About Thailand

The Global Volunteer Network has opportunities available to work with wild animals through our partner organization in Thailand. This will give you a chance to care for rescued wild animals, and where possible introduce them back to the wild. Most of the animals have been rescued from the illegal pet trade, or have previously been exploited for the tourism industry.

Volunteer projects include preparing and distributing food for the animals and helping to buy food at the market, building and maintaining the cages, enclosures and gibbon islands, daily cleaning of the cages and other enclosures, maintaining the centre's grounds, and giving talks to tourists, telling them of your experiences and those of the animals at the project as well as enlightening them on the current situation of the wildlife protection in Thailand.

For more information, please visit the Thailand page on the Global Volunteer Network website.

Recent Thailand Journals:

Spa Time!

Posted by Tiffany Werkowitz at 8:33 pm Thailand No Responses »

Jan 112010

I just got in from the pool. We’re at the spa now and I got a massage and facial this morning (and a hot shower!!) Not a bad way to spend a birthday! Its amazing. We work really hard at the sanctuary, I’m always dirty, and live in the most basic environment and I’m loving every second. I can’t believe how much this place has changed me (definitely for the better!). I cried for the first time yesterday. While I had seen Meow (our tiger) before, he had just been laying around in the sun but when I saw him yesterday he was coming over to us for a head scratch. He could barely walk. This gigantic, powerful creature lumbered over to us, falling a couple times, but always got back up to try again. He was chained up as a cub so tourists could take pictures with him. He was so malnurished he has permanent brain damage. They didn’t think he would survive when he arrived at the center and Edwin, the owner of the sanctuary, had to literally teach him how to walk again. What makes it worse is he loves humans. After everything we did to him he still loves us. I wish you could see him. He’s so big and intimidating and all he wants is a cuddle.

There is also a gibbon here (a small type of ape) that i have fallen in love with. His name is Bandit. He has only one arm and 2 fingers. He was born in an area that had a lot of toxic waste and was born that way. When they were developing the land, his family ran away but because of his disability he couldn’t keep up. He was thankfully brough to the center. With only 2 fingers he has a hard time grabbing some of the food so I sit with him and tear it up in smaller pieces. The funny thing is he’s the alpha in the enclosure. Its amazing watching him get around but he does it well. I’ll definitely try to get some footage of him and Meow the tiger.

I hope everyone is well and I hope to check in again soon!

Survived the first two days!

Posted by Tiffany Werkowitz at 6:44 pm Thailand No Responses »

Jan 062010

HI! I’m good but don’t have much time to write, My day off is on tuesday so I’ll post more then…it’s very beautiful here and a lot like camping. People here are great. the work is hard but its getting easier now that i am acclimating to the heat and time difference. I’ll prob only be able to email 1 to 2x per week. I’ll be going to the spa on monday night and all day on tuesday. It’s so cheap! They have a beautiful pool too so hopefully I’ll get something more than the farmers tan I’ve been getting. I’m SO excited for some pampering!! I’m pretty much always dirty but it’s not bothering me so much. I have 2 roomates and we’re in a decent size cabin with a bath. mind you, no sink or tub. the toilet thing isn’t so bad really, it flushes, kind of, just by pouring water in the top. my shower was interesting. Not winning any beauty contests thats for sure! I’ve been working with the bears for teh past 2 days. I love them!! you can throw dog kibble in their little mouths through the bars and they catch it. they just sit there with their little toungs hanging out waiting for the next piece. The gibbons are incredibly loud and naughty little things, but also entertaining. They think its fun to pee on you as you walk under their enclosures. One also likes to charge you for giggles. Yeah, funny. The tiger here is unbelieveable i was about 1 1/2 feet from him while he was just laying there, chilling out. Breathtaking. He had a rough life but looks pretty content now. The food is pretty amazing here too! There are a good number of vegetarians here so lots of veg options. I have also met some amazing people. Mostly from England, also Germany, austria, australia and pretty much everywhere else. only one other from the US. Ok, I don’t have much time so I apologize for all of the typos in here, not used to not having spell check to help me out. I’ll be sure to send more on my day off in between spa appts! I miss you all!!

Bangkok

Posted by Tiffany Werkowitz at 3:04 pm Thailand No Responses »

Jan 042010

I’m finally here in Bangkok!! There was a good amount of snow in Seoul so we were delayed another 2 hours last night. Way too much traveling but so glad I’m done with that for a while! It’s beautiful and sunny here. Just had a nourishing meal of white bread with orange jam and tea for breakfast and waiting for my car that will be taking me to the sanctuary. Its quite a culture shock but everyone is very friendly. The hotel is nice enough, very clean but there is no shower, per say, just a shower head on the wall RIGHT next to the toilet. I could have sat on it while washing my hair. I’m still exhausted, as tired as I was when I arrived I couldn’t sleep, probably since it was like mid afternoon for my body…that or the rock hard bed…anyway, maybe I’ll be able to get a nap in this afternoon when I arrive. I hope everyone is doing well, I miss you guys and I’ll post more as soon as I can!

Almost time!

Posted by Tiffany Werkowitz at 1:04 am Thailand Comments Off

Dec 232009

I can’t believe I’ll be leaving in 11 days! I have been really busy getting everything ready and have just started packing. While I’m really excited, I’m also a bit nervous but I guess that’s natural. I really don’t know what to expect! Well, I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and I’ll check back in next week

Almost time to leave…

Posted by Carter Faison at 11:52 am Thailand No Responses »

Jun 262007

I’ll be finishing up at the centre Wednesday and leaving Thursday morning. It’s going to be sad going, but work has been hard and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to my stay on Koh Samet. I’ve booked a bungalow on the beach (http://www.thai-tour.com/thai-tour/East/Rayong/hotel/saikaewbeach/index.html) and am excited about a few days of solitude. I’ll be heading back to Hua Hin tomorrow night for one last night out with the volunteers – last week was loads of fun. There are going to be so many people (AND ANIMALS) I will miss; I can’t even begin to think about saying goodbye.

I’m melting.

Posted by Carter Faison at 11:51 am Thailand No Responses »

Jun 212007

Hua Hin is really a fun town, but once you check out of your guest house all you do is sweat and stink. You can jump in the ocean, but all that does is coat you in a salty film. So, I’m trying to cool down while Connor and David get a Thai Massage down the street. Last night we left the centre at about 7, checked into the hotel, and started drinking heavily. We had dinner at some itilian restaurant which gave my stomach a bit of a problem. After the oiliest pizza I have ever eaten, we headed to the Hilton Bar for a few beers and bought the 18 year old a tequilla shooter. Then we headed to the Irish Pub down the street where we started drinking New Castle – which apparently impressed the owner enough to come and introduce himself and give us his life story, literally from beginning to end. At this point I had already had a bit too much to drink and was deathly tired from the festivities at the centre so at about 12 I headed back to the guest house. Connor and David apparently stayed out until three, met some nice Thai girls – and not the kind you are thinking of – and we are set to meet them around one on the beach. At about 7, the rest of the volunteers come into town and the debauchery begins again. Not looking foward to my 6:30 AM job tomorrow morning… At the centre things have quieted down after the langur death and the situation with Poppy – who had a still born cub. It seems like everyone will be leaving this weekend and it will be hard to say goodbye to some of the friends I’ve made. Lately I’ve [click here to read more]

from Hua Hin

Posted by Carter Faison at 11:48 am Thailand No Responses »

