Here are answers to some of the most common questions we receive about our volunteer program in Thailand:
1. What is Dragonfly?
Dragonfly has its roots in a small English Camp organization begun in 2004 by a small team of Thais and English-speakers. Their goal was to help Thai students improve their English skills, and more importantly to get kids interested in learning through fun and positive activities.
The same year, Dragonfly Volunteer Projects were started to help fill a need expressed by teachers at the numerous schools we visited across Thailand. They made an appeal for English speakers to bring volunteerism to their schools, so that students could gain valuable skills and experience for the future.
This volunteer program was a success, but some volunteers wanted to help out in other ways. This led us to expand into other types of projects – orphanages, wildlife, building – so that we could bring more generous people to help improve the lives of people and animals in Thailand.
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2. Where does Dragonfly work?
We started our organization in Isaan, the Northeast region of Thailand. This region is both culturally vibrant and economically embattled due to poor weather and soil for agriculture. Our offices are located in Nakhorn Ratchasima (nicknamed Khorat), which is a bustling city and the gateway to the Northeast.
These days, we work on projects in many locations, including the North and the Western border region. We concentrate our efforts in rural areas, both to reach those people who are more in need of our support and to provide volunteers with authentic cultural experiences that are lost in big cities.
For the time being, we’re focused on Thailand. We’re building our projects and trying to get as many volunteers involved as we can. In the future, we’d like to expand our projects to help people in other parts of the world, but for now we’re committed to building a strong network in the country of Dragonfly’s origins.
These days, we work on projects across Thailand including the stunning, coastal South and the scenic, mountainous North. We concentrate our efforts in rural areas, both to reach those people who are more in need of our support and to provide volunteers with authentic cultural experiences that are lost in big cities.
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3. What qualifications do I need to become a volunteer?
We want to stress that you DON’T need prior experience to participate in any of our projects. The bottom line is that volunteerism is for anyone with a positive attitude, flexibility, self-motivation, independence, and an open mind. Working in Thailand will be a great experience for you, not least because it will teach you how to work in a culturally different environment.
For our teaching placements, we do insist that volunteers have teaching experience or participate in a training program beforehand. Understandably, we want volunteers to feel confident about teaching and students to benefit from the experience. We offer various training programs so that there is a lot of choice and flexibility for you.
In all other placements (orphanage, building, wildlife), you’ll be trained on the job by the staff at each of the projects and prior experience, although welcomed, is definitely not necessary.
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4. I’m not a native speaker of English. Can I still do a volunteer placement?
Definitely. English is Thailand’s (unofficial) second language, and unless you speak Thai it will be your only means of communication, at least at first. For that reason, we expect volunteers to be proficient in English – but you don’t have to be perfect! We’ve worked with volunteers from many non-English-speaking countries and we’ve found it only enhances the experience, as another cultural dimension is added to the mix.
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5. How can I organize a visa for Thailand? Can it be extended?
Visas are a necessary fact of international work, and are unnecessarily complicated. You are required by Thai law to hold a volunteering visa for any volunteer work you may do in the Kingdom. Once you’ve signed up to volunteer, we’ll help you to work through the application process while in your home country. You will have to send your passport and an application to the Thai consulate/embassy in your country, where it will be processed and a visa will be added to your passport. If you don’t have a passport, you’ll have to apply for one before a visa can be attained.
If you decide to stay longer in Thailand, we can advise you on how best to extend your visa. In some cases, it may be more convenient for you to exit to a neighbouring country and re-enter Thailand on a new visa. Either way, we’ll help you to figure out what’s easiest.
*Important note it is a legal requirement to obtain a volunteer visa. Any organsisation that advises getting a tourist visa is putting you at risk of arrest and or deportation.
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6. Are there set dates for your placements, or are they flexible?
There are two answers to this question (which is really 2 questions!):Some projects are available seasonally. Sea turtles lay their eggs in the winter. School takes a few term breaks (March to mid-May, and October). Building isn’t extraordinarily pleasant in the rainy season. We’ve made some calls, but can’t seem to change these factors.
We do run our training programs on set schedules. Language and culture training and 3-day teacher training run only once at the beginning of each month. We are rigid about these times because we have to pay trainers to provide these programs. Starting and ending dates at the projects themselves are flexible to allow you some leeway. Wildlife projects do training on-site and can therefore start at any time. After training, orphanage, and teaching projects can begin when you’re prepared although, naturally, we’ll require some notice.
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7. What happens once I arrive in Thailand?
You’ll be met at the airport in Bangkok (excepting special circumstances) by one of our staff. He or she will arrange for you to help you get to Korat for training or directly to your project site to begin your work.
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8. Can I do more than one volunteer placement?
You can. Please do! If you can’t decide between projects, you can do 2 (or all 4!). As long as you have all the necessary training, you can arrange to finish one placement and move directly, or after a short break, to another.
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9. If I really love my placement, can I extend it?
Unfortunately, we can’t normally extend a placement longer than was initially arranged. Why? Most of the schools and projects we work with have limited capacity for volunteers, due largely to the need to train and house them. We may have already scheduled another volunteer to follow your placement, so if you stayed longer, that person would have no place to stay.
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10. What kind of accommodation is provided? What’s a homestay like?
Well, it depends on your placement. Volunteers on wildlife and orphanage placements will stay on-site in volunteer houses; you may have to share a room, and will definitely share other facilities (bathrooms, common space, etc.). Volunteers with the other projects will enjoy the homestay experience…
… which means, perhaps not surprisingly, staying with a Thai family in their home. You’ll be given a room in the family house, and a new family as well! This is a great way to learn about Thai people and culture, and by far the most efficient way to learn the language. On your homestay, you’ll find yourself immediately embraced by your family and given the appropriate address of son, daughter, sister, brother, aunt or uncle - expect a warm welcome.
Regardless of your project, you have running water and electricity at your accommodation. It’s important to remember, however, that you’re working in a developing country and accommodations therefore may be more basic than you’re used to.
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11. Can you help me find a job after my placement?
We can do 2 things to help you along. If you are interested in an English teaching job in Thailand, we have years of experience and hundreds of school contacts with which to help you find a connection. For all projects, we can write you a reference letter that you can use to find a job either here or back at home.
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12. Are there any health and safety concerns for the placements?
This is a safe country and Thai people are immaculately clean (bathing 2-5 times per day), but we’re not qualified to inform you about all health concerns. In some areas, diseases like malaria may be a risk Therefore, we highly recommend that you speak with your physician or local travel clinic well before leaving for Thailand.
Volunteers coming to work on wildlife projects will require certain inoculations beforehand, largely to protect the animals from contracting diseases from you. Sorry to have to say it. We’ll let you know the specific requirements after sign-up.
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13. You haven’t answered my specific question. Can I send it to you?
Certainly. Whether you’ve signed up already or are looking for more information before you do, we’re happy to address your questions and concerns. Click here to send us an inquiry.
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