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Welcome to your program
Get ready to dive into elephant and small animal medicine in Thailand with a splash of coral reef ecology and forest conservation. Chiang Mai offers a vibrant city experience with plenty to explore. Enjoy exciting activities with your group, including temple tours, night market adventures, ziplining through the jungle, and more.
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 ECO is shared bathrooms and rooms with AC and a pool. Housing at ENP is more rustic with no central AC, shared a bedroom, and an ensuite bathroom. During your Wild Tropics week, your housing is beachfront with two beds per room. There is no AC but there are fans and a beach front breeze!
Food
During the city week students will eat at a variety of Thai places and American-style restaurants. At ENP students will have a variety of vegan food only. Most of your food on your Wild Tropics week is Thai style foods, you will also visit other local American-style restaurants.
Flights: Posted in january
Taking the group flight is mandatory unless you live outside of the continental US. Solo fliers are subject to additional fees. If you choose to fly off the group flight, you must first contact admissions@loopabroad.com.
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)
Pants (leggings okay) and closed-toed shoes for 5 days (at dog clinic). We suggest light-weight pants that can get dirty (scrub pants or hiking pants are great).
One outfit 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!
Adequate supply of reef safe sunscreen (without oxybenzone, octinoxate, or nano-minerals) for one week in Koh Tao (regular sunscreen is okay for Chiang Mai).
Sneakers and/or strap sandals (similar to Teva, Chaco or Keen) - prepare for hiking muddy forest trails, muddy volunteer activities, and for walking in water
Suggested for this program
Extra Socks- expect your feet to get wet on some days
Shorts for both chores and work and for city-wear
Tee shirts or tank tops (at least a few that cover your shoulders, most that can get dirty and yucky, and some for wearing in the city)
Long-sleeved shirt (you should bring at least 1 long-sleeved shirt to cover your arms for certain chores)
Long sleeve rash guard to protect you from the sun for optional snorkels. You will be provided a short-sleeve, short leg wetsuit for SCUBA diving and can wear this underneath to protect your forearms or on the boat to prevent sunburn.
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 many people enjoy these for muddy chores)
Some students suggest they were happy to have hiking boots, TOMS, water shoes, Crocs, or other particular shoes; bring whatever makes you comfortable in wet, dirty conditions and also in city conditions. Many also suggested shower shoes for shared bathrooms.
Surgical cap (optional but helps reduce waste and can be used throughout your career)
Dry bag for time on the boat
2 bathing suits. Please be sure to bring at least one practical bathing suit (ie not a strappy bikini)
Snorkel, mask and fins if you have and prefer your personal equipment. Most students don’t have personal SCUBA or snorkel equipment so they borrow gear for free from the dive shop to use during the course. You are welcome to do that.
Your SCUBA certification card if you have one (definitely not required)
A GoPro or similar or disposable underwater camera (definitely not required; many students wished they’d had one) and a wrist strap to attach it
If you are a picky eater who will not enjoy vegetarian Thai food for every meal at ENP, consider packing some items that can serve 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. All food should be in a bug safe bag like ziplock. **Note: As of 2/1/23 if you are traveling through Taipei, you should NOT bring meat products.
Any items you wish to donate (elementary-level books in English, simple no-battery toys, school supplies of any kind, baby supplies, and first aid items are always needed and appreciated. Used items are welcome. If you want to raise money to purchase donations, please contact Loop Abroad – it may be more efficient to arrange purchasing items in Thailand)
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. You should 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. You will also have to carry your bags onto the ferry and up the stairs to your room.
WIFI: Students will have WiFi at both program locations but in larger groups can be slow. 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: Bath towels are provided, students will need to bring their own washcloths. 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. You’ll likely want to buy things like souvenirs, laundry, snacks or drinks. So you don’t NEED any money, but you’ll want to bring enough that you can buy some things to bring home. We HIGHLY recommend contacting your bank and ordering Thai Bhat 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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