Thailand: Come With Nothing

Thailand: Come With Nothing

Questions? Call (440) 975-9691 for an admissions counselor

2025 Travel Dates

June 25 – July 17, 2025 Available Enroll Now

Join a service expedition through remote Thailand to disconnect. You’ll have one carry-on-sized bag with a change of clothes, toiletries, medicine, and no more than five personal items (we’ll also give you $50 to buy the rest of what you’ll need during your program). Start in Chiang Mai before continuing into the mountains and jungles of Northern Thailand. Visit three villages for 4 days each and expect beautifully simple living conditions. Meet with NGOs and local leaders to learn about the needs of the area while engaging in service projects. You’ll get hands-on with building projects and animal and forest conservation work. This demanding program creates lasting memories and gives you different perspectives about the world.

Service projects support UN Sustainable Development Goals
Sustainable Development Goals Sustainable Development Goals Sustainable Development Goals Sustainable Development Goals Sustainable Development Goals Sustainable Development Goals

Students love getting out of their comfort zones and experiencing life in a rural village. 

Program Featured In
Schools with integrated education models point to Leadership as one of the skill sets necessary to develop well-rounded students. Separating leadership development from the dynamics of school culture and community power structures can allow for students to see practical and organic applications of leadership in the real world, sometimes more clearly than in their own home contexts.
Program Profile
Program Profile
Program Featured In
Schools with integrated education models point to Leadership as one of the skill sets necessary to develop well-rounded students. Separating leadership development from the dynamics of school culture and community power structures can allow for students to see practical and organic applications of leadership in the real world, sometimes more clearly than in their own home contexts.
Come With Nothing’ is more than just a program; it’s an invitation to experience life in its simplest, most meaningful form. As students travel along the Mekong River and work alongside local communities, they leave behind expectations and embrace the opportunity to learn through service. This journey is about connecting deeply with others, understanding their way of life, and making a real impact, all while growing as individuals.

Quote by: Keegan Kennedy Southeast Asian Regional Manager

Introduction To Thailand: Come With Nothing


Welcome to one of our most intense service programs in Southeast Asia! The program name is not a joke. You can only pack one light bag, including just one change of clothes, a few pairs of underwear, your necessary hygiene items and medicines, and no more than five things you feel might be important during your program. These might include a camera, a notebook, a tape recorder, or a book – it’s up to you. Just leave everything else at home. When you get to Thailand, you’ll be given a locally made backpack and $50 to buy clothing for the next three weeks. You’ll be surprised how far this money goes at the local market. You may also be surprised that many families in villages around the world live on less than $50 per month.

Travel With Friends, Not Things

Rustic Pathways has friends in these villages, so you won’t be a stranger. We have long-standing partnerships with these communities, and you will be welcomed like family. They have opened their homes for you to visist and learn about their culture, and invited you to work together with other locals on meaningful service projects. They are all waiting for you to arrive.

Live Like a Villager

You will visit three villages, for about 4 days each. You’ll meet with local NGOs, village leaders, and respected elders along the way to give you insight into the needs of the area. Build lifelong friendships in the villages where you work, and develop skills that will help you organize service projects back at home.

Discover what it is like to live in a small village far away from the influences of modern society. Your leaders will arrange clean food and water, but expect living conditions to be very rustic and humble. People here don’t have many things, and students find their sincere approach to life refreshing, and love to spend time with these close-knit families. After just a few days, you will find that you have left behind the world you know. You will soon begin to groove to an entirely different beat here in the mountains of Southeast Asia.

Go Home Rich!

This trip has a way of leaving lasting impressions and positive memories with students and villagers alike. You will likely go home inspired, with a desire to continue service long after you have left this program. The villagers will also be left with wonderful memories, and they will be grateful for all of the hard work and dedication you have put into these projects.

You’ll return home much richer than you arrived – and if you’ve used your heart and your head well, you will have given something substantial to three villages. You will not only go home a richer person in friendships and experience, but by doing your small part you will have made this world a better place. You’ll never forget this experience.

Are You Up For the Challenge?

Come With Nothing: The Rustic Expedition is an intense experience that involves a lot of hard work. Generally, students who are not prepared for the rustic conditions on this program have some difficulty adjusting.

Despite being different from what you are used to, living standards in remote Thai villages are quite clean, and staff will make sure you are well informed in each village you visit. While the rustic conditions may require some adjustment, the vast majority of our students really enjoy the opportunity to live like local people in three different locations.

