You’re not alone
This move isn’t easy. You won’t do it by yourself.
From the little things, like finding the right grocery store, to the big ones, like choosing a visa, we are there to provide support and connect you to resources. If you're planning to settle in Chiang Mai, we can offer additional support when you arrive with real people waiting to meet you at the airport, help you settle in, and welcome you into a community.
A Seeker’s Journey
From “is this even possible?” to home
Every person we help follows a path a lot like this one. Here’s what walking it with us looks like.
Research and reach out
You begin your research and reach out to us at Trans Action Refuge via email or social media.
Live Q&A and group chat
You attend one of our Live Q&A events. Your interest remains high, and you are invited to join our group chat to continue the conversation.
Decide
You officially decide to move to Thailand and share your timeline with us.
Arrival chat and welcome packet
A private arrival chat is created and we provide you with a digital welcome packet that includes insights for navigating life on the ground in Chiang Mai.
Arrival and connection
Your Primary Contact picks you up at the Chiang Mai airport, takes you to your accommodation, and remains available for questions via text or phone.
Settling in
Your Primary Contact connects you with your Buddies and Helpers, the people who help you find your feet in Chiang Mai.
It's official
You’re now a Transplant, and a beautiful part of our community.
What we offer
Information, support & community
Three things that turn a frightening leap into a plan you can actually follow.
Information
Clear, honest answers on visas, cost of living, healthcare, schools, work and daily life, so you can decide if Thailand is right for you.
Support
One-to-one calls before you leave, help finding accommodation, a friendly face at the airport, and Helpers on the ground in Chiang Mai.
Community
Monthly meet-ups, our “Welcome Wagon” group chat, celebration and connection, a place to thrive, not just survive.
Start exploring
The nuts & bolts
Practical guides to help you picture life here and plan your move. (Full guides coming to the new site.)
When you’re ready
Reach out: there’s no wrong way to start
Our virtual Live Q&As are the easiest first step: meet real people living in Thailand and get your questions answered. We host two every month; reserve a spot below.
Live Q&A · Sunday session
Live Q&A · Thursday session
Reserve your spot
Free and open to anyone considering a move. We’ll send the joining link by email.
Need to leave quickly? The Quick exit button at the top of the page will take you away from this site instantly.
Year one · a global reach
Small team. Real lives changed.
In our very first year of operating, a small team of Helpers turned fear into safe arrivals, one person, one family at a time.
In their words
Hear from people who made the move
Within a week of my first on-camera meeting with real people living in Thailand, my move went from hypothetical and scary to planned out in detail. I knew the when, where, how, and most importantly, the who. Members of the team met me at the airport.
They explained the pros and cons over video calls, picked me up from the airport, and had found me a place to stay. They connected me with people and included me in social events. In such a short time I felt so welcome, safer and more relaxed than I’d been in a year.
A life saver since my move to Chiang Mai. The monthly meet-ups have been game-changers for finding friends after moving across the world alone. My only regret is not knowing about this resource before I left.
The journey you power
A Seeker’s journey, powered by you
Every safe arrival follows a path like this one. Here is each step, and how your support helps make it happen.
Research and reach out
A Seeker begins their research and reaches out to us at Trans Action Refuge via email or social media.
$200 Support our online presence for a monthLive Q&A and group chat
The Seeker attends one of our Live Q&A events. Their interest remains high, and they are invited to join our group chat to continue the conversation.
$100 Sponsor a Q&ADecide
The Seeker officially decides to move to Thailand and shares their timeline with us.
Arrival chat and welcome packet
A private arrival chat is created, and we provide a digital welcome packet with insights for navigating life on the ground in Chiang Mai.
$25 Sponsor a printed welcome packet, given to the Seeker on arrivalArrival and connection
The Seeker is assigned a Primary Contact who picks them up at the Chiang Mai airport, takes them to their accommodation, and stays available for questions by text or phone.
