The relationship between volunteer tourism and development in Thailand

Short-term international voluntary service is frequently linked to development discourse in the literature on volunteer tourism and the marketing materials of organizations that offer short-term volunteer opportunities. This paper explores the relationship between volunteer tourism and development in Thailand, and assesses the role played by development in the motivations and experiences of volunteers. Based on interviews with 55 volunteer tourists in the northern Thai province of Chiang Mai, this paper argues that although development remains an important element of voluntary service in some parts of the world, the expectations, activities, and impacts of volunteer tourists in Thailand are best understood through the framework of international community service rather than through a developmental framework