The Chiang Mai Expats Club wishes to express our deep sadness at the passing of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the Royal family, to the people of Thailand, and to all those whose lives she touched.
FROM THE PRESIDENT'S DESK Hello everyone, This is a time of deep sadness in Thailand. The recent passing of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother, is a profound loss to the entire nation. The official mourning period will be one year for the Royal family, with a 90-day mourning period for the country in
general. Flags will be flown at half staff for 30 days. All government officials, state employees and civil servants will wear mourning attire (all black) for a year. The public, including expats, should observe the dress code for at least 90 days, which means black clothing whenever possible, otherwise dark colors only…no bright colors! If you don’t wear black, attaching a small black ribbon is suggested. I encourage all of you to do a little research
(or let AI do it for you) and learn about the Queen Mother, she was a truly amazing person. She was also beloved by the Thai people, and for good reason. She was the Queen for over 65 years, and Queen Mother for 9 more, her remarkable legacy will endure for a long, long time. One a somewhat brighter note, the long awaited “activity” list of tasks members can help us out with—while taking very little your time—was published in an email to members last week.
This was in response to members telling us they would be willing to help if it didn’t require a lot of time, or a commitment to a larger role like joining the Board. We heard you, and the activity list is the result. Response so far has been terrific, and we hope in the days and weeks to come more of you will join in the fun of helping out. We’ll update it and publish it from time to time, in the meantime if you have questions, email Rick at
treasurer@chiangmaiexpatsclub.com. There are a couple of events coming up to remind you about. The first is this Saturday, our regular Saturday Breakfast at The Duke’s. Check out the info below and don’t forget to make your reservation(s). The reservation saves you 100 baht and really helps the restaurant in their planning. Walk-ins are welcome at the higher price, but you may be asked to wait a bit. Kids are always welcome, if they're under 12
it's only 195 baht. Also coming up in a few weeks is our next Expat Connection meeting on November 22. Yes, the ever popular Citylife Garden Fair falls on the same day (as usual) but there will be plenty of time to attend both. We have a terrific lineup of speakers (which means I'm not one of them!) on some very interesting and pertinent topics. It should be a great meeting, make your plans now to attend. There’s more information below, including the
button to buy your tickets—don’t procrastinate! Enjoy your week, and please be safe. -Kent
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NEXT EXPAT CONNECTION - NOVEMBER 22 DUANGTAWAN HOTEL - 3RD FLOOR 9:45 - 10:30 - Coffee/Tea/Snacks/Sponsors 10:30 - 12:00 Meeting
Peter Bell has put together an outstanding program for the November meeting, headlined by a visit from Ben Svasti Thomson, the Honorary British Consul. He’s going to speak to us about Chiang Mai Festival City, a comprehensive year-round festival covering a variety of events from art, to sports, food and entertainment, and more. It’s an incredible project, Ben is
going to give us an insider’s look at it. We’ll also welcome Joe Lynch, an attorney as well as a long-time member and sponsor of the club, who’s going to give us a presentation on estate planning in general, with an emphasis on living wills. If you attended our End of Life seminars a couple of years ago you know how important this is, and for those of you who missed the seminars this will be eye-opening. Also on the program is Dr. Thanawat
Benjanuwattra from Bangkok Hospital, to talk to us about blood pressure, and what we can do to maintain a healthy reading. To make it really interesting, Bangkok Hospital will have a team giving blood pressure tests before the meeting, be sure to stop by and get yours to make the most of Dr. Thanawat’s presentation. Finally, it’s time for a visit from our friend Thomas Carden, from another of our long-time sponsors, American International Tax Advisers. Thomas has
an update for us on the moving target otherwise known as the impending income tax. He has been advising us on this matter since it was announced, and his information and predictions have been right on the nose. If you bring money into Thailand you’ll want to her what he has to say. Don’t be surprised if Peter doesn’t have a few other things up his sleeve, so come join us for what should be a fun, interesting and informative morning, and remember, there’s still
plenty of time to get to the Citylife Fair.
