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Welcome to your program
Get ready to learn about elephant medicine and small animal medicine in Thailand! Chiang Mai is an amazing city with lots of exciting things to see and do with your group. You get to go on exciting excursions like temple tours, exploring the night markets, and ziplining through the jungle.
This page will take you through everything you need to know about your program. You should READ every section. We've linked additional information under each topic as needed.
Housing
Housing at La Mai Hotel includes air-conditioned rooms with en-suite bathrooms, as well as access to a swimming pool. Students will be accommodated in shared double and triple rooms. Housing at ENP is more rustic with no AC. Students are accommodated in shared rooms with 2-4 students per room and an en-suite bathroom.
Food
During the city week students will eat at a variety of Thai food and American-style restaurants. At ENP students will have a variety of vegan food only.
Flights:
Taking the group flight is not mandatory for Mississippi State students, but it is recommended to avoid additional transportation fees and lower travel day stress. If you are interested in the Group Flight, please be sure to purchase your flights by March 6. You can purchase your flight following the directions on 'All Flight Info' linked below.
If you plan on flying solo, please follow the flight directions below.
You should plan to arrive on a flight that arrives at CNX anytime by 5:00 PM on Sunday. Shuttles from the airport to the hotel will be available throughout the day but you may need to wait 3+ hours until a small group is ready to go together.
At the end of your program, our group shuttle to the airport on departure Saturday will arrive at the airport at 10:00 AM. You should plan to depart CNX after 1:00 PM on Saturday.
Packing
The only items you are required to bring are those on the “required” lists. General required items (like your passport) are found on the ALL PROGRAMS packing list above. Program specific required items are found below under the REQUIRED section. For the rest of the items, you are welcome to use your discretion. There may be items missing from this list that you’d like to bring, and there may be items on this list that you don’t want to bring. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!
Required for this program
2 scrub tops for surgery days (Loop Abroad scrub tops can be purchased on-site in Thailand for $20 each if you prefer)
Clothes that can get dirty! You want to protect your skin from the sun and bugs. Leggings and light-weight pants that can get dirty (scrub pants or hiking pants) are great, t-shirts, tank tops, athletic shorts, etc.
Closed-toed shoes for chores and elephant vet rounds. You can wear any other shoes for other activities. Sandals with a strap (similar to Teva, Chaco or Keen) are great options. Many students bring low cost shower shoes/ flip flops for shared bathrooms.
At least two outfits you can wear to visit a Buddhist temple where your knees and shoulders must be totally covered. Lightweight loose-fitting pants (like scrub pants,Thai pants, a long skirt, etc) and a t-shirt works great!
Suggested for this program
Bathing suit (any style is fine)
Long-sleeved shirt. You may want to bring at least 1 long-sleeved shirt to cover your arms for certain chores
Surgical cap (optional but helps reduce waste and can be used throughout your career)
Some students have suggested that they should have packed more “city” clothes for evenings. You never have to dress up, but are welcome to bring “city” clothes to wear to dinner, markets, etc if you like
Rain boots (optional, but some students have opted for rain boots during the rainy season)
If you are a picky eater who will not enjoy vegetarian Thai food for every meal at ENP, consider packing some items in a sealed bag that can be served as meals. Jerky, prepared pouch meals, cheese, dried fruit, nuts, tuna pouches, items that can be prepared with boiling water (instant mashed potatoes, oatmeal), protein bars, applesauce pouches, and peanut butter are all good options. **Note: As of 2/1/23 if you are traveling through Taipei, you should NOT bring meat products.
FAQ
Your program takes place in a hot, humid environment. Don’t bring clothes you care about too much. You’re going to get sweaty, muddy, and dusty. Bring comfortable clothing that can get dirty. You might bring some clothes that you don’t mind leaving behind, which will leave more room for souvenirs. At the end of the trip, we’ll donate any unwanted clothes, shoes, toiletries, and first aid items.
Please try to keep your bag light - if you are flying domestically in Thailand, domestic flight checked-bag limit is 20kgs (44lbs) - you will be responsible for transporting it through the airport. If your bag exceeds weight limits on any of your flights, you will be responsible for overage fees.
WIFI: Students will have WiFi at both housing locations. If you are interested in a travel phone plan, please talk to your phone provider before your program starts.
Bedding: We will provide you with sheets, pillows, and blankets.
Towels: Towels are provided, students will need to bring their own wash rags. Swim towels will not be provided
Laundry: Loop Abroad will pay to have your laundry done once (usually on day 5). You can have laundry done at additional times at your own expense – approximately $1 per pound
Outlets: Thailand does have different outlets than the US. Most outlets at the housing will be US (two prongs). You may find it helpful to have a 3-to-2 adapter like this for plugging in your laptop in some locations. (Usually you can buy at the hardware store for about $1.) You are NOT allowed to bring a hair dryer, hair straightener, or personal fan using a cord (cannot be safely plugged into 220V electricity in Thailand).
Dress Code: The dress code for clinic week is lightweight clothes like shorts, t-shirts and tank tops for most days. Students will be required to wear scrubs for two surgery days. Students will need at least two temple-approved outfits, shoulders and knees covered. At Elephant Nature Park, students can wear lightweight clothes, however, no tank tops are allowed during your observation days or in the field. Please do not have acrylic nails, gel nails, or long nails, as these can affect medical procedures and sterile gloving. In order to scrub in to observe and support the veterinarian leader on surgery day, you must remove your gel nails first. Nails should be cut short for animal safety. On surgery days, you will not be permitted to wear jewelry, including rings, so we encourage you to leave any expensive or fancy jewelry at home.
Money: Most students spend around $200 USD on a two-week program. Students will visit a variety of night markets for souvenirs, food vendors, and coffee shops. We HIGHLY recommend contacting your bank and ordering Thai Baht before leaving for the program. There will be an ATM where students can withdraw money, and there is an ATM transaction fee each time
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