Expedition: Thailand.

Three options:
1 week with wildlife starting 7 May
1 week with elephants starting 14 May
Combo two weeks starting 7 May 2023

Cost: $2211 Canadian for one week
$2530 for two weeks.

Come join us in May when we visit the land of smiles! Have you always loved elephants? Have you dreamed of going to sleep listening to gibbons call to each other? Would you like to make new friends who love animals and travel as much as you do? This is your chance to volunteer at a Wildlife Rescue Centre and an Elephant Sanctuary in Thailand with Animal Experience International. This very special expedition has three different options for you - all of them fully guided by our two founders: Heather and Nora.

Option one: volunteer starting on 7 May for one week at our Wildlife Rescue Centre partner. Mornings start at 6 am for feeding, cleaning and providing enrichment for slow lorises, tigers, and bears (oh my!) and many more species.

Option two: volunteer starting on May 14th for one week at our Elephant Sanctuary. Mornings start at 6:30 am for cleaning, walking and pampering these retired elephants.

Option three: You start May 7th and volunteer for two weeks, experiencing all the things Thailand has to offer from waterfall hikes to macaque feedings! Choose your experience - helping wildlife, elephants or both!

We are always amazed at how much we can achieve when a group of passionate volunteers come together and work towards a common goal - and this time we will be making a real difference for wildlife (including elephants) in Thailand - with your help.

Volunteer Activities

Volunteers provide care for all the animals at the centre. This includes cleaning cages and enclosures, preparing food and feeding the animals, providing enrichment and maintaining the facility. Volunteers are divided to work in the different areas based on species; Elephants Bears, Macaques, Gibbons, Mammals, Birds or Reptiles. Regardless of area assigned, the day will feature similar activities. Volunteers help prepare food and learn about the diets for the various species. They help feed the animals throughout the morning, and clean the enclosures at the same time. There are lots of enrichment techniques that volunteers learn about and provide to the animals.   

Work can be quite hot and some things are challenging – like cleaning the bear enclosures which are large.  But before long you will be an expert, and will be sharing your knowledge with the newly arrived volunteers.  

The morning starts early to avoid the heat of the day. Shifts are from 6:00 am – 4:00 pm with time off for breakfast, lunch and water breaks. Volunteers have one day off per week where we as a group will be visiting a national park and a local beach!

Volunteers never work alone and are always under the guidance of other staff or AEI guides. Volunteers do not come in direct contact with the wildlife.  

Accommodation 

Volunteers stay right on site in cabins, and you will share your cabin with 1 – 3 other people. All cabins are the same gender, unless there is a special request. There are western bathrooms and showers (with cool water – refreshing!) for volunteers to use and laundry services are available for a small fee. All meals are included. Food is provided for you to make your own breakfast (toast and tea), while Thai food is served in big lunches and dinners.

There is no internet access at the Rescue Centre, however there wifi in cafes in the nearby town.

Safety

Do you have questions about safety? We have answers right here! Remember, you are travelling with a group and will have a leader and a local volunteer coordinator with you 24/7!

Includes

Airport pick up and drop off (at Bangkok International), accommodation, meals, on-site training, donation to Placement Partner, AEI Travel Manual, emergency support while at placement, carbon credits to offset 3 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, premium Individual Travel Insurance (up to $500, 000 USD in emergency medical coverage), travel discounts (through automatic membership to a volunteer only travel discount program), 24/7 travel and emergency assistance, enrolment with the Global Travel Academy to earn a certificate in International Volunteering. This 3-hour online course is curated by travel professionals and is designed to help you get the most out of your adventure, guided trip to National Parks and beaches (all accommodation and all meals are provided (any alcohol is extra).

Excludes

Flights, entry visa costs, international and domestic airport taxes, immunizations and medications. Note: The rabies vaccine is recommended but not required for this Experience however, if volunteers are interested in becoming rabies vaccinated, the average cost is $600- $1000 in North America.

What is Serious

The major goals of our partner are to campaign against all forms of animal abuse and exploitation in Thailand, work towards ending the illegal pet trade and discourage people from keeping all wild animals as pets. The wildlife rescue centre actively seeks to combat the illegal wildlife trade and to rescue animals from poor conditions or exploitation from human entertainment. There is also a large focus on public education, encouraging local people, tourists and the international community to appreciate, understand and protect wildlife and their natural habitats.

By volunteering at the wildlife rescue centre, you will be supporting these important initiatives as well as getting hands-on experience working with a number of species.
The rescue centre cares for six species of gibbon, five species of macaque, lorises, two species of langur, two species of bear, small wild cats, various civet species, reptiles, otters, birds and many more. All the animals you will see around the center have been rescued from poor living conditions, saved from the illegal wildlife trade, the pet industry, the tourism and entertainment industry, or directly from the wild, where they may have been victims of road traffic accidents, dog attacks or other human caused accidents.

The work can be challenging - it can be difficult to see how the animals have suffered - but in the end it is tremendously rewarding to be part of the solution. The animals at the centre are released back into the wild or can live the rest of their lives in a safe environment, as close to nature as possible, and are provided the best care possible with the help of volunteers like you.

What is Fun

The wildlife rescue centre is the perfect place to volunteer with wildlife in a friendly, team oriented environment. The rescue centre is always host to a group of international volunteers who help provide care for rescued wildlife throughout the year. Volunteers work side-by side each day and relax together when the volunteer duties are finished. You can hang-out in the common areas, read, use the pool table or swim in the nearby lake and river. In the evenings, volunteers often walk together to the nearby town to shop at the markets, buy a cold drink or visit the internet café. Volunteers can also travel to the town of Cha-am which is a bit further away by taxi, or visit a nearby resort to use the pool, eat at the hotel restaurant or enjoy their spa services.

There are day trips arranged for volunteers to visit national parks where you can see animals in the wild and enjoy the beautiful scenery and waterfalls. These tours are an additional cost, but the fees are quite reasonable for volunteers.

You will learn so much about the wide variety of rescued wildlife, and make friends with the people dedicated to their care. By the time you are finished volunteering, you will have seen amazing wildlife species, formed lasting friendships and experienced Thailand first hand by exploring the area around the rescue centre. Your time at the rescue centre will also make you an ambassador for the wild animals, as you spread the centre’s message about the animals’ plight and how we can help them.

Meet your leader: Nora Livingstone! Nora is an experienced canoe/mountaineering guide and volunteer coordinator. Having guiding trips in the mountains of Italy, the rivers of Ontario and four animal conservation trips in Greece and Kenya and Guatemala, she is excited about going back to Thailand! This will be her 5th AEI expedition!

Dates and Details

We will be arriving the 7th of May for the first week of volunteering. If you are looking to only volunteer with elephants then you should arrive on the 14th of May, we will all leave together and depart for our homes on on 21 May. 

Fundraising

Are you thinking of fundraising for a portion, or all your fees? Many of our clients have been very successful with their fundraising efforts. To learn more about their successful fundraising projects and see how you can fund raise for your experience, please visit our fundraising page!