“The trip was really awesome. It was my first time to go outside Europe and this project was the ideal thing to do for the first time! It is a good combination between different volunteering projects travelling and being with international people. The week in Mr. Lee's elephant village and the day in the Khao Yai national park were the absolute highlights for me. Beside that we had a great tour guide in Kwang. She took care of us really well arranged everything for us and did literally anything to help us. Big shout out to Kwang! I had an amazing time in Thailand. Kwang is the best! She really took care of everything. When something went wrong with the beach extension we had one day less at Koh Phangan she kept us informed as good as she could. I enjoyed all the projects actually. The childcare and elephants were the most exciting for me. Luckily we could stay another day in the elephant village because me and two others decided not to go to Cambodia. It was a pity that the childcare was only two days those kids were amazing.”

Helpful Report

Posted 7 years ago

“The experience is pretty awesome. This trip becomes the highlight of my summer since we have not only accomplished plenty of community service but also befriended with each other. We have immersed ourselves in Thai culture making contribution to the community and having fun with each other. I would be so excited to recommend this trip to others because it is so life changing. The working part is pretty fun. We have done a lot things that are meaningful which are something that I am so glad for. Friends are one of the most important parts in this trip. we have become really close friends at the end of the trip.”

Helpful Report

Posted 7 years ago

“I was lucky enough to go to Thailand with Volunteering Solutions for the 3 Week Summer Volunteering Project. The hostel where I stayed was pretty basic but did the job. I strongly suggest that you put your valuables in the safe downstairs behind the counter!!! From memory it doesn't cost anything but if you lose the key it's about £25 to get a new one. There are various nearby places that do laundry which are very cheap and charge per kg. The breakfast is very basic - bread (a toaster) jam fried eggs mini pancakes and frankfurter sausages. There is free wifi downstairs in the eating area and if you're on the first floor you might be able to use the wifi from downstairs but mostly there is no wifi in the rooms. I was lucky enough to have JJ as my guide for the 3 weeks. He was lovely super helpful and a friendly man who totally took care of us the whole time! He is of Thai origin so knew how everything worked and he's also a very experienced tour guide! The first full day was a boat tour which was a really nice way to see the sights and get to know the group. There was an optional evening event of a 'lady boy' show which was quite expensive! You had to pay for that separately but transport there was organized for you. It was very bizarre indeed- a mishmash of snippets of musicals performed by LadyBoys. I guess Thailand is known for its LadyBoys so I am glad I went but it was about £25 - which was actually expensive! Nightlife along Khao San Road is crazy- every night is like a Friday or Saturday night! Very cheap cocktails and loads of weird bugs you can eat here. Going to a temple to teach children during the day was fun. We played lots of games and as a group bought lots of sweets to hand out to the children at the end. Always a nice gesture to say goodbye I believe. If you love a massage then Thailand is the place. A foot massage is about £2.50 for half an hour. We went to a huge market for an afternoon. As always be prepared to haggle! It's seriously hot always have lots of water with you - bottled water is like 20p and is sold everywhere!! The Child Care Project was really amazing. You basically just have to be proactive there weren't any set tasks with the children in the mornings you just kind of hang out. For me it was fine as I enjoy children's company but if you're not used to children I suggest you get there and just try and interact as much as you can. Children love snap chat!! That can keep them amused for hours! There are many temple trips and I would suggest you go as the temples are beautiful. The week at Mr. Lee's elephant village was my favorite part. It was such an amazing project! The accommodation was super basic you are about 10 in a room on mattresses on the floor with mosquito nets. There is a basic shower with lukewarm water and sink as well as a flushing loo!!! The people who look after you (the mahouts) are lovely super friendly. They sleep right nearby with the elephants. You wake up and get to see the elephants from your room - it's pretty special. You get to wash the elephants in the nearby pond. It initially seems a bit gross to get in the water with the elephants poo floating around but it's fine. There is no wifi for the week at the elephant village! I found it fine actually quite refreshing as it made you just stop and enjoy your surroundings instead of looking at your phone!! And socialize with your group! One weekend we decided to go away. Half the group went to Cambodia (which was doable) and my group went to Khao Samed island. JJ kindly went with us. Again although it was a long journey it was worth it we just left the elephants village a day early. The island was beautiful sea and beautiful sandy white beaches. Be aware of jellyfish though!!!!! Another option given was to see bats coming out of a bat cave (extra cost) - totally worth it. It was incredible to see over 1 million bats leave the cave! A real stunning scene. You get to go in the cave before to see them all. The trek at the national park is no big deal at all. I packed my trekking boots and everything but trainers would have been enough. We only hiked for about an hour and a half. But it was beautiful loads of wildlife! No need to buy special socks from the shop though pulling your socks up and wearing trousers is absolutely fine!! Malaria tablets. All the people from England did not take tablets. However all the people from America did. Everybody was fine. If you're from America and you're torn I suggest you don't take them! I suggest you take diarrhea tablets headache pills loads of mosquito repellent (but you can get it all cheaply out there!) and rehydration sachets- oh and sun cream. I had factor 30. Drink loads and loads of water!!! I was pretty lucky and didn't get sick just be sure to wash your hands as much as possible and drink lots of water. Coconut water is super cheap (like 25p a bottle) and is really good for rehydration! I did the summer project in India the year before and I have to say in terms of volunteering the project to India was better. Don't get me wrong I had an amazing time on this project but I got a lot more out of the project to India. I also went to Kenya at Easter which was AMAZING. So if you do have questions about the 2 weeks special to Kenya or the Summer project to India or Thailand I am more than happy to answer them!! Just get in touch with Sahil The Operations Head. I'm going to do the 2 week special to Ghana this Easter! Can't wait. Hopefully whatever project you decide you'll have a great time. Sahil and his team are super helpful and very quick to respond to any questions! If you go to Thailand hopefully you'll be lucky enough to have JJ as your guide who really was wonderful. He even came with us on our weekend away to Khao Samed Island and kindly organized it all for us so we weren't ripped off!”

