Consider volunteering with a friend to see Thailand
Have you considered the advantages of seeing "The Land of Smiles" with a family member or friend? Thailand is one of the world's favourite tourist destinations. Just some of its attractions include the country’s crystal-clear beaches, wondrous culture and its famous relaxed and laid-back lifestyle. Not to mention the happy and carefree nature of the Thai people! Such is the country’s popularity that the United Nations World Tourism Organisation’s 2016 World Tourism Barometer ranked Thailand as the ninth most visited country in the world for holidaymakers.
However, sharing travels with a family member or friend as a volunteer deepens the experience even more. Not only do you encourage each other on travel ventures, but you also learn through each other's shared volunteer work and become more aware of the country's assets and history when you see it through a friend's eyes.
The country offers so much for travelers, from the cosmopolitan bustle and shopping mecca of Bangkok to the sandy beaches of the south, the lush greenery of the north and the culture, history and Buddhist temples of exotic cities such as Chiang Mai. The countryside lends itself to unforgettable dining, hiking and adventure sports and Thailand contains a number of World Heritage-listed sites.
Thais also love festivals, with the fascinating "Rocket Festival" in Yasothon and the "Phi Ta Khon" festival in Dan Sai listed on many travelers’ bucket lists. Then (of course) there is the famous spicy and complex Thai cuisine to savour throughout the land!
There are many ways to travel through and visit the “Land of Smiles,” however one of the most rewarding ways is by joining up with a volunteer project. Doing so with a family member or friend will make the experience even more enjoyable, fulfilling and fascinating.
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Enrich your experience
While travelling through Thailand can be a joyous event in itself, your experience will be deepened if you do travel as part of a volunteer program with a family member or friend. Instead of racing through the tourist spots in a few days, finishing exhausted with lack of time a factor in not being able to visit all the places you wish to see, being a volunteer will give you time to really immerse yourself in the Thai culture and traditions. It will allow you to see parts of the country outside the normal tourist routes and give you a sense of the heritage of the country.
Get to know the Thai people
The people of Thailand have a well-earned reputation for friendliness towards visitors. However, a fast trip through the tourist sites will leave you little, if any, time to meet Thai people and learn their customs. By lending a hand to local people, you can help build the country at the grassroots level, assisting them in their quest to build viable towns and villages, while getting to know the people in a far more profound way.Learn the culture
The more of this time spent living amongst the locals prepares you for a better, the fuller the immersion in the complex yet rich local culture, language, religion and history. Time taken to become part of a volunteer project will give you the valuable opportunity to see and learn this unique heritage. Learning is always easier when you do this with a friend.
Share experiences together
Any experience is improved if you share it with someone. Whether a partner, a family member, fellow school or university students or a friend, volunteering together in such a project makes for a shared involvement where events, projects, thoughts and ideas become common interests.Together help build local communities
Help make a difference in the world with your travelling friend! Create long-lasting bonds. The friendships you make while volunteering often last many years, even decades. You may wish to keep in contact with fellow volunteers or local people, long after the project is completed, perhaps returning time and again to the villages and towns where you worked. Thailand is a land of adventure and unique civilization that is just waiting to be explored. So what better way to do so than with a friend as part of a volunteer project? You will feel more comfortable exploring the land and people with a friend as well as the lessons you'll both learn when you meet with seasoned veterans of the project.
Interested in volunteering with a friend as the perfect way to see and experience Thailand? There are a number of programs tailored to your specific skills and areas of interest including teaching programs, working with children, healthcare and humanitarian needs. The tasks may range in scope from teaching English to Buddhist monks, to helping school young Thai children, to outdoor-based schemes.
You can find out more at Friends for Asia’s volunteer programs.
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