The “Land of Smiles” welcomes you to experience the best of Thailand. Sit with saffron-robed monks in ancient, golden temples in the moated city of Chiang Mai. Make an impact on a Karen Hill Tribe as you help rebuild a Kindergarten classroom and provide an educational and fun day camp for the Hill Tribe children. Make classic Thai dishes in a local cooking class. Learn what makes elephants such an integral part of Thai culture and work with conservationists to secure their future. Shop at the colorful local markets and journey south to explore Thailand’s beautiful beaches and tropical islands.
Thailand
Elephants and Islands
21 days
Trip duration
9th through 12th
Grades
21 days
June 30 - July 20
(Limited availability)July 18 - August 7
Los Angeles
Arrival & Departure
Previous image
Next image
$5,895
Tuition
21 days
Trip duration
June 30 - July 20
(Limited availability)July 18 - August 7
9th through 12th
Grades
*Airfare for group flight from Los Angeles additional
Overview
Highlights
- Let the Sights, Sounds, and Flavors of Thailand Sink in as the “Land of Smiles” Welcomes You
- Facilitate a Language and Cultural Exchange Class with Local Students in an Ethnic Minority Village
- Assist in Safeguarding Their Hill Tribe Community from the Threat of Devastating Landslides
- Earn Your SCUBA Certification while Diving Brilliant Coral Reefs on a Private Island
- Take a Mud Bath with the Largest Land Mammal, Then Keep the Elephants Happy With Plenty of Hand-Fed Watermelon
- Explore Ancient Temples and Chat With Buddhist Monks About Thailand’s National Religion
- Help Maintain a Nature Reserve for Wild Elephants and Catch a Glimpse of These Creatures From Your Jungle Treehouse
- Create your own Pad Thai, Curry, Spring Rolls, and Sticky Rice in a Cooking Class Dedicated to Traditional Thai Flavors
- 25 Hours of Community Service
Community Projects
Help with local improvement projects in the northern border regions of Thailand, renovate a Kindergarten classroom once destroyed by a landslide and provide a day camp for the children in the community. Exchange knowledge with the local children by teaching them English and in turn they will teach you how to plant and harvest rice in the beautiful paddies that surround this special and beautiful place. The projects will come out to a total of 25 hours of community service.
Service
Cultural Immersion
Experience daily life away from the hustle and bustle of the cities with a Karen tribe in Northern Thailand, one of the small communities where they have managed to retain their own language, customs, mode of dress, and spiritual beliefs. Learn what makes elephants such an integral part of Thai culture and spend a day playing with elephants in a no-ride sanctuary that protects captive elephants while they live out their lives free from chains. Speak with monks in a Chiang Mai temple to understand Thailand’s main religion, Buddhism.
Culture
Explore Thailand
Full of colorful markets and rich foods you’ll only find in Northern Thailand, Chiang Mai is the perfect start for understanding the richness of Thailand. Stroll through Wat Prathat Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai’s most sacred temple. Scour markets for the best ingredients to use in a traditional Thai cooking class where you’ll make and enjoy Pad Thai, curries, sticky rice, spring rolls, and more. Become PADI Certified Open Water Divers or upgrade to PADI Advanced Open Water Divers*. *All students wishing to SCUBA dive must pass a thorough diving physical.
SCUBA
Explore
Common Questions
Each program has a specific packing list that has been designed to fit the program’s activities, length, climate, and cultural differences.
Most of Thailand, with the exception of the mountainous regions in the north, can be described as hot and humid. Daytime temperatures in the summer months usually fall in the mid-80s (26°C), with an average humidity of 66% to 82%. In the northern hill-country temperatures can fall into the 50s (10°C), and it can get quite chilly in the evenings. Though it is not the rainy season during our summer program, it can rain frequently throughout the month of July in the regions we visit.
ARCC has been operating programs in Thailand for many years, and we have built close relationships with a variety of individuals, small communities, and organizations who enjoy hosting ARCC student groups. On this program, we spend time living and working in a remote hill tribe village. The specific service learning projects that each group will work on depend on what is most needed in the community at the time. Projects could include building a bamboo bridge for safe access to the school in the wet season, a village meeting house, a playground, or making renovations to a school. We also participate in an elephant service project at a nature preserve and elephant sanctuary and facilitate a language and culture exchange with local schoolchildren.
Thailand is a relatively clean and safe place to travel. However, ARCC does recommend that you take some health precautions before your trip to Thailand. When you enroll in the program, you will receive more complete information on pertinent travel vaccinations and immunizations. Please also refer to the Traveler’s Health section of the CDC website. Our leaders carry a full first aid kit and are all certified Wilderness First Responders (WFR).
During this program, we sleep in a variety of accommodations: small hotels, a community center, dorm-style bungalows, a monastery, and overnight trains.
We use a variety of transportation in Thailand. We travel by private vans and busses, overnight sleeper trains, and coaches.
We will have the opportunity to sample traditional Thailand cuisine such as noodles (like Pad Thai), curries, spring rolls, and fresh fruits. We will also be taking a cooking class to learn how to cook all of our favorite dishes!
ARCC recommends that you bring an additional $150 of spending money. You should bring this money in the form of cash (small bills are best) and also bring an ATM/debit card with you. Thailand uses the “baht” as currency and there are approximately 34.6 Thai baht for every US $1 (as of Feb. 2023).
As with any international program, we strongly recommend talking to your bank about its international withdrawal policies to avoid any surprise fees or card cancellations.
Yes, all students traveling to Thailand need to have a valid passport. Please make sure the passport expiration date is at least six months after you travel. Passport applications are available at the post office. If you do not already have a passport, you should apply for one as soon as you enroll in this adventure. It normally takes six weeks to process a passport application.
No. US and Canadian citizens do not need a visa for this program (unless you plan on staying in Thailand before or after the program).
All of Thailand falls within a single time zone. While on your program in Thailand, the time will be 11 hours later than New York (Eastern Time), 12 hours later than Chicago (Central Time), and 14 hours later than San Francisco (Pacific Time).
Although you will not be doing traditional backpacking on this program, it is important that you bring a backpack as your main piece of luggage. During the program, the group will be navigating through airports, on and off buses, up and down stairways, and taking short hikes on unpaved paths. The group will be able to move much more efficiently if everyone is carrying their belongings on their back.
We have the chance to live amongst some people who have the very basics for survival. With education being a tool to better their lives, basic school supplies are welcomed with open arms. Pens, pencils, notepads, and books are widely accepted. Soccer balls are also an incredible way to cross the cultural border and share smiles. Because of limited space on our vehicles, ARCC would ask that every person bring no more than a gym bag of goods to donate.
Have questions? Speak to one of our Program Directors, give them a call at (415) 332.5075 , they love talking about their trips!
