GVI, Ethical Impact. Volunteer in Thailand

Huay Pakoot was a life changing experience for me. I learned to observe and take data on elephants in a natural environment. It was the most interactive experience I have ever had with such wonderful creatures. The personalities of the elephants, their caregivers, the volunteers and the villagers made for an exceptional time. The simplicity of the lifestyle and the connection with nature made everything seem perfect. The food and the activities are great. I made lifelong connections in my experience and I look forward to returning to the village early next year. This place stole my heart, it will do the same for you.

I recently spent an extended amount of time in Huay Pakoot, Northern Thailand. It was a fantastic and magical place full of excitement, adventure and culture. I spent my mornings observing elephant behaviour and getting to know their mahouts (elephant watchers). My homestay family was a delight, full of smiles and awkward conversation as I practised my local language skills. I spend my afternoons going through various presentations and workshops to further my knowledge in the conservation, elephant and education sector. My evenings with my family while my friends came over for dinner or getting to know other volunteers at the base. There were numerous community engagement activities to get involved in. I taught grade 1&2 and loved getting to know the children and playing games with them after school. The place is truly what you make of it. If you enjoy getting to know people from any culture and adventure this is the project for you. I'd recommend doing an internship or staying for as long as possible to get the most out of your experience. 5*** from me!

Having just finished school I was eager to get out and experience the world. I searched for "working abroad with animals" on the internet, as you would expect hundreds of opportunities turned up. I narrowed it down to a few but the friendly nature of the GVI staff who listened to my many phone calls and questions made me want to experience more. I booked on to go for 3 months to Thailand, my first time travelling alone and outside of the EU! I was very nervous when I first landed but the GVI field staff immediately made me feel at ease and it wasn't long until I felt at home.

When I arrived in the stunning rural village, Huay Pakoot, I was hosted by a Thai family, living alongside them. It was difficult at first with the language barrier but I soon felt confident in my Pakinyaw language skills to hold conversations with most of the villagers thanks to the lessons for the staff and the aid of the long term interns on the project.

My first hike was incredible! Walking out into the forest to be overwhelmed by the magnificent giants, Asian elephants. Nothing will ever beat asking "where are the elephants?" and have them pointed out to you only a few meters away hiding in a tangle of leave. Over the course of the three months I spent working alongside the mahoots and their elephants I learnt how to recognise behaviours that were normal and stereotypical of the Asian elephant. This has aided me in deciding what to do as a career as I really enjoyed learning about each individual. Their unique looks and behaviours that made them each find a space in my heart where they will stay forever. The GVI volunteers got to laugh and joke around with the 'elephant watchers', the men of the community that own elephants in the GVI herd. This always made the hikes entertaining and I have created some really good friends. After too little time it came to my last week and my last hikes to see the creatures I had fallen in love with, it broke my heart to say goodbye but I know they are still living the best life, being free.

GVI Chiang Mai also offers an opportunity to teach and aid the community. Twice a week a small group of volunteers would make the walk up to the top of the village to teach English to children grade 1-6. It was really good fun planning and presenting lessons and seeing improvements in the students. We also had the ability to help out at Auban, the nursery, playing with the little tots of the village. We did not only teach the children but once a week we would hold "Homestay English" allowing the adults to practice their English. Likewise, we would hold "Homestay Pakinyaw" allowing conversation practice for the volunteers.

I loved my adventure with GVI and the only thing I can recommend is to go for as long as you are able. No time will ever be enough to learn about the community, work alongside fantastic people and see the beautiful elephants everyday.

I had a spectacular time volunteering in Thailand with GVI. I had many incredible experiences with incredible people. On our last day in Thailand with GVI we visited one of the many stunning viewpoints. Our guide told us that it was one of the finest viewpoints in all of Phuket. This was definitely true and it certainly was one of the best landscapes I have ever seen in my life. The weather was absolutely perfect too, the sun was shining, with practically no clouds in the sky. For me, it was a moment I wish I could live in forever. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case and so soon afterwards, we headed off to visit a temple, known as ‘Dragon Temple’ It consisted of a collection of many Buddhist buildings, all of which were highly decorated and very beautiful. The biggest and most impressive of these was a tower which rose to about 30-40 metres in height and had several floors. Standing up on the balcony, we were afforded spectacular views of the whole complex and the mountains beyond. The next place we visited was known as the ‘Big Buddha’ and rightly so! It was an incredibly large concrete statue of the Buddha stationed at the top of a flight of steps which themselves were on top of a large hill which had a magnificent view onto the valleys below. At the top, there was some serene religious music playing. My favourite part was the golden hearts made of aluminium which were hanging everywhere. The were hanging from trees, on carts and sheds, fences and lines which were hung especially to accommodate them. Each one had a message written on it and as I looked, I could see a vast number of different languages, from French to Chinese, German to Russian, Spanish to Thai, English and a whole host of others which I couldn’t understand! This final experience, amongst so many others, made my time in Thailand so incredibly enjoyable. I would thoroughly recommend GVI as a volunteer organisation as the experiences they provided me with were simply incredible.

I volunteered through GVI on their most popular “Volunteer with Elephants in Thailand” program. Though I was looking forward to visiting Thailand (and immerse myself in all the delicious food), I was even more excited to sign up for my first volunteer experience abroad. During my one week, GVI provided the support, communication, and project prep needed for a first-timer like me.

Impact: I learned very quickly about the current state of the elephant tourism industry in Thailand, and it was clear that this project strived to change that by bringing one elephant at a time back into the wild. Every day we met at the volunteer base and then took hikes to observe the elephants in their new habitat. GVI worked very closely with the Huay Pakoot community, and our work with the elephants helped create jobs in the village and promote an alternative method of elephant tourism.

