Chiang Mai Is For Lovers

[CMHomeboy78]

It was reported today that Chiang Mai has been named one of the top ten travel destinations for people celebrating their wedding anniversaries according to Cheapflights, an online travel adviser.

The "main draw" is... wait for it... "Voluntourism". Teaching Buddhist monks to speak English; renovating old buildings; and a "hot spot" for people looking to care for elephants.

More than enough to keep the love-birds busy.

But I thought work permits were required to do those things even if you weren't getting paid.

Ending up in an Immigration holding cell, then being fined and deported would certainly put a damper on that wedding anniversary.

But if it is in the interest of of promoting tourism to Chiang Mai then maybe those pesky rules are waived.

Anybody know?

[WinnieTheKhwai]

> But I thought work permits were required to do those things even if you weren't getting paid.

No. Only the tourists themselves pretend that they're volunteering. Everyone else knows they're getting sold a package, and at a pretty penny too.

Edited May 3, 2012 by WinnieTheKhwai

[CMHomeboy78]

> But I thought work permits were required to do those things even if you weren't getting paid.

No. Only the tourists themselves pretend that they're volunteering. Everyone else knows they're getting sold a package, and at a pretty penny too.

Thanks for the response WTK.

But frankly I don't quite understand it.

Are you saying that the volunteer work that these people are doing is part of a tour package and thus exempt from the usual laws and regulations in force here?

I've also wondered about Jimmy Carter's Habitat for Humanity volunteers. Did they all have to get work permits for their projects in Chiang Mai?

[davehowden]

Hmm, they also say:

"For a brilliant time, book a flight to the UK."

so they clearly don't know what they are talking about!!

[WinnieTheKhwai]

> But I thought work permits were required to do those things even if you weren't getting paid.

No. Only the tourists themselves pretend that they're volunteering. Everyone else knows they're getting sold a package, and at a pretty penny too.

Thanks for the response WTK.

But frankly I don't quite understand it.

Are you saying that the volunteer work that these people are doing is part of a tour package and thus exempt from the usual laws and regulations in force here?

No, I'm saying that it's all the rage these days in the tourism industry to market something as volunteering, particpating, joining; so a more active role by the tourist than the traditional passive one where they're ferried to some site where they can gawk at something and take pictures. It's more popular to get up close and personal with nature, animals, hill tribes, etc. They call this volunteering (or voluntourism), but it's really just a tour where the tourist participates a lot more. No actual meaningful work is performed, in fact running tours of this kind probably requires more people/effort to organize, and this is also reflected in the price. The voluntourists pay several hundred dollars to bathe an elephant. Then they can tell people back home they didn't spend their whole holiday on the beach, but went on a responsible trip, volunteering with the locals, etc.

For *actual* volunteering a work permit is of course required. But what the article in the OP highlights as being popular is not actual volunteering; it's immersive participation in an activity.

Edited May 3, 2012 by WinnieTheKhwai

[eek]

You pay to have a volunteer "experience". You are paying for an experience (a humanitarian experience), not really "volunteering". Volunteering sounds good on paper and feels good (and yes, in many cases can and does help out). Its nothing new, been around for years and years..and years.

[hedonist44]

> But I thought work permits were required to do those things even if you weren't getting paid.

No. Only the tourists themselves pretend that they're volunteering. Everyone else knows they're getting sold a package, and at a pretty penny too.

Thanks for the response WTK.

But frankly I don't quite understand it.

Are you saying that the volunteer work that these people are doing is part of a tour package and thus exempt from the usual laws and regulations in force here?

No, I'm saying that it's all the rage these days in the tourism industry to market something as volunteering, particpating, joining; so a more active role by the tourist than the traditional passive one where they're ferried to some site where they can gawk at something and take pictures. It's more popular to get up close and personal with nature, animals, hill tribes, etc. They call this volunteering (or voluntourism), but it's really just a tour where the tourist participates a lot more. No actual meaningful work is performed, in fact running tours of this kind probably requires more people/effort to organize, and this is also reflected in the price. The voluntourists pay several hundred dollars to bathe an elephant. Then they can tell people back home they didn't spend their whole holiday on the beach, but went on a responsible trip, volunteering with the locals, etc.

For *actual* volunteering a work permit is of course required. But what the article in the OP highlights as being popular is not actual volunteering; it's immersive participation in an activity.

