from 714€

Excellent 4.8rating (240)

Ethical Elephant Refuge

location
1 - 12 weeks  ·  Age 18 - 50+

rating  Excellent 4.8  · 
  Verified by Volunteer World
  Excellent response rate

Volunteer project with the highest quality. This project sets unprecedented standards in quality - an unparalleled level of excellence.

Highlights

  • Thailand is known as the "Land of Smiles" due to the friendly and welcoming nature of its people
  • Relax at the Cha-am Beach: Enjoy the tranquil beach and warm water perfect for swimming and sunbathing, along with a variety of water sports activities.
  • Explore the Kaeng Krachan National Park: Experience the untouched wilderness of Thailand, featuring jungle trekking, rafting, and bird watching.
  • Thailand is home to numerous stunning temples. There are approximately 40,000 temples in the country, each with its own architectural design and religious significance
  • Thailand is famous for its cuisine, known for its bold flavors and unique combination of sweet, sour, and spicy tastes. For example; Pad Thai, green curry, and mango sticky rice

Especially suitable

Age 18+
Singles
Couples
Families
Groups
50+

About the program

Take care of endangered Asian elephants rescued from the logging and tourism industries. Get involved up close with feeding, cleaning and enrichment activities.

About
At the Elephant Refuge we currently care for 24 Asian elephants, the majority of which were rescued from elephant trekking camps where they have been brutally used to entertain tourists. At this program, volunteers have the chance to interact with some of the elephants in an ethical setting. ..

About the program

About
At the Elephant Refuge we currently care for 24 Asian elephants, the majority of which were rescued from elephant trekking camps where they have been brutally used to entertain tourists. At this program, volunteers have the chance to interact with some of the elephants in an ethical setting. Volunteers will be involved in the basic daily care tasks of the elephants such as; cleaning of the enclosures and washing pool, food harvesting and creating enrichments. It is possible to interact with some of the elephants at certain times of the day such as feeding and enrichment times. The other times the elephants are hands off and encouraged to enjoy their retirement in peace.

Why this program
The rescued elephants get to live in close proximity to their natural environment due to the forested land surrounding the rescue centre.  With its 18 hectares of natural forests, lakes, and grazing grounds, the largest elephant enclosure allows our elephants ample room to roam and socialise with one another to enjoy their retirement as they deserve. This program operates the first elephant sanctuary in Asia free of chains! There is never an elephant chained up, day or night.

The endangered Asian elephant can be found in both wild and tamed forms in Thailand. Sadly, most of the animals in the domestic population are either captive-bred or wild-captured animals. These animals are housed and employed in the tourism or timber industries after having been trained or broken. Elephants in the wild in Thailand are currently fighting for their lives. There are an estimated 3000–3500 wild elephants in Thailand, which are dispersed throughout the nation's wide grasslands and deep rainforests. Ironically and unintentionally contributing to the destruction of the very habitat that elephants depend on for survival, elephants have historically been mostly employed in the logging sector.

Following the ban on logging, the majority of logging elephants were either employed in the tourism sector or were forced to beg on the streets of large cities. The elephant's health is negatively impacted by walking on these filthy, packed streets day and night, and it is not natural. Elephants used for street begging frequently become engaged in traffic accidents, typically resulting in fatalities for both the elephant and the mahout.

The support of our volunteers is essential to the refuge. The refuge offers a sanctuary for elephants to retire, and be given the respect that these amazing creatures deserve. When volunteering with the elephants, you will help them by providing essential care such as feeding and creating of enrichments, cleaning and maintaining their enclosures, and collecting their food. You will also be taught everything you need to know about the plight of the Asian Elephant in Thailand, and we hope that you will help us to spread awareness and educate others.