$50 Stock a newly-arrived Seeker’s kitchen for their first week: groceries and household basics, so settling in doesn’t start with an empty fridgeMatchmaking
The Seeker’s Primary Contact connects them with our Buddies and Helpers: Neighborhood Guides, a Tech Buddy, a Social Butterfly, and more.
It’s official
They’re now a Transplant, and a beautiful part of our community.
$250 Sponsor one monthly social event, to sustain community support over timeWhy we’re needed
Why are we needed?
The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention and Human Security issued an announcement in January of 2026 that the United States was in the early stages of a genocide of transgender people.
This is not only in the United States. Transgender people are facing increasing hostility around the globe. Countries that were formerly deemed safe are rapidly restricting trans people’s human rights and putting them at great risk of poverty, incarceration and violence.
Here are other examples from around the globe:
Argentina
President Milei decreed limits on trans rights, including a ban on gender-affirming care for minors. In July, ruling-party lawmakers introduced a bill that, if passed, would dismantle the 2012 Gender Identity Law.
Chile
The Chamber of Deputies approved a report recommending the elimination of gender-affirming care for minors and sanctions on providers, echoing the UK Cass Review.
Georgia
Replaced “gender equality” with “equality between women and men” across laws, erasing gender identity protections.
Peru
Congress passed a “Bathroom Law” mandating restrooms by biological sex. A new bill seeks to criminalize gender-affirming care and social transition for minors.
Slovakia
The Slovak National Council passed a constitutional amendment recognizing only “man and woman,” banning same-sex adoption, and tightening sex education.
Spain
A far-right party filed a motion in Congress to repeal the 2023 Trans Law and launched repeal initiatives in at least five regional parliaments, aiming to erode protections through subnational channels.
United Kingdom
The Supreme Court ruled the Equality Act defines sex strictly as biological, removing trans people’s access to single-sex spaces. All gender-affirming treatment for minors has also been put on hold indefinitely.
United States
A sweeping federal rollback under President Trump: executive orders erased gender identity from public policy, banned trans military service, and cut DEI. By September, 122 state bills restricting trans people’s rights had passed. Puerto Rico and Guam also enacted bans.
These facts are from Outright International’s tracking of attacks on trans, intersex and nonbinary people’s human rights in 2025.
About the Team
We are a passionate team of trans folks and allies
We do this work because
In the short term we've built a vibrant community with resources for those fleeing, and a place to thrive rather than just survive. Long term we are working to deepen our roots in Thailand by working with other Thai organizations and providing beginning language lessons to our transplants.
Core team
The heartbeat of T.A.R.: five trans & ally humans who meet weekly and are there for every Seeker.
Helpers
Trans folks & allies on the ground in Chiang Mai, from airport pickups to grocery runs and neighborhood walks.
What we offer Seekers
Help with visas, accommodation, healthcare and daily living, plus partnerships with trusted Thai LGBT-friendly businesses. When Seekers arrive, community is waiting: connection, celebration, and everything that turns a new place into home.
“Trans Action Refuge recognizes that we are guests on this land, and we are committed to integrating into and honoring Thai culture and society.”
Our plan of action for turning this pledge into reality
- Raising the funds to offer beginning-level Thai language classes to our Transplants.
- Thai leadership is essential to us. We’re committed to a team that reflects, and is accountable to, the communities we now call home.
- Using local Thai businesses for our purchasing and service needs whenever possible.
- Adding quarterly activities to our calendar to engage in local cultural activities as a community.
- Supporting local businesses with our monthly social events, bringing large numbers of patrons to their establishments and giving them shout-outs on our social media.
Help us continue the momentum
Your gift is someone’s safe arrival.
Every dollar and every hour helps a trans person reach safety and find a community waiting for them. Give once, or become a monthly supporter to help us plan ahead. The U.S. Dollar amounts below show what your gift could be used for.
