Thailand 2026

Ages: 16+ • Location: Thailand • Length: 12 Days
$3750.00 + Self Managed Airfare • Service Hours: 40
Meeting Point: Chiang Mai

Dates and Fundraising Goal is subject to change. Will confirm on or before September 1st ,2025

While in Thailand, you will have the opportunity to be a part of making a tangible difference in the lives of children. Since 2007 LiveDifferent have partnered with Kru Nam and the Baan Kru Nam Foundation which advocates for the rights of children who are stateless and living in Northern Thailand. Kru Nam is an internationally recognized advocate for children and the Foundation offers a safe space for children and mothers affected by human trafficking and drug trafficking. The Foundation operates both a Children’s Shelter and Drop-In Center which is located at the Thailand - Myanmar border.

During your Build, each day will look a little different as you find yourself involved with volunteering on site at the Children’s Shelter, participating in improvement projects, organizing camp-like activities and/or accompanying children for some offsite adventures. Together, our group will work alongside the Foundation staff and learn from them as they teach us about their culture and how they care for, advocate and secure education for vulnerable children.

Past projects LiveDifferent volunteers have supported through their fundraising and hard work include: building/improving housing, office and clinic space, contributing to the water treatment center, improving garden space and maintaining a safe playground for the children.

Thank you for your interest in LiveDifferent Builds! Please read through all the following information and feel free to contact us at any time if you have any questions.

Official Build trip dates are subject to change due to flight availability and scheduling and the final fundraising goal will be confirmed on or before September 1st, 2025.

Estimated Minimum Fundraising Requirements:

$3,750 - This is the amount each volunteer has been asked to fundraise/contribute in order to join us on this LiveDifferent Build, with an initial $500 due within two weeks of registration.

A note in planning your travel to and from SE Asia:

If you are planning to spend additional time in SE Asia, we highly recommend planning for your extended travel time for after your Build experience rather than before.

What Is Included

All transportation, accommodations, and meals during the Build including airport pick up and drop off in Chiang Mai
Local translators while onsite with the children or participating in the improvement project(s)
Materials for your Build project(s)
Local contractors to work alongside the team and help facilitate the work being done
Daily itinerary guided by LiveDifferent team including: work project, structured time with the children alongside foundation staff, debriefing sessions, cultural outings and evening activities
LiveDifferent staff on-site and available 24/7

What Is Not Included

Flights to and from Chiang Mai, Thailand
Any immunizations or testing required for travel (please consult your family physician or local travel clinic prior to your Build)
Airport shuttles to and from the accommodations IF arriving before the Build starts or leaving after the Build ends
Entrance or visa fees needed to enter or exit Thailand
Emergency Travel Medical Insurance (required, please see here for important considerations outlined by the Government of Canada)
Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance.
Excursion: Cost to be determined (optional)
Personal spending money
Please Note: LiveDifferent is not responsible for flight delays or cancellations.

Itinerary
FAQ

Day 1

Team meets in Chiang Mai (CNX). A staff member will meet you as you leave security and bring you to our accommodations in Chiang Mai.

Orientation and meet the staff/team.

Day 2

Drive to Chiang Saen in the morning and meet the staff and children at Buddies Along the Roadside.

Spend the afternoon getting to know the children and experience their warm welcome!

Day 3 - 9

During these days we will be participating in the following activities

Awareness tour, which will include the Hall of Opium, in introduction to the Golden Triangle and a history of the area.
Building Projects: In the past, Live Different has helped to fund and work on a water treatment facility, a staff office building, rebuild the main kitchen, a greenhouse and also provided a sound system for the home to do presentations in markets. Details of this Build's project will be shared approximately 6 weeks before departure.
Hang out with the children! There are about 90 children currently living in the home. They range in age from 3-19, and most have been rescued from many different forms of exploitation and abuse. Together, we have visited elephant sanctuaries, swam in natural pools in the mountains, hunted for Easter eggs, played games and sang songs, and experienced much laughter and tears.
English and Summer Camps: English is a widely used language in Thailand, and knowledge of English helps to equip these children with a wider range of education and job opportunities. We have also helped with an arts training camp for painting, photography, videography and storytelling. Please come prepared with a willingness to have fun with English, and with possible activity ideas!
Visit Drop-In Centre on the Myanmar border. Meet some of the families whose lives have been changed by the projects, hear their stories and meet the people who work directly with children who are currently living on the streets. There is also a safe international shopping area across the border in Myanmar, and if our participants choose to experience it, they will receive a day visa and be allowed to cross the bridge into the shopping district in Tachileik, Myanmar. (The trip to Myanmar is not a mandatory event, and volunteers under the age of 18 must have permission to join from a parent/guardian.)

Day 10

Drive to Chiang Mai

Final Debriefing

Visit the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar

Day 11

Excursion Day in Chiang Mai to visit the Doi Suthep temple high in the mountains and experience the Chiang Mai Sunday Night Market

Day 12

Please arrange for flights back to Canada on this day.

We do not usually book hotels until we are closer to the date of the build, but typically we will stay at Imm hotel in Chiang Mai and hotels similar to the Siam Triangle hotel or the Serene Hotel up in Chiang Saen. Once the hotels have been booked, we will let you know where we will be staying.

Most volunteers choose to fundraise using their my.livedifferent.com fundraising page. When you register for a Build, you will have the opportunity to create one too. Not everyone fundraises though, some choose to pay for their Build themselves.

We will provide all of the building supplies, but we do ask that you bring your own work gloves (two pairs), have proper footwear (such as work boots or running shoes) and a hat. A specific packing list will be provided for each trip.

When we host volunteers in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Haiti and Thailand, we are always amazed at the generous hearts of those who come to work with us. Many volunteers bring donations with them in hopes of being able to give them directly to those they meet on their trip. After years of working in various communities and countries, we have unfortunately seen this create many problems.

Instead, we want to inform and inspire our volunteers with the many valuable ways that Live Different already has in place to enable them to make a contribution to the communities we work in. Learn more about how Live Different handles aid and donations.

If you hold a Canadian passport, you do not need a travel visa to participate in a Live Different Build. If you hold a passport from another country, it is your responsibility to ensure you have met all of the requirements for entry into the country you are visiting, and for some countries this may include a visitor’s visa.

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Dates

May 7, 2026 - May 18, 2026

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Tyler Leighton

(866) 432 4464