Thailand Projects
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Medical Volunteer Thailand - Surin or Chiang Mai
Do you want to help provide healthcare to those who would otherwise not get it? Are you dreaming for an exciting adventure filled with rewarding and meaningful work as well as seeing fascinating places and meeting interesting people? Then keep reading about this Medical Volunteer Thailand program.
Surin and Chiang Mai are the beautiful parts of Thailand filled with rugged hills, dense forests and charming rural villages. The friendly faces and warm welcome you experience elsewhere in Thailand are even more prevalent here, as the regions are definitely “off the beaten track” and far away from the usual tourist trails.
Sadly, this remoteness also brings poverty and a lack of access to adequate healthcare. Rural villages especially struggle to provide adequate care, and many who are sick go without treatment due to a lack of access. There is also a significant problem with health education, and many suffer needlessly from preventable diseases.
When you join medical volunteer program in Thailand, you will shadow local doctors, gaining lifechanging medical volunteer experience while making a difference by helping poor communities, the elderly and children. Your work will thus have great meaning for both your life and the lives of others.
If you’re interested in gaining valuable medical experience while providing care to those who otherwise would not receive it, contact IFRE today to learn more about this exciting opportunity for adventure and fulfillment.
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Volunteer Responsibilities & Impact
Your work and responsibilities will vary greatly depending on your qualifications and experience. Volunteers working in medical project in Thailand do not take part in major exams or surgeries but will rather spend most of their time assisting and learning from local doctors.
Applicants who have not yet attended medical school will help with the day to day running of the clinic, as well as observe medical staff and accompany them on patient visits.
Those already in medical school or with a medical degree will be given increased hands-on responsibility, with a much larger degree of active involvement in the patients care.
Thailand medical Volunteers provide much needed support to underfunded and overworked medical workers in rural areas. Additionally, your work will greatly improve the community you work in, and improve the health of countless people.
Skills and Qualifications:
While medical students and professionals are especially suited to this program in Thailand, we also accept pre-university applicants looking to gain valuable hands-on experience prior to their degree or for application purposes.
Most important is that you have a great love and passion for helping people from disadvantaged backgrounds, and possess a large degree of kindness, flexibility and patience. You should also be a proactive and enthusiastic person who enjoys tackling new challenges in foreign environments.
Surin Medical Project: (sample one week)
Day 1 – Arrival in Bangkok
On arrival in Bangkok you will be picked up and brought to your accommodation on Khao San road. The rest of the day is yours to explore the capital and get to know your fellow travelers and volunteers.
Day 2 – Orientation Briefing & Tour
Your second day starts with an introduction and orientation given by your local coordinators. After this, you’ll be given a tour of Bangkok showcasing all the best sites of the old city as well as a fantastic riverboat cruise. The tour finishes in the afternoon, leaving you with the evening free to enjoy yourself.
Day 3 – Train to Surin
A delightful 7-hour train ride through wonderful scenery and charming villages will bring you to Surin. Once there, the local team will be there to greet you and take you to our volunteer house in Surin and help prepare you for the start of your medical volunteer project in Thailand the next day.
Day 4-7 – Medical Volunteer Work
Finally your medical volunteer experience in Thailand begins in earnest. You will generally work from 9am to 3pm, but depending on your schedule and day, the times may vary.
You will be escorted along with your fellow volunteers to the placement by our local coordinator, and travel time is usually 20-30 minutes.
On arrival you will be given a brief tour and introduction to the local healthcare professionals, and most of your first day will be spent familiarizing yourself with the clinic and your coming responsibilities.
Your coordinator will discuss your medical qualifications after lunch on the first workday and relay this information to the clinic so they can assign you appropriate duties going forward. Once the workday concludes at 3pm you will be provided transportation back to the accommodation and the rest of the day will be free.
Day 8 – Free Day
You’ll have the day off to explore Surin and relax. If you only signed up for 1 week, this will be the end of the project for you and our staff will assist you with organizing onwards travel.
If you’re staying longer, you’ll be back to work on Monday, and the following weeks will include work from Monday to Thursday and three full days to unwind and relax from Friday to Sunday.
Chiang Mai Group Medical Project: (sample one week)
Day 1 – Arrive Chiang Mai International Airport
You will be met by our local guide at Chiang Mai International Airport and taken by private transport to their hotel in Chiang Mai city. After time to relax and unpack your group will meet in reception for an orientation with your guide. The guide will talk to you about Thailand, Chiang Mai area and your one-week medical experience. After your talk time for walk around Chiang Mai City and your guide will recommend places for dinner.
Hotel: Guest House, twin rooms, aircon and private bathroom
Meals: N/A
Day 2 -Morning Tour and Afternoon Transfer to Project Location
This morning you will be taken on a walking tour of Chiang Mai, explore the local temples, shops, and street sellers. In the afternoon you will be driven to Mae Wang district 1h20mins outside, the location for your medical experience.
Hotel: Guest House, twin rooms, aircon and private bathroom
Meals: B
Day 3-7, Medical Experience
For the next 5 days you will be supporting the work for the local healthcare professionals at one or more of the Government funded rural health clinics. Your guide will accompany you and act as your translator. These are walk in clinics for the people living in the surrounding villages. You will learn firsthand the challenges faced by the local healthcare team, support the local community using your medical skills and learn about rural Thai life in Thailand.
Hotel: Guest House, twin rooms, aircon and private bathroom
Meals: B
Day 8 – Free Day
You’ll have the day off to explore Chiang Mai and relax. If you only signed up for 1 week, this will be the end of the project for you and our staff will assist you with organizing onwards travel.
If you’re staying longer, you’ll be back to work on Monday, and the following weeks will include work from Monday to Thursday and three full days to unwind and relax from Friday to Sunday.
Volunteer Schedule
Your time as a medical volunteer in Thailand will be lots of fun with exciting challenges and incredibly rewarding results each and every day.
During the project, you will work from 9am to 3pm, from Monday to Thursday. Your precise schedule will vary greatly depending on the day, your placement and your qualifications. However, you’ll be taken for lunch at a local restaurant every day together with your fellow volunteers by your coordinator and be provided with transportation to and from the clinic you’ll be working at.
Local Team & Daily Support
Our Surin or Chiang Mai projects all operate with a high degree of organization. A local staff member will accompany you and your fellow volunteers to your project each day. You’ll be transported together by pickup on a 20-30 minute ride through charming rural villages before working roughly 4 hours in the morning. You’re then taken for lunch at a local restaurant before returning and working until the end of the day at 3pm.
Medical Volunteer Thailand: Dates and Fees
Program Dates
Click here to find the start date of surin and Chiang Mai - 2020
Our Fees
Since 2006, IFRE has been the most trusted and respected volunteer abroad organization in the world, and also the most affordable. We’re dedicated to providing the highest quality volunteer programs at the lowest fees, which make it possible for everyone, especially students, to volunteer internationally and make a positive impact in the lives of others.
We believe in 100% transparency. Rest assured; we never use middlemen. Your one-time registration fee of $299 covers our administrative costs. The low weekly fee is paid in the host country directly to your host family and project (via country coordinator), and includes housing, food, and minor expenses. IFRE is a non-profit organization, so your program fees are tax deductible.
The program fee needs to be paid in GBP to directly to the country coordinator before the project start date.
Volunteer Program Fee (in Pounds (GBP))
| Weeks | Surin or Chiang Mai: Healthcare |
|---|---|
| 1 Week | £448 |
| 2 Weeks | £511 |
| 3 Weeks | £574 |
| 4 Weeks | £637 |
| 5 Weeks | £699 |
| 6 Weeks | £762 |
| 7 Weeks | £825 |
| 8 Weeks | £888 |
Program Fees Cover:
- Airport pick-up on arrival
- Two night guest house accommodation in Bangkok
- One day Guided Bangkok Tour
- Train transfer to Surin or Chiang Mai
- Accommodation in shared house
- Full orientation of project and surrounding areas
- Daily transfers to and from project location
- Full ongoing support
Program Fees Exclude:
- Food (food are cheap in Surin and Chiang Mai)
- Visas
- Airfare
- Personal expenses on soft drinks and foods
- Daily transportation
- Airport return transfer
Accomodation and Meal
During your medical volunteer work in Thailand, you will be living in our safe and comfortable volunteer house. Here you’ll be sharing dormitory style rooms with volunteers of the same gender, and all the rooms come with comfortable beds and bedding as well as modern bathroom facilities. While there are no meals prepared, you will have access to a kitchen to cook your own food, and there is a myriad of options for great Thai cuisine located nearby.
Free Time and Weekend Exploration
During the week, your work will finish around 3:30pm and the rest of the day is free for you to discover everything Surin has to offer. In addition, you will also get three days of weekend each week to go on longer trips and tours in Eastern Thailand or nearby Cambodia.
Learn more about how to get the most out of your free time while in Surin or Chiang Mai.
Safety and in Country Support
The safety of our volunteers is incredibly important to us, and we take great care to provide secure facilities and conditions as well as extensive support. From the moment you book we will assist you with everything you need, and while in Thailand you will always be able to contact your local coordinator with any problems, questions or concerns.
Read more about our commitment to supporting our volunteers and ensuring their safety.
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Medical Volunteer Thailand: FAQs:
Arrival and departure
We recommend our volunteers fly into the Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Bangkok for volunteering in medical project in Thailand. Additionally, please send your complete flight information to us beforehand so that adequate arrangements can be made for your pick-up. In case you miss your flight or if it is delayed you should immediately contact us, so that we can reschedule your new pick-up.
IFRE does not provide any kind of airport drop off service for your departure; so you have to book this yourself.
Visa
For working in Medical volunteering opportunity in Thailand you need get a tourist visa. You can get the visa by visiting the nearest Thai embassy. You can also get on arrival visas for Thailand, however only nationals of 21 countries are eligible for this.
You can extend your visa while you are in Thailand, but for you have to get it extended within 60 days of its expiration. You can extend your visa at the Thai immigration in Bangkok, Pattaya or Phuket.
Vaccination
Vaccinations should be taken as recommended by the CDC for volunteering in medical program in Thailand .The vaccinations recommended are as follows:
- Diphtheria and tetanus
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis A
- Typhoid
- Polio
- Yellow fever
- Japanese encephalitis
- Rubella
- Influenza
If you want more information then you can make use of the official CDC website and consult with your medical doctor back home.
For further readings:
Vaccination
Volunteer Health and Safety
Safety tips for your volunteer abroad trip
What kind of activities do volunteers do in healthcare volunteer project in Thailand?
While your day to day activities will vary based on your qualifications and the needs of the community, these are some examples of the tasks you will be performing:
- Assisting in the Hypertension Clinic by focusing on blood pressure, weight and BMI and general health checks.
- Assisting in the Diabetics Clinic by screening patients
- Help educate the community on health risks and precautions
- Visit patients in their homes
- Observe local medical professionals
- Assess the level of child development in the community
- Participating in the school health check program which includes basic health and hygiene education
- Medically qualified volunteers may help with diagnosing patients
- Qualified nurses may assist with treating wounds and injuries
- Giving injections, though this requires experience
- Assisting in the temple clinic and providing health checks for the monks
- Assisting with papsmear screenings, if qualified.
Where are the medical volunteers in Thailand placed; in a clinic or a hospital?
As a volunteer you will be working in rural community hospitals comparable in size to most western clinics. Rarely volunteers may also be placed in alternative locations depending on the needs of the community.
What kind of support do we get during the project time?
An experienced member of our team will assist and accompany you at all times and serve as liaison and translator during your time at the medical center. The local medical professionals will supervise you closely at the start, but you’ll be given more independence once you’ve proved a level of confidence and competence.
How many hours a day will I need to work?
When working in our medical volunteer project in Thailand your workdays will run from 9am to 3pm, Monday to Thursday. Your workload will change depending on the day however.
Is there any other important information?
This adventure provides a wonderful and culturally immersive experience and we ask that our volunteers have an open-mind and demonstrate a flexible attitude to the practical and cultural differences you may encounter.
Why volunteer in a medical volunteer opportunity in Thailand?
This Medical volunteer opportunity in Thailand gives you the ideal opportunity to learn and improvise skills. You have to deal with a mix of personalities all while adjusting to life outside of your comfort zone. This adds up and helps improve your teamwork, leadership, problem-solving and people skills.
Helping out needy people and the community for a better life
Being a Volunteer in Thailand medical project can be rewarding. Day in and day out, you will be working with patients and their families, helping them get out of the most difficult time in their entire lives. You will help and assist them with whatever they need. In this way you will contribute daily to the physical and emotional well-being of many people.
Increases your confidence and skill level.
Some volunteering activities require a great deal of confidence and skills. Nursing and medical health programs in Thailand help you to improvise and grow your existing skillset to make a difference in the lives of the sick and the needy.
Gives you a sense of accomplishment:
Participating in medical program in Thailand carries a huge amount of benefits. By working with like-minded volunteers, you will be significantly contributing to making a difference in the lives of distraught people in poor economic situations.
Offers you a stimulating work environment
Volunteering in a healthcare program in Thailand means your days will never be dull or repetitive. There will always be people that need help, and every patient will need to be treated differently. Every day; you will be faced with new challenges, both physically and psychologically.
You will learn valuable life lessons and experiences
Joining medical volunteer work in Thailand and around the world is a great way of learning valuable life lessons and the experiences involved in it. Using your skills and knowledge with charitable organizations you are likely to gain valuable professional experience.
Other Volunteer Projects in Thailand
There are countless way to change the world while volunteering in Thailand. You can
work in an orphanage,
care for elephants,
teach English to disadvantaged children or Buddhist monks,
provide childcare and child development,
work in the medical field and much more.
Contact IFRE today for more information.
Other Medical Projects around the World
Access to proper healthcare is sadly lacking in many countries, and to help combat this problem IFRE arranges medical volunteer projects in a wide variety of locations. See the list below for some of our most popular projects in this vein:
- Cambodia - Health/Medical Project
- India - Medical/Health Project
- Nepal - Work in Health Project
- Sri Lanka - Medical Volunteer
- Ghana - Health Projects
- Kenya - Work in Health Project
- South Africa - Health Projects
- Tanzania - Health Projects
- Uganda - Health Projects
- Argentina - Medical Project
- Costa Rica (Cortes) - Healthcare
- Costa rica (San Jose) - Healthcare
- Guatemala (Xela) - Healthcare
- Guatemala (Antigua) - Volunteer in Healthcare
- Peru - Medical/Healthcare Project
Take a minute to complete the form and we will be in touch.