What is included
Your program fees cover:
  • Accommodation (See below for detailed information)
  • On Site Support Staff
  • Airport Collection (See below for detailed information)
  • Food & Water (3 Meals per day)
  • Contribution to the refuge centre towards the Elephant's care and food
  • Wifi
  • Welcome Orientation
How do I get to the placement
You will stay on site at the volunteer base area of the elephant refuge. Surrounded by lush foliage and amazing views.

What will I be doing
When volunteering with the elephants, you will help them by providing essential care such as; Feeding the elephants, Cleaning their enclosures and washing pool area, walking elephants to the forest reserve to allow them to forage on natural foods, Creating enrichments to stimulate the elephants, maintaining enclosures and pools, Harvesting plant matter, including banana trees to feed to our elephants, Other activities depending on current needs of the Rescue Centre, e.g. helping out at other areas of the base, planting grasses and trees.
You will also be taught everything you need to know about the plight of the Asian Elephant in Thailand, and we hope that you will help us to spread awareness and educate others.

The working day starts at 6:30, volunteers will normally finish work around 17:00, with several breaks throughout the day for breakfast, lunch and water and toilet breaks. Volunteers are expected to work 6 days a week with one day off. The work can be quite physically demanding but the end result is always well worth it.

Volunteers will be assigned to work groups each day by the volunteer coordinators, and work with team leaders who are longer-term experienced volunteers who assist and guide their teams throughout daily tasks. 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 pace to yourself. Everyone is here to help the animals and makes their contribution in their own way. Please speak to the volunteer coordinators if you feel you have been given too much or too little work for your personal abilities, as there are plenty of tasks to suit all. 

All volunteers during their time will be asked to assist in additional tasks to help us run the volunteer house such as Doggie Duty. Typically, two people per day are chosen to help with each. Doggie Duty involves caring for some of the dogs that live at the volunteer house. This involves washing, feeding and walking the dogs. Volunteer coordinators will be around to answer any questions, and monitor and observe each group throughout the day. You, the volunteers help a lot around the center with daily tasks and large ongoing projects. Without you, it would not at all be possible.

Who will I be working with
Volunteers with the Elephant Refuge will spend their time with the mahouts (elephant handlers) and fellow international volunteers from around the world.

What should I bring
We suggest; Lightweight work clothes you do not mind sweating in and getting dirty (shorts and t-shirts), Long sleeve top(s) and trousers to protect you from mosquito bites in the evenings, Sunhat, cap or bandana, Torch/flashlight, Alarm clock, Power adaptor, Your own towels (can be bought locally although choice is limited), Comfortable shoes or sandals (your feet will get wet no matter what time of year due to the nature of some of the work), Lightweight rainproof clothing (e.g. poncho - cheap quality ones can be bought locally), Ensure your mobile phone is unlocked if you wish to buy a Thai sim card, Simple first aid kit with plasters, bandages, antiseptics and various medications for gastric bug, Working gloves are recommended when harvesting food for the elephants, and essential when composting and High-factor sun-cream/sunglasses are recommended.

What you can expect from us
Our Volunteer Coordinators are able to help whenever you need assistance. They can help with scheduling issues, animal issues, illness, emergencies back home, as well as personal support while you are away from home. Our coordinators can be very busy, but we have an open door policy so you can come and talk to us any time you need. Each week our volunteer coordinators hold a volunteer meeting to provide updates on the animals, and to resolve any work related issues that have arisen during the week prior, as well as to allow volunteers the chance to ask questions about the animals or their volunteer experience.

What we expect from you
Volunteers are very much appreciated and are essential to the proper running of the rescue center; however, in all that we do the animals must come first. We encourage you to make friends and socialize after work in the evenings. However please always be respectful to the animals, other volunteers and staff that live here. There is a limit to the amount of noise and disturbance that can take place at the rescue centre, and any unruly partying or reckless behaviour will not be tolerated.

