, and independent travel then I highly recommend going on Oyster Worldwide's elephant conservation program in Thailand!

Oyster Worldwide responded to this reviewSeptember 10, 2018

Hi Cicely, <br/><br/>Thank so much for taking the time to write a review of your experience with the rescued elephants in Thailand. Volunteers like you make it possible for these elephants to be supported and thank you! <br/><br/>Oyster Worldwide Team