Buys lunch for a Transplant on their day of arrival: a warm welcome the moment they land.
Donations are processed securely through Buy Me a Coffee. These impact examples are illustrative for now: give once or monthly, in any amount.
Become a Helper
Give your time: there’s a role for you
Whether you’re on the ground in Chiang Mai or supporting from anywhere in the world, our Helpers make every safe arrival possible. Here are the roles we’re looking to fill.
Primary Contact
Your Seeker’s point person. Welcome them at the airport when they arrive, match them with the right buddies and Helpers, and make sure all of their needs are met.
Neighborhood Guide
Give Seekers essential tours of local neighborhoods to help them find the best fit. Bonus points if you can help them find a home or apartment to settle into.
Tech Buddy
Help Seekers get set up and stay connected in Thailand: phone plans and SIM cards, plus getting acquainted with apps like Grab, Bolt and Google Maps.
Social Butterfly
Offer companionship through coffee dates and hangouts so Seekers feel welcomed and included. You may also help us plan community events.
Communication Helper
Engage with Seekers in Live Q&A sessions and answer questions on Signal (we aim to reply within 24 hours). May also be appointed a moderator of our Signal groups.
Data Helper
Keep us organized behind the scenes: creating and updating spreadsheets and maintaining the records that keep the organization running smoothly.
Not sure where you fit?
Tell us your strengths in the form and we’ll help you find the right role.
A note on every role: please try to minimize any out-of-pocket expenses. We don’t yet have a way to reimburse our Helpers, though we hope to change that as we grow.
Helper sign-up
Community in Chiang Mai
The community you’re moving toward
Chiang Mai isn’t only where you’ll be safe: it’s where you’ll belong. From Pride marches to lakeside swims, pottery workshops to holiday parties, here’s a glimpse of the life that’s waiting for you when you land.
There’s always something happening
Our calendar runs year-round: somewhere to show up, be yourself, and make friends. A few of our recent and upcoming gatherings:
For current events and everyday life in the community, follow along on our socials:
In solidarity
Our accomplices
We’re part of a wider movement getting trans folks to safety. These are organizations doing work alongside ours: some helping people move within their own country, others clear across the world.
Why “accomplices,” not “allies”?
An ally supports from a safe distance. An accomplice steps into the work: sharing risk, following the lead of the people most affected, and acting to dismantle the systems that make this work necessary in the first place. The organizations below don’t just sympathize with trans people seeking safety; they put time, resources, and themselves on the line to make it happen. We’re proud to stand with them.
Rainbow Railroad
GlobalHelps at-risk LGBTQI+ people around the world escape violence and reach safety, through emergency relocation, crisis response and direct cash assistance.
Visit site →Trans Rescue
GlobalHelps trans and queer people escape life-threatening persecution in 70+ countries, with emergency evacuation, safe relocation and holistic legal, housing and medical support.
Visit site →TRACTION · Open Arms
US · Pacific NWA grassroots resettlement project supporting trans+ people and families leaving US states for safer, more welcoming homes in the Pacific Northwest, with peer navigators and community connections.
Visit site →Trans Continental Pipeline
US · ColoradoA Denver mutual-aid network helping LGBTQIA+ people move out of unsafe US environments to Colorado, with relocation resources, temporary housing and a peer “welcome wagon.”
Visit site →Help Me Leave
US to abroadA resource hub for at-risk people in the US seeking safety abroad, helping them build evacuation plans and get on their way.
Visit site →Trans World Express
US to abroad · infoA community-built knowledge base for trans Americans considering emigrating: step-by-step exit planning, visa guidance and country-by-country research.
Visit site →LGBTQ+ Assoc. Far
Europe · BarcelonaBarcelona-based support for queer and trans people navigating displacement: asylum guidance, relocation help and safety planning.
Visit site →Trans Passage International
InternationalInternational support for trans people seeking safe passage across borders to somewhere they can live freely.
Link coming soon