Helpful Report

Posted 7 years ago

“I liked that the website was very easy to manoeuvre around and that it had a number of simple straight forward filters which could help narrow down and suggest options for where to go based on the criteria’s selected. I also liked the fact that there was detailed information on the different programs which provided information on the basics such as cost volunteer schedule the things you would be doing etc. These factors in particular are what made me decide to go volunteering with VS because the information was clear and transparent. This was quite different to other volunteer websites because they would require you to enquire further information by sending an email or so. This led me not to trust them due to lack of transparency. All I had to do on VS website was read about each program and make my decision based on which program interested me more especially because I didn’t have any idea on where I wanted to go yet. I found the pre-departure booklet verrry helpful and useful. Everything I needed to know was in the booklet e.g. visas arrival departure etc. I knew where to go and what to do because of the booklet. I liked the way that the booklet went further by providing me with information about the country traditions and greetings in Thai to learn. This was very useful as I could already say basic phrases when I arrived in Thailand. Due to the advice in the pre-departure booklet I also bought a lonely planet Thailand phrase book which was so handy to have. I am very happy that the booklet was very detailed. Also it would be helpful to know that there is an onsite umbrella organization in Thailand and that there are volunteers that you will meet (which are not all from volunteering solutions). I realized I was the only person from VS. The Operations Head Sahil was very helpful when it came to helping me prepare for my trip. He was very prompt with answering any questions or queries I had or would call me back. As a first-time new volunteer he provided me with a lot of information to help assure me that everything is planned and looked after. Knowing that I had a direct form of contact to speak to if I had any questions was very reassuring. I absolutely loved my placement. One of the best experiences I have ever had. I can tell my future grandchildren about this! This was my first time volunteering abroad and because of VS I would love to do it again! VS made my experience enjoyable to the point where it didn't feel as if I was volunteering. It just felt right. First of all being in the country was lovely as the locals were very friendly and made me feel welcome. I loved working in the school the staff at the school made us feel very welcome and were very hospitable. It was a great experience to know that the children were also learning English we taught them well. This was equally the same at the elephant village I felt I was part of a community and one of the locals. We were pretty much doing most of the things they were doing. In the elephant village we were very proactive in helping the elephants and getting food for them. Despite all the hard work we spent during the day it felt very rewarding when feeding the elephants and looking after them. The interaction we had when giving the elephants their food was worthwhile. They were actually wriggling their trunks asking for more food! All in all the experience in itself made me feel appreciated that this volunteering was worth the trip. About the accommodations and meals Week 1 – Teaching The accommodation was practical it did the job. I liked the fact that it was basic so we could get a feel of living with basic amenity conditions. I liked the fact that our windows were protected by mosquito nets and that we had a couple fans in our room. We had to buy food while living in the house as meals are not included when on the teaching course. There were however a few restaurants nearby which were relatively cheap had wi-fi and had good food. The location of where we stayed was good as they had a big shopping mall which had a bank there. This was very helpful as I needed to exchange my English money into Thai Baht! That was a life saver! Week 2 – Elephant village I loved the accommodation in the elephant village and enjoyed the experience of living in a rural area. The hammocks outside was my favourite chair to sit on. Everyone wanted to sit in there whenever it was free! The house we lived in for our homestay was spacious and included mosquito nets in the bedrooms. I also loved the fact that the elephants lived close to us because we could help out most of the time. Especially during our free time. The meals were great! I really enjoyed the meals our homestay family prepared. We were given a variety of dishes and had at least 2 options on what to eat. I was also able to help the host family with the cooking and they gave me tips on how to make the food myself. We also had a thai BBQ which was amazing! They were very friendly and helpful. I liked the fact that before we started the volunteering that the staff showed us around Bangkok. It was a great way to introduce me to Thailand as a starting point. When we arrived in Surin the head co-ordinator Nam was very nice and informative. She provided us with information on each of our projects. The support staff team was very helpful when it came to assisting us especially when we wanted to explore the area they would help to book our transportation for us to pick us up and provide us with relevant information on good places to go to. Also they helped us when we wanted to travel to other cities or Islands in Thailand and assisted us with booking our travel and advising us on the best places to go or accommodation which is suitable. During the weekend I and a few other volunteers traveled to Pakchong – KAO Yai National park of which they helped assist us with. The support staff also helped assist me when I planned to go to Bangkok. They took details of my flight time and informed me the best time I should travel back safely to ensure that I made my flight on time. There are so many good experiences I had hard to mention one! I would say the overall volunteering experience in itself. I loved the fact that I could spend each week doing two different projects it was the best of both worlds! I was very lucky because other volunteers that I met who applied through other agencies were not doing the same thing as me. I think it was definitely browning points for VS for having the two-week special. The overall experience was amazing being in the more rural parts and meeting locals. The school we were teaching in was absolutely lovely the children were so welcoming and friendly and the principle was so respectful and friendly. I absolutely loved spending time with the elephants in the elephant village. We took them to bath gave them food we could see how they interacted. It was such a great experience to be so close to such an animal and the animal responding well to you. I definitely recommend. Like I said previously the 2 week special was definitely good because you could spend each week doing a different project. The projects in Thailand was amazing Volunteering solutions by far are the most informative organization in terms of preparing you for your trip and telling you everything you need to know.”

