Working with Volunteering Solutions gave me more than just a typical cultural experience in Bangkok. My volunteering with these children, teaching English in a Thai Middle School changed my life. The selflessness and kindness of the kids I worked with has made me reconsider my degree. I was well prepared with information, being taught Thai prior to beginning work and more. I may consider teaching again in an international country for much longer than 1 week, perhaps maybe a year. My favorite memory is the last day with our students, seeing how grateful they were for my time there. Tears were shed and there were plenty of hugs. It’s something I will never forget and an experience beyond what I was expecting from Bangkok. I absolutely would come back again to work with Volunteering solutions!

VolSol has truly left me in awe. The group of 8 and I enrolled two weeks before our departure to Thailand with the company and we do not regret it! The support staff, Namrata, went above and beyond to ensure that everything would be processed quick and smoothly. She even stayed in contact with me after hours due to our 12 hour time difference. Customer support and service were exceptional, she even checked in on us before, during, and after the trip.

In Thailand, we stayed with Friends of Asia in Bangkok where we taught English to a local school grades 3-6. We landed on a Thursday night and had orientation Friday - Sunday with the Friends of Asia Staff. Friends of Asia provided 24/7 staff assistance in the home the group and I stayed in. They were amazing. Joone, Mai, and Aunchaya were exceptional. They really gave us an experience only locals could give. They were always around and ready to translate for us. We had a few hospital visits, nothing serious, but if it weren’t for Mai we would not have been able to communicate with Hospital Staff. Btw, if you don’t have travellers insurance, get it NOW!

The Community Partner was not overbearing, they were all help and smile! They knew when to give us space. It came to the point where we wanted to hang out with them all the time though!!

We will certainly be back!

This was an amazing life experience. The city itself is amazing and full of things to do and places to see! I met so many people from all over the world and will forever hold them so dear to my heart. The elephants were a whole other level of amazing! I bonded with my elephant and by the time i left he was greeting me with trunk hugs and elephant squeaks. My mahout gave me a bracelet made of my elephants tail hair when i left that i dont think i will ever take off. When i got home i think i went through a short stage of depression as i missed my elephant and my new friends so much. useful tips would be to bring a small backpack to bring to the markets with you so you dont have to carry a bunch of little bags, bring old clothing that you dont care about to bath your elephant in, do not keep any food in your hut as ants will come with a full force behind them, bring a long phone charger cord as the plug in is on the opposite side of the room from the bed, bring rubber gloves that go up on your arms that fit you well to pick up elephant poop with (they supply them for you at the camp but they are not of good quality), Do not expect to get a lot of information about the elephants from the mahouts as they speak little to no english, your camp leader can answer all of your questions. I would like to mention that this camp is a camp where they put on daily elephant shows and trekking. They use bull hooks and some mahouts are not humane when using them. When i got there i was really disappointed in seeing a lot of abuse, but once i talked to the camp leader he told me that the things i saw were not tolerated and to speak up when i thought mahouts were being abusive! My trip became actually making sure elephants were not abused at the camp! it is not a place to go and experience the same as the elephant nature park, this is a camp where yes the elephants are abused and you need to help them! I got a mahout fired when i was there for abusing his elephant. you can make a serious difference at the camp, but dont go there with the expectation that it is not an abuse free camp it is quite the opposite! That being said there are many mahouts that treat their elephants like gold and would never cause them harm as they actually see them as a sacred animal for their culture. My elephant never had a mark on him the whole two weeks i was there, so i felt good leaving him behind. On your weekends really make sure to explore the city or take a day trip to Doi Inthanon or Chiang Rai. Chiang Mai is a beautiful place with so much culture to soak in! I highly recommend this program for anyone with a travel bug and a big heart!

This trip was one of the highlights of my life and I would highly recommend to anyone. It was the perfect combination of work/volunteering, cultural immersion and great fun with the group. When I first signed up, I was slightly nervous because I was going alone, but it ended up being the best choice I've made! Our whole group became very close and I now have lifelong friendships with people from all over the world. Thailand is an amazingly beautiful country and I miss it each day.

I had been ready for this kind of experience for several years, so I was ecstatic when the time finally came and I boarded the plane to fly across the world. My trip to Thailand was absolutely incredible. It was very healing, and as cheesy as it sounds, I feel like I found myself. I felt like I had a purpose there.

My first night was a bit chaotic. I arrived in the middle of the night and if you're not prepared the chaos of Bangkok and Khao San Road will throw you off. Yet Bangkok quickly became my home and after being there only a couple times I was already familiar with the shops and the locals. The other volunteers in my group accepted me immediately and we were all given plenty of time to bond.

The first stop was Mr. Lee's elephant village in Surin. This was a surreal place to be, as I would wake up in the morning, walk out onto the balcony, and be standing right before five or six of the magnificent creatures. The best memories here were walking the elephants down to the river each day, cooking homemade authentic Thai dishes, and ending the night by eating ice cream and playing cards with everyone in my group. Also, there was a man with a popsicle cart who would come to the homestay once a day and for 20 baht would sell a variety of popsicles, such as coconut and taro black bean.

The next stop after Surin was Sangkhlaburi. This province is located in the mountains of Thailand, and had some of the best views I have ever seen. I went at the end of rainy season (late October) so the scenery was lush green. This is where I truly bonded with the locals as I helped construct a temple in one of the villages and we would make small talk. I definitely would recommend going to The Nature Club during downtime, where you can zip line over the jungle. There are also magnificent waterfalls about a 10 minute taxi ride away from where I stayed. The night markets in Sangkhlaburi are definitely a highlight and are very convenient to grab a quick bite to eat or a freshly blended smoothie. Also if given the chance, taking a river boat ride under the Wooden Bridge to see the underwater temples is an amazing experience.

The last stop was Koh Phangan. Our group practically had the beach to ourselves. The water is crystal clear, and the sand is a pristine white. Some of the highlights on this island were renting motorbikes, going scuba diving, and of course, the Jungle and Full Moon party. I made some life-long connections at these parties. They were unlike any party-scene or rave I have ever been to, and I felt completely safe the entire time. Also, the Amsterdam Bar has a sunset view that is to-die-for.

I did the Thailand summer project last year, and I enjoyed it a lot. Firstly, I got to know increadible people that shared this experience with me and also, I discovered a different Thailand. It's very important to travel getting to know different cultures and people, but it's always better when you can make a change by helping people. The locals where absolutely amazing and I honestly don't regret travelling with volunteering solutions as they help you a lot, specially if you are travelling alone. It is an experience of a lifetime!!

This trip had everything I could've wanted to experience in Thailand & more. We were able to see the beaches, the city, the jungle & the villages. We got to interact with people around the world, elephants, people from Thailand & experience the food, culture, landscapes and modes of transportation. My highlight from the trip was to be able to really connect with people from Thailand and we were able to do just that through our volunteer work at the temples, school, daycare center & elephant village. Not to mention our tour guid was PHENOMENAL and so knowledgeable with the history of the places we went & the temples we saw.

Before arriving to Thailand I was a little scared, maybe because it was the first time I was travelling to Asia. The impression I got the following days after arriving was amazing, we got to know Bangkok a little better. We saw the night life in Koh San Road, we tried all the food we dared. It was so different! I loved seeing the crowded streets with smiling people, no hurries. Thai people seemed to me friendly, relaxed and very very hard workers. This impression became greater and greater as the days were passing. I found myself opening my heart to this country, this culture and its people. I empathized with all the environments we volunteer at. The immersion in the elephant village was my favorite part of the trip. Today, it has been 4 months since I came back from this country and I can see how every detail made me learn a lot.