However, you can and should expect your comfort levels to be tested throughout the trip. We are not trying to scare you away, but the success of this program depends on having participants who are ready for this kind of experience. If you are expecting a comfortable, relaxing, five-star holiday, you will be in for quite a surprise when you arrive. Here is what you can expect:

  • Mornings come early in rural Thailand, and you must wake up early. We’ll be getting ready for the day as soon as the first roosters crow.
  • Personal space is very limited in many of the hill tribe villages that we visit.
  • You will find yourself in places that do not have Western-style toilets or showers for extended periods of time. You will learn to use the same facilities the villagers use – you’ll be using a “squat” toilet and showering with a bucket.
  • You will always be well fed, but picky eaters will not always have a lot of options to choose from. Students who do not eat the local cuisine (which is generally pretty simple and tasty) can expect instant noodles, eggs, peanut butter sandwiches, rice, rice soup, and fruit.
  • You will be out of cell phone and internet range for the majority of this program, and electricity may even be limited, as generators shut off in most rural villages at about 9:00 PM.

If you are up for an adventure and seeking a dramatically different service experience that will fully immerse you in fascinating cultures and places, Come With Nothing: The Rustic Expedition is the program for you!

Village Life

Accommodation


The students will stay in several different types of accommodations during their program. The order of the accommodations and exact details will vary slightly by group. Here are the highlights:

  • Hotels: Comfortable, three-star hotels in cities like Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Mae Hong Son. Rooms are shared by gender, with Western-style amenities like air conditioning, hot water, and private bathrooms.
  • Guest Houses: Shared accommodations in smaller towns, offering basic amenities with gender-separated rooms.
  • Homestays: Immersive stays with local families in villages like Mae Ta. Students will live in private rooms (separated by door or curtain) with basic facilities, including squat toilets, handwashing stations, and clean drinking water.
  • Village Stays: Basic rural accommodations in hill tribe villages, with mattress pads on the floor, mosquito nets, squat toilets, and bucket showers.
  • Temple Stays: Male students may stay in Buddhist temples while female students stay with local families in certain villages.

Service Projects


The students will provide 60 hours of community service while on the program – the most available on any Rustic Pathways program. This time will be spent working on infrastructure projects and gardening projects, along with teaching English to local children.

The locations for this service are among the most remote places where our students travel. The service projects occur in three villages in northern Thailand in rural areas well outside the city of Chiang Mai.

Here are some details about each of the villages:

Khun Wong Village: Nestled in the lush forests, this Karen village is located in the mountains above Mae Sariang, on the scenic Mae Hong Son Loop. This upland area is known for its tea plantations and stunning views of the surrounding mountains and valleys. It’s also a popular place for trekking and caving amid the limestone landscapes. Past projects of Rustic Pathways students include building a water tank, other infrastructure improvements, and conducting education enrichment activities at the local school.

Mae Ta Village: This village is located about one hour south of Chiang Mai near Khun Tan National Park. It’s well known for its organic agriculture collective, which the village community set up on its own. Villagers were looking for alternatives to chemically intensive farming techniques. The collective is community-owned and dedicated to growing healthy, organic produce using traditional farming techniques. Immersed in this scenic village, Rustic students get their hands in the dirt and learn the wisdom of the land, working alongside locals on seasonal gardening and farming projects.

Mai Sabae Village: Students will also travel the scenic Mae Hong Son loop that skirts Thailand’s mountainous northwest border. There, they’ll be immersed in the Mae Sabae village. This is a Red Karen community, one of Thailand’s largest hill tribes, with a unique culture, language and history. While living in the village, students participate in infrastructure development initiatives. Previous service projects have included building community bathrooms and fixing a concrete floor for a village community center.


The Karen people who reside in places like Mai Sabae are members of Thailand’s largest hill tribe group. There are many different subgroups of Karen, including Red Karen, White Karen and Long Neck Karen. They are traditionally very good elephant caretakers or mahouts.

It’s believed their tribe originated in Tibet but then settled in the highlands across Myanmar and Thailand. In Myanmar tribal members faced persecution with the Burmese military burning many of their villages. That led to many of them fleeing to Thailand for safety, where some now live in refugee camps.

The Thai Karen have fared much better. They have lived well using the many natural resources around them in the mountains and forest.

Since 2009, Rustic Pathways students have been working with partner Karen villages in this region. They’ve contributed to ongoing community infrastructure development and education enrichment initiatives.

Assistance with these village projects goes a long way towards improving day-to-day life. 2013 traveler Maddie Goldberg says working on these initiatives is quite impactful. She particularly enjoyed interacting with the local villagers and their children during the service projects.

“Although I anticipated this to be a challenge, the Thai children and teachers made me feel completely at home as soon as I walked in the door with their endless smiles and welcoming hugs,” Maddie said. “I came to find that no matter how different these countries are, kids are kids. They fill you with joy and are full of joy themselves, no matter where you may travel.”

