Pickleball players looking for more than another round of open play now have a reason to dust off their passports. In honor of National Pickleball Day on Aug. 8, Trevett-based Friends of Thai Daughters (FTD) is announcing the Play With Purpose Pickleball Tour to Thailand, Dec. 2–10, a nine-day adventure that pairs the country’s fastest-growing sport with one of its most meaningful causes.

The tour takes players to the Golden Triangle region of northern Thailand, where mornings are spent on the court and afternoons exploring one of Southeast Asia’s most magical landscapes. There is unlimited pickleball — daily play, clinics, and friendly competition for every level, from committed 4.0s to players who picked up a paddle last summer.

But the “purpose” is what sets this trip apart. Participants will spend time with the Maine-based Friends of Thai Daughters nonprofit that has worked for two decades to protect at-risk girls in northern Thailand from human trafficking through education, safe housing, and long-term mentorship. Travelers will share meals, stories, and — naturally — a few games of pickleball with the Thai Daughters themselves, seeing firsthand the lives their trip helps support.

Between matches, the itinerary reads like a bucket list: immersion in local culture and cuisine, visits to hill-tribe communities and markets, and ethical elephant experiences that let travelers observe and care for these magnificent animals responsibly. At day’s end, guests enjoy luxury tented camp accommodations, where safari-style glamour meets northern Thai hospitality.

“Pickleball has a way of turning strangers into friends in about eleven points,” tour organizer, keen pickler and FTD co-founder Jane McBride said. “This tour takes that same spirit and puts it to work for girls whose futures depend on it.”

Proceeds from the tour benefit Friends of Thai Daughters’ programs in Thailand. Space is limited, and spots are expected to fill quickly — pickleball players, it turns out, are not known for hesitating at the kitchen line.

Full itinerary, pricing, and registration details are available at www.goldentrianglepickleball.org.

So this Aug. 8, celebrate National Pickleball Day the usual way — then plan to celebrate December the unforgettable way: paddle in hand, purpose in heart, Thailand ahead.