Advice regarding volunteer organizations in Thailand

[craftyone]

I'm looking for advice and references from those who have first-hand knowledge of volunteer organizations in Thailand, preferably outside of Bangkok. 

I have scoured the internet and have an enormous database of various organizations but most of the websites have little or no updated info/reviews about the status of many of these programs.

I don't have an issue with paying a weekly/monthly fee as I realize the overhead involved in housing, food and transportation. 

I understand fully as to the issue of obtaining the proper visa as well. 

I know there are many organizations but the ones I am interested in the most are those that have very good ties to the community and have been well established with no controversy.

I'm not interested much in being a teacher or babysitter of sorts (although I have no issue with it) but I am very experienced within construction, farming, hands-on type work.

I hope I've provided enough info but honestly at this point I'm still researching so any advice is better than none.

Thanks in advance!!

C1

 

PS.  I'm in the states now (12hr time diff) so please excuse any timely replies.

[craftyone]

Well.......maybe I should have put this in an area (CM, KK, etc..) specific sub-forum?

 

 

[wildewillie89]

I think you expected a little bit too much from this forum. Ask a question about which brothel is best and you'll get 1,000 replies. Ask an actual useful question and you'll get nothing, as generally people have no idea about the country.

If you're wanting to work in rural areas (farming), then other than the shitty organisations that are run around different developing countries, you are really only left with contacting government buildings directly and asking to volunteer around the community. If you want community involvement, volunteer at your local tiny village school, or a municipality. Work with the head village, they do nothing basically, so he will just get you working on his farm in rural areas. I wouldn't bother though, working in Thai isn't the amazing videos/stories you hear from hippies that will say anything to make their life  sound incredible. They  almost always live in tourist hubs and have incredibly comfortable lives, and bullshit the rest. Thai workforce is usually incredibly lazy/frustratingly slow, and one days work is spread over five. Then out of nowhere 5 weeks work is expected in 5 days. Also the more rural you go there will be little to zero chance you will be able to communicate to anyone. 

Construction? Make sure you have a lot of medical insurance. No OHS, not to mention potential for disease risk depending on your location. 

[Jeffrey346]

Even though your a volunteer, Thai Authorities consider it working and you will be required to get a work permit.

[Suradit69]

On 5/23/2017 at 6:48 AM, craftyone said:

I am very experienced within construction, farming, hands-on type work.

There's no shortage of Thai people with varying degrees of experience with construction, farming, hands-on type work and  much of the grunt work on major projects in those areas is done by immigrants from neighboring countries.  

 

On 5/23/2017 at 6:48 AM, craftyone said:

the ones I am interested in the most are those that have very good ties to the community

I doubt that doing charitable construction or farming work, if such a program exists, in a community with unemployed or under-employed Thais would endear you to the locals, especially if you think just being a farang endows you with an innately superior skill set.

 

I don't mean to sound too cynical, but you've listed what you do or do not want, but not much about your qualifications. Even to teach in primary level schools you would need some academic qualifications. From what you've written it seems you want to remain in Thailand and get up close & personal with the locals (hopefully you're fluent in Thai) without being labelled a "tourist" and you want to be loved & appreciated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 25, 2017 by Suradit69

[MyFriend You]

Join the US Peace Corps and request specifically Thailand.  Warning, they have a serious need for people like you, but are highly selective.

[Minnehaha]

You might contact directly any of the following or similar organizations.

IF I were you, I would make an inquiry directly to the office in country (Thailand), preferably Bangkok. Look for the business development person or project manager person. Find one who can speak English. Ask for a 30 minute telephone call where you can ask them specific questions about what they do (look at their websites and social media to see examples and learn all you can) and then with your homework done you can ask intelligent specific questions. They will likely engage in a dialogue and you can talk about yourself and what you want to do.

The key is to context the call / conversation as " an informational interview" and say you are approaching them as an expert or person with expertise in the field and geography of interest to you. Most professional people will find 30 mintues (which extends to longer sometimes) to take your phone call.