“I am very fortunate to have met the kindest, coolest, and most interesting people on these trips…It has changed my life in so many different ways, and I am so thankful.”
Gabrielle Antolovic, Fiji | Thailand | Laos | Peru Alumni

Accommodation


Students will be able to try standard foods that Thailand is famous for, such as pad thai. However, they also can grab something really different like fried crickets, roaches or other insects while traveling.

Overall during the program, students will have an opportunity to eat foods from the diverse regional cuisines across Thailand. That food will be prepared by onsite chefs or at local restaurants. However, there’ll always be western and “comfort” food options for less adventurous eaters.

“During the trip to Thailand, I had so much fun tasting exotic cuisine and experiencing local Thai culture… For me, the trip was all about being independent and open-minded.”
Tingyuan Chen, Thailand Alumni

What’s Included in Your Program

Program Leaders & Guides

English Speaking Rustic Pathways international and local leaders

Airport Transportation

Meet and greet with private transportation to and from the airport

Comfortable Accommodations

All nights of accommodation

All Meals Included

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner throughout your stay

Ground Transportation

All transportation between program locations and activities

All Activities

Every activity, entrance fee, and experience in your itinerary

24/7 Support

On-call support throughout the program for peace of mind

Emergency Coverage

Included emergency evacuation assurance plan

All Fees & Tips

Airport taxes, departure fees, donations, and guide tips

What’s Not Included in Your Program

International Flights

Souvenirs

Additional Snacks

Visa Expenses

Passport Fees

Hear the Story of a Past Rustic Pathways Traveler to Thailand

Finding Common Ground in an Unlikely Place

Rustic Pathways student in Mae La refugee camp

Taylor Badt was surprised when her Rustic Pathways program leaders said they were going to visit
a Burmese refugee camp on the Myanmar/Thailand border. The Mae La camp had about forty-eight
thousand people living in small bamboo shacks.

Badt said she was overwhelmed and unsure how to interact with people she had little in common with.
Then she was asked to sit down with a group of young adults to help them practice English. Badt said
that is when it changed.

“From the minute I sat down, our interaction was like one between my friends and me. We talked about
their futures and laughed about one boy’s new haircut. They showed me the proper way to break open
a mangosteen fruit and I taught them about my home state of Louisiana. But, as we kept talking (and
they became accustomed to my fast speech) our conversation deepened. They asked me questions I could
not answer– What are my dreams? Who did I want to be? When I asked them in turn, their answers were
immediate– they wanted to be doctors or teachers or translators. They yearned to return to their
native villages and better them. My job of giving these students hope was unnecessary, they had done
it for themselves.”

When packing for this program, remember the name: Come With Nothing!

Everything you need to bring on this program will be able to fit inside one carry-on sized backpack that you can carry on the plane. Basically all you need to pack for this program is what you will need to get you through the first night in Thailand, plus toiletries and travel necessities. This can include two changes of clothing, hygiene products, prescribed medications, and a maximum 5 personal items (camera, journal, book, etc.). The idea behind Come With Nothing is to live simply like the people we are visiting, and to think differently about the value of the things we have and/or will buy. The more you let go, the more adventurous your experience will be.

After reading this list you may be thinking; “How am I going to live for three weeks with just one carry-on sized backpack?” During your orientation, you will be given the equivalent of $50 US dollars, as well as a traditional bag, and then taken to a market to purchase all other necessary items you will need for the duration of your program. You will quickly be surprised at how much $50 US dollars can get you. On the plane, we recommend wearing lightweight long pants, your Rustic Pathways t-shirt with a lightweight fleece/hoodie. (Southeast Asia is very hot and humid. You won’t want to be stuck carrying anything too heavy/warm after you arrive).

Throughout the program, you will be stopping at local markets for more supplies and doing laundry either in the villages, local style, or at laundry shops while in towns.

Carry-On

A smaller bag, fanny pack, or day backpack is ideal. Don’t worry – the items marked with a “*” below don’t count against your “5 things”!

  • Passport*
  • Photocopy of passport*
  • Wallet/money/ATM card*
  • Book
  • Pens and journal*
  • Phone (optional!)*
  • Camera
  • Chargers*
  • Ear buds*
  • Change of clothes*
  • Sunglasses*
  • Water bottle*
  • Medications*
  • Consent to Travel form*
  • Rustic Pathways emergency contacts*
  • Extra t-shirt and underwear in case your bags get lost!*
  • Flashlight or headlamp*
  • Hand sanitizer*
Checked Luggage

If you choose to bring checked luggage, it should be no more than 30 Liters and a backpack is ideal. Duffle bags and rolling suitcases are not realistic for this program.

