A Chance to Connect with Thailand’s Diverse, Welcoming People
Situated at a traditional crossroads in Asia, Thailand is a melting pot of rich and diverse cultures. Tribes and peoples descended from as far away as Central China and the Tibetan Plateau still inhabit many parts of the Kingdom, along with peoples who have been displaced from surrounding countries by turbulent times in nearby countries. Go Out and Give – Thailand will introduce you to the fascinating and complex cultures in this part of the world, while you immerse yourself in the welcoming villages of your new friends. The module will include time living with Karen refugee children in Mae Sarieng, and rural service immersion trip into the Hill Tribe region, and finally some time working with our friends in Sea Gypsy Villages along the Andaman Sea in beautiful Southern Thailand.

The program will begin at our Hilltribe Orphanage Project in the far west of the country along the Burmese Border. You will be warmly welcomed to this beautiful corner of Thailand and quickly develop life-long friendships. During your time in this magical place, here, In the time you spend in this magical place, you might help catch dinner while fishing in the nearby river, plant rice in the terraced rice fields nestled against the forest-clad mountains, or join in on a friendly village-wide soccer match or a high-flying game of takraw (a cross between volleyball and soccer). You’ll cook dinner alongside the Karen students each night, share laughs over a crackling fire, and learn traditional Thai dance and Karen lore and customs during your stay. You’ll immerse yourself in this unique culture and its people, and our long-standing connections in the area will open fascinating cultural doors to you that are normally closed to outsiders. You’ll have the chance to visit the homes and villages of the students in their mountaintop villages and attend traditional Karen ceremonies on fascinating field trips.

A Life-Changing Hill Tribe Home-Stay Experience
On the next stop of the program, you’ll step back in time and discover what it is like to livein a small village far away from the influences of modern society. Your leaders will arrange clean food and water but expect living conditions to be very rustic and humble. People here don’t have many things, and students find it refreshing to discover their sincere approach to life and to spend time with these close-knit families. After just a few days, you will find that you have left the world you know behind. You will soon begin to groove to an entirely different beat here in the mountains of Southeast Asia. This home-stay experience will show you what daily life is like for your gracious hosts, though you’ll work hard to show that you mean to be more like a helper than a guest. As a group, you’ll have a chance to decide which sort of service will be most appropriate for the village after listening to what kind of help they need most. You will then work with the villagers and your leaders to put your plan into action. Build lifelong friendships in the villages where you work, and develop skills that will help you organize service projects back at home.

The Andaman Coast – Welcome to a Slice of Paradise
Southern Thailand is renowned as one of the most idyllic destinations in the world. Blessed with a stunning landscape and rich biodiversity, the extensive coastline is home to innumerable pristine beaches. This land is also home to many fascinating cultures, including a group known as Sea Gypsies. These kind people have inhabited this area for hundreds of years, have their own languages, and unique beliefs and traditions that they have preserved against the forces of modernization. Above all, Thailand’s Sea Gypsies have an incredible wealth of knowledge about the ocean and its ecosystems and know how to survive comfortably using the ocean as their primary resource. Few people in the world have such a holistic understanding of the ocean and how to live with it, and their indigenous knowledge must be preserved. Thailand’s Andaman Coast was completely devastated by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Some Sea Gypsy villages fared amazingly well because of their sixth sense of the ocean, but most areas were destroyed. In the aftermath of the tsunami, many of these villages were forced to relocate. Land disputes and the rapid growth of Thailand’s tourism industry have put great pressure on Sea Gypsy culture, and they are fighting an uphill battle to preserve their fascinating way of life.
Many families here lost their loved ones and main income earners. To help address these needs, a women’s all-natural soap cooperative has been set up as a source of income. You’ll work next to these women making soap, help paint and refurbish a community center, and teach at local schools. Throughout your stay, you’ll hear their stories of perseverance through tough times while immersing yourself in their simple yet comfortable way of life on the ocean. Learn how to tie fishing nets, go spear-fishing, and even cook a beachside barbeque!

Go Out and Give – Thailand will show you the diverse faces of this beautiful land, and get you connected through these amazing service experiences. Come along to share yourself with these kind people while learning more about life here than you even expected!

For more information on this Gap Year module or any of our other extensive Gap Year offerings, please e-mail us at gap@rusticpathways.com.