Thailand 2028

Ages: 16+ • Location: Thailand • Length: 12 Days
$3900.00 + Self Managed Airfare • Service Hours: 40
Meeting Point: Chiang Mai

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 July 1st, 2027.

Estimated Minimum Fundraising Requirements:

$3,900 - This is the amount each volunteer has been asked to fundraise/contribute 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 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

Arrival Day. Everyone arrives in Chiang Mai (CNX). A staff member will meet you at arrivals and bring you to our accommodations in Chiang Mai

Orientation and meet the staff/team

Day 2

Depart for Chiang Saen in the morning. After a scenic drive and a stop for lunch we head to the Children’s Village to meet the children

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 Day:, which will include the Hall of Opium, an introduction to the Golden Triangle and a history of the area.
Building Project Days: Each team experiences a unique building project designed to meet the current needs at the Children’s Village. In the past, LiveDifferent teams have constructed a storage building, a staff office, repaired the library structure, extended the kitchen and installed shade structures for the crops grown onsite. Details of this year’s project will be shared approximately 4-6 weeks before the team leaves for Thailand.
Play Days: The children range in age from 3-19, and most are without Thai citizenship, meaning they are stateless and have come to the village to escape living in unsafe environments. Together, we plan and participate in a variety of activities with the children on and offsite from the Children’s Village. During our time together we will experience much laughter and possibly a few tears. We’ll embrace the opportunity for knowledge and skill sharing so please come with a willingness to have fun as we work together to plan and execute activity ideas based on the talents of our team and the children!
Optional Excursion Day: Spend the day at an Elephant Sanctuary. We’ll take a break mid week to enjoy the breathtaking experience of hiking through the bamboo forest alongside these magnificent animals.

Day 10

Depart Chiang Rai and return to Chiang Mai

Final Debriefing

Experience the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar

Day 11

Our last day together in Chiang Mai. Morning class at a Thai cooking school

Free time in the afternoon

Optional evening outing to experience the nightlife in Chiang Mai

Day 12

Departure Day. Our LiveDifferent team will arrange for your transportation to the airport in Chiang Mai

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 4, 2028 - May 15, 2028

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Danielle Endall

(866) 432 4464