where to meet

[mascarabertha]

I would recommend the CM Expatriates Club!

http://www.chiangmaiexpatsclub.com

I'm sure Nancy will also be along to also welcome you...

they only want advice from Americans

"and was wondering where one can most likely meet Americans living here"

The majority of members of the CMEC are Americans...

Which is actually interesting in itself.. Why do Americans in particular feel the need to have some sort of neo-sahib gathering with other American gentlement when out in the scary tropics?

The British mostly grew out of that. (finally) The French have the excuse that they only speak French. But Americans..?

Americans are out of their comfort zone when roaming anything more east of NY or more west than SF. They seek the company and validation of the 10% of other Americans who have actually gone forward and applied for a passport. They bring U.S. stamps with them to mail letters from Europe and toilet paper as well.

[FolkGuitar]

I would recommend the CM Expatriates Club!

http://www.chiangmaiexpatsclub.com

I'm sure Nancy will also be along to also welcome you...

they only want advice from Americans

"and was wondering where one can most likely meet Americans living here"

The majority of members of the CMEC are Americans...

Which is actually interesting in itself.. Why do Americans in particular feel the need to have some sort of neo-sahib gathering with other American gentlement when out in the scary tropics?

The British mostly grew out of that. (finally) The French have the excuse that they only speak French. But Americans..?

It's not so much that the Brits have grown out of it. They just changed the meeting's schedule and venue. Instead of once a month at a hotel, they meet every night at the bar. Same, same... but different.

[BB24]

Thank you for the nice "vote of confidence" BB24. I hope you'll consider joining CEC someday. I don't want to seem ungrateful or pendantic, but just a little clarification to a point you brought up. Once of the things we had to clean up in the last year was the question of exactly "what is CEC?" from a legal standpoint. The group had just kind of come together and grown unexpectedly fast since it started 10 years ago -- about the time retirees discovered Chiang Mai. It's definitely a social club with charitable uses of funds not used for operational purposes -- something pretty common in Thai society, but how do we get this set up given that everyone on our board is a foreigner?

Well, ta-da! A change in Thai law in effect April 1 decreed that all clubs like ours must register and get a Tax I.D. number and file Tax Returns. There's a whole bunch of Thai clubs -- the mutual aid societies at the local wats, the Chinese-Thai groups that march in the Chinese New Year parade, etc, -- that operate much ike CEC with meetings and sponsors and social gatherings in fancy hotels and gifts to charities and operating budgets way, way higher than CEC. Even paid staff and offices and big expense accounts for their officers. Hmm.. but I digress. Anyway, all the sudden it didn't matter that we're a bunch of foreigners running CEC. All we had to do was have someone fill out a one-page form in nice neat Thai writing and now we're officially known as

คณะบุคคล CHIANG MAI EXPATS CLUB which means "group of people Chiang Mai Expats Club"

That's right -- all the members are the "group". We do have to file tax and pay income taxes twice a year, but it's pretty minor and well worth it to be "legal"

So, to clarify, CEC is not a "commercial" group, but a social club. That is our official legal standing.

Cheers Nancy - thanks for the clarification. Good luck with the Club going forward - you are doing a great job. Maybe one day I will join - but I am like Groucho Marx in that regards

[NancyL]

Actually, the CEC membership is only about 40% American. People from the U.K. make up the next biggest group, but the Aussies are gaining fast. In the past two years, the fastest growing group have been the Aussies and Canadians. And were starting to see more and more people from Singapore. So no, the group is not "majority American" nor is the Board. In fact, the Board has just two Americans. We have two Aussies, two Brits, a Swiss lady and another who is a Thai/UK dual national. Again, hardly an American-dominated organization.

And Beetlejuice, to answer your question in post Number 30. According to the CEC Constitution, which is on our website, CEC is a not-for-profit club and any excess funds are to be used for charitable purposes. In the past year we've made significant donations to the Mae Tao Clinic in Mae Sot and Skill Center Chiang Mai.

