Sanctuary for Sun Bears & Asiatic Black Bears

  Thailand

• All Other Areas in Thailand: 
Cha-am,  Hua Hin,  Petchaburi

Durations of Program: 1-2 weeks, 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks and 3-6 months
Typical Duration of Program: 5-8 weeks
Dates: All year

Description: We require volunteers all year around to assist with the daily care of the bears at our Wildlife Rescue Centre, based at a Buddhist temple near Petchaburi in Thailand. Placements of 2-4 weeks are normal, but we are flexible with your availability and gladly welcome volunteers for longer stays.

These bears have been rescued from the illegal wildlife trade and most are unfit to go back into the wild. Hence we try to provide them with a comfortable and stimulating environment at our centre.

Some details about working at WFFT:

* What will be the volunteer duties/activities while at the centre?

Volunteers with the Wildlife Rescue (including Gibbons & Bears) will spend a significant amount of time preparing food for the animals, serving it to them and cleaning their enclosures. This includes a variety of ancillary jobs, such as cleaning food bowls, equipment and food preparation areas. The enclosures are set up so that they can be cleaned and the animals can be fed without any contact with the animals (the wildlife are not to be touched or handled in any way by the volunteers unless requested/permitted by staff). Other time is spent preparing enrichments for the animals and also giving tours to visiting tourists. Depending upon the number of volunteers and ongoing activities at the time, there will also be work in connection with building/upgrading enclosures, usually involving a lot of digging and painting. On some occasions, volunteers will be able to take part in rescue missions or other activities outside the centre.

* What hours are volunteers required to work, i.e. how many days a week / hours each day?

Care for the animals is obviously required 365 days a year. The rescue centre operates a six-day working week, whereby volunteers request their days off each week to enable the work schedule to be planned. Usually there are enough volunteers to enable 2-3 people from each project to have the same day off together, although on some rare occasions it is not possible to have too many people off on the same day and we ask volunteers to be flexible about this.

The working day starts at 6h30 in the morning and varies, depending upon the duties and the number of volunteers sharing the work. Typically the rescue centre volunteers work about 6-8 hours a day, with several breaks throughout the day.

The work is normally spread evenly over the volunteers, although new arrivals are given an easy first few days while they are acclimatising. The work can often be quite physically demanding but the end result is always well worth it!

Each person has their own pace, their own strengths and weaknesses. You are kindly asked to respect that not everyone has the same abilities and may work at a different tempo to yourself. Everyone is here to help the animals and makes their contribution in their own way.

* What will the accommodation be like for volunteers at the centre?

Volunteers stay in bungalows, mostly twin rooms, although there are four female dorms with 3 to 4 beds. The bungalows have an ensuite bathroom (shower and western style toilet with manual flush) and the bed linen is provided with each bed, which can be exchanged each week at the on-site laundry. The laundry ladies can also wash clothing for the volunteers for a small fee.

There is a communal volunteer house, with a kitchen, dining area and recreational area with TV and DVD player.

* What will the food be like for volunteers at the centre?

Volunteers are provided with a cooked lunch and dinner buffet. This is typically Thai style food with rice (but less spicy than traditional Thai food!), although on some occasions, approximately three times a month, western style food is offered (e.g. sandwiches, salads, pasta, etc.). The food is labelled "Non-Veg", "Vegetarian" and "Vegan", with a variety of dishes to suit each taste. The cooks are also able to provide meals suitable for specific requirements (e.g. gluten allergies, diabetic, etc.), in which case WFFT needs to be informed of such requirements in advance.

Volunteers prepare their own breakfast and snacks, for which a variety of items are provided (bread, butter, jam, peanut butter, eggs and a large variety of fresh fruit). Toasters and various cooking materials are also available for use.

Drinking water, tea and coffee are also provided. There is a fridge for use if volunteers wish to buy their own additional drinks (soft drinks, fruit juices, beer, etc.)

* How many volunteers are there usually, and where are they from?

The Wildlife Rescue Centre will typically have between 15-20 volunteers, although there is capacity for about 25. Occasionally there is a low number of volunteers (even below 10) for brief periods and the volunteers are then spread thinly over the basic necessary work. These are spread across working with the primates, bears, nocturnal animals and other wildlife.

We have volunteers from various countries and various backgrounds. Typically Anglophones (Brits, Irish, Americans, Canadians, Kiwis and Aussies), Dutch speakers (Belgians and Dutch), Francophones (French, Swiss, Belgian, Quebecois), German speakers (Germans, Austrians, Swiss), Scandinavians and a few others.

Ages range from 18-70+, with the majority split between 18-30 year olds and 30-50 year olds. Many gap-year students, some animal/conservation related science students, many career-breakers and some retirees. Everyone has to live and work together, so please be considerate and respectful to others and be prepared to be flexible with an open mind!

* When will volunteers have free time and what is there for volunteers to do in their free time? What is nearby and easy to travel to/explore?

- Free time during the day on a working day:
Relaxing, reading, observing the animals, exploring the temple, swimming in the lake, socialising with other volunteers, learning Thai, etc.

- Free time in the evenings:
TV and DVD player are available for use from 17h00 22h00 with a large selection of movies, there are also a variety of games available.

In the nearby village (10 minutes walk) there are a couple of internet cafes open until about 20h00, a restaurant and a karaoke bar open most nights until 23h00 and on Sundays there is a night market.