INCOME TAX LAW UPDATE Hello Members, I am planning to attend the November meeting to discuss the ever-changing Thai tax landscape but given the recent Bangkok Post articles dropping, I wanted to provide a quick update via the
newsletter. Thailand’s tax policy on remitting foreign income has undergone notable changes since January 1, 2024. Under the current law, Thai tax residents are required to pay personal income tax at progressive rates (5% to 35%) on foreign-sourced income when it is brought into Thailand, regardless of the year in which the income was earned. This represents a shift from the previous rule, where only foreign income earned and remitted in the same tax year was taxable,
while remittances made later were not subject to Thai tax. We have recently confirmed that for most countries, social security or old-age pensions are not taxable in Thailand under tax treaties, with Australia being the major exception. The previous government was drafting legislation to exempt foreign income from Thai personal income tax if it is remitted within the calendar year it is earned or the following year. However, this policy does
not appear to have carried into the new government. Recent Bangkok Post articles have suggested that the current government is attempting to increase tax revenue rather than reduce it. There are hints that they are considering moving to a global basis of taxation rather than a remittance basis. We will keep you posted. In summary, the Thai tax policy on foreign income remittance currently taxes all foreign income brought into Thailand. However, foreign income earned
before January 1, 2024, remains exempt under a grandfathering provision, even if remitted afterward. Regards, Thomas M. Carden Director American International Tax Advisers
As stipulated in the Bylaws, elections for new members to the Board of Directors are to be held each year at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in January. Any member can be nominated for the Board, but must be sponsored by two members who are eligible to vote at the AGM, which is defined as membership commencing before Oct 1 of the year immediately preceding the AGM, which for this election means Oct 1,
2025. Completed nomination forms must be submitted to the Elections Officer no later than the last Saturday of November (Nov 29, 2025). Currently the Board can have up to 11 members. Current Board members stand for re-election along with new candidates. If the total number of candidates is less than 12 there will be no election and all candidates will form the new Board, effective with the Board of Directors meeting in February. If an election is
required it will be conducted according to the CEC Bylaws. If you would like more information or a nomination form please send your request to info@chiangmaiexpatsclub.com.
Meet with other Members and make new Friends
Saturday Breakfast at The Duke’s will be here before you know it. As the weather improves attendance will continue to grow, but the walls of the restaurant won't so don't
procrastinate. It's the hottest ticket in town and getting hotter, make your reservations now. Walk-ins will also be accepted, but maybe with a bit of a wait. Saturday, 1 November 2025 9:30 AM TO 11:30 AM @ THE DUKE'S - RUAMCHOKOnly 345 baht (Normally
445 baht) Kids under 12 only 195 baht! Please reserve via email at... info@thedukes.co.th Or call us at the Ruamchok branch... 053-240-550
The next luncheon has not yet been scheduled. Please check back next week!
Come Join Us for Tuesday DinnerEvery Tuesday from 5:00pm to 8:00pm
Currently at the Wine Connection restaurant at Central Festival - they host us for free. They have easy parking, a great selection of food and drinks for members to buy, and a separate area we can use. This is scheduled to be a regular event every Tuesday between 5pm and 8pm. Everyone is welcome, come along, bring your friends and meet new ones! Cheers, Jim Please
plan to join us! No reservations! No fees! Just come and socialize with your fellow expats in a delightful venue.
BRIDGE CLUB OF CHIANG MAIWe are a friendly bridge club with our own club house not far from the city centre. We have both Thai and expat members. Members and guests get together three times a week to play duplicate. We also offer periodic beginner bridge lessons. Please go to our website for further information (search Bridge Club of
Chiang Mai).
CMGeeks (Chiangmai Geeks) is a Special Interest Group (SIG) affiliated with the CM Expats Club in Chiangmai that focuses on information and communication technology. Just a quick reminder that our regular Tuesday lunchtime meeting is happening as usual at the Gymkhana Club. If you’re a regular or thinking of joining, we’d love to see you there! Contact / Information Addresses follow
this link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10...
This Week's Club Specials
The Duke's Traditional Thanksgiving Buffet on November 27, 2025 at all branches from 1:00 pm to 9:00 pm ~Special 200 Baht Discount for Adults and 100 Baht Discount for Children of The Duke's Insider and Chiang Mai Expats Club (CEC) members for paid reservations made between October 27 to November 10. ~ Please prepay at any of the four branches of The Duke’s: Ping River,
Ruamchok, Maya, or At The Gallery.
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What to do this coming week
To see more detailed information go to https://tiny.cc/stevesemail We hope to have a list by date for you starting next week (if you think you've seen this before, you're right...but we really do mean it!).
The Chiang Mai Expats Club (CEC) publishes various types of information for the purpose of helping fellow expats become acclimated and thrive in Chiang Mai. While we try to keep such information current and accurate, we do not have sufficient resources to provide assurance as to timeliness and accuracy. We advise members to confirm the information for themselves.To contact us - Email: info@chiangmaiexpatsclub.com which is the preferred method of communication. ©2025 Chiang Mai Expat Club | Chiang Mai Expats Club,
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