Thailand: Getting ready

Update from our Elephant conservation volunteer holiday Thailand

Yesterday Kerri, Sombat and I made our way from Chiang Mai to Ban Naklang village, stopping in at the market place to pick up plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and other last-minute shopping supplies ahead of our expedition start date on Monday.

Today we have been getting the base expedition ready, printing out datasheets and preparing clipboards, putting up banners and arranging the kit room, packed with all the tools you’ll need for our citizen science elephant surveys out in the field.

Tomorrow I will be hiking out with Aislinn (KSES research coordinator) to meet the herd again. I wonder if they’ll remember me? Apparently they never forget…

Hopefully you will all be either in Chiang Mai by now or be arriving shortly. Please make sure you have all relevant documentation with you on Monday. And remember we will be issuing Covid tests to you all, which you will have to take when you meet Jasmine, please do not eat or drink anything other than water for half an hour prior to the test as this can affect the result (for axample, orange juice has been known to make a positive result). Please also try to make sure that your money is in notes no larger than 100 Bhat as it is hard to change in the village.

Finally, if you can it would be useful to have these two apps on your phone (they are free please download them if you’re able to). iPhone: My GPS Navigation tracker. Android: GPS Location and Elevation.

Please be punctual on Monday at the pickup point: 08:00 in the lobby of Mercure Chiang Mai, where Jasmin will meet you to take you to the village.

Looking forward to seeing you all.

Update from our Thailand expedition working as an elephant conservation volunteer