There is also a night market mid-week in the nearby town of Cha-am (30 minute taxi ride, 400 Baht each way), where there are also some bars and restaurants. A wider choice of nightlife is available in the city of Hua-Hin (45 minute taxi ride, 700 Baht each way). Volunteers usually club together for a night out, sharing the price per car between six people.

- Free time on a day off:
Any of the above (there are some nice beaches at Cha-am and Hua-Hin, guesthouses range from 350-700 Baht per night and hotels from 700-2000 Baht). Some volunteers visit the temples in Petchaburi (45 minute taxi ride, 700 Baht each way) or go nature trekking in one of the nearby national parks (e.g. Kaeng Krachan, Thailand's largest national park, 40km away from the rescue centre). There is also a resort within 15 minutes ride of the rescue centre, where volunteers can stay for a preferential rate including free transit. The resort is in a secluded location along the riverside, is very luxurious, with a nice swimming pool and offers Thai massage, etc.

Volunteers are very much appreciated and considered valuable contributions to the running of the rescue centre; however in all we do the animals must come first. In this respect there is obviously a limit to the amount of loud partying that can take place at the rescue centre!

Please also be aware that the staff at WFFT are often extremely busy with animal welfare and environmental issues and can therefore not always be available for giving tourism and entertainment advice.   

* Will I be working with Thai people, what is important to respect about Thai culture and what is their attitude towards animals?

- Thai staff and volunteers at the rescue centre
WFFT employees several Thai staff and occasionally there are Thai volunteers. Most of the staff are from the local village of Kao-Look-Chang who have only been exposed to the western culture in the past 6 years. Hence you might encounter some unexpected situations due to the cultural differences and language barriers both at the centre and elsewhere. However, all of our Thai staff are asked to be understanding in most of the working circumstances. Although the volunteers can kindly help settling these differences by being flexible and respectable as well.

- Thai culture
Thailand is such a friendly place that there are generally no major cultural issues, but to really fit in here are a few pointers:

* When Thais meet, they do not shake hands, they 'wai'. If meeting a Thai, put your hands into prayer formation, thumbs pointing into the chest and bow your head slightly. If they 'wai' you first, you should 'wai' back. This will really impress them!
* Do not point the soles of your feet at anyone, or any Buddha images.
* Touching heads of Thai people or Buddhist statues is also an insult.
* Remove shoes when entering temples or Thai houses.
* Respect the Royal Family and anything that has the image of the King.
* Physical expression of love (eg. hugging, kissing) is not very common among the conservative Thais. You are advised to avoid such actions in public.
* Smile and speak a little Thai and you will be loved by the locals. Do not take offence if they call you 'farang' this translates as foreigner and is just used to describe westerners.
Thai people are very proud of their country and culture and we would encourage you to read through the culture section of your guidebook and make a real effort to understand and respect the Thai culture. You will find this really enhances your experience of Thailand.

* Finally, anything else?
Please take time to read some of the stories and campaigns on our website so that you can start to familiarise yourself with our organisation. You may even wish to get in touch with other volunteers in advance and this is possible through our volunteer blog.

Most importantly; come with an open mind, considerate attitude, lots of enthusiasm and you are sure to have an amazing experience with WFFT. The animals are all waiting to meet you!

Highlights: * Thai people and animal welfare

In Thailand the way people treat each other is very different from the way they treat animals. Many Thai people do not see animals as creatures with feelings of pain and fear. You can be confronted with, from our point of view, quite shocking situations. You can see wild animals kept in captivity, like a gibbon in a dress or an eagle in a cage no bigger than itself.

This attitude towards animals seems to be changing in Thailand and the Thai people seem to be more conscious of nature preservation, with the help of many NGO projects such as the work WFFT is undertaking. Please be prepared for difficult situations and hold back if they occur. You are a guest in the country and animal welfare foundations are lobbying for procedures in order to do something about this abuse. It may also be worth remembering that certain forms of severe animal-abuse are also common and legal in your own country.

Qualifications: No experience necessary, training will be given and work is supervised.

Volunteers just require lots of enthusiasm, the willingness to pitch in and work as part of a team, and the desire to help animals in need. You must be of good health and reasonable fitness to work in this climate.

Cost in US$: $850 for 3 weeks

Please note that WFFT is an animal welfare / wildlife conservation organisation and not a travel agent. You are therefore responsible to organise and pay for all arrangements with regards to travel to Thailand (flights, insurance, visa, vaccinations, etc.) yourself. Where necessary and where possible, we will provide some guidance, however the information pack we send out should explain everything you need to know.

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: Typical volunteer has lots of enthusiasm, the willingness to pitch in and work as part of a team, and the desire to help animals in need. We have volunteers from various countries and various backgrounds. Typically Anglophones (Brits, Irish, Americans, Canadians, Kiwis and Aussies), Dutch speakers (Belgians and Dutch), Francophones (French, Swiss, Belgian, Quebecois), German speakers (Germans, Austrians, Swiss), Scandinavians and a few others. Ages range from 18-70+, with the majority split between 18-30 year olds and 30-50 year olds. Many gap-year students, some animal/conservation related science students, many career-breakers and some retirees.

Age Range: 18-70

This Program is open to American, Australian, Canadian, European, Kiwi, South African and Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Thailand Independently

Typically Participants Work in Groups of 3-6

Application Process Involves:

• Online Application plus Application Assessment

Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand's Mission Statement: Rescue, rehabilitate and care for wildlife that has been exploited by people or otherwise come into human conflict. Raise awareness and concern for wildlife and its habitat in Thailand and Southeast Asia.

Year Founded: 2001