To officially enroll in the programme, you have to be at least 18 years old and should submit your application form, a copy of your passport, a reference, (from, for example, a teacher, doctor, previous employer, parent or church leader) and, if you plan to work with children, a criminal record check. All documents required may be sent to us via email. After we have received your documents and the fee, you are officially enrolled in our programme and officially a student of Chiang Mai University.

The more notice you can give, the more time we will have to find the most suitable project for you.

Although we do not usually take volunteers under the age of 18, there is no upper age limit.

You should be prepared to commit at least 16 hours per month to your project, but there is no limit to the number of hours you may put in. We design an individual time schedule between you and the host organization, as we understand that every situation, project and person is different.

Whatever skills you want to contribute, we will try our very best to find a suitable placement for you. Sometimes this will take a while, as we are committed to giving you the best possible experience. If you wish to enrol but are sure not how you can be of use, we can present a number of opportunities for your consideration.

If you are unhappy with your project, of course you may change. Please let us know the reasons behind your wish to change, and we will endeavour to find a more suitable position for you. An administration charge of 2,000 baht will apply.

Look at our running projects or send us an email if you like to use your own skills!

Yes, of course, there are no additional fees for extending a placement.

If you have a problem, please contact our coordinators: contact@exchangecmu.com or (+66) 053-943-761

Yes, of course, but an administration charge of 2,000 Thai baht will apply, as it takes time to connect you successfully with another host organisation for a suitable second placement.

Yes, certainly! You can share your own skills and knowledge. Let us know what specific skills you prefer to work with and we will find you a suitable placement

The majority of our projects are within Chiang Mai city and its surrounding districts, making travelling easy and cheap using tuk-tuks and songthaews. For more distant placements, Chiang Mai has a regular, reliable and extensive bus network serving the province and further.

The Cultural Exchange project has a broad network covering many organisations in Chiang Mai Province. Once your preferences are noted, we can liaise with, for example, a hill tribe community in a rural area, an organic farm in the countryside, an orphanage and school up in the hills or one of our already running rural projects. However, if you want to work in a rural area, be aware that facilities may well be basic!

If you're committed to teaching English, but have no formal training, we can recommend the 120-hour TEFL Course

Chiang Mai University is a non-profit making organisation, but there are costs, time-related and actual, involved in researching a suitable opportunity which fits in with your needs. Liaison with organisations, phone calls, visits, arranging visa papers, especially if a placement is unusual or outside Chiang Mai, can take a good deal of time and effort. The cost to you is less than that of most other organisations, and the services we offer as part of your placement are fully comprehensive.

You can pay by credit card, bank transfer or in cash. Look for our payment options on our website.

Once you have received the paperwork confirming your placement on a project, getting your Education Visa is easy. If you are already in Thailand on a tourist visa, you must go to a Thai Embassy in a nearby country in order to change your present visa. If you are living outside Thailand, you should contact your local Thai embassy. Visa processing takes between 2-5 days. Let us know which embassy you will be using so that we can arrange your paperwork in time. Please visit http://www.thaiembassy.org/ to find and contact your nearest Thai Embassy.

Chiang Mai University's Cultural Exchange Programme focuses on sharing skills, knowledge and education. By joining our programme you officially become a student of the university and are eligible for an Education Visa.

If you are here on a tourist visa, you must renew it after 30 days by leaving the country. At present, two 30-day visas are all you are allowed. With an Education Visa, you can stay in Thailand, and only have to visit Chiang Mai Immigration every 90 days to renew your permission to stay. In addition, an Education Visa has a higher status in Thailand than a tourist visa.

Yes. We support your Education Visa for one year. If you decide to stay in the programme, we can renew your Education Visa and continue our support.

As of now, there is no limit for renewal of the Education Visa

Criminal record check clearance documentation is compulsory if you are applying to work with children or vulnerable groups through our programme. Participants in Chiang Mai University Language Institute?s Cultural Exchange Programme who wish to work in these fields are requested to obtain a Criminal Record Check clearance certificate or an existing certificate update from police authorities in their home countries before enrolment in the programme. The clearance certificate should not be older than one year and should be updated at the time of submission.

Many of our participants are working with children and vulnerable groups, therefore we need to ensure that these children and vulnerable groups are safe. Unfortunately, it is well known that abusers often contact NGOs and other volunteer organisations in order to gain access to children and vulnerable groups. As a result, anyone wishing to work in this sector will need to assure us that they can be trusted by presenting a current Criminal Record Check clearance certificate issued in their home country.

This depends on your home country. On average, checks take five days in the USA, two weeks in the UK and up to four weeks in the Netherlands.

Criminal checks in most countries average $99. Checks on American nationals in the USA are $39.95, although New York State charges $55. UK checks are $125. and the Netherlands authorities charge $30.05..

You can visit http://www.bcint.com/cmu.htm to fill out your details in your native language. Be sure to fill in all fields correctly. Your confidential information will be sent to a company which provides this service, and which will bill you for the service by email.