GVI, Ethical Impact: Internships in Thailand

My experience in Thailand. I was on a 6 month Community internship in Thailand and, I fully expected just to be doing community based activities.
But to my surprise you cant help but be pulled into the biodiversity and the conservation part as well.
The experience for lack of a better word has been incredible and to me, eye opening as well. People keep on asking me if i would go back one day, the the response always will be yes and, if i would recommend it? i can recommend it enough. If anyone has any questions over GVI Chiang Mai don't hesitate to message me. 10/10 Guys Well done!!!!
In a bit more detail on the community part of the project, each Tuesday and Thursday we would go up to the local school and teach the kids some English, but before we do we get a presentation by our base manager about how we should teach English according to the TEFL standards, witch in my case, helped me out a lot and allowed me to teach them better. They also have evening classes for some of the villagers that are interested in learning English. In summary, it is impossible to be bored on this project.

My time during GVI, Global Vision International, was one of the most positive, enriching experiences I have ever had. I was positioned at the GVI Chiang Mai elephant conservation for six months as an intern. This isn't a normal internship as it brings together many different aspects of community work into one place. While you are there to work with the elephants, the village itself will drag you in with it's kind hospitality and the culture you are presented with. Never felt any type of danger at all and was the best internship of my life. Most days you will be hiking along scenic landscapes with the beautiful elephants, learning about their behavior and habits in order to judge their health both fiscally and mentally. During your off time you will be given many presentations of the life of the people, surrounding animals, and the history of elephants to name a few of them. Your other most important job while you are there is to be working with the kids at the local school teaching them English. The kids and people you will meet are some of the nicest people ever and you will feel right at home with the village in no time. I truly recommend this to everyone who wants to explore the world while giving back.

Being able to volunteer with GVI for their short-term coastal conservation internship in Thailand was nothing short of amazing. I knew I wanted to do something that had to do with environmental/wildlife conservation and travel at the same time, and GVI Phang Nga was able to hit every criteria I could've had. Even before I left, they made sure to get in contact and made sure I was set up to go. My documents in hand, I left to Thailand with a great feeling of what was to come.
When I arrived I was actually surprised by the site amenities and quality, though arguably I had no previous volunteer experience to compare it to. The dormitories were basic, with room for 6 and an adequate bathroom. The common room was spacious enough, with a bookshelf and a site laptop we used to watch the occasional movie on the projector. We always had food leftover in the fridge if you were looking for something to munch on.
Surprisingly each week differed in their own ways, but typically we always had a few activities that were consistent. These included sea turtle care at the Thai Navy Base, village and beach cleanups, bird surveys, and teaching a class of Thai kids at the local school. Other activities like hikes, the monthly conservation trip to Koh Ra, and different community activities were scattered each week, to keep it from getting too repetitive.
What really made the trip so amazing was our location. Locally, we were within walking distance from two convenience shops where you could buy snacks, drinks, and toiletries if you ran out. We were 10 minutes away from both beach sides and it was usually empty (great hideout to workout!). We were also quite close to Khao Lak, where we went occasionally for a night out. However, country-wide is where our location really shined. Our spot placed us within reach of almost every major city, island, and hotspot you could want to go. And if you had the money, airports were also pretty close as well, to further extend your reach. We would all gather up on weekends (which we had free!!!) and travel to different places all around Thailand for some awesome experiences. You make friends pretty quick, everyone here including the staff are great friendly people and its a blast traveling to places none of you have any knowledge of. Take advantage of those, it certainly made my trip complete.
That's a review of my time! I also wrote a blog post about it on their website, please take the time to check it out if you're interested! Look for Kevin as the short-term coastal conservationist!

The Elephant Re-introduction project in Thailand is so much more than I expected it to be. Yes, you go there to spend time learning about one of the most magnificent animals on the planet, but what you get out of your stay in Huay Pakoot is so much more. If you completely submerge yourself into village life, you will enjoy your project a whole lot more and become a better person. I loved the fact that you had the opportunity to learn ‘Pakinyaw’, a Karen Hill Tribe language that is barely written and is slowly disappearing, as villagers are now understanding/speaking Thai. I have been home for 2 months now and I still find myself saying ‘me ma de moo moo’ (good night, sweet dreams) every night before bed.
Going back to the elephants, every morning at 7:30 we would leave for elephant hikes. Depending on the time of year, either you would get transport to the elephants or you would walk, sometimes for up to 8 hours a day. We collect 3 types of data on hikes, these are welfare checks, activity budgets and behavioural data. Watching these beautiful creatures in their natural habitat is something you will never forget.
As part of my internship I had to lead hikes, which made me really nervous as I’m so clumsy. But the staff were fantastic and gave me so much support and encouragement and made me really feel like I could do it. Which I did on lots of occasions! The internship program was really good, and consists of 3 aspects - Elephants, plant diversity and community.
I absolutely loved my time Huay Pakoot. The staff, villagers, volunteers and elephants, make this trip so special. I would recommend it to anyone.

This was my 1st experience volunteering abroad...GVI do exactly what they claim to. The program was highly educational, interesting, challenging and rewarding. It was lots of fun, i met people from all round the world. We were immersed in the everyday village life. The villagers were so warm anf friendly. The GVI staff were passionate, friendly, fun, caring and supportive. This is an ethical tourist program and I have already booked to return next year...it is fabulous!!

I recently finished 6-month internship in Huay Pakoot, Northern Thailand. It was a fantastic and magical place full of excitement, adventure and culture. I spent my mornings observing elephant behaviour and getting to know their mahouts (elephant watchers). My homestay family was a delight, full of smiles and awkward conversation as I practised my local language skills. I spend my afternoons going through various presentations and workshops to further my knowledge in the conservation, elephant and education sector. My evenings with my family while my friends came over for dinner or getting to know other volunteers at the base. There were numerous community engagement activities to get involved in. I taught grade 1&2 and loved getting to know the children and playing games with them after school. The place is truly what you make of it. If you enjoy getting to know people from any culture and adventure this is the project for you. I'd recommend doing an internship or staying for as long as possible to get the most out of your experience. 5*** from me!

Completing an internship on the Elephant Reintroduction programme is one of my proudest achievements to date. It was a complete honour to have had the chance to experience the real authentic Thai culture, whilst living with my host family and being immersed into the community.
It was always a pleasure to hike and see the elephants every day, and completely mesmerizing to see these beautiful animals in their natural habitat.
There was always plenty of activities to get involved in on a daily basis, and I learnt more than I anticipated. The friends I made from around the world, during my time on project, I shall remember for the rest of my life. The elephants, mahouts (elephant keepers), villagers, staff and volunteers made my experience unforgettable and I am so thankful to have participated in the project.

If you want to see and interact with semi-wild elephants up close and personal, this is the program. We go to feed, pet and interact with the elephants in their natural habitat in the jungle. There is no elephant riding here, only observing natural behaviors. We stayed in a homestay in a remote village which was a real cultural experience. I learned the local language and customs. The villagers were very friendly to us and eager to teach and learn. I can't wait to go on my next GVI program.