In order to become an elephant volunteer with us you need to fulfill the following criteria:
• You must be in good physical and mental condition
• You must be able to tolerate hot and humid climate
• You must be able to speak English or Thai
• You must be 18 years old or over
• You must have a positive and practical attitude towards animal welfare and wildlife conservation

Typical day

The working day starts at 6:30am, volunteers will normally finish work around 17:00pm, with several breaks throughout the day for breakfast, lunch and water and toilet breaks.

Tasks during the day include;
• Feeding the elephants
• Cleaning their enclosures
• Walking elephants to the forest to ...

Typical day

The working day starts at 6:30am, volunteers will normally finish work around 17:00pm, with several breaks throughout the day for breakfast, lunch and water and toilet breaks.

Tasks during the day include;
• Feeding the elephants
• Cleaning their enclosures
• Walking elephants to the forest to allow them to forage on natural foods and pool area for washing.
• Creating enrichments to stimulate the elephants
• Maintaining enclosures and pools
• Harvesting plant matter, including banana trees to feed to our elephants
• Other activities depending on current needs of the Rescue Centre, e.g. helping out at other areas of the base, planting grasses and trees.

Free-time activities

There are many locations at the centre for you to relax, read, or get in touch with home. There is a temple close by that you are welcome to visit, and a river to swim in, and of course socializing with other volunteers from around the world. Most weeks we have a group activity night for volunteers ...

Free-time activities

There are many locations at the centre for you to relax, read, or get in touch with home. There is a temple close by that you are welcome to visit, and a river to swim in, and of course socializing with other volunteers from around the world. Most weeks we have a group activity night for volunteers and staff, including educational talks, soccer matches or trivia nights! In the local village there are markets, restaurants and small shops for you to explore. There is also a night market mid-week in the nearby town of Cha-am (30 minute taxi ride), where there are also some bars and restaurants. A wider choice of shopping, larger night markets and restaurants can be found in the city of Hua-Hin (45 minute taxi ride). The volunteer coordinators will organize taxis upon request.

You can also visit Cha-am and Hua-Hin and explore the cities and surrounding areas during your day off. Some volunteers visit the temples in Phetchaburi (45 minutes taxi ride) or go nature trekking in one of the nearby national parks. We can also organise trips to Kaeng Krachan National Park and Kui Buri National Park.

Requirements

Requirements

Minimum Age: 18 years

In order to join the program you need to be at least 18 years old on the program start date. There might be exemptions if you can provide the permission of your legal guardian(s) or if your are accompanied by your parents.

Language Skills

You need to speak English (basic level)

Nationality Restrictions

No restrictions. Helping hands from all over the world are welcome.

Other Skills

• You must be in good physical and mental condition • You must be able to tolerate hot and humid climate • You must be able to speak English or Thai • You must be 18 years old or over • You must have a positive and practical attitude towards animal welfare and wildlife conservation

Time Commitment

Your helping hand will be required on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 06:30 - 17:00

What's Included

What's Included

Services by Atlas Volunteers

Your program fees cover;
  • Pre Departure Support & Guidance
  • Airport Collection
  • Welcome Orientation & Tour
  • Food (3 Meals per day)
  • Drinking Water
  • On Site Support Staff & Volunteer Coordinator
  • Wifi at camp
  • Weekly fresh bed linen
  • Contribution to the elephant refuge to cover running costs such as food and medical care for the elephants

Airport Pickup at Suvarnabhumi Airport

We are able to collect volunteers from either Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK), Don Mueang Airport (DMK), or a hotel. We are able to arrange transfers from Bangkok between 6AM and 2PM.

The best time for a hotel pick-up from Bangkok is 9AM.

Our volunteer programs start on a Sunday which means the departure day will also be the Sunday of the volunteer’s final week.

Accommodation

Volunteers stay in European style, concrete and brick bungalows. Most accommodation is 2 to 4 people per room in single sex rooms, with the exceptions of couples, friends and families. Your pillow, blanket and bedsheets are provided to you during your stay. You are welcome to change your bedsheets weekly if you would like fresh linen. The room generally have shared bathrooms with a western style toilet and cold showers.

