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Thailand Volunteer and Explore


Image of an international volunteer at an elephant sanctuary in Thailand - KILROY

Suggested Itinerary: Thailand Volunteer and Explore

Home - Bangkok - Wildlife Centre - Bangkok - Chiang Mai - Phuket - Koh Yao Yai - Phuket - Koh Phi Phi - Ao Nang - Khao Sok National Park - Phuket - Home

This itinerary is just a suggestion and can be customised to suit your unique travel plans. Make it longer, make it shorter. Add in the things you want to do. Get in touch with our travel experts to turn this itinerary into your dream Thailand gap year.

Bangkok Relax after your flight

Welcome to Thailand the start of your gap year program! You'll be met at the airport and transferred to your accommodation in Bangkok - the popular capital of Thailand. Enjoy two nights of accommodation in the city of Bangkok after your flight from the UK. This gives you a chance to relax before starting your 4-week volunteer project. You'll be staying at the historic Prince Theatre Heritage Stay. Set in a 1900s film theatre, the modern-rustic Prince Theatre Heritage Stay is nestled behind a hidden corner on Charoenkrung Road. Highlights include the cinema room turned into a common bar area serving signature mocktails inspired by the original films. The orientation tour at the Elephant Refuge and Wildlife Centre starts at 13:45. So inst...

Elephant Refuge and Wildlife Rescue Centre Start your 4-week volunteer project

You'll be picked up from your hotel in Bangkok and transferred to the Elephant Refuge and Wildlife Rescue Centre for your orientation tour and talk at 13:45 (transfer booked in advance, paid locally). This centre, located 160km southwest of Bangkok, provides a sustainable existence for rescued elephants and other animals with enclosures as close to nature as possible and where possible reintroduce them to the wild. You'll spend two weeks working with domesticated elephants that were once forced to work on the streets as begging tools and tourist attractions. For the following two weeks you'll be helping a variety of rescued birds and animals, including sun and moon bears, gibbons, macaques, civtes, lorises, leopard cats and fishing cats. ...

Back to Bangkok Meet your new travel buddies

After your unforgettable time spent volunteering with elephants and other wildlife, it's time to bid farewell and head back to Bangkok to meet a new group of people. In Bangkok you'll be starting a 20-day group tour to explore the highlights of Thailand. You'll be travelling with other like-minded 18-30-somethings with everything taken care of for you - accommodation, local transport, activities and some meals. Spend three nights in Bangkok with a welcome dinner to help you get to know the people that will be your travel buddies for the next few weeks. During your time in the capital you'll also take a unique bicycle tour through Bang Kachao, Bangkok's "Green Lung", cruise the Chao Phraya River on a traditional long-tail boat, and enjoy...

Chiang Mai Hill tribe trekking

From Bangkok you and your group will travel on the overnight train to Chiang Mai - the cultural hub of northern Thailand. You'll spend five days in this region with a walking tour of the old city, a visit to the Wat Chedi Luang, and a unique "Monk Chat" session at Chiang Mai University, where you'll have the rare opportunity to converse with Buddhist monks and gain insights into their way of life. There will also be a curated food tour introducing you to Lanna, or Northern Thai, cuisine. From Chiang Mai you'll head out on an adventure into the lush hills of Northern Thailand, exploring Doi Inthanon National Park, Thailand's highest peak, known for its lush forests and stunning landscapes, and trekking to Wachirathan Waterfall to enjoy a ju...

Southern Thailand Chiang Mai to Phuket

From Chiang Mai you'll fly south to Phuket for 10 days spent exploring the stunning islands and national parks of southern Thailand. Start with two nights at beachfront accommodation on Koh Yao Yai experiencing authentic island life with a day of community-based tourism activities. On the way back to Phuket you'll visit the Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation and spend the night at a luxurious glamping site with the following day free to explore at leisure. The next island on the itinerary is Koh Phi Phi with a long-tail boat tour of the towering limestone cliffs, discovering hidden lagoons and pristine beaches along the way. There'll also be a spot of snorkelling and hiking for a more active way to enjoy the islands. Then it's on to Ao...

Phuket Flight back home

After saying goodbye to the group of people that have been your travel buddies for the past 20-days, it's time to leave Khao Sok National Park and make your own way back to Phuket for your return flight home.

