Feeding Elephant during My Study-Tour in Chiang Mai

Whenever I heard the word ‘Thailand’, Bangkok and Phuket would always pop up in my mind. I wasn’t too familiar with Chiang Mai so when I heard about the study tour, I was very eager to participate. This was the first time I had been overseas alone so there were some mixed emotions to begin with, but I was very excited.

This study tour was a faculty-led tour in collaboration with Chiang Mai University. Our first day was dedicated to exploring the city and immersing ourselves with the local Thai culture. This included our first language class followed by visiting several temples before being graciously introduced to various cultural Thai performances during our Welcome dinner. During this we were also introduced to our Thai buddies who would be us throughout the entire 2 weeks which really helped us bridge the gap between cultural competence. I was amazed to see the lifestyle of the Thai residents being like my native country of India.

The core purpose of the trip was to explore Thailand’s health system and culture, allowing us to implement our theoretical knowledge gained across the 2 years of study in a practical and changing environment. During our trip we also visited several hospitals both in the city and rural areas and attended various lectures at the university. This was an eye-opening experience as it allowed me to understand the health crisis in rural areas as well as the lifestyle of the villagers. This was a unique experience as it highlighted the connection between a strong community collaboration and positive health.

Apart from the academic and cultural aspects, throughout the journey we explored several key attractions of Chiang Mai and surrounding areas. On our free day, some of us hired a red tuktuk van which was a famous mode of transport in Thailand and began the journey of climbing the Sticky Waterfall. This being a new experience for me made it very enjoyable and something I would look at doing in the future. Furthermore, we ventured our way to the famous Sunday night markets which were crowded as expected, providing an interesting shopping experience. This was the time where most of my shopping was done, I bought several souvenirs and other items before having a group dinner with the Thai buddies and our UTS staff member.

At the conclusion of the trip, we were offered an exciting opportunity of feeding and bathing elephants which was a new experience for me. This was a key highlight of the trip and an excellent end to an amazing tour with a great group of people. With elephants being culturally valued, this was an engaging opportunity to immerse ourselves further respectfully into the culture.

Overall, this study tour is one to be cherished and an unforgettable experience that I will recommend to others. To this day I still reflect on the great experiences I had during the trip and keep in contact with a few Thai friends, highlighting the strong connections we made.

Sumedh Zunje (24639561)
Faculty of Health
Faculty-led Health Study Tour at Chiang Mai University in Chiang Mai, Thailand
New Colombo Plan Mobility Grant recipient