Helpful Report

Posted 7 years ago

“I highly enjoyed working with the elephants. Those days were completely unique and living so close to them was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I also loved working with the students at the temple in Bangkok. I wish we were able to have more time with them there. The week at the islands was amazing and a great end to the trip. Additionally all of the extra excursions that our program leader had planned for us (such as Muay Thai class visiting the bat cave and temples) were amazing! I loved all the volunteer work. I do wish I was able to do more especially during the week working with the children at the daycare. It might have been because we were a big group of volunteers but I would have liked to have more responsibilities during our stay in Surin to feel like I was more useful and made an impact. The location was the best part of the accommodation. The staff was very friendly and supportive. They made the program easier and smooth. I would recommend VolSol to anyone I know is willing to volunteer abroad mostly because of the variety of programs.”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

“While my visit in Thailand was absolutely incredible it's very hard for me to rank my time there. However one of my favorite moments during the program was the school at the wat pho temple. During my time there we broke off into groups where I met a little girl and instantly clicked with her. While working with her I taught her colors. She mastered the colors quite quickly and we began to color by number. It was fasinating to see her learn so quickly and really pay attention to me. As a teacher I work with students every day and I have honestly never seen a drive in students that wanted to work so hard in learning English. It was truely something I'll never forget. As for my second best moment it would be staying at Mr.lees house and taking care of the elephants during this time I really came out of my element. From living together 19 of us together in one room to planting to cooking and taking care of an elephant I've never seen up close and personal gave me such joy. Another moment I truely enjoyed was painting the school in surin. Giving back to someone who doesn't have it is so rewarding. When the project was over and taking steps back looking at what we created on this building was more than rewarding. Everyone at that school was thankful for what we had done! The overall living experience was excellent. It was very comfortable and homely stay with all the facilities I could have asked for. The staff was also very friendly and supportive. They made the program easier and smooth. I absolutely think my experience was worthwhile in Thailand this was the best trip I've ever been on. Thailand has taught me so over the past month that I will take and cherish with me forever! I'm already looking into a new program for next year!”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

“The website design was very attractive I find it very easy to navigate. The staff support is also outstanding. They all were very friendly and supportive. They made the program easier and smooth. I find my experience worthwhile. Some of the highlights of my trip are: 1. Elephant Village Homestay with Mr. Lee 2. Weekend in Cambodia visiting National Park &amp Angkor Wat 3. Exploring the beaches of Koh Phangan 4. Experiencing the culture food people cities and landscapes around different parts of Thailand The daily itinerary was great--maybe more specifics on the packing list. Types of pants shorts shirts etc. to bring would've been more helpful. There are things I wish I would've brought more of or not brought at all because of the type of fabric they were etc. I very much enjoyed all the living accommodations we experienced during the Summer Special program. After staying at our hotels in Surin Koh Phangan and Khao Yai it was hard to come back. The food at all lodging places was good too.”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

“Hard to pick my favorite moments they were all so great! I loved the first day going to see all of the temples in Bangkok and taking the rainbow boat. Also JJ Market was spectacular (even in the rain)! The kiddos in Surin were adorable I miss their smiling faces every single day the restoration although super hot was amazing and felt good to help the cuties we'd worked with. Going to the river every day to bathe with the elephants was also something I will never forget! I felt my efforts get appreciated it makes me so happy that our work meant something. I loved every minute of my trip to Thailand even the super sweaty parts! It definitely makes me appreciate things in America a lot more than I did before. We had a great time painting weeding picking up trash etc and I still remember the big hug the teachers gave us when we finished. The house was clean and spacious and in a good neighborhood. The food was alright. The staff was very friendly and supportive. They made the program easier and smooth. ?My tour guide Mickey was one of the highlights of the trip. He is so kind and funny and did not hesitate to help us with whatever we needed. Truly one of the things I miss most about Thailand. Amazing tour guide!”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

Volunteer in Thailand Reviews