Thailand: Volunteer Occupational Therapy/Physiotherapy Placements and Work-Experience

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 or hospital.

You 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 local staff and depending on your experience you may be given groups of children or adults 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 adults at the placements.

Volunteering Abroad on a Physiotherapy Placement

If you are a fully qualified physiotherapist you can work in the physiotherapy department of a hospital in Surat Thani. If you are still training with at least 6 months experience you can work at a special education centre in Krabi.

The physiotherapy placement at the hospital involves a variety of areas including electro-muscular therapy, work in the physical exercise room and treating the patients on the ward in their beds. Most of the work is with adults, however, there may occasionally be the opportunity to work with children.

The most commons problems that the patients have are leg fractures, lumbar syndrome (back pains), cerebrovascular diseases, respiratory complications and soft tissue disorders. You may also be able to help or observe with other specialist clinics, such as dementia and diabetes.

The physiotherapy department of the hospital receives over 1000 patients per month so there will be plenty of work to keep you busy. Volunteers can also help demonstrate basic exercises to the patients’ families to be continued after the patient leaves hospital.

The special education centre in Krabi was 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 at the centre work directly with children who have a variety of physical and multiple handicaps.

If you work at the special education centre the staff would appreciate help with general educational activities during the morning. Most of the physiotherapy work takes place after lunch between 1 and 4pm, and you will assist the local physiotherapists during this time.

Fully qualified Physiotherapy volunteers can also work at the special education centre and can set up their own physiotherapy clinic in the mornings.

Physiotherapy volunteers who want to work in the hospital need to commit to a minimum of two months on the programme. In Krabi at the special education centre volunteers need to work for at least one month. All physiotherapy volunteers need at least six months worth of experience.

Volunteer Occupational Therapy in Thailand

Volunteer Occupational Therapists work in the occupational therapy department of Surat Thani hospital, about two hours drive from Krabi. The staff at the department care for patients with a wide variety of physical disabilities to help them carry on with their daily lives.

Thailand became a member of the world federation of occupational therapists in 2002. The number of working therapists is still low and your personal experiences and knowledge will be welcomed.

Occupational Therapy volunteers work with both adults and children with a range of problems including physical disabilities, visual or hearing impairment, autism, children with communication difficulties or behavioural and emotional problems. There are several qualified occupational therapists at the hospital.

Volunteers will rotate between working in the therapy room and sensory integration room and focus on activities for improving daily life skills. Volunteers can gain experience in paediatrics, orthopaedics and hand therapy.

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 can work at the special education centre in Krabi on request, however, this placement is better suited to physiotherapy volunteers and the amount of occupational therapy related work is limited.

All Occupational Therapy volunteers need to commit to a minimum of two months on the programme and have at least one year of relevant experience.

Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy Elective Placements in Thailand

Volunteers in Thailand can do an Elective in Physiotherapy or Occupational Therapy.

Physiotherapy volunteers can take part in an elective placement at the special education centre in Krabi.

Occupational Therapy volunteers can complete an elective placement at the hospital in Surat Thani.