Location
  • Thailand
Length
1 to 18 weeks

Program Details

Language
English
Age Min.
18
Age Max
100
Timeframe
Spring Break Summer Winter Year Round
Groups
Small Group (1-15) Medium Group (16-30) Large Group (31+)
Travel Type
Older Travelers

Pricing

Starting Price
1995
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Airport Transfers Equipment Meals Transportation Travel Insurance Wifi
What's Not Included
Airfare Visa
Jul 30, 2020
Dec 18, 2015
13 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Poverty has declined substantially over the last 30 years in Thailand. Large-scale income inequality, however, poses a significant challenge to families. Vulnerable groups, such as migrants, informal workers, and displaced persons are not equally benefiting from Thailand’s economic successes. Women and children are still vulnerable and gender equality continues to stifle progress. With more than 7.3 million people living in poverty, and the majority in rural areas, the drive to move to cities such as Bangkok is strong.

Join CCS Thailand as we support the education and well-being of vulnerable children and their families. Education in Thailand is valued greatly, and our programs provide support for English language, recreational, and educational curricula. In addition to the many daycares and community centers that focus on early childhood development, our work expands to schools who welcome the support of international volunteers.

This program is no longer offered. View more programs from Cross-Cultural Solutions.

Consider your impact: Volunteering abroad can be a rewarding experience for both volunteers and local communities, and at Go Overseas, we believe all volunteers should have the resources to make informed decisions about the type of volunteer project they want to partake in. However, despite best intentions, some organizations offering placements in orphanages may unknowingly place children in danger. You can read about the potential dangers of orphanage volunteering here.

Video and Photos

Related Programs

Program Reviews

4.50 Rating
based on 8 reviews
  • 5 rating 62.5%
  • 4 rating 25%
  • 3 rating 12.5%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Impact 4.5
  • Support 4.75
  • Fun 4.4
  • Value 4.5
  • Safety 4.65
Showing 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
Default avatar
Danielle
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Beautiful Country

Thailand is wonderful. I love going with CCS because all the volunteers share a house. So there is always someone to go and explore the city or take a weekend trip with. The staff (especiialy Pimsutta the woman in charge) was so warm and friendly. i would recommend going out to eat to try different Thai then what is prepared at home base. The street vendor food is also very good. What I liked is that you saw the CCS staff everyday during the week. I also liked that they planned a mixed of cultural activities for us to enjoy and learn about Thailand.

What would you improve about this program?
I went at the end of the summer it is just a six month program so I was the last program for the year. It felt like they were closing up and cutting back our last week.
58 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Katie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Worth it!

I know you're are thinking it's pricey and it is but it is with eve penny. I have volunteered a few places and I think this is a great location for pretty much any demographic. If you are a hardcore backpacker or super familiar with Southeast Asia you might me just as well coordinating something more independently. Homebase is a great location in Bkk that pulls you out of the city tourist traps and makes for a safe neighborhood setting! Incredible staff and the sweetest neighbor...cute dogs next door if your missing your pup! Volunteering is impactful if you do your homework! The program offers multiple resources to help you prepare but I've found of you don't utilize them you may fell less impactful than you hoped! They've compiled some free and low cost options for learning basic Thai. They've created some language lesson files. But let's be real only you can learn the language and you probably won't pick up much...it's Thai, a very tricky language! So just keep an open mind and be flexible! Program offers great balance of volunteering and free time but most of cultural exchange!

What would you improve about this program?
More facilitated opportunities for past and present volunteers to connect.

Only summer programs are offered at this site so you can't make it for some holidays!
52 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Dwayne
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Bangkok

The eastern experience coming from the west was amazing. I love the food, culture, history, and the people. They were so open and friendly. The overall volunteer experience was life-changing. I would definitely go back and do the same volunteer work in Bangkok. I loved the metro feel and energy of the city. The house that we stayed and the overall staff were unbelievable. They made you feel at home and it was very safe!

What would you improve about this program?
Nothing.
52 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Bruce
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Excellent program in Bangkok

I spent three weeks in Bangkok as a volunteer with Cross Cultural Solutions. The CCS staff in Bangkok was excellent, very knowledgable and always ready to make extra effort on behalf of the volunteers. My placement at a local primary school was perfect, challenging but not overwhelming. The teachers and staff were welcoming, and the kids loved having volunteers in the classrooms. The program provides an impressive array of organized outings for the volunteers, as well as plenty of time left open for exploring or relaxing. Highly recommended.