Jun 162007

Zoe and I decided to take a day off from work and are spending the day in Hua Hin. After about two hours we decided to get off the beach and cool down a bit. The only places with Air Con are the internet cafes and McDonalds, and after wanting to throw up all my french fries we decided to go to the internet cafe down the street from the beach. We started off the day with a little starbucks, made the worst sand castles in the world, and came within to inches of a jelly fish. Although the beach is really nice, I’m looking forward to the nicer Koh Samet at the end of the month. We plan to wander around town for a bit and head to Tesco to get a few sweets before returning to the centre around 5:30. A baby langur came to the centre yesterday evening. It wasn’t expected to live through the night but by morning it was doing much better. Mark, the vet, said it could pull through but problems like this seem to return. Also, 4 new Hawks and a Sea Eagle were rescued on Thursday from Bangkok. There are talks of a new elephant and maybe another monkey. I’ve really settled into life at WFFT. It really did seem a bit stressful at first, but now I feel at ease with the whole living situation. Although I’ve been sweating like a prostitute in church, I’m able to stand the heat much better than at first. A fan seems suitable enough for 100 degree heat, right? And I don’t know what I’m going to do when I get to come home and flush my toilet paper, or let alone flush… It really isn’t as bad as it sounds, and it makes me [click here to read more]

knee deep in bear poo.

Posted by Carter Faison at 11:46 am Thailand No Responses »

Jun 112007

et’s recap the last week: Thursday night three crazy Europeans and I went to the Petchvarin Resort in the middle of nowhere. It was lush. Me and my roommate kept our room at about 18 degrees (as compared to the usual 40 at the centre). We were the only 4 in the entire resort and had the bar (which I used a little too heavily), the pool, and both restaurants to ourselves. We spent the entire day in the pool, only leaving the water to eat. As you’ve probably guessed I am currently the color of a lobster. Well worth it though. Saturday night about 20 volunteers went to the Hua Hin Jazz Festival set right on the beach. Some other crazy europeans and I found a rock in the water to sit on, but after a few drinks we made out way into the ocean to dance. Jeroen, the wildest Dutch person I’ve ever met, got a little too drunk and decided to take everyone with him under water – I’ll be sad when he leaves Thursday. Today I was on bears again – picking up old food and poo from the enclosure, and then hiding food and releasing them. Then I cleaned Oom Poom’s pool, which had about an inch of nastiness attached to it. I also was on “Volunteer House”, which everyone seems to hate. Basically I clean up the volunteer house – the bathrooms, kitchen, and dining room. The only bad part is taking out the toilet bins where we throw the toilet paper(or bog roll which I’ve learned to call it). No new attacks from animals, but at the festival I cut my feet up on rocks quite a bit. Tash has performed minor surgery and removed most the sand but it still hurts a [click here to read more]

Hot and sweaty.

Posted by Carter Faison at 11:45 am Thailand No Responses »

Jun 032007

After about 40 hours of travel I’ve finally made it to the centre. On my way there was an unexpected (but very plesant) stay in Taiwan. I had to get a room for the evening and, thanks solely to Amanda, I stayed at the very nice Grand Hyatt Taipei, who sent a limo to meet me at the airport. After making it to Thailand I found my taxi driver without a problem. Once – three and a half hours later – I made it to the centre, everyone was very warm and welcoming. I’ve spent the day feeding the bears, cleaning up their poo, and watering the gibbons. One gibbon, Madge, who doesn’t care for men, found it necessary to try to take my head back to her nest. I spilt my water and crapped my pants, but I survived. Well, I’m off to the centre again to feed the bears. I love and miss you all. -Carter

One Week…

Posted by Carter Faison at 11:43 am Thailand No Responses »

May 252007

I’ve been vaccinated in every part of my body and have a small pharmacy to carry abroad, but have I packed yet? No. Packing will begin the day before and probably the morning I leave. I am getting excited – I cannot wait to be with people from all over the globe with similar values. And to be back in Thailand again; how could I have picked a better location? Working with primates/bears/elephants, etc.. on the outskirts of Kaeng Krachan National Park. It hasn’t really sunk in that I am going back, but I think that is overshadowed by the 35+ hours of travel. Mai Ben Lai…