Thailand: Coastal Conservation Expedition

Introduction

Coral reefs are an important underwater ecosystem, offering a means of filtering excess carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, a protection against the effects of tropical storms, and a means for fish populations to regenerate after fishing. The corals in the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand are affected by overfishing, and, like most of the world’s corals, by regular coral bleaching events which are the result of climate change and the warming of waters around the world.

Daily Life

Each year, during Thailand’s dry season, November to April, our staff, interns, and volunteers don flippers, mask, and snorkel to conduct coral conservation research in the Andaman Sea. By joining this coral conservation research volunteer project you will assist our research teams with conducting surveys of the coral reef, recording the health of the corals and the abundance of marine life. This data is submitted to the Thai government to assist with making decisions about adding stricter protection measures for specific marine areas, potentially limiting tourist visits and fishing activities. Volunteers can also assist with submitting this data to a citizen science project. 

Snorkelling activities only take place from November to March each year:

• All surveys are done by snorkeling.
• Even though the dry season should run roughly from November to April, there are still unexpected storms during this time which may mean snorkeling surveys are cancelled last minute.
• Snorkeling takes place once a week, weather permitting.

Other activities you should expect to get involved with include:

• Conducting biodiversity surveys for our partners in the national parks and on 2 diverse islands, including setting up camera traps and collecting pictures.
• Cleaning beaches
• Conducting species identification, assisting local staff at a turtle centre by cleaning tanks, leading behaviour enrichment surveys, and collecting morphological data on turtles, to identify infections they may have
• Bird & Butterfly surveys
• Leading environmental education classes at local schools, beach/park clean ups etc.
• Mangrove cleans along with working to monitor and assess tourist behavior and impact on the environment in these areas. This involves traveling through the mangroves by boat, canoe or foot to monitor fish and wildlife, while also cleaning up rubbish.

Travel & Accom.

Accommodation & Food

Dorm style rooms, with en-suite bathrooms and running cold water. The maximum number of volunteers per room is 6 and may be mixed gender. Participants share all base duties, including cleaning the common area and the resource room and other daily chores. Drinking water will be provided. All meals are included and some may be prepared for you by the village cook

Health & Hygiene:

The work we contribute to across the globe remains important and new measures allow our participants to continue to join our programs and continue impacting positively on their world and the communities we work with. Changes to our existing protocols have been made by our health and hygiene team to strengthen our health and hygiene protocols and ensure that international standard safeguards are in place to protect our participants, staff and host communities. Please inquire for more information on the protocols.

Travel:

Local field staff are a great source of information for sightseeing activities. Weekends are free for you to explore the beautiful sights and beaches of Thailand, the possibilities are endless!

Requirements

• Minimum age 18
• Be keen and enthusiastic to get involved in the project
• Ability to work within a team environment
• Minimum 1 week commitment
• CRB Police check (or equivalent) showing that you have no previous criminal convictions
• Signed medical form
• Good English skills
• Necessary vaccinations
• Necessary flight & visas
• Full travel & medical insurance. Full assistance will be provided in getting everything you will need ready if you choose our Placement Support Package.

Prices

• 1 week – £1,795
• 2 weeks – £2,095
• 4 weeks – £2,695
• 6 weeks – £3,295
• 8 weeks – £3,845
• 10 weeks – £4,495
• 12 weeks – £5,095

* Check the latest currency conversions with xe.com
** All payments incur a 5% bank transfer fee
*** Placements are confirmed with a 20% deposit.

What’s Included:

Project Fee includes;

• 24-hour emergency phone
• 24-hour in-country support
• Access to Alumni Services and Discounts
• Food
• Accommodation
• Airport pickup
• Online program training before program start date:
  • Pre-Departure Orientation (1 Hour)
  • Program Specific Training (1-5 Hours)
  • OPTIONAL: Marine Conservation Online Course (10-15 Hours)
• In-country support
• All project activities.

What’s not included:

• Additional drinks and gratuities
• Extra local excursions
• Flights
• International and domestic airport taxes
• Medical and travel insurance
• Personal items and toiletries
• Police or background check
• Visa costs (where necessary)

Full assistance will be provided in getting all these arranged if you choose our Premium Support.

Premium Support Upgrade

We understand there’s a great deal to plan and organise for your trip. When booking a Placement, many of our participants choose to purchase our Premium Support Upgrade to benefit from the expertise, knowledge and experience of our Project Coordinators.

We can provide the personal advice you need to ensure your trip is organised with excellence and planned with efficiency; ensuring the very best experience possible. Read more about how we can help you.