+1

[Mapguy]

> But I thought work permits were required to do those things even if you weren't getting paid.

No. Only the tourists themselves pretend that they're volunteering. Everyone else knows they're getting sold a package, and at a pretty penny too.

Thanks for the response WTK.

But frankly I don't quite understand it.

Are you saying that the volunteer work that these people are doing is part of a tour package and thus exempt from the usual laws and regulations in force here?

No, I'm saying that it's all the rage these days in the tourism industry to market something as volunteering, particpating, joining; so a more active role by the tourist than the traditional passive one where they're ferried to some site where they can gawk at something and take pictures. It's more popular to get up close and personal with nature, animals, hill tribes, etc. They call this volunteering (or voluntourism), but it's really just a tour where the tourist participates a lot more. No actual meaningful work is performed, in fact running tours of this kind probably requires more people/effort to organize, and this is also reflected in the price. The voluntourists pay several hundred dollars to bathe an elephant. Then they can tell people back home they didn't spend their whole holiday on the beach, but went on a responsible trip, volunteering with the locals, etc.

For *actual* volunteering a work permit is of course required. But what the article in the OP highlights as being popular is not actual volunteering; it's immersive participation in an activity.

+1

Regarding retirement visas, which restrict any sort of work by holders, it is still possible to get a 15-day permit from the Department of Labor for genuine volunteer work, I believe, at no cost. Talk to someone knowledgeable in the club called Chiang Mai Friends.

[Gladiator]

Yes Mapguy - my understanding also.

At the meeting last year at the Imperial Mai Ping Hotel, hosted by 'Helping Hands' and attended by both representatives from the Labour Department and the Immigration Office . This followed a crackdown of 'volunteer' musicians performing - The message was that should you wish an exemption for volunteer work you only have to go to the Labour Office and apply. I seem to recall that 15 days was the threshold, if granted.

[JingerBen]

This whole thing is just hype to promote tourism in Chiang Mai and shouldn't be taken seriously by anybody.

A crass commercial attempt to make these gullible fools think they are somehow playing a positive role here by helping out in various ways.

The mass tourists and the hordes of resident expats with any degree of intelligence or sensibility know very well that they themselves are out of place in Chiang Mai.

The dramatic increase in their numbers makes their presence here more problematic as time goes on.

The best thing they could do is call it quits and go home.

Nobody who remembers Chiang Mai as it was before they came would miss them.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

The mass tourists and the hordes of resident expats with any degree of intelligence or sensibility know very well that they themselves are out of place in Chiang Mai. The dramatic increase in their numbers makes their presence here more problematic as time goes on. The best thing they could do is call it quits and go home.

I so agree with you! Except for me of course. And you, I suppose.

[CMHomeboy78]

The mass tourists and the hordes of resident expats with any degree of intelligence or sensibility know very well that they themselves are out of place in Chiang Mai. The dramatic increase in their numbers makes their presence here more problematic as time goes on. The best thing they could do is call it quits and go home.

I so agree with you! Except for me of course. And you, I suppose.

Don't leave me out!

Me and some good friends I've made here in the past 30+ years.

My wife's extended Thai family also know a lot of farangs they'd keep on board.

But let's try to keep the numbers in check,,, just like the Good Ol' Days

[uptheos]

[been here appx 22 years, originally involved in the border area from Mae Hong Son to Sangkhlaburi (with a work permit) and have volunteered in many different organisations since, without so much as a sniff of a work permit.

Edited May 5, 2012 by uptheos

[masuk]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Thailand seems to be the only country, where 'volunteers' are required to pay hundreds of dollars per week, for the privilege of shovelling elephant manure.

Wasn't there some problem a while back, with volunteers wanting to help rehabilitate the Khao Lak region after the tsunami. Imagine their surprise to be told that they were needed, but then again, not able to work.

I'm an English teacher, (with papers) with some years of teaching experience in Asia, and would love to be able to do a bit to help, so any ideas are welcome.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Thailand seems to be the only country, where 'volunteers' are required to pay hundreds of dollars per week, for the privilege of shovelling elephant manure.

Thailand is the only country where Westerners WANT to pay hundreds of dollars per week for the privilege of shovelling elephant manure. It's a business, and apparently it makes business sense. There are a lot of businesses that logically make no sense, but are doing very well. Take designer handbags that people want to buy for 50,000 baht. Take Instagram. Ultimately if there's money in it, they're doing something right.