Your rooms are cleaned before your arrival, and we ask all volunteers to look after their own space by keeping your personal area tidy. Keys for rooms are provided, you will need to pay a deposit until safe return of the key. All rooms have electrical outlets for you to use. In Thailand we use two flat pins, or two round pins, of 220v. There are 2 communal areas where volunteers eat meals, socialize and where all your work and life at the Elephant Refuge is coordinated.

Free use of Wi-Fi is available at certain areas of the facility for basic use such as; check emails, social media and for booking flights or hotels. We politely ask that this facility not be used to download large files such as movies.

Food & Beverages

All your meals are provided during your stay and cooked by our staff. For breakfast we provide an assortment of rotating items including bread, jams and butter, eggs, seasonal fruit, pancakes, milk, tea and coffee. Lunch and dinner are predominantly traditional local Thai cuisine. However we do have Western dinners twice a week. At all meal times there are clearly labeled ‘meat’, ‘vegetarian’ and ‘vegan’ options.

Clean drinking water is also provided in a number of locations on site for volunteers.

There is also a small bar (Not part of the catering package) where you can buy soft drinks, coffee, smoothies and snacks. The bar is open after work from 5PM to 7PM for volunteers who would like to socialize, and there are alcoholic beverages available.

Internet Access

Good access at the project site

What's NOT included?

What's NOT included?

Flight Tickets

The nearest airport is Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) in Bangkok. We assist you to find cheap flights to Thailand. FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS

Travel Insurance

Going abroad is an adventure and it is always best to be prepared. Sudden illness or injury, cancellation or theft - a travel insurance for Thailand provides security and is a plus to have. GET A QUOTE

Vaccines

If you are intending to volunteer in Thailand you should seek medical advice before starting your social journey. Check your required vaccinations for Thailand. VACCINE CHECKER

Details on arrival

This program is available all throughout the year.

Our volunteer programs start on a Sunday which means the departure day will also be the Sunday of the volunteer’s final week.

We are able to collect volunteers from either Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK), Don Mueang Airport (DMK), or a hotel.  We are able to arrange transfers from Bangkok between 6AM and 2PM. The best time for a hotel pick-up from Bangkok is 9AM.
Availability
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Program fees

1 week (min. stay) 714€
2 weeks 1,091€
3 weeks 1,391€
4 weeks 1,714€
5 weeks 2,029€
6 weeks 2,337€
7 weeks 2,645€
8 weeks 2,960€
9 weeks 3,269€
10 weeks 3,577€
11 weeks 3,892€
12 weeks (max. stay) 4,011€
Average fees 523€/week

Program fees

523€ per week 1 - 12 weeks Age 18 - 50+

Payment methods

Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

NO CREDIT CARD FEES


Duration

1 - 12 weeks

Deposit

The deposit is simply to reserve your volunteer placement. Payments are handled by PayPal, our trusted global payment provider. If you don't have a PayPal account, you can also pay using a credit card.


Final Payment

Your final payment will be agreed with Atlas Volunteers during the application process. Common solutions are either via bank transfer or a cash payment at the project site.


Meet your organization

Atlas Volunteers

Excellent 4.8 rating (240 reviews)

Non-profit - founded in 2017

Verified by Volunteer World

  Excellent response rate

Coordinated by

Sam

Spoken languages: English

About the project

Atlas Volunteers is an NGO providing affordable & meaningful volunteer placements in rural Ghana, Thailand & Cambodia. Created by volunteers, for volunteers.

Meet your organization

Who We Are?