MUST HAVE ITEMS:

  • Insect repellent–we suggest bringing a natural option AND something with DEET (no more than 20-30%)
  • Oxybenzone-free sunscreen (reef-safe) – good quality sunscreen is expensive in Southeast Asia!
  • Feminine hygiene supplies – tampons are not widely available in Southeast Asia. We recommend you bring what you think you will need for the duration of the program.
  • Hand Sanitizer

DO NOT BRING BULKY HIKING/WORK BOOTS! These are not needed and will become a burden. You can buy cheap, durable shoes appropriate for service work when you arrive.

VERSION 1 – BIG AND TALL:
Shopping in Southeast Asia can be quite challenging for big and tall people since people in Southeast Asia are smaller than most tourists. If you’d like to play it safe, here is a complete list of everything you’d need:

  • 2-3 pairs of lightweight pants or capris. Please leave yoga pants at home as they are too form-fitting.
  • 2-3 pairs of long, loose-fitting shorts or skirts, which should hit the knee or longer. These are necessary for service work where you want to be cool, covered, and protected.
  • 5-7 tops (t-shirts and sports shirts) – They can be cotton, or quick-dry shirts like capilene or polypropylene. Tank tops, crop tops, or transparent shirts are not appropriate. Keep in mind you will find cool T-shirts and clothes at markets you will be visiting throughout the summer, which can supplement the tops you bring over.
  • 2-3 light, long sleeve t-shirt – breathable is best for the sun and certain areas of the region can get buggy or chilly (if you’re lucky!) at night.
  • 1 lightweight hoodie – most likely needed on flights, in movie theaters, and in airports. Most people will be fine without one.
  • 8 pairs of underwear – Quick-dry material is best.
  • 3-4 pairs of socks – lightweight quick dry athletic socks are best.
  • 1 pair of sandals – either strapped or flip flops.
  • 2 swimsuits – modest two piece “sporty” suits are fine but no bikinis. You may notice that most people in the region swim in shirts and shorts.
  • 1 Sarong/shawl/lightweight towel (not white!) – you can buy this in country.

VERSION 2 – MINIMALIST!!
For those of you who would like to bring as little as possible, this is your invitation to do so! You can find everything you need once you arrive in country. Challenge yourself!

  • 4 pairs of underwear  – Quick-dry material is best
  • 1 lightweight hoodie –to keep your warm on the flight over.
  • 1 swimsuit – modest two piece “sporty” suits are fine but no bikinis please.
  • 1 T-shirt – After traveling across the world in your Rustic t-shirt, it will feel good to take a shower when you arrive and change into a clean shirt.
  • 1 pair of sandals – either strapped or flip flops.

Most general toiletries are available throughout the region at a fraction of the cost. We suggest packing all items that could leak in a plastic or ziplock bag.

Important Luggage Weight Restrictions

Airlines in Southeast Asia have weight restrictions for checked and carry-on luggage. Many students store their backpacking backpack as a carry-on in the overhead, and a smaller day pack for under the seat in front of them, but you’re welcome to check that larger backpack if you wish. Please know airlines enforce that checked luggage should be no more than 33lbs (15kg) and your carry-on luggage to 15lbs (7kg). Make sure everything you pack in your carry-on complies with the carry on regulations of the TSA. Lastly, remember to leave your valuables or prized possessions at home. It’s easier for things to get lost, stolen, or damaged while traveling.

 

Our Dress Code Expectations in Southeast Asia
  • Southeast Asian cultures are very conservative. Despite the hot climate, people in these parts of the world show less skin than in many Western cultures, and you’ll rarely see low-cut shirts or short shorts in rural communities. As we seek to respect and preserve the culture of the communities we work with, we ask that our students dress conservatively while in country. This is especially important because people of the region tend to keep quiet when they feel uncomfortable, so it’s our job to come prepared from the start. If you are not wearing proper attire, we will ask you to change your clothes or abstain from the service project of the day.
  • To dress respectfully in Southeast Asia, please bring loose-fitting pants or shorts that cover just above the knees (think basketball length). Bring basic t-shirts that cover your shoulders, and please leave all tank tops, cut off shirts, low-cut, see-through, or crop tops at home. As mentioned in our packing lists, yoga pants and leggings are not appropriate because they are too form-fitting. The key is to show less skin and to stay cool by wearing loose-fitted clothing. Check out these tips about how to pack for culturally-immersive travel and why Rustic cares about preserving a conservative dress code on our programs.