Not ready to leave Thailand? Add a few more days to enjoy the area independently before flying back to the UK.

Want to explore more of Southeast Asia? Consider continuing your journey south to Malaysia and beyond to fly home from either Kuala Lumpur or Singapore.

This gap year program can be customised to suit your travel plans, so just let us know what you want to add and we'll do the rest!

View the full itinerary as a list

Recommended duration

Around 7 weeks

Start/End

Bangkok/Phuket

Travel Type

Volunteering and Backpacking

Inclusions

Flights, volunteer project and touring

Book this itinerary
If you want to volunteer ethically with elephants and enjoy the best of what Thailand has to offer young travellers, this gap year program is for you!

 

Become an international volunteer and help care for rescued elephants at an ethical centre southeast of Bangkok. Spend four weeks learning more about these majestic creatures - the problems they face and how to be part of the solution. You'll also help with other rescued wildlife including sun and moon bears, gibbons, macaques, and leopard cats.

After boosting your CV with wildlife conservation volunteering, join a small-group adventure tour to explore the highlights of Thailand from north to south. Start in the capital of Bangkok before heading north to Chiang Mai for a 2-day hill tribe trek, spending the night at an authentic homestay.

You'll then fly south to Phuket to island-hop around Koh Yao Yai, Koh Phi Phi, Krabi and Khao Sok National Park. Along the way you'll enjoy snorkelling, longtail boat cruises, kayaking and nights spent in floating bungalows with a group of like-minded 18-30-somethings.   

*From price per person based on shared accommodation

What's included
  • Flights from the UK to Thailand (arrive Bangkok, return from Phuket)
  • Arrival airport transfer in Bangkok
  • 2 nights' accommodation in Bangkok with breakfast
  • 28-day volunteer project at the Elephant Refuge and Wildlife Centre near Hua Hin
  • 20-day group tour from Bangkok to Khao Sok National Park
  • Three meals a day during your volunteer project
  • 19 breakfasts, 10 lunches and 7 dinners during your group tour
  • Booking fees
  • Services of your own travel advisor
What's not included
  • Travel insurance (but we can help you with that)
  • Vaccinations (ask us about our discount with Nomad Travel)
  • Meals (unless otherwise specified)
  • Optional activities (but we have loads more to choose from!)
  • Arrival transfer from Bangkok to volunteer project (can be booked in advance but paid locally)
  • Travel arrangements from Khao Sok National Park to Phuket airport

Suggested Itinerary: Thailand Volunteer and Explore

Home - Bangkok - Wildlife Centre - Bangkok - Chiang Mai - Phuket - Koh Yao Yai - Phuket - Koh Phi Phi - Ao Nang - Khao Sok National Park - Phuket - Home

This itinerary is just a suggestion and can be customised to suit your unique travel plans. Make it longer, make it shorter. Add in the things you want to do. Get in touch with our travel experts to turn this itinerary into your dream Thailand gap year.

Bangkok Relax after your flight

Welcome to Thailand the start of your gap year program!

You'll be met at the airport and transferred to your accommodation in Bangkok - the popular capital of Thailand.

Enjoy two nights of accommodation in the city of Bangkok after your flight from the UK. This gives you a chance to relax before starting your 4-week volunteer project. You'll be staying at the historic Prince Theatre Heritage Stay. Set in a 1900s film theatre, the modern-rustic Prince Theatre Heritage Stay is nestled behind a hidden corner on Charoenkrung Road. Highlights include the cinema room turned into a common bar area serving signature mocktails inspired by the original films.

The orientation tour at the Elephant Refuge and Wildlife Centre starts at 13:45. So instead of rushing between the airport and the wildlife centre, take a day or two to catch up on some sleep and enjoy some street food before jumping straight in.

Elephant Refuge and Wildlife Rescue Centre Start your 4-week volunteer project

You'll be picked up from your hotel in Bangkok and transferred to the Elephant Refuge and Wildlife Rescue Centre for your orientation tour and talk at 13:45 (transfer booked in advance, paid locally).

This centre, located 160km southwest of Bangkok, provides a sustainable existence for rescued elephants and other animals with enclosures as close to nature as possible and where possible reintroduce them to the wild.