[zeichen]

The OP has left the conversation as it has spiraled into a debate on the benefits or problems of expats club and turned into american bashing.

Hopefully the OP doesn't take the usual vitriol of CM TV posters as what or how most people are here.

Nancy, really just let it go. You don't need to defend yourself or your organization. There will always be opponents and there is nothing that you can say that will change their preconceived notions.

I personally cannot stand the expats clubs or any of the 30+ members I met a few years ago. I found everyone to have so many personal agendas, but at the same time I wouldn't bad mouth it and often recommend it to people that would seem to enjoy such an environment.

I don't know why others that post against you cannot just do the same.

[Suradit69]

1optimistic -- Welcome to Thai Visa!

I hope you're able to come by the Breakfast Club gathering of CM Expats Club on Friday. I think you'll see it's more welcoming than Thai Visa.

Of course, it's perfectly understandable you want to talk with others from the U.S. if you haven't fully made the move yet -- you'll need to know how to handle banking, mail forwarding, retirement visa application in the U.S., health insurance and medicine refills, etc. All topics which people of other nationalities would have limited ability to help. Once you get settled in, then you'll have a chance to meet the many people of other nationalties and really get a chance to explore and appreciate Thai culture. But first things first. There's no point in throwing yourself into getting to know some Thais right off the bat if you don't have banking and visas figured out first, is there?

"Of course, it's perfectly understandable you want to talk with others from the U.S."

I've lived and worked in 4 countries in addition to Thailand and never felt the urge to randomly seek out other Americans any more than I would if I moved to a new city in the US. If I just moved to Denver I wouldn't seek advice from people in some bar or restaurant there even though the majority would be American. Putting those same people into a room in CM doesn't transform them into gurus. The fact that they're still clinging to other Americans to bolster their self confidence suggests they're unable to cope themselves or else they're the over-bearing types who want to tell everyone else what to do.

Once a year I have to spend a few hours in the midst of hundreds of other Americans during a Consular outreach. Being forced to overhear conversations around me (many of my fellow country men have their volume control stuck on high) there's always someone dispensing advice that is at least as inaccurate and misinformed as many of the posts on TV.

You don't have to be an American or have white skin to know how to use a bank or find a condo and I would be especially cautious about getting cozy with anyone who was too eager to get friendly and "helpful" with me.

Surprisingly I managed to find & buy a condo, open a bank account, find shops and sort out local transport in Thailand only with assistance from Thai people when I first arrived in Thailand. One of the pleasures, adventures if you will, in moving to a new place is getting out and discovering things ... without having your hand held by some controlling nanny.

Edited May 14, 2015 by Suradit69

[kilt]

Well.... I think I'll head over to The River Market tomorrow to check out the Expats Club. I'm Canadian as is my wife.

We've been here for a few years and have condo, bank accounts, drivers licenses etc... sorted.

I'm just hoping to meet new people and expand our social group.

Do people actually mingle at this breakfast event or do they sit at tables in groups with their friends etc...?

gmac

[zeichen]

"I've lived and worked in 4 countries in addition to Thailand and never felt the urge to randomly seek out other Americans any more than I would if I moved to a new city in the US."

so because you feel this way, everyone should? Everyone that wants to talk with someone from a familiar perspective is wrong because you are not that way?

Some people are not adventurous or want to have some security and be shown around. Though I don't need this, I wouldn't fault anyone that does.

Why do the TV posters really have to shame new posters for their inquiries.

[LarryBird]

Kind of weird that OP hasn't been more involved in the discussion.

FWIW, as an American I feel like I have been treated impolitely by the occassional Euro (usually mainland), simply for the sake of being American.. Certainly not all, and not enough to stop introducing myself to Europeans, but I feel like their are some that are quick to label me in whatever way they seem convenient.

I have definitely enjoyed getting to know a lot of Brits, and other Europeans as well.

[NancyL]

Well.... I think I'll head over to The River Market tomorrow to check out the Expats Club. I'm Canadian as is my wife.

