Renovate a local temple school and help out at an elephant sanctuary on your school expedition to Thailand!
School trips to Thailand offer students the opportunity to experience some of the best that South East Asia has to offer!
Thailand is a beautiful, colourful country that’s home to vibrant markets, white sandy beaches, tropical rainforests and ancient shrines. The opportunities to take part in voluntary work with local organisations make Thailand especially popular as a destination for school expeditions.
Browse our trips
Activities in Thailand that your school group will love
Bridge On the River Kwai
The construction of the Burma Railway during the Second World War is considered a war crime committed by Japan, due
Bangkok Tour
Enjoy a tour of Bangkok with stops including the Grand Palace, the official residence of the Thai monarchy, and Wat
Ayutthaya
This city was once the capital of the Ayutthaya Kingdom and one of the largest cities in the world, with
Monkey Temple, Lopburi
Prasat Sam Yot is a former Buddhist temple built in the 12th and 13th centuries.
Wat Arun
On the western bank of the Chao Phraya River, Wat Arun rises like a spectacular palace, dominating the skyline of
Why visit Thailand?
Make your students better global citizens
Many of our school groups who visit Thailand choose to do so on one of our Helping Hands school expeditions.
A school expedition to Thailand offers the opportunity to learn about sustainability, put back into the local community by helping to renovate a local school and discover more about the country’s national symbol, by helping out at an elephant sanctuary.
Your students will leave Thailand with a greater understanding of the culture, the wildlife and the challenges the country faces. Their horizons will have widened and they will be on the path to becoming better global citizens.
The colourful culture
Most groups who choose to visit Thailand on a school trip base themselves in the vibrant capital, Bangkok. This is the perfect place in which to discover the rich, colourful Thai culture.
On your school trip to Thailand, you can enjoy a guided tour of Bangkok, with visits to sites of cultural importance including the Grand Palace, Wat Pho temple, Wat Saket and Loha Prasat. You can also choose to visit the spectacular Wat Arun.
We can arrange a Thai cooking class, which is not to be missed for anyone interested in the delicious Thai cuisine. And we can also arrange for you to visit the historic city of Ayutthaya, where you’ll visit ancient temples and experience the buzzing atmosphere of a local market.
The precious wildlife
Thailand is home to some incredible wildlife, including tigers, leopards and, of course, the elephant, which is the country’s national symbol.
Despite the symbolic importance of the elephant in Thailand, numbers have plummeted over the last two centuries, from an estimated 100,000 in the early 20 th century to under 5,000 in 2017 – with only about 1,000 of those living in the wild.
Elephants are often targeted by poachers in Thailand, often for their ivory and more recently for their meat. They’ve also historically been used in the logging industry which, ironically, has also destroyed much of their habitat. When logging was banned in Thailand in 1989, the elephant handlers (mahouts) had to find new ways to make money. Many turned to tourism and providing entertainment for tourists, by providing elephant rides or making their elephants perform tricks.
On your school trip to Thailand, your students will have the opportunity to help out at an elephant sanctuary, where they will learn about these magnificent animals, the issues they still face in Thailand and how the sanctuary is helping them.
Where to visit in Thailand
Bangkok
A school trip to Bangkok will offer your students the opportunity to explore Thai culture and find out what Thailand is all about!
Bangkok school trips are most popular as expeditions with a volunteering element. Your students can spend some time working with local projects including renovating a local temple school and helping out at an elephant sanctuary.
Why choose Halsbury?
We build your trip around you
Tell us your learning objectives, curriculum and budget and we’ll do the rest.
Contact usWe’re trusted for a reason
We’re members of ABTA, ABTOT and the School Travel Forum. We also hold an ATOL and the LOtC Quality Badge.
Read moreOur Education specialists
Laura Lucas
Tour Consultant
Paul Hudson
Tour Consultant
Laura Martin
Language Sales & Product Manager
Emma Gray da Silva
Tour Consultant
Meet our education specialists and get to know more about the people committed to making your school trip the best it can be.
FAQs
I can’t see the destination I’m looking to travel to, can you still help me with my trip?
Of course.
We've got great relationships with suppliers all over the world, so we should be able to arrange something for you to suit your budget and trip objectives in your preferred destination.
Just get in touch with us and we'll let you know what we can do.
Do you offer travel insurance?
We do. Travel insurance is an optional extra and you can find out more about it in our travel insurance resource (which includes the policy documents and FAQs).
If you decide against arranging this insurance through us (which is absolutely fine, by the way), please just remember you must have suitable travel and medical insurance to cover your group.
Can the trip itinerary be adapted to my curriculum and requirements?
Every single trip we arrange is tailor-made, so yes, the itinerary can be adapted.
Our Tour Advisers and Itinerary Coordinators are all experienced school travel specialists. They'll work closely with you to make sure your itinerary supports your learning objectives. They'll be able to offer suggestions and advice to make sure you make the most of your time.
So, when you're browsing through our school trips, just remember that the itineraries and activities you see are there for inspiration only - your own itinerary can look as similar or as different as you want.
Equally, we've suggested trip durations based on what groups usually request - if you want to go for a shorter or longer duration, just let us know.
How far ahead should I start planning my trip?
As a general rule, we recommend that you start planning your trip 12-18 months before you want to travel. This gives you plenty of time to get it approved and launched to students and parents.
Planning early will mean you have a greater choice of accommodation and travel options - and it will make paying for the trip easier for families, as they'll be able to break it down into smaller, more manageable payments.
You can check out our trip-planning timeline for a better idea of the process and when you should expect to be doing things.
If you are looking to travel sooner than this, it is possible. It will depend on availability and you may find prices are a bit higher, but get in touch and we can see what's possible.
What accommodation options are available?
The accommodation options that are available vary depending on the destination but we're usually able to arrange everything from hostel-style accommodation to more luxurious hotels.
On each of the trip pages, you'll see some accommodation options - these are usually the most popular for those destinations, but we often have plenty of other options available. You'll discuss accommodation options (and budget) with your Tour Adviser when they're putting your quote together, so don't be afraid to let them know if you want something different.
We only work with accommodation options that are suitable for schools. As a member of the School Travel Forum (STF), you can be certain that all accommodation contracted by us complies with local legislation with respect to fire and general safety, is contracted by trained Halsbury Travel staff or reputable agents, receives a standard audit and risk assessment prior to use by Halsbury Travel and receives a supplementary audit if it is used on five or more occasions in a year.
Let's chat!