Anybody from australia know about this organization ....Involvement Volunteers association,

They are suppose to be an organization based in Australia with an office here in Chiang Mai on Tapae Road with the focus to promote good places to all Australians wanting to get involved in Volunteer work here in Chiang Mai.

Anybody or any Australians on the forum that have any experience with them ..? Please let me know

Thanks

Whereabouts on Tapae Rd? I have never seen any such office.

No address found through google, but you could ask the organisation themselves:

Involvement Volunteers Association Inc (IVI)

http://www.volunteering.org.au/contactus.asp

I have not heard anything of them either.

I did look briefly through their FAQ's and soon found the answer to one of the first questions anyone should ask about such associations. Here it is:

Q. If I am volunteering my time and effort, why should I have to pay for anything?

A. Fees are required in return for the service of developing placements and creating and coordinating an individual program. IVI is a not-for-profit organisation, but because IVI is not just specifically related to education or the natural environment; and as the volunteer activities are not all of specific benefit to either disadvantaged people or endangered species, IVI is not able to be registered as a charity. Therefore the funding of all IVI activities is covered by a contribution received from the participating volunteer. In most cases food and accommodation are provided in return for the volunteers' work. When you consider this detail, I think that you will find that we offer a valuable and affordable volunteering experience.

If you do not want to pay any money to be a volunteer, that is understandable. You can always organise things by yourself from home and as you travel. Of course, it is difficult to find trustworthy contacts in a foreign country when you have limited time and money. Most people will find it a more cost effective and fulfilling experience to have a program arranged by IVI before they depart, rather than to "hope for the best" as they go.

Having read that, I did not bother to look further for an answer to the other question which we must all ask of volunteer associations in Thailand:

Is a Work Permit offered?

Do note that all and any volunteer work without a Work Permit is illegal in Thailand. (Many people are, understandably, not aware of the need to check on this aspect.)

Good luck and do report back if you explore further with this group.

Hi and thanks everybody ...I did manage to find a tel # and Address on Tapae Road and called and will be going there to meet them on Thursday afternoon ...the address is 104-112 Tapae Road Chiang Mai ( Near Bangkok Bank) and tel # is 53 234 777...will update and thanks for the reminder advice about the work permit which I will check out with them

Hi and thanks everybody ...I did manage to find a tel # and Address on Tapae Road and called and will be going there to meet them on Thursday afternoon ...the address is 104-112 Tapae Road Chiang Mai ( Near Bangkok Bank) and tel # is 53 234 777...will update and thanks for the reminder advice about the work permit which I will check out with them

A quick search turned up that address as the Finnish Consulate - which is in fact Ratanaporn stationary store, almost opposite BKK Bank (big white building).

Having read that, I did not bother to look further for an answer to the other question which we must all ask of volunteer associations in Thailand:

Is a Work Permit offered?

Do note that all and any volunteer work without a Work Permit is illegal in Thailand. (Many people are, understandably, not aware of the need to check on this aspect.)

If they worked, sure. But seeing that these people are charging money to the "volunteer" that makes it a lot closer to an social or eco-tourism / education program than to 'work'.

I mean, they go on holiday and pay money to do stuff.. That's 'volunteering' only as a marketing term to the tourist. In reality it's not much different from anything else a tourist might do that costs money.

Having read that, I did not bother to look further for an answer to the other question which we must all ask of volunteer associations in Thailand:

Is a Work Permit offered?

Do note that all and any volunteer work without a Work Permit is illegal in Thailand. (Many people are, understandably, not aware of the need to check on this aspect.)

If they worked, sure. But seeing that these people are charging money to the "volunteer" that makes it a lot closer to an social or eco-tourism / education program than to 'work'.

I mean, they go on holiday and pay money to do stuff.. That's 'volunteering' only as a marketing term to the tourist. In reality it's not much different from anything else a tourist might do that costs money.

Winnie the Sophist! Or Bureaucrat ?

The problem is that this money would not be going where it is supposed to go ...

It's not a problem because this is topic number 573 that shall not be discussed on this forum. So I have a feeling it will all go away pretty soon.

Hi and thanks everybody ...I did manage to find a tel # and Address on Tapae Road and called and will be going there to meet them on Thursday afternoon ...the address is 104-112 Tapae Road Chiang Mai ( Near Bangkok Bank) and tel # is 53 234 777...will update and thanks for the reminder advice about the work permit which I will check out with them

A quick search turned up that address as the Finnish Consulate - which is in fact Ratanaporn stationary store, almost opposite BKK Bank (big white building).

ummmm..... interesting ...well as I said I'm going there tomorrow so will get the correct picture.......Thanks for the info

Our foundation has been contacted by a similar group called MyProWorld Thailand. There seems to be quite a few of these kinds of organizations around here. Frankly, I see nothing wrong with a business/social enterprise charging people to help match them to volunteer opportunities. If the volunteers are willing to pay for the research and screening, what's wrong with it? In terms of Work Permits, groups like this likely match the volunteer with the foundations...who then provide the work permits.

> .who then provide the work permits.

No, NOBODY provides work permits unless they're paying a salary of at least 65,000 baht a month and do all the paperwork. There simply is no 'volunteer' work permit.

You're not right. My friend is volunteering and got WP.

> .who then provide the work permits.

No, NOBODY provides work permits unless they're paying a salary of at least 65,000 baht a month and do all the paperwork. There simply is no 'volunteer' work permit.

I don't think that is true. How can teachers get a WP? Hardly anyone gets 65,000 baht per month

I agree with Agenda. Winnie the Kwai is wrong. Volunteers can get work permits. You do not need a salary at all from the Thai organization. I have one so I know that it's possible.

It is possible for volunteers to get work permits. Very few get them. Few volunteer organizations even try

> .who then provide the work permits.

No, NOBODY provides work permits unless they're paying a salary of at least 65,000 baht a month and do all the paperwork. There simply is no 'volunteer' work permit.

I don't think that is true. How can teachers get a WP? Hardly anyone gets 65,000 baht per month

If you obtain a work permit through a company, minimum taxable incomes apply according to your nationality. Teachers and their wps are exempt from this.

You can obtain a wp as a volunteer but I believe it would have to be processed through a Thai-registered foundation.

I know dozens of people in the city who have WP as volunteers. I thought that it was the most common method of getting them here. Must just be the networks I'm in contact with.