Support: Every field staff member (Danielle, Holly, Phoebe, Jina and Pádraig) was always available for questions and provided orientation for new volunteers. Also, during your first week on the program, a staff member will join a new volunteer for dinner every evening with your homestay family to help you adjust!

Value: Disclaimer: My participation in the program was waived by GVI as a part of the Go Overseas paid PAID vacation program. However I do know that the program fees include airport pickup, transfer to and from Huay Pakoot, housing, and all meals for all volunteers during your stay.

Fun: There were always daily activities hosted by the program like river days, language exchanges, lessons with the local school children, or dinner with the mahout families. Even though life takes a slower pace in the village, there are plenty of volunteers on this program -- around 20 of us during my stay. Also, you have the option to take a weekend trip to Chiang Mai when there are no hikes (because there are always inbound and outbound volunteers).

Safety: There was never a time I felt unsafe during my stay. Your accommodations will be very basic, but my room and homestay house would be locked when no one was home. Also, the mahouts and field staff are very knowledgeable and tell you how you need to interact with the elephants.

Overall: The beauty in the program was really the opportunity to interact so closely with these intelligent animals, getting to know each one personally. My favorite elephant was Thong Dee, who was a total sweetheart with an old soul. If you are looking for an alternative trip during your time off (and have a love for elephants!), then definitely consider going to Huay Pakoot. I wish I had more than one week, because it was very obvious that longer term volunteers were deeply connected to the animals and community.

I recently returned from a volunteer programme with GVI in Thailand. The programme involved teaching orphans at a kindergarten, teaching healthcare to Burmese children and working with kids with disabilities. From start to finish, the support from GVI was incredible, and any nerves I had about the programme quickly disappeared. There was always someone you could contact for help/advice, and they provide you with a lot of information before you go. Right from the beginning, everyone was so friendly and they quickly became my second family and my home away from home. They give presentations and training throughout your programme, which aims to not only improve the community you're in, but all over the world as well. You can genuinely see the difference you make to the community, and everything is planned or has a curriculum to follow, so that no one is confused and the kids are actually learning all the time. I will definitely be doing another programme with GVI, and I love that I can still be involved from home!

My standard day would involve getting up and going to the Foundation to teach 4, 5 or 6 year olds English. When I was there, every day we would teach a different letter or the alphabet with vocabulary to go with it. We would then go back to base for lunch, and leave for Camillian social centre in the afternoon to work with kids and young adults with disabilities. We would either do physiotherapy or arts and crafts, and then do a mixture of games and sensory activities. It was tough but one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. We would then go back to base to lesson plan for the following day, and have dinner. At night we would be free to do what we liked, and normally we would play cards or watch movies. Every second week you would have a Friday project, and the other weeks you would have a long weekend if you wanted to travel.

As an intern, I spent 6 months on this project and was pretty nervous when I first arrived, knowing how long I was going to be there for! The first two weeks were the hardest, adapting to the different lifestyle, being surrounding by lots of new people, trying to learn the local language. But it is really the greatest experience you could ever have! When you first arrive to the village, you are taken to your homestay basically straight away by a staff member, where you will be introduced to your new family and shown your bedroom and bathroom. Then it is back to base for a potluck dinner with the staff, new and old volunteers so everyone can get to know each other. Hikes to see the else leave early in the morning which you go in groups with the staff, some other volunteers and the mahouts. Seeing the elephants for the first time in the forest is something that will stay in your memory and it's just as great every time after that!

The staff at Huay Pakoot are really great, making sure everyone is doing well and they are very helpful. Being there for a long time, I feel like I really made a connection with them and formed some good friendships.

Every two weeks there is the opportunity to go into Chiang Mai to get a bit of civilisation and some comforts such as a bed and yum food. It's also a good opportunity to bond with fellow volunteers and explore the city. Sometimes there is a festival going on somewhere, and the staff will let everyone know and try and organise a trip.

There were a lot of challenges to overcome during my time there, it's quite an adjustment and the project really can push you to your limits, but thats what people go there to experience. Being immersed in a different culture, meeting likeminded people and seeing elephants everyday is something I will never forget!

My boyfriend and I participated in the Marine Conservation Program in Phang Nga, Thailand and loved every minute of it.

We stayed with the locals at one of the villages affected by the 2004 tsunami. While the accommodation was modest, it really helped us learn more about the local culture and understand our impact on the local community. Additionally GVI hosts participants from around the world so the program was a great opportunity to meet lifelong international friends.

The conservation program involved a lot of travelling compared to the other programs on base. Each day we would get up bright and early to head off to either a national park, island, or conservation centre. Our work included turtle tank maintenance, mangrove forest clean ups, or biodiversity surveys. If it was turtle rehabilitation day, the team would start off by cleaning the tanks at the centres. Then we had to check and treat the turtles for fungal infection, before releasing them into their tanks. For the mangrove clean-ups, we canoed down the rainforest to collect waste. The calming scenery and wildlife made it feel like a serene stroll through the forest, rather than a clean-up.

The biodiversity surveys were undertaken through nature hikes. We would either hike up the hill and collect observations on the way done, or conduct the survey during the hike itself. The best part was being able to go for a swim in the waterfalls or have a picnic after our work. Often we then would head back to the village for lunch, where GVI gives us an allowance to spend at a local family restaurant.

During the biodiversity hikes we would find heaps of interesting creatures such as groovy coloured caterpillars, hermit crabs and small animals.

Coincidentally, we completed our program while students from the Duke University were completing a Service Learning program. They planned a big beach clean day where all volunteers and staff members teamed up to reduce waste polluting a local beach. Staff members from a nearby businesses and hotel guests were also happy to help out, demonstrating the positive relationship GVI has with the local community.

I highly recommend GVI and their volunteer program for curious minded adventurers looking for a unique learning experience.