Going to Thailand was an experience I will never forget. I traveled with a couple friends I had met on a previous TFT trip, which was awesome! TFT gave me the opportunity to experience things I probably never could have if I had traveled on my own, like doing community service with elephants! Through doing community service, exploring Thai markets, and island hopping I was able to experience many different aspects of the country. I happened to get sick for a few days near the end of my trip, but my TFT counselors made sure to take great care of me and help me in any way they could. I definitely felt a little out of my comfort zone camping in the jungles of Thailand, but it was a learning experience that I will value forever! I had so much fun traveling with TFT!

This was my Fourth TFT trip and definitely the most fulfilling!! I went to Thailand the summer of 2017 and had an amazing experience. We had some thrilling adventures, like zip lining and scuba diving, but my favorite part was the service aspect. We helped with renovations to a school in a small village near Chiang Mai. I was also lucky enough to participate in the optional excursion to Angkor Watt in Cambodia. The temples were breathtaking and I consider it one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. We had a small group so everyone on the trip, including the counselors got pretty close. I recommend this trip to anyone looking for an experience of a lifetime.

Traveling with TFT was an amazing experience. I felt I was able to become immersed in the local culture of Thailand. We took traditional Thai cooking classes, learned some of the Thai language an interacted with the people. Being able to work with the elephants was an eye opening experience. I loved learning about their day to day life at the reserve. After the service, traveling the country was very cool. We visited ornate temples full of history, explored the colorful markets of several cities, and enjoyed the quaint villages along the countryside. The islands were full of animal and human life and the water was a beautiful blue. I became very close with my counselors and the other teens on my trip and created memories I will be able to cherish forever.

After traveling to Peru two summers ago, the Thailand Service and Adventure trip was a great way for me to experience another community that was different from my own. Every day was busy and exciting, and I was amazed by how much I was able to learn and absorb through the amazing itinerary! As I was doing this trip “alone,” I was very happy that I was able to quickly form close bonds with my fellow travelers and counselors, just as I had the year before! Each of us had come from somewhere different, but we all had a common desire to learn more about Thai culture. From building a dining hall for an orphanage to scuba diving in the islands, I’m so glad I was able to have so many different experiences during my three week adventure! No matter where I go next with TFT, I can’t wait to explore yet another culture and make more memories that will last me a lifetime!

This was my second TFT trip and I was definitely nervous that it wouldn’t match up to my amazing experience the year before, but it did and more.
We immersed ourselves in the culture constantly trying new foods, trying to communicate in Thai, and even sleeping in the jungle for the night.
We talked with monks and learned about the culture and their religion. Explored temples, shopped at Thai markets, and more.
Through this trip I also met one of my best friends and the experiences we went through together brought us so so close together that not even living in completely different time zones could tear us apart.
Not only will the experiences last me a lifetime, the friends will too.

I was really nervous about going on a trip with no one I knew. However, after calling the TFT office hundreds of times and speaking with all the staff, their reassurances finally convinced me to go on this trip. And let me tell you it was a life changing experience. Keith was an incredible counselor, always joking with us and teaching us Thai language he learned from living there for a few year. Mel was the other counselor and she is a professional photographer, taking breath-taking photos of us while we wash and rode elephants, scuba dived, and visited gorgeous temples. The itinerary is so much fun, but not jam-packed, so we could take our leisure time to take in everything. The food is so delicious and our counselors picked out some really great restaurants, one being a table right off the beach at sunset. The people on the trip were so friendly and became some of my close friends that I still talk to today, 2 years after I went on the trip.

From Chiang Mai to the islands of Thailand, I was never bored for a moment. I was able to bathe and play with elephants one day, then take a two-day rafting trip and sleep in bamboo huts by the Pai river the next day. I could not believe that we were able to work with retired elephants and help care for them. One of my favorite parts was going to all the temples and learning more about the Thai culture. I was also able to test my bartering skills (which I’ve found are not very good) in the markets while shopping for souvenirs. Next, we went to Ko Tao and Ko Samui and got a taste of the islands life. It was relaxing to do yoga, lip sync competitions, and swim in the Gulf of Thailand. Not to mention, scuba/snorkeling in the crystal-clear water, learning to cook traditional Thai food, and so much more. Our last stop in Thailand was the capital, Bangkok. I loved the city and all the sites. We went to the Grand Palace, the largest Buddha in Thailand, and got to see the famous Muy Thai fighting. I didn’t think that my second trip could live up the first trip I took with TFT but I was quickly proved wrong.

This was my second trip with TFT, and by far the coolest experience i've ever had! From hanging out with elephants to white water rafting, this trip pushed me out of my comfort zone and really helped me grow as a person. The elephant service days were my favorite. We got to bathe, feed, and play with the elephants. We also wore cool traditional mahoot outfits! As we moved to Pai and the islands, I fell more in love with the country and it's kind people. Walking through the markets and trying new foods are some of my favorite memories of the trip. And how could I forget the amazing people I was with throughout! I totally recommend this trip to anyone, it was my favorite one ever!