Volunteer in Thailand! Review of IVHQ Program

I have decided to go on a volunteer trip to Thailand for a while. I know that I can help people, learn new things and make a difference in the world. But I always assume that I can volunteer for free. (Volunteer HQ Thailand)

I was shocked that I have to pay to volunteer. Besides my flight, food, and accommodation, I even have to pay a program fee! So I started searching online, trying to find out the reason behind it and I found the answer in this article.

Donations should be spent on programs and services, not your shampoo.

I thought, great! Now I just need to find a program, and I can change the world.

Hold on right there. Because this is where the real challenge starts.

Legible

So many volunteer programs on the web, how do I know which ones are legit?

Time Duration

Lots of programs last for 12 weeks and I have 5 weeks only!

Program Fee

I am willing to pay. I also don’t want to break the bank.

However, I found an organization called Volunteer HQ. It’s a company in New Zealand, but they offer programs across the world.

They have a well-established website, lots of positive reviews and tons of information. Looks pretty legit so I decided to give it a shot! I signed up for a 2-week outdoor volunteer program in Thailand! And it’s possibly the best two weeks in my life!

Now, let’s get started with my reviews during my volunteer trip!

General Information and Environment

Program Overview

I think it will be easier just to head over to Volunteer HQ’s website!

The organization you will be working with is Mirror Foundation, a local NGO based in Chiang Rai. Mirror Foundation partners with a few organizations (volunteer recruiters) like Volunteer HQ so you will meet lots of people from around the world.

Location

The volunteer base is in Chiang Rai which is roughly a 3-hour bus ride away from Chiang Mai. And it takes about 45 minutes on a Songtaew to get to the base from Chiang Rai Bus Station (The Central Area.)

So yes, it is very very far away from everything.

It costs 500 baht (about $18) for a round trip on Songtaew to go to the city. Usually, 6 to 10 people shared one, so it’s very cheap to go into town despite the distance.

Free Time

I was working with the outdoor team, and we have a lot of free time. Thai people are relaxed, and they don’t rush to finish work. We usually had a 2-hour lunch break or even longer if the weather was too hot. Sometimes we finished early to go to the waterfall. We didn’t work for three days due to rainy weather. And we had a 3-day weekend.

But, that was my experience; I visited Thailand in the wrong time, and the weather wasn’t good. I was upset because I enjoyed working very much.

On a typical working day, we finished work and got back to the base at 4:30. Dinner served at 5.

Usually, volunteers tried to figure out activities for the night during dinner. We went to night markets, bars, festivals or shopping malls. If we didn’t go out, then we played monopoly or just sat in the bamboo hut and chatted with each other. Oh! And most of the people got tired by 9. So it wasn’t that much free time during the week.

The weekend was from Saturday to Monday in Mirror Foundation. It was great since most people traveled somewhere further on the weekend and we didn’t have to rush back! Local staff dropped all volunteers off at Central Bus Station on Saturday afternoon. They didn’t pick us up, so we had to get back by ourselves.

Most of the volunteers spent their weekends in Phu Chi Fah, Phi, or Chiang Mai.

Accommodation

It can be separated into two: One at the volunteer base and the other one is homestay. Usually, volunteers stay at the base for a week and homestay with a hill tribe another week. But I was only there for two weeks, so I only went to one homestay.

Homestay

Accommodation provided at homestay varies. The one I stayed at was the most luxurious house in the tribe for the girls. Even so, it was only a very thin mattress placed right on the floor and a teddy bear as the pillow.

Female Volunteer House

Basic and clean. 2 dorms, 10 beds each and 5 shower blocks with squat toilets. It was awesome to live with so many people! Fans and mosquito nets, and lockers available. Cold shower and low water pressure.