This programme is designed to meet learning outcomes of the UK Government Turing Scheme, which promotes global travel and international mobility to advance core priorities of academic alignment, employability, intercultural awareness, and personal development.   

This immersive Chiang Mai travel experience achieves the following aims:

1. Intercultural Awareness & Global Citizenship

• Develop intercultural competence and cross-cultural communication skills by engaging with Thai communities, NGOs, and social enterprises.

• Gain a nuanced understanding of Northern Thai culture, Buddhism, and community values, enhancing awareness of global perspectives.

• Recognise the role of indigenous knowledge and traditions in shaping sustainable development and community wellbeing.

Turing Alignment: Builds global citizenship, cultural intelligence, and international collaboration skills.

2. Personal Growth & Self-Reflection

• Strengthen resilience, adaptability, and initiative by navigating new cultural contexts and team challenges.

• Build confidence through homestays, community projects, and workshops with local leaders and changemakers.

• Cultivate empathy and self-awareness through structured reflection, linking personal values to Thai approaches to community and sustainability.

Turing Alignment: Develops independence, self-confidence, and resilience in international environments.

3. Employability & Transferable Skills

• Enhance teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving through experiential projects and collaboration with grassroots organisations.

• Apply critical thinking and adaptability in response to real-world challenges presented by conservationists and entrepreneurs.

• Demonstrate professional skills in communication, cultural intelligence, and collaboration in a global context.

Turing Alignment: Strengthens employability through global skills and practical experience.

4. Academic & Career Alignment

• Connect academic studies in sustainability, business, anthropology, sociology, and international development with applied field experiences.

• Gain practical insights into global challenges such as biodiversity loss, conservation ethics, sustainable enterprise, and fair trade.

• Build career readiness by demonstrating initiative, global awareness, and applied understanding of ethical and sustainable practice.

Turing Alignment: Reinforces academic learning and supports career pathways in relevant disciplines.

5. Connection to Environment & Sustainability

• Learn from Thai conservation initiatives and eco-enterprises that integrate biodiversity protection, reforestation, and sustainable agriculture.

• Understand how Buddhist principles and community values embed environmental and social harmony into daily life and livelihoods.

• Reflect on lessons from Northern Thailand for contributing to global sustainability and responsible citizenship.

Turing Alignment: Deepens understanding of global sustainability challenges and solutions.

6. Reflection & Lifelong Impact

• Engage in structured reflection, peer-to-peer dialogue, and final presentations to consolidate learning outcomes.

• Translate international experiences into tangible academic insights, personal growth, and employability skills.

• Build lasting international networks with Thai peers, organisations, and changemakers.

Turing Alignment: Encourages lifelong global engagement, reflection, and continued international collaboration.

How the Chiang Mai Immersion Benefits Northern Thailand

At Think Pacific, we believe travel should uplift both students and the communities, enterprises, and environments we partner with. In Northern Thailand, this immersion is built around values of conservation, community, and cultural respect. Every stay, activity, and partnership is designed to leave a positive footprint and strengthen local initiatives.

Here’s how the program creates long-term value in Chiang Mai and beyond:

1. Generating Local Economic Opportunities
Homestays, village visits, and family-run experiences channel income directly into local households. By staying, eating, and learning with communities, students support rural livelihoods, create jobs, and contribute to financial resilience in areas often overlooked by mass tourism.

2. Supporting Social Enterprises & Ethical Businesses
Through visits to enterprises like SuperBee, fair-trade coffee collectives, and women’s cooperatives, students help raise awareness of grassroots innovation. By engaging directly, they strengthen these organisations’ visibility and support business models that combine economic opportunity with sustainability.

3. Strengthening Community & Cultural Preservation
By engaging with hill tribe villages and local artisans, the program helps sustain traditional crafts, knowledge, and cultural heritage. Partnerships ensure income remains within communities while encouraging younger generations to value and carry forward their traditions.

4. Advancing Conservation & Environmental Protection
Visits to conservation projects, sanctuaries, and eco-lodges highlight the importance of protecting elephants, forests, and biodiversity. Student engagement brings visibility, funding, and international collaboration to these initiatives, reinforcing conservation as a driver of community wellbeing.

5. Promoting Responsible & Ethical Tourism
Unlike mass tourism, this program operates at a small scale with community-first principles. Students are prepared with cultural training, enabling them to arrive as respectful learners, not consumers. This approach reduces environmental impact while ensuring host communities shape the experience.

6. Co-Creating With Local Leaders
The immersion is designed in partnership with Thai NGOs, educators, and entrepreneurs. Local ownership ensures that opportunities are relevant, ethical, and sustainable, giving communities a direct voice in shaping the program.

7. Building Global Connections & Awareness
The presence of international students fosters dialogue, understanding, and knowledge exchange. Local leaders gain fresh perspectives, while students develop a deep appreciation for Thai approaches to sustainability, spirituality, and community.

Conclusion: Travel With Shared Value

The Chiang Mai Immersion is more than a cultural experience — it’s a platform for communities, enterprises, and conservation projects to thrive. By embedding respect, reciprocity, and local leadership at its core, the program ensures that Northern Thailand benefits directly while inspiring students to carry lessons of sustainability and compassion into their futures.

This is purposeful travel, leaving a legacy of opportunity, conservation, and cultural pride across Northern Thailand.

Think Pacific works in partnership with many universities across the world to support student mobility and employability. There are scholarships and grants available for students from individual university departments and/or governments in several countries.

Students can apply for scholarships and bursaries to join our projects in Fiji. To find out if there’s funding available at your university or in your areas, please email info@thinkpacific.com.

What’s Included?

• Welcome & Orientation – Airport pickup, 2-day briefing and cultural orientation, plus a team-building camp in a rural setting.

• Accommodation – All accommodation provided, including hotel, eco lodge and community homestay.

• Meals – Breakfast and dinner included daily (please budget £2–5 per day for lunch).

• Cultural Immersion – Trek to hill tribe, guided hikes, excursions to cultural sites, cooking, art, craft, wellness, temples and community events.

• Learning & Development – Guest speakers, workshops, and exclusive access to our partner network.

• Support & Safety – 24/7 guidance from Think Pacific leaders, in-country manager and project team, daily health check-ins, risk assessment, and pastoral care.

• Travel – All in-country transport in private air-conditioned vehicles.

• Preparation – Comprehensive online portal, pre-departure webinars, and personal planning resources.

What’s Not Included?

• Flights – Budget £700–£1,000 (guidance provided).

• Insurance – Budget £50–£100 (recommended policy provided).

• Tourist Visa – Approximately £30 (requirements vary by nationality; please check with the Thailand Embassy).

• Vaccinations – Recommended Typhoid and Hepatitis A (budget £50; often free via NHS in the UK).

• Spending Money – Budget £200–£300 for lunches, drinks, souvenirs, and personal items.

• Access To The Pre-Departure Portal.

This portal provides the step-by-step process to prepare, including flight and visa information, kit list, cultural preparation, health and safety information. You can watch videos from our teams overseas and ask questions through our Live chat.

• Contact Our Team.

You can contact our team anytime between office hours, either give us a  call on 0113 335 9919 or email; info@thinkpacific.com.

• Online Community

You can communicate with fellow participants, alumni and our team through our online community. Within 3 months of you departing you shall be entered into a private facebook group with your fellow teammates.

• Live Pre Departure Webinars

Our team host live sessions in the months leading up to your project. These are a great way for you to ask questions and delve deeper into planning for your project. They also add to the excitement!

• Global Skills Programme

We have created an online course to give you the set you up for success before departure! Complete short-courses in: Culture, Sustainable Travel & Global Leadership.