Student Nursing
Medical Volunteering
Starfish Ventures seeks the support of student nurses to provide nursing care in Surin, Thailand. Starfish’s Nursing Venture provides the perfect framework for student nurses to complete their Elective Placement or an internship (subject to agreement from their educational institute).
The scope of nursing work is extensive. Volunteer student nurses will work in a number of walk in health clinics for rural people in and around Surin City. You will assist the qualified Thai staff in all aspects of their work.
Dan Bressington helped set up and continues to support our Nursing Venture. Dan is an English Registered Nurse who has held many senior positions in the NHS, including Senior Clinical Charge Nurse and is presently lecturing at Christchurch College, Canterbury.
Volunteer Work and Travel
Surin is a growing destination for more adventurous travellers to explore but remains an unspoilt, fascinating part of Thailand which lets visitors experience Thai life away from the tourist crowds. By working volunteering in Surin you will experience Thailand not as a tourist but as a valued member of the local community.
Surin is ideally placed to explore other parts of Thailand during your stay. The mountains in the North and the islands in the Gulf are only an overnight bus ride away, whilst the Thai-Cambodia border is only a few hours away. There are numerous fantastic places to spend your free weekends.
Unique Volunteer Opportunity
This is a truly unique opportunity to make a large and lasting difference whilst observing the working conditions of health care professionals in developing countries. Experience traditional rural Thai life, and explore the breathtaking beauty of both Thailand and Cambodia. Joining the Starfish Nursing Venture will not only provide a significant enhancement to your professional resume, it will also provide you with a firsthand perspective of medical challenges and successes overseas.
Starfish has now extended its medical volunteering work to include an outreach program and medical monitoring and health promotion at our child care project in Surin. This has greatly increased the scope of this placement and enhanced the learning experience of our student nursing volunteers in Thailand.
- 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: | All Year |
| Duration: | 2-12 weeks |
| Cost: | 2 weeks £400, 4 weeks £600, 8 weeks £900, 12 weeks £1100 |
| 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.