Whats the cost of living in southeast Asia?
I'm American and I'm thinking of spending a gap year there. I would like to volunteer with NGOs in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, or Burma. I'm wondering how much it will cost for me to live in any of these countries while I try to find some sort of job.
All advice is helpful and welcome.
Thanks.
Cost of life in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam is very low compared to the US. You can live easily with 600-700 bucks/month , there (with no frills, though).
Thailand is a quite more expensive place to live in , and there the Government has drastically reduced the operating licenses to many NGOs in the past few years. They feel as they do not need help.
Burma? forget it. The military junta does not like NGOs, and the few of them operating in the country are UN-related Funds. You won't last a single day there as a loner.
Laos and Vietnam also are difficult place to volunteer.
Cambodia is where International donors and NGOs are covering 85 percent of the national budget, and no hassle exists for the volunteers.
I have been volunteering in Cambodia for one year and a half already.
The biggest NGOs may ( and often they do)offer full boarding (only, no salaries nor pocket money, health insurance) to foreign volunteers. A very limited number of NGOs might even grant the use of a vehicle ( usually a 125 cc. motorbike) to their volunteers (while the management travels in brand-new, tax-free Lexus and Land Cruiser cars).
Contact them before you head for Cambodia to volunteer, don't go there and ask around because they don't like "walk-in"volunteers with no previous screening, they prefer people ( mainly tourists) who go there to visit their projects, shot some pics to the poor orphans/disadvantaged kids, make a donation and leave.
Expect to be asked an Interpol clearance if the NGO you 're working in is dealing with minors.
You can contact me at webdeveloping@rocketmail.com if you need names of the big NGOs in the country , or you can find many of them on the following website: http://www.ngoforum.org.kh/eng/core/
NGO Lao Hamutuk.mp4
ngos in laos
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