Our projects

Elephant Village Program

Around 60km north of Surin city, a rural and traditional community lies hidden from the big cities. This is one of the most genuine parts of Thailand, with its wooden houses and dirt roads. For hundreds of years, until the mid-1980s, elephants were used for logging and heavy duty work; however, that is illegal nowadays but the elephant population still needs to survive. They are currently treated like ordinary pets. Their daily food intake is over 300kg and they need periodical health checks; yet all of this is extremely unaffordable for any ordinary Thai farming family that earns $5 per day at the most.

To be able to pay for what the elephants need, their owners (known as “Mahouts”) started taking their elephants to the big cities so that tourists can purchase pictures with them. This activity is dangerous for elephants, as they are meant to live in a rural and less polluted environment. Our partners in Thailand have offered these elephant owners to support them physically and economically if they stop walking their elephants for tourist pictures.

The program fees for this project are meant to make sure that the elephants stay in a healthy and natural setting, by receiving the appropriate healthcare and diet they require. You can spend 3 nights and 4 days each week learning how to train, feed, wash and work with the elephants.

What is more, volunteers who take part in this program will live the “real” Thai life by assisting with the cooking, farming, fishing, kayaking and even working on small development projects. They will also be able to interact with the community kids and lots more. Don’t miss this incredible experience!

Program Highlights:

Establishing a personal relationship with nature’s biggest land animalsLiving in a genuine Thai farming communityHelping with micro-development activities in the areaEntertaining and playing with the local Thai children!Going on a guided tour to the greatest landmarks in BangkokLearning to cook a few classic Thai mealsA guided tour of bustling Bangkok city

The experience in this program starts at Bangkok, where volunteers are picked up from the airport and taken to the guesthouse in Khao San Road, in the center of the city, to spend their first night. At this place, volunteers will meet one another and be taken on a guided tour around Bangkok and a lunch at a well-known Thai restaurant. After that, volunteers will be driven to Surin by coach. That is a great way to start your stay!

Please NOTE that the dates to arrive should be the first and third Fridays of each month, so that volunteers may begin their placement the following Monday.