Thailand – Lantern Festival Signature

The Need

***Note: Full COVID-19 Vaccination is Required for Participation***

Your team will treat remote indigenous groups of the Akha who dwell high in the Chiang Rai mountains. Our other patients will include local orphans, migrant workers, and refugees from Myanmar. While at clinic, you can expect to treat bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis, dengue fever, malaria, Japanese encephalitis, rabies, and leptospirosis. You will also care for patients with symptoms of HIV/AIDS, rabies, food and water-borne diseases, tuberculosis, and miscellaneous sexually transmitted diseases.

You and the rest of the volunteer team will also educate locals on how to stay healthy and how to care for their loved ones. One of the main focuses of this mission is dentistry. Because all community members are encouraged to attend, the demand for dental care will be high. Because the World Health Organization reports that Thailand is still recovering from a strikingly high infant mortality rate, another focus of this mission is women’s healthcare. We will provide general women’s and infant care, as well as empower women to seek higher education.

Our Work

International Medical Relief (IMR) first responded to Thailand in 2015, providing clinics and supplies. We have since served more than 4,000 patients through nearly 250 staff and volunteers. IMR specifically works with the most underserved communities, which has brought our clinics to mountain villages. We also provide medical supplies and health education in order to deliver sustainable health care services to the communities we serve.

With diligent planning and preparation, IMR is dedicated to ensuring that specific goals are met on our missions, each in correlation to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 17.

IMR works to elevate vulnerable populations through shoulder-to-shoulder care with our local partners, creating workforce density, and a cadre of future healthcare and public health leaders in association to UNSDG 3: Good Health & Wellbeing.

In correlation with UNSDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals, our organization works in collaboration and at the request of local hosts where we are under their direct influence and affluence. IMR never goes into a country without a formal invitation where there is a great community need for medical or dental care, and health education.

This Mission

Experience the real “Land of Smiles” in Chiang Mai, a serene town in Northern Thailand.  You will stay in a small forest compound surrounded by mango trees.  Nestled among rice fields and the quiet hum of daily life, this town neighbors the bustling Chiang Mai night market. Stroll through lines of vendors for a total sensory experience; immerse yourself in the appetite-inducing smells, regional fruits, stunning silk tapestries, and even sizzling fried insects. With our advantageous location, remove yourself from the bustle with a short walk up the mountain to take in spectacular views of the valley below. Your team will participate in an ongoing effort to decrease specific health concerns in the villages we work in.

You have selected a Signature Trip! IMR Signature Trips always have something special!  This Signature Trip includes lodging at a wonderful hotel, specially designed evening activities, gourmet dinners, and the opportunity to care for the indigenous Akha Tribe and many children in the orphanages.  You will travel through some of the most beautiful country in the world; keep a sharp eye out for the Akha in their native dress and the smiles of the children as you pass by!

Lodging/Transportation

You will stay in a modern, comfortable hotel in Chiang Mai for the majority of the trip. For three nights you will be in a remote hotel, comfortable and clean, but perhaps without all of the amenities that you will find in a “big city” hotel.   In the evenings you and the team will be able to explore the city and take part in the many events surrounding the Lantern Festival. All transportation to and from clinic sites will be included and provided by safe, trustworthy drivers. Some travel times to clinics may be longer than others, but you won’t want to miss the stunning views of the hillsides and towns as you ride throughout Thailand.

Highlights

Having the opportunity to work in the Hill Country is certainly one of the many highlights of this trip.  You’ll have time to enjoy the children and make a real difference in their lives during your orphanage days. The Akha are very traditional and unfailingly kind.

During your stay, your team will attend Thailand’s stunning Yi Peng and Loy Krathong festivals! During these celebrations based on the Thai lunar calendar, people decorate their homes and craft baskets made from flowers, leaves, and lights which they then float on the river. You’ll have the opportunity to send floating lanterns up into the sky, joining thousands of others that light up the sky for miles around!

Extend Your Stay

Since you’re journeying halfway across the globe, have you considered extending your stay to visit some of Thailand’s top spots? Join International Medical Relief on an exclusive trip extension provided by our partner, Worldwide Navigators!

• Indulge your tastebuds in the sweets & savories of Thailand’s colorful cuisine
• Discover the gentle giants of the jungle up close at an elephant preserve
• Experience the intricacies of Thailand’s ancient and modern sacred temples

Ready for the adventure? Connect with Worldwide Navigators today!