London or Bangkok

Q: We are planning to visit London at the end of June and need some tips on watching tennis at Wimbledon. What are the tournament's dates and how do we get lastminute tickets? Thanks for your help, Somchai

A: Wimbledon's courts echo with the epics of tennis history: this is where Bjorn Borg beat John McEnroe in a fourthset tiebreaker in 1980 and the scene of what many regard the greatest display of grass court tennis ever the 1999 final between Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. Last year's final saw Rafael Nadal overcome Roger Federer in one of the most fiercely competitive matches ever.

The world's biggest lawn tennis tournament is scheduled for June 22July 5 this year and remains one of the few major UK sporting events where you can buy premium tickets on the day of play. All you need is the patience to queue.

On every day bar the last four, 500 tickets each for the Centre, No 1 and No 2 Courts are reserved for sale at the turnstiles. They cost between 27 pounds (about Bt1,400) and 72 pounds depending on the day and the court.

Additionally, roughly 6,000 Ground Admission tickets are available each day for unreserved seating and standing room on Courts 3-19. Tickets cost between 5 and 18, depending on the time and day.

The atmosphere in the queue is friendly and visitors enjoy the opportunity of meeting and talking tennis with other fans.

Tickets are sold on a "first come, first served" basis at the turnstiles - take cash, they don't accept plastic.

If you want a Grounds Admission ticket, arrive several hours before the grounds open at 10.30am. If you are hoping for showcourt tickets, plan on camping out overnight. In 2008, the process became easier. Queuers can now camp in Wimbledon Park, near Parking Lot 10 where the queue begins. At about 6.00am, stewards will wake you up, ask you to dismantle your camping equipment, move your cars to the car parks and close up into a tighter formation to make room for those joining the queue on the day. Don't forget to bring your raincoat, and perhaps a foldable chair to sit and wait. Check for information at www.Wimbledon.org.

Q: Hi, my name is Top, a Thai university student in Bangkok. I am keen to see or do some volunteer work with orang utans in Malaysia but don't know where to start. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks.

A: The orangutan is one of the most endangered of Malaysia's wild animals. Found only in Borneo and Sumatra, orangutans are threatened by forest fires, tree felling, poaching and illegal hunting. The opportunity to help them in the wild as a volunteer can be an unforgettable experience.

Most people volunteer at the Sepilok OrangUtan Rehabilitation Centre, which is located near Sandakan in Borneo. Since 1964 the centre has been helping to rehabilitate injured or orphaned orangutans, nursing them back to health before they can be released into the forest. Many that end up here have strayed into logging camps or been rescued from captivity. Some are orphaned babies that would not survive in the forest alone. As far as I'm aware volunteers are taken on for a fixedlength term of two months.

Set in the lush, 4,300hectare KabiliSepilok Forest Reserve, the Centre also attracts both tourists and researchers, giving them the opportunity to observe orang utans up close in their natural habitat.

If two months is too long, check out the new rehabilitation project at the Matang Wildlife Centre, which offers volunteer programmes of between two and four weeks. For more details visit www.OrangUtanProject.com and www.Sabah.gov.my/jhl.