Summer Experiences: GVI – Thailand Coastal Conservation Expedition

Contribute to conserving Thailand’s unique species and habitats while living and working with other international volunteers in one of the most naturally splendid regions in the world, Thailand’s province of Phang Nga. Assist with turtle conservation, plastic pollution prevention, bird and butterfly surveys, island biodiversity monitoring, and environmental awareness education, in an effort to work toward United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, UN SDGs, #14 and #15, Life Below Water and Life on Land.

Its natural beauty and unique land and marine life are two of the main reasons thousands of tourists visit Thailand each year. The region of Phang Nga, specifically, has developed a reputation for dramatic beauty among movie-makers. The area is known for its limestone cliffs that rise suddenly out of the warm, azure-blue waters. Visitors come to the area to relax on its many beaches, dive to see coral reefs and endangered Green sea turtles, and visit the nearby islands, some of which are home to critically endangered species.

However, Thailand’s natural environment, specifically its coastal regions, beaches and islands, are under threat. Plastic pollution threatens its wildlife species including Green sea turtles, whales, and other species, resorts built too close to the shoreline cause beaches to erode, unsustainable fishing practices and climate change are a threat to coral reefs, illegal logging causes deforestation, and kidnapping and poaching put key species at risk. These environmental threats negatively affect Thailand’s economic development as tourism is an important source of income for the country.