What would you improve about this program?
I honestly can't think of anything I would change. I was very impressed with the program.
46 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Jeremy
3/5
No, I don't recommend this program

Exercise Caution

I don't doubt the good intentions of the folks at CCS, but I don't agree with what they're doing, either. The thing about voluntourism like this is that it gets you into the country and out so fast, that I don't think it's possible to really have an accurate picture of what (if anything) you accomplished. The phrase volunteering abroad has such a positive ring to it, that I think a lot of people sort of take it for granted that they'll be making a positive difference-- so they don't put much real thought into it themselves.

I was a teacher at a couple of local schools. Like all of the other volunteers, I had no teaching experience or knowledge, so I don't think that I accomplished much. A lot of people volunteered at orphanages, which was fun for them-- after all, everybody loves to play with cute kids, and when you see all those smiling faces, it's hard to think that you're NOT making a difference (if nothing else, you'll get a saint like facebook profile picture out of it). But little kids form bonds extremely quickly. So when they go through their early development constantly forming bonds with people who show up for a couple of weeks and then leave forever, severing those bonds, that actually seems kind of . . . bad for them.

But doesn't CCS advertise on their site that they consult local organizations to find out where volunteers are needed? Yes, but . . . here's the thing: I spent two years in the Peace Corps, and what I found is that for a lot of organizations in developing countries, white people are--sadly-- a symbol of prestige. There aren't many organizations that are going to say no to white people being associated with them. A friend of mine who taught some English in South Korea put it this way: "Most places just want a white face in front of the room." The big difference between the Peace Corps and CCS, is that in the Peace Corps you learn some of the language (the idea of meaningful language learning in a few weeks-- like CCS advertises-- is a joke), and you have two years to figure out which of your assumptions are true and false, and gravitate toward the more meaningful work. CCS is limited to only organizations in which they can plug in many volunteers who don't speak the language, don't have any training, and will be there for twelve weeks at the most, and in most cases much fewer.

The fact is that a lot of volunteers are there to party. In my program, volunteers spent most of their evenings watching Sex and the City in the CCS house, and their weekends partying on the beach. In fairness, I was participating in the Trang program in southern Thailand, which seems to have been discontinued. But it's also hard to imagine that the culture in other programs is that much different, when most of them are intentionally near prime tourism spots. There are a few good things about CCS-- the staff are dedicated, and you will enjoy your weekend travels. But I don't know that those things outweigh your dubious non-impact/ possible negative impact. Just think about it. You could do a heck of a lot of responsible tourism for the amount that you'd spend on CCS.

57 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Meg
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best Decision of My Life

My summer in Bangkok, Thailand with Cross-Cultural Solutions was the best decision I ever made in my life. I met amazing friends, and I learned life lessons.

I volunteered at a daycare center with three year-olds and I also volunteered in a hospital.

Highlights included the staff, the house, the city, and the social activities.

The only difficulty was the language barrier, but what a great experience!

52 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Darlene
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Cross Cultural Solutions

It was a great program working with many different schools to help the students with English. They all were so appreciative and the teachers and faculty was happy to see so many of us there giving of our time. We had 80 to 100 students through our classes a day.

I have volunteered in Costa Rica, Thailand and Peru with CCS and they are so professional and caring. There are other groups going overseas but they don't offer the same things. You do have to make the comparison. NOT EVEN CLOSE !!!!

When our bus pulled out for the day, the students would line up along the driveway and reach for our hands (sticking out the window) so they could say "thank you" and each one had a beautiful smile shining through their tears.

55 people found this review helpful.
Read my full story
Default avatar
Maddy
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

BEYOND ALL EXPECTATIONS!!!

My time in Thailand is difficult to put into words. I volunteered in a day care center, where each day brought a smile to my face. We arrived to a sea of beautiful, happy & eager faces, from both the children and the staff. We had alot of fun, while trying to teach the group English through reading, conversation, and music. Our time was met with alot of caring and support from Cross Cultural Solutions, who were very sensitive to all of our needs. They were very professional, as well as open to all of the volunteers during our time there. As much as we thought we were giving, the impact of what we received is hard to describe. I don't really remember encountering any major difficulties. Getting lost, or having trouble with the language, was all part of the experience. I met wonderful people along the way, and will never forget this very special and unique time abroad.

56 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers