Programmes & Pricing

Introduction

VWB provides a range of programmes from 1 day to 14 days in duration covering the following subjects:

Environmental volunteering – Based on developing and maintaining the physical components of the Pang Soong Nature Trails attraction, as well as the interpretive and educational materials related to them.

Capacity development volunteering – Primarily in the English language, environmental education for the area’s next generation through our Eco-English camps and school English support programmes. Also, agroforestry and agroforest product development research and training for both the current and next generation.

Research based volunteering – Research of the changes to the forest biodiversity and the community socio-economic status that the project brings.
(Note* these are customized as opposed to scheduled programmes).

Starting with relevant baseline studies, followed by ongoing data collection and analysis, we will be assessing both the positive and negative affects of ecotourism, voluntourism, limited agroforestry and cottage industry style value addition to forest products. The value of such comprehensive research is huge, especially to those who argue for sustainable tourism development, biodiversity conservation and the rights of rural villagers to manage their own community forest.

Multi-task volunteering – Combining all of the above elements into one programme.

Become involved before your volunteering programme (Optional)

The evening before scheduled English teaching programmes volunteers are welcome to meet with VWB staff to shop for the school materials that Baht 500.- of their daily programme fee goes directly towards. These materials include:

Storybooks that volunteers will be able to read to the students.
Additional ESL lesson books to add to our collection.
Vocabulary flash cards and other visual teaching aids.
English teaching games.
Covering the cost of printing out handouts.

Following the shopping trip, discuss the next day’s lesson plan with VWB staff while enjoying a traditional Northern Thai meal (not included in the programme price).

For those involved in environmental programmes, opportunities to directly select, purchase and use the materials Baht 500.- of the daily fee goes towards, will depend on the tasks elected. Some examples include:

Cement, wire, nail, lumber etc. used for trail construction or maintenance.
Environmental education books that teach lessons specific to Thailand ecology (mostly in Thai, some in English) that can be used for Environmental English camps and training of local nature guides.
Ecological posters and other visual displays that can be used for interpretation at the lodge.
Donation or purchase of ecological and otherwise informative books that can be added to the soon –to- be PSL library and that will be used as references in the development of interpretation materials for PS nature trails (both in English and Thai).
Purchase of books that explain educational, yet fun outdoor activities that can be used at Environmental English camps.

Depending on the items selected, volunteers will have the opportunity to choose which books (with help from VWB staff if necessary – we have an existing wish list) or materials will be purchased prior to their programme.

Feel free to join all, some, or none of these pre-programme activities. Either way, part of your fee will still go directly to the purchase of project related materials and on the day of the your programme, VWB staff will still be able to discuss the lesson plans with you and/or explain the day’s activities out on the trail.

Programmes and pricing – a quick reference

Note: With the exception of the English Eco Camp programme, the fixed price transport costs to and from PSL are Baht 2,000.- per trip by 8 seat minibus for multiday programmes to be shared between the volunteers onboard. Half day and one day programmes cost 2,000.- for the entire day to be share between the volunteers in the programme.

IMPORTANT note on programme cost

The pricing structure for each programme is broken down in detail to highlight exactly where your payment goes, and a ‘pie chart’ for each programme shows that distribution.

A key difference between our operation and that of most other operators and NGO’s is that as a volunteer you do not contribute to our administration, marketing, recruiting or management costs – (these costs often consume a very high percentage of the donor funding raised by most operators) – as Track of the Tiger T.R.D. uses its existing ‘tour industry’ business operational costs and staff to cover these high cost items.

You pay only for: Accommodation, food, transport, on site supervision, and contributions to equipment and local labour deployed to the project you are working on.

Payment for VWB Staff day rates are limited to those for the operational on site staff directly supervising your programme, and not for administrational or related support staff costs.

Contact us for any questions or to tailor an individualized volunteer programme.