You'll spend two weeks working with domesticated elephants that were once forced to work on the streets as begging tools and tourist attractions. For the following two weeks you'll be helping a variety of rescued birds and animals, including sun and moon bears, gibbons, macaques, civtes, lorises, leopard cats and fishing cats.

It's a hands-on experience and you'll help care for these beautiful creatures in cooperation with professional mahouts. You'll spend a significant amount of time preparing food for the animals, serving it to them and cleaning their enclosures. There may also be the opportunity to assist with building/upgrading enclosures, usually involving a lot of digging and painting.

Volunteers work 6 days a week. Working hours are generally from 06:30 to 17:00 with breaks for breakfast and lunch. On your days off, you can go to the nearby beaches at Hua Hin and Cha am. There are also national parks nearby where trekking is possible.

You'll be staying in simple shared bungalows with a European style toilet and cold shower. There is also a main volunteer house where many volunteers hang out and socialise. Three meals a day are provided.

If you wish to volunteer for longer in Thailand, you can spend up to 12 weeks at the Elephant Refuge and Wildlife Rescue Centre - just let us know your preference and we'll organise your program accordingly.

Back to Bangkok Meet your new travel buddies

After your unforgettable time spent volunteering with elephants and other wildlife, it's time to bid farewell and head back to Bangkok to meet a new group of people.

In Bangkok you'll be starting a 20-day group tour to explore the highlights of Thailand. You'll be travelling with other like-minded 18-30-somethings with everything taken care of for you - accommodation, local transport, activities and some meals.

Spend three nights in Bangkok with a welcome dinner to help you get to know the people that will be your travel buddies for the next few weeks. During your time in the capital you'll also take a unique bicycle tour through Bang Kachao, Bangkok's "Green Lung", cruise the Chao Phraya River on a traditional long-tail boat, and enjoy a cooking class preparing authentic Thai dishes.

Chiang Mai Hill tribe trekking

From Bangkok you and your group will travel on the overnight train to Chiang Mai - the cultural hub of northern Thailand. You'll spend five days in this region with a walking tour of the old city, a visit to the Wat Chedi Luang, and a unique "Monk Chat" session at Chiang Mai University, where you'll have the rare opportunity to converse with Buddhist monks and gain insights into their way of life. There will also be a curated food tour introducing you to Lanna, or Northern Thai, cuisine.

From Chiang Mai you'll head out on an adventure into the lush hills of Northern Thailand, exploring Doi Inthanon National Park, Thailand's highest peak, known for its lush forests and stunning landscapes, and trekking to Wachirathan Waterfall to enjoy a jungle-style lunch. The night will be spent at a local homestay, immersing yourself in the traditional way of life.

Southern Thailand Chiang Mai to Phuket

From Chiang Mai you'll fly south to Phuket for 10 days spent exploring the stunning islands and national parks of southern Thailand. Start with two nights at beachfront accommodation on Koh Yao Yai experiencing authentic island life with a day of community-based tourism activities.

On the way back to Phuket you'll visit the Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation and spend the night at a luxurious glamping site with the following day free to explore at leisure.

The next island on the itinerary is Koh Phi Phi with a long-tail boat tour of the towering limestone cliffs, discovering hidden lagoons and pristine beaches along the way. There'll also be a spot of snorkelling and hiking for a more active way to enjoy the islands.

Then it's on to Ao Nang, a picturesque beach town in Krabi province with plenty of free time to join in optional activities including rock climbing, boat trips and a visit to the night market.

The final stop of your 20-day group adventure is Khao Sok National Park, home to the world's oldest evergreen rainforest, featuring deep valleys, the stunning Cheow Larn Lake, numerous caves, and abundant wildlife. You'll stay at some amazing floating bungalows on the lake, where kayaks are available for you to explore the tranquil waters at your own pace.

Phuket Flight back home

After saying goodbye to the group of people that have been your travel buddies for the past 20-days, it's time to leave Khao Sok National Park and make your own way back to Phuket for your return flight home.

Not ready to leave Thailand? Add a few more days to enjoy the area independently before flying back to the UK.

Want to explore more of Southeast Asia? Consider continuing your journey south to Malaysia and beyond to fly home from either Kuala Lumpur or Singapore.

This gap year program can be customised to suit your travel plans, so just let us know what you want to add and we'll do the rest!

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