FROM THE PRESIDENT'S DESK

Hello everyone,

Well, we made it through the holidays.  I trust you all had a joyful holiday season and survived the New Year without too much discomfort.  Now we come face to face with our resolutions for the year, I’m facing mine now for the fourth straight year…maybe this is the year I’ll finally learn Thai.

There’s a lot coming up in the next few weeks, it’s probably a good idea to remind you what’s ahead.  First up is the Expat Connection meeting on the 24th of this month.  It will feature Jeannette Bruske from the Elephant Parade, which is a wonderful organization dedicated to the care of elephants, and funded by their production of astonishing hand-painted elephants, produced right here in Chiang Mai and shipped world-wide.  I’m lucky, I can walk to their factory from my home and I always enjoy visiting.  It’s an amazing place, I’m really looking forward to hearing from Jeannette about their wonderful history and their work.  Also speaking to us will be Simon Bradshaw from Perfect Homes.  Simon has spoken to us a time or two before, and is a leading authority (perhaps the leading authority) of the housing market and trends in Chiang Mai.  He always has a lot of interesting and helpful information, I’m sure this time will be no different.  By the way, you can submit questions ahead of time to both speakers, look below for that.

The Expat Connection will also include our Annual General Meeting, which is when we take a look back at the last year and give you our crystal ball vision into the future.  The exciting part is the Treasurer’s report, which I can promise you this year will be special.  We’ll also have a motion for membership to vote on, the details will come to you in a special email in the next few days.

Next up, the following weekend will be our Annual Family BBQ Picnic on January 31st at Horizon Village Resort.  It will once again be catered by The Duke’s, with their mouth-watering BBQ buffet.  We should have the menu finalized soon, I hope to publish it next week.  If it’s anything like the past it’s worth waiting a year to enjoy once again!  We’re also partnering again with Chiang Mai International Rotary Club to host their annual fund-raiser for their children’s charities, the Golf Ball Drop. I’ll go into more detail next week, but this is a bit hit, always fun to watch, and first prize is 30,000 baht.  With a maximum of 300 balls being dropped those are the best odds you’ll ever have at for prize like that!  More on all of this is below, be sure to check it out.

Finally, after a successful experiment of moving the January Breakfast at the Duke’s to New Year’s Day it returns in February to it’s usual day, the first Saturday of the month.  This year it’s February 7th, the reservation system will be available in a week or two, keep an eye out for that.  I also want to take a minute to congratulate The Duke’s on the opening of their newest location at Central Airport.  It’s a beautiful place, with the same great food and service we’re used to, I strongly encourage you to drop by for a bite the next time you visit the mall.  Tell them I sent you.  It won’t get you anything, except maybe a blank stare or a laugh, but have some fun with it.

That’s it for this week, enjoy the great weather and please be safe.

-Kent

SATURDAY BREAKFAST AT THE DUKE'S

FEBRUARY 7, 2026 - The Duke's - Ruamchok

SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS FOR OUR SPEAKERS

We're trying something new, here's your chance to ask your burning questions for our speakers ahead of time.  Hit the link below to take you to a form where you can submit your questions, which will then be given to the speakers to assist them as they prepare their presentations.  

CEC ANNUAL FAMILY BBQ PICNIC

IS JUST 3 WEEKS AWAY!

Get ready for one of our favourite CEC events of the year! We’re returning to the spectacular Horizon Village Resort for a Western-style picnic and BBQ, catered by our friends at The Duke’s.

There’s something for everyone at the Horizon Resort, from relaxing on the beautiful grounds to visiting the zoo (a favorite with kids!), swimming, guided tours around the resort, and more. We’ll also have table games, a bar, and live music, making it the perfect day out for family and friends.

One of the highlights is the Golf Ball Drop, the Chiang Mai International Rotary Club’s annual fundraiser for children’s charities and yes, it’s back again this year! Purchase a numbered golf ball (only 300 available, so your odds are much better than the lottery), and if your ball lands closest to the marker after being dropped from a hot air balloon, you win 30,000 baht. Second prize is 10,000 baht, and third prize 5,000 baht.  Kids will love the hot air balloon on the ground to explore, plus up-and-down rides in the Ball Drop balloon.  We'll have details and a purchase link for Golf Ball Drop balls soon.

A full menu and details of optional resort activities will be published next week.

Early Bird Discount Available!
Purchase your tickets early to enjoy a special discounted rate before prices increase. Use the button below to secure your tickets now and qualify for the special discount.

We look forward to enjoying this special event with you!

TASK OF THE WEEK

Now that we've got this newsletter down to basically a cut & paste exercise it's ready for someone to take it over.  If you ever dreamed of having your own newspaper, here's your chance.  Creativity is highly encouraged, turn it into something special!

If the publisher/editor in you is aching for an opportunity, please email: treasurer@chiangmaiexpatsclub.com.

LOCAL GROUPS

LAST SECOND REMINDER!

EXPAT LADIES LUNCH 

Thursday, 8th January 2026, 12pm

Girasole Restaurant

Many will be familiar with this excellent Italian Restaurant.

Reply to:    ladiesdolunch44@gmail.com by 7th January before 12 pm

For details of travel and more about the restaurant: 

https://maps.app.goo.gl/4pX8qXw8jK9Q3PqP7

Bar: Full bar 

Parking: There is on street parking & onsite parking

Happy New Year to everybody, see you later

Stephanie 

Come Join Us for Tuesday Dinner

Every 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 MAI

For any information, contact info@chiangmaiexpatsclub.com . Both the Swimming and the Board Games are at the same venue. The place is Na Non Restaurant, Pool & Gym. Map coordinates: https://maps.app.goo.gl/gKNGuXmZ3vQMaYEN7?g_st=am

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... 

Sponsor's Club Specials 

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Thank you to our valued Sponsors

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"Expert Legal Services for Expats in Chiang Mai and
throughout Thailand
 

Chiang Mai Medical Center Hospital is a 100 bed private hospital providing both medical and surgical services with stringent quality standards is built with vision to serve everyone who needs hospital care. We place special emphasis on our principles  of respect for all, care, compassion and patient support.

For English assistance : Mr. Kumar 085-167-0005

Assist Thai Visa has been helping it’s clients obtain their Thai Visas in Chiang Mai since 2008, and offers members a discounted rate on a 45-minute consultation.  Regular price is 50 USD (approx 1600 baht), members price is 35 USD (approx 1120 baht).  Click the button above to book your consultation.

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What to do this coming week in 

Chiang Mai

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...it's turning out to be a bit of a challenge 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.

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