The Phana Monkey Project welcomes students and Thailand enthusiasts who wish to have a volunteer experience. Volunteers from nineteen countries have enjoyed their time in Phana.
Choose your adventure:
Academic research
Students have conducted studies on animal behavior and forest biodiversity. Additionally, the Phana Monkey Project has a close relationship with the Traditional Thai Medicine Centre.
Abstracts
See the abstract online by clicking the picture.
See the abstract online by clicking the picture.
Discover more by clicking the picture.
See the abstract online by clicking the picture.
Field studies
Mapping the forest
Surveying the flora of the forest
A survey of the Bee population that live up in the trees
Mapping the forest
Volunteering
Helping in the forest
We wish to recruit short-term (1-4 weeks) volunteers who are willing to help maintain the monkeys environment by providing them with water, food, and a clean habitat. Duties include, keeping feeding areas clean and clearing litter (mostly plastic bags -- litter-pickers provided) and monitoring group movements.
We are only able to take a few volunteers at a time, so please DO NOT APPLY if your main interest is to be with lots of others!
Helping in village schools
Suitably qualified volunteers are needed to help with the teaching of English in small village primary schools in Phana District. You may also assist with educational visits to the forest and our Study Centre (2-4 week stay).
Ethan Earnshaw
Volunteering and Research
May 2013
The research I have been doing I hope will serve as a preliminary study for my Master’s thesis next year. Pensri and Lawrence are keen to encourage research so along with their links to Exeter University in the UK and Mahidol University and Chulalongkorn University here in Thailand other connections are welcome.
Sarah Jenkins
Our Adventures in Phana
February 2013
You start to notice different characters and the psychological structure of monkey groups. One day as I was walking through the forest I felt a small hand tugging at my trouser leg and it was an adolescent male monkey wanting my attention. He decided to climb up me and sit on my head! I remembered Lawrence’s words ” just keep walking and they will climb off”.
Rita
Volunteering and Travel
June 2016
It was a great experience with time to enjoy the beautiful rice fields landscape riding my bicycle on my way to the forest, to read a little bit about Buddhism, to interact with people from Phana even when we didn’t understand each other (a smile and a sa wad dee ka were a great way to get a big Thai smile). I have to thank especially Lawrence and Pensri for having received me so well, for taking me to know other places and to try new delicious meals! They are doing a great work in the forest, as well as part of the community!
