Community Volunteering
Volunteer Work Thailand
Surin is the 3rd poorest province in Thailand and due to the low rainfall can only produce one rice crop a year. The majority of Surin people are poor farmers struggling to survive. Starfish arranges a number of community volunteering projects each year which support rural families, people and schools.
Previous volunteers have built fish ponds for poor families generating a much needed additional income, built a plant nursery for a school, planted grass along a roadside to prevent erosion during the raining season and made organic fertilizer for families and schools.
Rural communities in Surin need the support of foreign volunteers to help create additional income and improve their standard of living. Make your volunteer work count.
Volunteer Thailand Experience
Working with rural people is an amazing experience. Expect a warm welcome, smiles, a lot of fun and a true sense of satisfaction knowing you have helped these people immensely. There is also plenty of free time available to explore this beautiful region too.
Volunteer Travel
Starfish volunteers in Thailand work a 4 day week having the long weekend to explore locally for further afield. Enjoy a weekend on the beach, at a national park or simply relaxing locally. There are hotels near our volunteer accommodation that are happy for volunteers to use their pool.
Community volunteering is incredibly rewarding. Join this placement an make a real difference.
- Fact File
- Location
- Schedule
| Location: | Surin |
| Arrival Airport: | Bangkok |
| Arrival Dates: | 10 Feb, 9 Mar, 6 Apr, 11 May, 8 Jun, 13 Jul, 10 Aug, 7 Sep, 12 Oct, 2 Nov, 7 Dec |
| Availability: | March, June, September, November |
| Duration: | 4 weeks |
| Cost: | 4 weeks £700 |
| What is Included: | Airport pick up and transfers, Bangkok stopover, journey to location, accommodation, local coordinator |
| What you need to arrange: | International flight, visa, vaccinations, food, expenses |
Surin is located in the Northeast of Thailand, about 7 hours from Bangkok. It can be reached by bus or by train from the capital or from the North of the country. From Surin it is only one hour to the border crossing with Cambodia.
Surin and Northeast Thailand are a little off the tourist radar, but you will be rewarded when you visit, as you will get to experience the real, untouched Thailand. There are many local bars, shops and restaurants in the town plus a night food market. Surin is an extremely safe place to stay.
Surin once belonged to the Khmer empire so you will find scattered ancient temples from the same period as the temples of Angkor in Cambodia. Surin is now most famous for the annual elephant festival that takes place in November. The elephants are well treated in this region and the mahouts are proud of their standard of care.
The countryside surrounding Surin has many places of interest to visit including silk, silver and basket villages, where you can buy authentic locally made goods. Our volunteers in Surin are provided with bikes to explore Surin and the surrounding region, so you will have time to visit all of these places if you wish.
Surin has a bus and train station, so there are many ways to travel to and from the region. Easily reached from Surin include Khao Yai National Park, the Cambodia border and rural Thailand further Northeast for the more intrepid traveller.
Surin has a bus and train station, so there are many ways to travel to and from the region.
Volunteers work a 4 day week with the long weekend to relax or travel. On volunteer days our staff will pick you up in the mornings and take you to your project. Your pick up time will about 8am and you will back at your accommodation 3-4pm. Our staff work alongside you translating and supporting you throughout your day.