FROM THE PRESIDENT'S DESK

Hello everyone...

It’s tough enough to come up with things to write about every week, but lately it’s been twice as hard.  We’ve been in major event mode for a couple of months now, seems like that’s all I’ve been talking about.

With that said, let’s talk about our last event of the high season, the Annual Family BBQ Picnic.  It’s only a few days away, Saturday to be precise, and once again it will be our biggest event of the year.  That shouldn’t come as a surprise, especially considering the weather will be perfect (hope I’m not jinxing it), the Horizon Resort is a fantastically beautiful place to spend the day, The Duke’s says this will be their best BBQ ever, and to top it off there will be friends, board games, live music and a bar.  If that isn’t enough we’ll also have our friends from Rotary doing their annual fundraiser for children’s charities, the Golf Ball Drop.  You have to be there to truly understand the fun of watching those golf balls go flying as they hit the ground, particularly because part of the ground they hit is cement, which doesn’t slow golf balls down much!  It’s all done from a full-size hot air balloon, which will also offer up-and-down rides during the day, 100 baht for adults, 50 baht for kids.  Take a ride, enjoy the thrill, and be sure to take a few pictures of the spectacular resort while you’re up there—it’s not a perspective people commonly see.  There’s still time, check out the info below and use the button to buy your tickets.  See you Saturday!

Before I end this I wanted to take a minute and talk about the Expat Connection meeting last Saturday, which we combined with our Annual General Meeting.  A big shout out to Peter Bell for another outstanding meeting, with 2 excellent speakers—and I’m not talking about Rick and myself.  Jeannette Bruske introduced us to the wonderful world of the Elephant Parade, and Simon Bradshaw gave us a great look at the housing situation in Chiang Mai, and how it has been impacted by Covid, among other things.  They were great, thanks so much to both of them.

There was also a really remarkable thing that I want to share.  There was a motion before the members to make some changes to our Constitution, and after a brief discussion the vote was taken.  Such motions require a two-thirds majority to pass, which is a high bar for the right reasons.  After holding our breath while the votes were counted, Rick announced the results: there was not a single “NO” vote.  Amazingly, it was unanimous in favor, which none of us expected or probably even considered as a possibility.  I feel very good about that, and the confidence people showed in us to support us in that way.  I speak for the entire board when I say ‘thank you’, we greatly appreciate it and will continue to do the best job we possibly can to keep things moving forward in a positive way.

That’s it for this week, enjoy our wonderful weather while it lasts, and please be safe.

-Kent

CEC ANNUAL FAMILY BBQ PICNIC

IS THIS WEEKEND!

Just two days left to purchase tickets for our biggest event of the year!

This fantastic family day out takes place at the stunning Horizon Village & Resort, with a Western-style picnic BBQ catered by one of Chiang Mai’s best—The Duke’s. Be sure to check out the delicious menu below!

Enjoy a fun-filled day with something for everyone: beautiful gardens, children’s playgrounds, a mini zoo, swimming pool, guided tram tours, bicycle rentals,board games, a bar, and live music.

A highlight of the day is the Chiang Mai International Rotary Club’s Golf Ball Drop fundraiser for children’s charities. With only 300 balls available, your chances are great! Prizes are 30,000 baht (1st), 10,000 baht (2nd), and 5,000 baht (3rd). Kids can also explore the hot air balloon on the ground and enjoy short balloon rides. Golf ball purchase details coming soon.

Special accommodation offer: Horizon Village & Resort is offering ticket holders a special Valentine Night rate of 1,500 THB for a one-night stay, including access to resort facilities. More details and room tours will be available at the BBQ Picnic.

Ticket Sales end at midnight Thursday, after that walk-in price will be 1000 baht (still 295 for kids 5-12, kids under 5 are free).

We look forward to sharing this fantastic day with you!

CMIRC Charity Golf Ball Drop

Join the Chiang Mai International Rotary Club (CMIRC) for a fun and unique fundraising event — the Golf Ball Drop — where hundreds of numbered golf balls are released from a tethered balloon, and exciting prizes are up for grabs.

How It Works

• Golf balls cost 1,000 THB each
• No need to be present to win
• 300 numbered balls will be dropped from the sky
• Prizes go to the owners of the three balls landing closest to the “X”

Prizes

• 1st Prize: 30,000 THB in gift cards of your choice
• 2nd Prize: 10,000 THB in gift vouchers
• 3rd Prize: 5,000 THB in gift vouchers

Why It Matters

All proceeds support CMIRC’s current and future children’s projects, with a focus on child safety, health, and education across Northern Thailand.

Bonus Family Fun

Hot air balloon rides will be available for families and children for just 100 THB per person.

Tickets & Information

🎫 Purchase tickets: https://www.ticketmelon.com/cmirc/golfballdrop2025

ℹ️ Important Note:
Attendance at the Golf Ball Drop is limited to guests of the CEC Annual Family BBQ Picnic. Entry to the picnic is ticketed separately.

🔎 Learn more:

• CMIRC & Golf Ball Drop: cmirotary.org 
• 📧 johnkschorr@gmail.com |📞 085-030-214

SATURDAY BREAKFAST AT THE DUKE'S

FEBRUARY 7, 2026 - The Duke's - Ruamchok

TASK OF THE WEEK

We're still looking for a hot-shot newsletter editor, if you ever dreamed of having your own newspaper, here's your chance!  Creativity is highly encouraged - own it, turn it into something special!

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

LOCAL GROUPS

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

The next Ladies Lunch will be the the 29th of January

Venue: Sai Ping Bar & Restaurant, 91 Charoen Rat Rd., Wat Ket

Time: 12:00 noon

Free Parking available

Full Bar

Make your reservations now:

Stephanie Sutcliffe

ladiesdolunch44@gmail.com

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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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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