We've been here for a few years and have condo, bank accounts, drivers licenses etc... sorted.

I'm just hoping to meet new people and expand our social group.

Do people actually mingle at this breakfast event or do they sit at tables in groups with their friends etc...?

gmac

Here's the deal at this breakfast event -- it's "name tags optional" If someone accepts a name tag it means that they're open to meeting new people. If they have just want to sit and talk with their friends, then they don't take a name tag. It helps if newcomers are a little bold about just sitting down in a open seat and introducing themselves. Since it's buffet people are getting up and down from their seats all the time and they put the coffee W-A-Y across the room at the bar, so you do have to move around. We try to get people mingling as much as possible, but of course, some people just want to be left alone (fair enough!)

Once the initial stampede is thru the door, the Board members and their spouses do try to seek out newcomers for a chat.

Edited May 14, 2015 by NancyL

[Dante99]

Kind of weird that OP hasn't been more involved in the discussion.

FWIW, as an American I feel like I have been treated impolitely by the occassional Euro (usually mainland), simply for the sake of being American.. Certainly not all, and not enough to stop introducing myself to Europeans, but I feel like their are some that are quick to label me in whatever way they seem convenient.

I have definitely enjoyed getting to know a lot of Brits, and other Europeans as well.

Not to worry Larry, some of us Europeans often can not distinguish an individual from the politics of the country they were born in, others of us are just a bit afraid and try to hide it with superiority, fortunately as you have experienced, all do not fall into those two groups.

[onthedarkside]

off topic and unnecessary post has been removed.

[Mapguy]

OP certainly started a firestorm! Beattlejuice, as usual, makes no contribution other than to get NancyL's dander up. And she took the bait! Judging from the original post and guessing that OP, if not a troll, has probably not traveled too far from home, the Expats Club sounds ideal. After a bad start with a con artist at the helm, it is now run by virtual virgins! Beetle juice does not even qualify as old New York City cheap apartment steam heat in a tropical climate.

[northernjohn]

Well.... I think I'll head over to The River Market tomorrow to check out the Expats Club. I'm Canadian as is my wife.

We've been here for a few years and have condo, bank accounts, drivers licenses etc... sorted.

I'm just hoping to meet new people and expand our social group.

Do people actually mingle at this breakfast event or do they sit at tables in groups with their friends etc...?

gmac

Actually there is quite a few who hang together regularly and there are a lot that mix with strangers. I once met two people there and we sat and talked until 4 in the afternoon. Not a big hit with the boss but it was great for us.

[NancyL]

Considering that they take away the food from the buffet promptly at 11:30 am and the coffee shortly after that, I don't think the staff at River Market minds if people linger and talk well into the afternoon. The water is free and the place isn't busy for lunch, especially this time of year. They use the other side of the restaurant for lunch anyway.

We've had Board meetings in the upstairs meeting room of the restaurant after the Breakfast and then when our meeting breaks up at, say, 1:30 - 2 pm, I still see people sitting and talking from the Breakfast crowd.

[onthedarkside]

Enough of the nit picking and bickering, Many off topic posts have been removed that add no value to the topic at hand - 'Where to meet' ...

[kilt]

I had a great time at the expats breakfast. Learned about a motorcycle club; met a guy who restores old cars and is VERY passionate about it; met a ships captain; met several people with similar interests who may become good friends in time; signed up to a weekly newsletter about events in Chiang Mai I would never have known about and had a spectacular breakfast! I hope the OP was there also...

[BarnicaleBob]

To the OP, if you are a military veteran, there are also monthly VFW meetings held at the River Market on the first Saturday of every month starting at 10:30 am but come a little early so you can chat a bit before the meeting.

Here is our website: http://vfw-chiangmai.org/

[NancyL]

The OP indeed showed up. Said he'd been having internet problems -- slow services where he follow this thread, but was having trouble posting. Got a good chuckle over some of the responses!