Support Pai

Pai has long welcomed travelers with open arms, offering beauty, inspiration, and unforgettable experiences. If you’ve felt the magic of this place and are wondering how to give something back—there are many ways to offer your hands, your heart, or your help.

Whether it’s volunteering your time, donating to a local cause, or supporting community-led projects, this page shares opportunities to meaningfully connect with and uplift the people, places, and spirit of Pai. Every small gesture contributes to a more caring and sustainable future for this special valley.

Local Charities & Community Care

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Pai is home to dedicated grassroots organizations working to care for both animals and people — from street dog rescue and sterilization, to community aid and rural support. If you’re looking to contribute to meaningful, local efforts, here are a few great places to start:

  • A local branch of the Thai Red Cross serving the Pai community. They provide health support, emergency assistance, and humanitarian aid.

    View their Facebook page for current projects.

  • For nearly a decade, Shekina Garden has been part of Pai’s community—connecting people who want to give generously with local needs. Working alongside Thai friends and village leaders, they help provide grocery relief for families, rebuild homes, bring solar-powered running water to villages, supply disability aids like wheelchairs and hearing aids, and provide food and medical supplies for displaced Myanmar refugees.

    Every project is done in partnership with local people, ensuring help goes exactly where it’s needed most.

    Visit their website to learn more and see how you can donate.

  • Pete’s Mission provides rescue, medical care, and rehoming for street dogs and other vulnerable animals in Pai. They also run education and outreach programs to encourage humane treatment of animals.

    Donations of pet food, towels, leashes, bedding, and cleaning supplies are always appreciated. Contact them directly to find out what’s most needed.

    Find their Facebook page here.

  • Along with running a secondhand shop to fund their work, this organisation hosts regular free sterilization clinics, improving the health and wellbeing of local animal populations.

    Follow their Facebook page.

    Find their Fundraising Shop here.

  • Nolo Hub often organizes donation drives to remote villages in the region and serves as a collection point for clothing, blankets, and other useful items.

    Find them on Google Maps here.

Know another welfare group doing great work in Pai?
We’d love to include them. If you know of an organisation or initiative that’s not yet listed here, please get in touch so we can help share their story and support their efforts.

Local Businesses that Give Back

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Some of Pai’s most beloved cafes, shops, and studios are doing more than offering great experiences — they’re actively supporting the community around them.

This section highlights local businesses that donate a portion of their profits, host charity events, or run ongoing initiatives to uplift people, animals, and the environment in Pai.

By choosing to support them, you’re helping their impact reach even further. Click below to reveal details:

  • Mystic Village hosts select donation-based sessions each week, with 50% of all contributions going directly to local Pai charities. These special offerings blend wellness, creativity, and community care — giving you the chance to nourish yourself while giving back to others.

    To see when these sessions are happening, download the Experience Pai app and check the Event Calendar for the latest Mystic Village listings.

  • Free Bird Café Pai is more than just a restaurant—it’s a social enterprise with heart. Serving fresh vegetarian Burmese and Thai dishes, the café donates 100% of its profits to education and empowerment projects for refugees and marginalized communities in Northern Thailand and Myanmar.

    Founded by Lisa and Jing, a Shan chef with deep roots in the community, Free Bird has been a beloved part of Chiang Mai for over 16 years and is now sharing its mission (and delicious food) here in Pai. Dining here not only supports a warm, welcoming local spot but also helps provide emergency food rations, medicine, and opportunities for those most in need.

Know a business giving back in a meaningful way? Let us know so we can include them here.

Volunteering in Pai

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Many visitors feel inspired to give back to Pai by offering their time and energy to local causes—and it’s a beautiful intention. Whether it’s helping out at an animal sanctuary, lending a hand at an eco-village, or supporting a community project, these opportunities can be meaningful and mutually enriching.

Here are some local organizations that offer volunteer programs:

  • Conserve Natural Forests (CNF) offers an International Internship Program for undergraduate and graduate students from diverse backgrounds to gain hands-on experience in the nonprofit NGO sector. Interns can specialize in areas such as Photography, Forest Management, Website Development, Social Media Marketing, Sustainability Management, and International Relations—or propose other ways their skills could contribute.

    Internships are based in Pai, northern Thailand, and Tarutao National Park in the south. A one-month minimum commitment is required, with housing, meals, transportation, visa assistance, and other in-country support provided.

    Internship fee: €900/month

    This fee helps fund conservation work and covers living essentials like private bungalows, motorbikes, and prepared meals.

    If you’re passionate about wildlife, environmental conservation, and cultural exchange, CNF welcomes your application.

    Learn more and apply here: https://conservenaturalforests.org/apply-for-an-internship/

  • Join a working permaculture farm and experience Thailand from the inside out. This opportunity offers a meaningful mix of hands-on work and cultural immersion — from planting, harvesting, and composting to mudbuilding and cooking from the garden.

    • Duration: 2 weeks to 3 months

    • Schedule: 4–5 mornings/week (9am–12pm)

    • Donation: 5,000 THB/month (supports local organic farmers)

    • Accommodation: Available for 1-month+ stays (5,000 THB donation)

    • Hosted by: Thai farm manager Pi Mona & gardener Lung Khampan

    Note: A minimum 2-week stay is required. Volunteers are asked to respect the time and energy it takes to host and train new team members.

    Learn more on their website.

Know an organisation offering volunteer programs? Let us know so we can include them here.