Volunteer Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy in Thailand

There is a shortage of skilled physiotherapists and occupational therapists in Thailand. If you're currently training, recently qualified in physiotherapy or occupational therapy, or on a career break, you'll provide valuable support and training to the staff and children at a Special Education Centre.

VYou will find that the experience you can gain on this volunteer physiotherapy or occupational therapy placement will let you gain a detailed overview of how the system works in Thailand, while also giving you hands on experience delivering physiotherapy or occupational therapy treatment.

You will work alongside one of the centre's staff and depending on your experience you may be given groups of children to work with independently. You may even be asked to work with your own individual patients and could spend some time passing on your skills to fellow staff.

You'll go home safe in the knowledge that you've made a real and lasting contribution to this project and the people it serves. This programme is also a chance to improve your CV - gaining experience difficult to get in the west - and helping the children and teenagers at the institutions.

Volunteering Abroad on a Physiotherapy Placement

As a physiotherapy volunteer you'll work at a Special Education Centre in either Krabi or Trang. The Special Education Centres have been established by the government to provide integrated educational and social opportunities for children with special needs. The children are aged from babies to 19 year olds and are split into groups depending on their needs. The physiotherapists work directly with children who have a variety of physical and multiple handicaps.

Physiotherapy volunteers who want to work in the larger centre in Trang need to commit to a minimum of two months on the programme. In Krabi volunteers need to work for at least one month.

The staff would appreciate it if during the mornings you can also help out with some general educational activities. Most of the physiotherapy work takes place after lunch between 1 and 4pm.

Volunteer Occupational Therapy in Thailand

Volunteer occupational therapists will also be working at the Special Education Centre in Trang or Krabi. The children that the occupational therapists work with vary from young school children to teenagers up to 19 years old. Occupational therapists work with children with a range of problems including visual or hearing impairment, autism, children with communication difficulties or behavioural and emotional problems.

Volunteers may sometimes accompany local staff on home visits and can get involved in providing support to children who are in mainstream schools, and educational programmes to prepare the children for school.

Occupational Therapy volunteers who want to work in the larger centre in Trang need to commit to a minimum of two months on the programme. In Krabi volunteers need to work for at least one month.

Volunteers can help in the mornings with general educational activities before focussing on the Occupational Therapy sessions in the afternoons from 1 to 4pm.