Friends for Asia Mission Statement
The mission of Friends for Asia is twofold. First, we offer an opportunity for people to meaningfully contribute to the improvement of standards of living by building capacity in our host agencies. Secondly, we provide committed volunteers to work on projects developed with host agencies that benefit the people of Thailand.
About Friends for Asia
Friends for Asia is not affiliated with any government or religion. It is a privately operated limited partnership, incorporated in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The director of Friends for Asia is a former U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer from Kyrgyzstan and Thailand and is a long time resident of Chiang Mai, Thailand. Daily operations of Friends for Asia are carried out by a bi-lingual Thai staff.
Friends for Asia’s Volunteer Coordinators and Staff
Both of Friends for Asia’s fulltime volunteer coordinators are Chiang Mai natives, possess fluent English speaking and writing skills, and have post-graduate degrees from universities abroad. Nirandr, our safety and security coordinator, has a master’s degree in international development and more than 20 years of experience in working with foreign volunteer groups, such as Habitat for Humanity. Walaiporn, our general volunteer coordinator, has a bachelor’s degree from Chiang Mai University and a post-graduate certificate from Baruch College in New York State, USA. Walaiporn previously managed a small organization in New York City.
It is important to us that our staff is made up of highly qualified, educated individuals devoted to our volunteer’s needs and the development of our volunteer Thailand projects. Our staff’s schedule changes from week to week, but one, if not both, of the volunteer coordinators is at the Friends for Asia House every day. We give our volunteers and interns freedom and the opportunity to have an authentic volunteer Thailand experience, but we are there to support them in all areas. A Registered Nurse (RN), named Sahattaya, with 13
years of health care experience, is our staff medical coordinator. She conducts a session during orientation, covering how to stay healthy during one’s stay while volunteering in Thailand and assists to any health related issue that affects our volunteers and interns. Her role at Friends for Asia is a part-time position, but she is available 24 hours a day to give advice and care.
Volunteer Accommodation and Project Location
Friends for Asia operates out of a large teak wood house in a quiet neighborhood in the city of Chiang Mai. The house serves as our office, orientation venue and volunteer accommodation. For more information regarding accommodation, please visit our accommodation page. All of Friends for Asia’s volunteer and intern projects are within the province of Chiang Mai. The temple schools of the Teaching Monks Volunteer Project, the university of the International University for Monks Volunteer Project, hospitals of the Medical Intern Project and publishing house from the Magazine and Multi-Media Intern Project are located within the city center of Chiang Mai. Meanwhile, the Single Mother’s Home Volunteer Projects, Children’s Home Volunteer Project and Elephant Camp Volunteer Project sites are in the rural areas outside the city. For more information about Chiang Mai, click here.
Our Thailand Volunteers
Throughout 2008 and 2009, Friends for Asia hosted 134 volunteers from 16 different nations. Friends for Asia accepts volunteers and interns of all nationalities, religions and backgrounds to partake in our volunteer and intern projects. Considering as culture, society and customs of Thailand are different than those in the western countries that most of our volunteers are from, we encourage our volunteers and interns to be flexible, patient and cross-culturally sensitive.
Additional Volunteer Asia Locations
Friends for Asia now offers projects in Vietnam , Nepal and Bali, Indonesia. You may also view additional information for our projects in Thailand and throughout Asia here. To inquire about these projects, please contact us.
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