Environment - Thailand's Islands and Beaches - page 832

Make a positive impact on Thailand by checking out one of the many environmental
and social groups working in the kingdom. If you do some research and make arrange-
ments before arriving, you may connect with an organisation that matches your values.
The Wild Animal Rescue Foundation of Thailand (WAR; 0 2712 9715; www.warthai.org ; 65/1 3rd fl, Soi
55, Th Sukhumvit, Bangkok) is one of the leading advocates for nature conservation in Thailand
and currently runs four wildlife sanctuaries that use volunteers to rehabilitate and return
former pets to the wild.
The Bird Conservation Society of Thailand ( 0 2691 4816; www.bcst.or.th ) provides a plethora of
information about the birds of Thailand, offering field trip reports, sightings of rare birds,
bird festivals, bird surveys and a birding online forum.
The Sanithirakoses-Nagapateepa Foundation ( www.sulak-sivaraksa.org ) , started by the 1995 Altern-
ative Nobel Prize winner Sulak Sivaraksa, is an umbrella organisation associated with
numerous environmental and social justice groups in Thailand including the Foundation
for Children, Forum of the Poor, the Thai-Tibet Centre and Pun Pun, an organic farm and
sustainable living centre. These groups offer countless opportunities to help empower
local communities and get involved in issues important to the people of Thailand. They
have also started an alternative college called Spirit in Education Movement (SEM) that
offers a spiritually based, ecologically sound alternative to mainstream education.
Other groups promoting environmental issues in Thailand include:

Thailand Environment Institute ( 0 2503 3333; www.tei.or.th )

Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand ( 0 3245 8135; www.wfft.org )

WWF Thailand ( 0 2524 6168; www.wwfthai.org )