We're a team of volunteers that wanted to startup a volunteer organisation truly by volunteers for volunteers. The initial founders of the team met whilst volunteering in Ghana from 2010 onwards. After becoming the largest volunteer organisation in Ghana in 2023 where we focus on development within our rural areas, we answered the call in 2024 to help our partners on the ground elsewhere in the world whilst still maintaining the same Atlas standards of creating meaningful & affordable volunteering programs for people from all over the world to come lend a hand so that we can leave the world in a better place whilst getting to experience new people, countries and cultures from a meaningful travel experience.

What We Do?

Our volunteer team and support coordinators work directly with our local community partners to help make an impact and leave the world a better place than we found it. Our team work across

  • Education - including school support, tutoring sessions, reading clubs and vacation classes.
  • Sports - Football academy, physical education lessons and school sports days.
  • Renovation - Constructing and maintenance of unsafe school buildings as well as decorating and improvements.
  • Eco Projects - including reforestation, plastics upcycling and community cleanups.
  • Community - farm assistant and health insurance drives.
  • Conservation - Sea Turtle & Elephant conservation programs.

Where We Work?

Our main flagship program is based at the Abetifi district in the Eastern Region of Ghana. It holds the highest habitable town in Ghana upon a mountainous area so we have the benefit of a cooler overall temperature especially on the evenings and mornings. The volunteer house is in one of the towns close to Abetifi called Aduamoah. Abetifi is our closest larger town just a few minutes drive where there are banks, shops, market etc. The volunteer programs you will be visiting will be spread from the towns to just twenty minutes down the road on the road to Lake Volta (the largest man made lake in the world) where we work with remote villages to strengthen their facilities and improve their way of life. Life is fairly laid back in the area and time is soon spent chatting with people in passing and visiting friends. The Kwahu area has an extremely low crime rate and volunteers are given the chance and encouraged to explore the local towns alone or in groups with our team.

We also run our sea turtle conservation project at Cape Three Points between September - March each year during the nesting season. Cape Three Points is a complete contract to Abetifi where it's a tiny rural village but benefits from the most amazing beach and forest views. In 2024 we have also launched programs in Thailand and Cambodia with really exciting programs that are genuinely making a difference to conservation, education and community development efforts on the ground.

Our History

Our Mission


Who Are We Looking For?

We are looking for flexible, caring volunteers who have the drive to not only help but to familiarise themselves with the local culture and characters. The ability to work outside of your usual comfort zone will not make your trip easiest but help towards our social impact goals.

240 reviews · rating4.8

Gary D rating5

2024 at Ethical Elephant Refuge

Organization doing great work at rescuing, rehabilitating, and housing abused animals in the region. Those that cannot be released remain on premises in great facilities. No elephant swimming or rides here.....these animals are no longer performing or laboring. Good work being done by good ...
Jez L rating5

2024 at Ethical Elephant Refuge

An amazing place with brilliant staff and volunteers !! it’s all about keeping these animals safe and away from the tourists traps that surround them.. cheap elephant rides, and elephant baths !! this place has a no contact policy that really reminds you how to treat animals and to respect ...
Maïté rating4.6

2024 at Ethical Elephant Refuge

Volunteers from all over the world. We spent 2 weeks there, very physical work taking care of feeding the animals, cleaning the enclosures... but very rewarding. A great ...
Mac rating4.8

2024 at Ethical Elephant Refuge

This was a very interesting and ultimately rewarding experience but not necessarily an easy one. The facility is quite large with 18 elephants and many many other animals under care. Volunteers split between Elephants and Other wild life. And permanent Thai staff. We worked with the Elephants. The ...
Margriet K rating5

2024 at Ethical Elephant Refuge

I had a great experience as a volunteer for 4 weeks in Thailand. The people are caring, friendly and pleasant. It was lots of variety throughout the days. ...
Ande B rating5

2024 at Ethical Elephant Refuge

You will not find a more dedicated group of people willing to do anything possible to give each and every one of the rescued animals a better life. So dedicated in fact that the same people that I met 4 years ago are still here fighting the ...

Location

Asia > South East Asia > Thailand > Amphoe Thayang

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