When on the phone, say " and if you can think of anyone I should contact, please mention their names and I will approach them." if the person is really friendly they may make an introduction for you.

 

One place to start:

Kenan Institute of Asia or KIASIA or whatever they are called.

is a good organization and does development work. It is affiliated with UNC Chapel Hill and does USAID projects mostly. 

USAID is the US development agency that funds projects

Most major western countries have similar USAID - Germany, Netherlands, France, etc. all have a USAID similar organization that does the same sort of things - development work or funding of development work. The German one is very well known and active in Southeast Asia, I believe.  

 

Not all NGOs are the same. My advice is to do all the homework you can and come and do more homework. You can always leave the country to get the proper work visa and permit sponsored by the organization, if they do such things. 

[wildewillie89]

1 hour ago, Jeffrey346 said:

Even though your a volunteer, Thai Authorities consider it working and you will be required to get a work permit.

If he goes down the education path, then ironically government schools (if direct hire) will let you work and volunteer without a work permit. Illegal? Of course, but seeing as volunteers are usually there on short term basis they don't bother applying for one. Actually, many don't even bother applying for one for the workers unless the worker demands it. 

The fight I had to have with my employees for them just to fill out the paper work, I paid for the actual permit. Was funny, as they had a massive billboard in the city about not hiring illegal workers. 

Edited May 25, 2017 by wildewillie89

[Saradoc1972]

I don't know about full-time volunteer work, or how that is paid. Thing I do know is that you need a work permit even for unpaid work, work being what you do on a regular basis, i.e. not as a private service limited in scale and in singular instances. Be very careful here, you never know when the local chief of police gets it in his head to polish his badge with a totally over-the-top massive action against whatever. In lieu of a work permit you can have an exemption by immigration for a very limited scale of activities.

 

One starting point, this would not be for the full-scale activities you seems to pursue, might be PCEC, the Pattaya City Expat Club in Pattaya, we're doing regular charitable activities, mostly having to do with the English language, and there are contacts with immigration in Banglamung to get above exemptions for free, charitable work. Link to website.

 

There are also contacts to the local orphanage, The Father Ray Foundation, which might be a starting point, they are sorta big. Maybe ask PCEC whom to contact there. Even if you don't really prefer to do teaching/babysitting, they will undoubtedly have contacts with charitable institutions across the country for all sorts of things. Maybe ask there, they have some English-speaking staff. Link to website.

 

Or maybe try Cambodia, they will have more need for volunteers and regulations are more easy-going to non-existent.

[tpkhk]

Craftyone:  Please have a look at - Volunt2Thai Project - Volunteer to Thailand อาสาสมัครประเทศไทย.  http://www.volunt2thai.com  (also see FB).  I don't know anything about them.

 

CCD - http://www.ccdthailand.org  I've visited their Bangkok (suburb) location, to inquire on behalf of a medical volunteer, and this organization definitely fulfills a need.  You can email them to see how they can take advantage of your skillsets (ie. it doesnt need to involve working with the children themselves).

 

Meetup - the forum board - has two active volunteer groups in/around Bangkok.  You can join / post queries.  

 

FYI - There are a number of refugee support organizations in/around town.  Happy to look these up if you need.

 

If the weblinks don't come through, please PM.     

 

Nice of you to consider spending your resources for charity, all the best.

[PeterA]

I spent 4 months at Joys House in Chiang Mai last year. They support about 30 children from 6 years old to 18. There are loads of activities, housing which is very nice, terrific food, and some work is available for hands on stuff, at least it was last year. Well worth checking out. Great people there.

[craftyone]

AWESOME AWESOME work everyone!!  I really appreciate all the input and advice.  

 

I have a lot of work ahead of me to make sure it's legal (visa, work permit), legit and doesn't shed a bad light on the local workforce.

 

I'll update my findings here in case anyone is interested or perhaps on the fence regarding volunteer work.

 

Thanks!!!

 

C1