FAQ

1. How do I send the money?
The money can be sent to us by 4 different ways:
(a) Online through PayPal.com to info@wtinad.org (preferred way)
(b) Wire or money transfer, bank to bank transfer payable to Ms. Ammara Chaemue on behalf of the Organization
(c) Western Union Money transfer payable to Ms. Ammara Chaemue on behalf of the Organization
(d) Draft, bank draft or check payable to Ms. Ammara Chaemue on behalf of the Organization

2. What should I bring with me?
Actually, you don't need to bring that much, really just clothes, toiletries and a bag to carry everything around in. If you forget anything, most of the things you need are available here and are very cheap. You can safely leave stuff at David's base camp when you go out to the villages, allowing you to only take what you need for the week. The following are things you will definitely need:

(a) Mosquito net (can be bought in Chiang Rai for 100 bat)
(b) Torch/flashlight
(c) Hiking boots or running shoes
(d) Mosquito repellent
(e) Sleeping bag (not really required, as villagers will provide you with pillow and blankets)
(f) Small backpack (remember you will be hiking for 1-2 hours at a time over hilly terrain, so the less you bring, the easier the
     hike)
(g) It is highly recommend that you bring games, balls or anything that will help you play with the curious children (easy way
     to overcome the language barrier and interact with the children). Simple toys or balls brought from home or bought in
     Thailand are something many of the kids are not fortunate enough to have.
(h) Imodium, in case you get diarrhea

3. Do I need to take anti-malaria medication?
No. It is not necessary as we have a better way of prevention. After all, the place where you are going to volunteer is not at risk for catching malaria. But as saying goes: prevention is better than cure. The kind of prevention we use with very good results are mentioned below:
(a) take vitamin B1 3 times a day and the mosquitoes hate the smell of it that comes up on your skin
(b) sleep with mosquito net
(c) drink boiled water

4. Do I need to take any vaccinations?
None of our volunteers in the past had any special vaccinations and so far none of them have gotten sick. But if you are still concerned, below are some travel vaccinations:

(a) Tetanus
(b) Typhoid
(c) Hepatitis A,B
(d) Rabies
(e) Tuberculosis
(f) Meningococcal Meningitis
(g) Japanese B Encephalitis

5. As a volunteer, what shall I be doing?
You don't necessarily need to be a medical professional in order to get involved in our medical social organization, you will find many social activities that you can get involved in, like:
- Giving hand in a bamboo clinic
- Teaching English
- Taking photos
- Cooking
- Fund-raising
- Getting involved in hill-tribe daily activities
- Playing games with the children
- Helping to build schools, water supply systems and toilets

6. As a fourth year medical student, what can I do?
Which year of medical school you are in doesn't really dictate what you will be able to do. Only what you have learned from your school will count. A fifth year medical student from a certain country may not know how to give an injection whereas a third year medical student from another country may give injections like an experienced physician. Either way, all of you will find something to get involved with in our medical social organization and in return you will learn a lot from us. You can do the following things:
(a) taking patient's blood pressure
(b) giving IM and IV injection
(c) teaching first aid to the villagers
(d) teaching health education and basic hygienic living to the villagers

7. Do I need a special visa?
No. You don't need a special visa. People from the European Union, United States, Canada, and many other nations can get a three months tourist visa by contacting the Thai embassy in their respective country. Almost all nationals get a 30 day tourist visa on arrival. So, you can fly straight to Thailand without a visa and get a 30 day tourist visa at the Thai airport and extend it another 30 days by crossing the Thai-Burma border (or any border) which is 60 miles away from where you are volunteering with us.

8. Can I contact with former or recent volunteers to get more information?
At the moment we don't have that program running yet. But we are planning to set up that program. But to be very frank with you, by contacting former volunteers you will never get the right or accurate information that you need as everyone come to volunteer in his or in her own way, mood and style. Teaching can be fun to someone and it can be very boring to another volunteer because nobody is alike. So each volunteer takes his or her experience in his or her own way. The things that you heard from former volunteer can be very different to you when you come. As you are not him and he is not you, so it is better that you don't rely on others and moreover the second hand-information will never be accurate and promising. But we encourage each one of you to read Past Volunteers Experience and it will give you a clear picture of the work we are doing and the kind of work you will be doing and the hill-tribe people you will be helping.

9. How safe is the area in which you are working?
You are living in a civilized world where there are full of crimes like killing, murdering, stealing, raping,lying, kidnapping and more. We are living in an area where there is no such crimes and the hill-tribe people in the region are very simple, honest, sincere and very natural. We don't have polices because we don't need them for protection. So, there is no reason that you should be concerned about safety while you can fearlessly live in a world that has lots of crimes. It is very safe. In the three years that I have been taking volunteers to the hill-tribes region there have been no incidences of theft or any threat to those volunteers whatsoever. The people in these areas are peaceful and welcoming.

10. When I arrive in Thailand, how do we meet up?
A little bit of information on how to get to Chiang Rai and meet up with us.

(a) If you land in Bangkok, you can take either a flight or bus to Chiang Rai.
     (i) If you decide to take a bus, go to the northern bus terminal in Bangkok, called Mochit (Maw Chit ) and puruchase a
          VIP bus ticket to Chiang Rai. It is about an 11 hour trip. You are advised to take the evening buses (overnight buses)
          leaving at 6:00pm, 7:00pm, 8:00pm and so on, so that you will arrive in the city of Chiang Rai in the morning.
     (ii) If you fly into Chiang Rai, take a taxi from the airport to a guesthouse, fare should be
          around 200 bat.

(b) If you happen to arrive in the evening or late afternoon, please check into guest-house, we will come and pick you up the
      next morning.