Volunteer Marine Conservation in Thailand

Diving & Marine Conservation Volunteering in Thailand

The coral reefs and mangrove swamps on the coast of Thailand are stunning places and they're doing well. They are threatened though. Threatened by fishing, by tourism, by shrimp farms and by climate change. But for now you can still dive and explore them in all their splendour.

Mangroves and coral reefs are part of the same eco-system. Many of the creatures essential to the coral reef start their life-cycles in mangrove swamps. Projects Abroad works in both parts, doing important scientific work on the coral reefs and planting new mangroves - and minimising human impact on both environments.

One of the biggest changes in Thailand over the last two decades has been the start of mass tourism. It has turned its flora, fauna and natural landscapes into commodities. In some ways this is great because it has made poor fishermen prosperous and the whole poor economy relatively rich. Yet there is always a conflict. Tourists need feeding, so fishermen work twice as hard and their nets get caught and left on the coral reefs. Projects Abroad is cleaning the coral reefs before they get damaged. We are also planting mangrove forests across the devastation left behind by abandoned shrimp farms. We are playing an important part in looking after the colourful world of the coral reef and the fragile world of the mangrove swamp, and not just protecting them but also studying them and researching them, which is important for protecting them in the long term.

Projects Abroad is working closely with Phuket Marine Biological Centre and the Krabi Fisheries Department on a variety of conservation work. You can be part of the protection plan for Thai coral reefs by volunteering on the Projects Abroad Diving and Marine Conservation Project that operates in this beautiful region.

Volunteer Conservation & Environment in Thailand: Diving & Marine Project

Join our Conservation & Environment project in Ao Nang and the first thing that you'll be doing is learning how to scuba dive. We will train you up to the level of Advanced Scuba Diver, helping you to learn the fundamental theoretical and practical aspects of diving in the beautifully clear warm waters of the Andaman Sea. This allows you to dive to depths of 30m and participate fully in the underwater conservation work. If you have the advanced scuba diving qualification already, you can start on the underwater reef research work straight away and choose to gain the next qualification as a Rescue Diver.

We work in partnership with Kontiki Dive Centre which employs fully qualified instructors and dive masters. Kontiki are a 5* PADI dive centre and have been operating in Thailand since 1989.

By observing and analysing reef damage and fish populations, you'll be helping to find the best ways to protect marine life from the dangers of increased tourism and human negligence. The diving is some of the best in the world and you'll have the chance to observe a wide variety of marine life - including turtles, rays, harmless reef sharks and hundreds of species of multicoloured tropical fish.

You will be trained using the Reef Check methodology to collect information on the development, deterioration and overall condition of coral reefs and fish populations in the area. This information forms part of the wider Reef Check International database which is used across the world by experts in this field. Projects Abroad and Reef Check are working towards the same goals; educating the public about the value of reef ecosystems and the current crisis affecting marine life, creating a global network of volunteer teams trained in Reef Check's scientific methods who regularly monitor and report on reef health, facilitating collaboration that produces ecologically sound and economically sustainable solutions, and stimulating local community action to protect the remaining pristine reefs and rehabilitate damaged reefs worldwide.

You will also collect waste materials on salvage dives, as the water around the reefs contains large volumes of litter discarded from fishing and diving boats. This may range from fishing nets to plastic bags. The collected materials are floated to the surface and then disposed of correctly once back on land.

In addition to our coral reef monitoring and salvage recovery work, our conservation programme also involves some very important land-based activities that are vital to conserving the coastal ecosystems of the region.

We undertake beach clean-ups, often in conjunction with local schools, to ensure that these areas - some of the most beautiful beaches in the world - remain pristine.

We also replant mangrove forests. Mangrove forests are among the most productive and bio-diverse wetlands on earth, yet these unique coastal forests are among the most threatened habitats. They may be disappearing more quickly than inland tropical rainforests and, so far, with little public notice. Healthy mangrove forests are key to a healthy marine ecology. Help is needed to monitor the mangrove forests in Krabi province to prevent further destruction and assist with reforestation projects in this beautiful yet fragile area of Thailand.

Your Role as a Volunteer on the Diving & Marine Conservation Project in Thailand

A work schedule is established each week so you know what is happening and when. The schedule varies, depending on the time of year, the weather and the number of volunteers on the project.

Volunteers normally work five days a week, so you will have two days off to relax, travel or get involved in some of the many other activities the area offers. Your days off may not always be together or at the weekends.

You'll live in the Projects Abroad guest house sharing a room with between one and three other conservation volunteers. Each room has its own private bathroom. The rooms are cleaned regularly and the house has electricity and hot running water.

Meals are provided in the communal ground floor area of the house with a buffet style lunch and dinner. On days when you are out diving all day or working at the mangrove site for example, lunch will be provided on the boat, at the work site, or a packed lunch may be taken.

The volunteer house is located about five minutes drive from the centre and main beach in Ao Nang. We provide transport to take volunteers to-and-from work sites. To get into the town centre in your free time it is easy to get the bus which stops right outside the house or hire a tuk-tuk. Getting home is also cheap and easy by tuk-tuk.

This project is available for two weeks if you don't have time to join us for a month or more. This project has been selected by our local colleagues as being suitable for short term volunteering for both the host community and the volunteer. Although you will gain a valuable cultural insight and take part in a variety of the conservation activities please be aware that you may not be able to make the same impact as someone volunteering for a longer period.

Volunteers joining the Conservation Project for two weeks should arrive in Krabi on a Friday or Saturday of the first or third weekend of the month. As a two week volunteer you will receive one dive course and your role in some of the diving activities after completing the course may be limited to observation and assisting the longer term volunteers. It is important to remember that the amount of diving available over a two week period can be affected by bad weather. Two week applications also need to be made at least a month before the start date in order for our staff in Thailand to plan the schedule effectively.

For more information, please visit our Volunteer Conservation in Thailand project website.

"The Projects Abroad staff here have been working for years in conjunction with Thailand Marine National Parks, and have a superb understanding of the local ecosystem. This means the volunteers quickly understand the needs of the area and can make an active difference, which for me has been very satisfying. In addition, the spectacular marine life here has made diving a bit of an addiction!"
Liam Farncombe - Diving and Marine Volunteer in Thailand