Overview

Projects in Surin:

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 animals

Living in a genuine Thai farming community

Helping with micro-development activities in the area

Entertaining and playing with the local Thai children!

Going on a guided tour to the greatest landmarks in Bangkok

Learning to cook a few classic Thai meals

A 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.

Projects in Bangkok and Chiang Mai:

Education Program

Our teaching volunteers can choose to start their programs in Bangkok or Chang Mai. School students in both locations will be totally pleased to have the chance to interact with native English speakers. Your presence alone will give students the opportunity to develop their English skills in real-life situations, no matter whether you have a teaching background or not. Your role will also vary depending on the school’s needs, your interests and what time of the year it is.

On the first day, each volunteer will be assigned a Thai teacher. Volunteers can assist the teachers during their lessons, or even suggest a new lesson plan if they have the confidence or experience. Students will love this new experience, and Thai teachers will be able to catch up on correcting homework or other projects they have in the meantime.

Please NOTE that the dates to arrive should be the first and third Fridays of each month between 8am and 8pm, so that volunteers may begin their placement the following Monday. As volunteers will work directly with children, they must submit a clean criminal record before their arrival.

NOTE: Due to school holidays, this program will be closed between the following dates. 

5 March 2017 - 15 May 2017

30 September 2017 - 6 November 2017

19 February 2018 - 21 May 2018

17 September 2018 - 5 November 2018

Outdoor Work

As part of this project, volunteers will assist in construction and gardening at a home for single mothers. The activities may include bamboo construction, making cement foundations, painting walls, maintaining gardens and harvesting the produce that the locals grow organically. They will vary depending of the volunteer’s skills and the weather conditions amongst other factors.

It is important that volunteers are between 20 to 40 years old and they are in a good physical condition, as they will most likely work outside in the heat. They should also have a basic knowledge of building and tools.

The main objective of this project is to work with the single mothers to help them acquire and develop new skills and improve their quality of life. Volunteers should be able to work independently and be willing to share their knowledge and skills, which could include English teaching, computer literacy or creative and crafty workshops.

Teaching English to Buddhist Monks

Our teaching volunteers can choose to start their programs in Bangkok or Chang Mai. Novice Buddhist monks at the temple school in both locations will be totally pleased to have the chance to interact with native English speakers. Your role will also vary depending on the school’s needs, your interests and what time of the year it is. Some possible activities include helping children with their homework, cleaning the classroom, assisting teachers, and even preparing games and activities.

Each volunteer will be assigned a Thai teacher. Volunteers can assist the teachers during their lessons, or even suggest a new lesson plan if they have the confidence or experience. Students will love this new experience, and Thai teachers will be able to catch up on other projects they have in the meantime. In general, volunteers will be in front of a class from 10 to 20 hours each week. If you are creative enough, you can also assist in developing projects at school.

Please NOTE that the dates to arrive should be the first and third Fridays of each month between 8am and 8pm, so that volunteers may begin their placement the following Monday. As volunteers will work directly with children, they must submit a clean criminal record before their arrival.

Also, take into account that this program will be closed from March 5th until May 15th 2017 and from September 30th to November 6th 2017 because of national school holidays, so we cannot accept applications for placements that overlap with these dates.

Medical Internship

CW Abroad offers Medical Internships in several well-established private and public hospitals in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, with the help of our local partners. In every case, each intern will have to shadow a full-time professional doctor on daily shifts. Only medical doctors with the highest level of English will be in charge of guiding interns. They are exceptionally qualified, and many of them have studied in the US or in the UK.

Thailand is becoming renowned in the West for its achievements in Medicine, more than any other country in Asia. Every year, thousands of tourists travel to Thailand to obtain affordable and effective medical treatments. Interns will be able to experience this phenomenon first-hard, but their tasks will vary depending on their qualifications and experience. Holders of a full medical degree will have the most access to taking care of patients and interacting with them. However, it is crucial to point out that most interns only observe or assist with small tasks.

This is a unique opportunity that is highly valuable for medical students and young professionals, as they would never be able to have this level of access in a hospital in the West. Moreover, every side of their internship will be overseen by the supervising staff. Depending on the needs of each hospital, interns will choose a specific department where they would like to work, and a second department where they can spend some extra time. Some of the available departments, to name a few, are the following:

Ophthalmology (must study in this field) 

Otolaryngology (must study in this field)

Biochemistry

Pharmacology (must study in this field)

Family Medicine

Community Medicine

Orthopaedics

Emergency Room

Paediatrics (OPD/Ward)

Anatomy

Nursing (follow the nurses most of the time)

Dental

Rehabilitation

Surgery

The typical routine as part of this project involves work from 8am to 4pm from Monday to Friday. This schedule may vary depending on the hospital department and the doctor that interns are paired with. Interns are expected to be patient and flexible regarding their timetables.

Accommodation will take place at a comfortable volunteer house in the chosen city, be it Bangkok or Chiang Mai. Volunteers will be provided breakfast here, and lunch will normally take place at the internship hospital on working days. They will be able to enjoy their evenings and weekends to travel and explore Thailand, or simply to relax on their own or with other fellow volunteers!

Please NOTE that the dates to arrive should be the first and third Fridays of each month between 8am and 8pm, so that volunteers may begin their placement the following Monday. Orientation will take place on the weekend. Interns on this program are required to participate for a minimum of 2 weeks.

NOTE: This program will be closed throughout the entire month of April 2018. All placements will need to be completed on or before the 31st March '18. Applications can then be accepted for programs commencing 7th May '18. 

Projects in Chiang Rai:

Teaching English

In Chiang Rai, located in the north of Thailand, locals have very limited access to formal education. That is why volunteers are required to help with teaching both young children and adults from the nearby villages throughout the year. Schools are closed is from March to May and during October, but still the local group organizes school camps and other tasks for local children. Volunteers have to complete a lesson plan before they teach every day, and they can choose to work along with other participants or native Thai teachers. However, they will also have to teach classes on their own.

It is not required that volunteers hold a teaching degree or teaching experience to be part of this experience, as they work alongside CW’s local staff. Yet, we would like to encourage volunteers to complete some relevant course or training in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) to be well prepared prior to arrival.

Childcare

The Childcare Project involves working with children from 2 to 6 years old who attend the centers during the day. Volunteers assist native Thai teachers with their teaching and classroom management and helping the kids during mealtimes.

A typical routine includes teaching around 90 minutes every morning and then helping with the meals and cleaning up. While children sleep in the afternoon, volunteers will have to help with the planning and management of resources for around 2 hours.

It is not required that volunteers hold a teaching degree or teaching experience to be part of this experience, but they will have to discuss the topics and development of their classes with the teachers. This program is open for all volunteers all year round, except April and October because of holidays. During those periods, volunteers are welcome to be part of the Teaching Project.