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Rachel 
November 03, 2025
I volunteered here for 2 weeks, which frankly wasn’t long enough! I loved every minute of my experience here. The staff are so helpful and accommodating especially Jam, Fifa and Faii on the wildlife project. There was rarely a dull moment as Jam kept everyone’s spirits up! The days are long and the work is hard, but it’s so worth it! The animals here are so well cared for and it’s a privilege to be a small part of their journey. The house dogs around the volunteer accommodation are also so sweet! I honestly can’t say thank you enough to everyone at WFFT. Such a special place!!
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Aurélien P. August 29, 2025
I had the chance to volunteer at the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand, and it was one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. As part of my journey, I wanted to combine my passion for animals with a real humanitarian commitment, and WFFT exceeded all my expectations.
The centre has a genuine focus on animal welfare. Every action, from daily feeding to enrichment activities, is designed with care for the animals’ well-being. You also get to work side by side with the mahouts, local staff (all incredibly kind and dedicated), and volunteers from all around the world. This creates a unique multicultural atmosphere where you learn from others every day.
The activities are enriching and diverse, from preparing food to special projects like cleaning lakes or planting trees. Some tasks can be physically demanding under the Thai sun, but the reward is priceless: the joy of seeing elephants, monkeys, or bears enjoying the fruits of your work.
Beyond the daily tasks, this experience is full of emotions. There is joy when you see rescued animals regain trust, laughter shared with volunteers, but also moments of sadness when you realise the suffering some of these animals endured before arriving at WFFT. It’s an experience that teaches humility, respect, and compassion.
After spending four weeks there, I can only recommend this place, whether as a volunteer or simply as a visitor. It is a place where you will not only meet wonderful animals but also wonderful people. This experience left me with unforgettable memories and the certainty that I want to continue working to protect wildlife.
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Volker U. August 16, 2025
It was an absolutely fantastic, impressive, informative day.
It is absolutely essential to make a reservation if you want to visit — otherwise, you won’t see any animals, and walk-ins are not possible. We booked five days in advance and there was only one slot left for the entire week. This is clearly explained on their website, so anyone who takes the time to read it will know. People who don’t check and then complain (as some reviewers here do) really have only themselves to blame.
Signage could be better: when you arrive at the entrance, follow the small signs to the lodge, which can be easily overseen. It’s about a 10-minute drive from the reserve entrance. We had to ask several staff members along the way before we found it. Once there, everything was perfectly organized, and they were expecting us.
The lodge has a terrace with a restaurant and a small kiosk selling snacks and drinks at normal, reasonable prices — not the tourist-gouging you see elsewhere. From the terrace, you can already see the first elephants up close.
One thing that baffled me: despite clear signs and repeated instructions, some people still tried to feed the elephants whatever they had, even holding small children or babies over the wall. Some did it again the moment the park rangers turned their backs after warning them. If anything happens, it will of course be “the bad elephants.” Personally, I’d kick such people out without warning.
Also clearly stated on the website: all tours are in English. We booked the full-day tour, with little children; it was easy enough to translate for the little ones.
After a short introduction to the park, we set off in open buses to see various rescue areas — monkeys, several species of deer, bears, tortoises, and more. Each animal comes with its rescue story. Many are not native to Thailand and cannot be released back into the wild, so they live here in large enclosures.
The monkeys and gibbons go through several stages: quarantine cages, socialization with other monkeys, and finally release onto a large, natural island in the reserve as the last step before reintroduction to the wild. There are parts where you have to walk through the grounds, so bring water and insect repellent — again, all explained on the website, so no excuses for later complaints. The website also mentions that this is temple ground and temple-appropriate clothing is required — however, in reality, regular clothing was fine and there was no dress code enforced.
Lunch was a small buffet with rice, chicken skewers, and Thai curry — not a huge selection, but tasty, fresh, and more than enough.
In the afternoon, we visited the big cats’ enclosures — the tigers are truly impressive — and saw more elephants. The day ended with feeding two blind elephants, who rely on humans to bring them fruit.
Overall, it was incredibly moving to see the animals so close. The park even has a modern animal hospital and two very modern animal ambulance cars. The staff are clearly dedicated, and the grounds are well maintained. The tour guides were more than happy to answer all our questions.
We felt far more comfortable here than at the many other “attractions” where you can ride elephants in chains or pet sedated tigers. Here, you get the feeling that animal welfare is genuinely the priority — and we were more than happy to pay the slightly higher price for that.
