Chiang Mai

January 6-7, 2017

The Plan
Meeting Location - Where is it?
Accommodation
Information about the area
Local hosts, information

NOTE: There is no registration fee for this event, but reservations for the BBQ are required. Call 0870481787, 0856188914 or email glob...@yahoo.com to make reservations.

If you're heading there, check out the HUBB for the Thailand Meeting thread, who's going etc!

The Plan - All times - and everything - approximate!

Friday, January 6, 2017

18:00 – 19:00: "Welcome Horizons Unlimited Travellers," a sponsored reception by The Rider's Corner and friends. Free draft for one hour! This evening is a "Meet and Greet" opportunity for serious local motorbike riders, cyclists, overlanders, key people and HU travellers to spend time together exchanging road tales and information. Meals can be ordered off the menu.

19:00: Introduction of all attendees, "Pass the microphone," chill and swill until?

Saturday, January 7, 2017 – OFFICIAL HORIZONS UNLIMITED MINI-MEETING

14:00 – 14:30: Horizons Unlimited group photo at The Rider’s Corner. Professional photographer(s) will be shooting for Horizons Unlimited and magazines.

Lunch at Riders Corner

18:00 – 19:30: BBQ. The Rider’s Corner Restaurant has been acclaimed as “the best BBQ in Chiang Mai” and awarded the Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence. Reservations for the BBQ are required. Call 0870481787, 0856188914 or email to The Rider’s Corner to make reservations. 250 THB per person. This is a special discounted price for attendees of the 2017 HU Mini-Meeting.

19:30 – 19:45: Welcome and introduction of all attendees, “Pass the microphone” by the evening Master of Ceremonies.

19:45 – 20:30: Multimedia presentation #1 TBA

20:30 – 21:15: Multimedia presentation #2 TBA

21:15 - ???: Motorcycle Travellers’ Questions and Answers – Travel around The Golden Triangle, Southeast Asia or ‘round the world.

Side Notes: Although there is no formal sign-up required, HU Central asks attendees to register at: http://www.HorizonsUnlimited.com/events/thailand-2017

Registering also lets the restaurant know how to space seating, etc. For the BBQ on Saturday night a reservation should be made at the telephone numbers (above).

This is a "Mini" meeting, so Friday is drop in, have a free draft or two (for the one designated hour) on the house and local supporters of Horizons Unlimited, see who is in town, trade tall tales and schmooze until closing.

Saturday is the official gathering starting with the BBQ. Both nights the restaurant is generally filled with travelers and local expats interested in overlanding or traveling in SE Asia, or around the world.

Show up early for a good seat, stay late for the biggest tall tales (like "I was the first to cross Myanmar on a 'big bike' wearing a speedo," or "My _______ (insert name of your make and model) motorbike has given me no problems at all," or.....)

This annual travelers meeting has always been a wild and fun two evenings and the location has long been the principal touch point for "bamboo telegraph" news in the Golden Triangle and SE Asia for travelers.

(Report on the 2015 Horizons Unlimited Chiang Mai meeting. 9-11 Jan)

Previous speakers and presentations were:

• Two Bikers One World by Anders and Petra Stridfeldt, on BMW F800GS's around the globe.

• Caught In A Sideways Loop In Hidden Asia, or how an 8,000 kilometer planned adventure tour turned into a 40,000 kilometer lifestyle. By wandering adventurist Ian Gatenby

• Munich to Capetown (The Harder Way Down)
  Ekke Kok and Audrey Allenspach-Kok (CA)

• Chris Banks, who shared his near-drowning experience in Morocco with the group. Banks and his fellow travellers lashed their motorcycles to trees when caught in a flash flood. His presentation was one of near death and survival.
• Greg Frazier, a terrific multimedia "Sun Chasing – Four Times Around The World By Motorcycle, Four solo rides around the world, some hard, some soft - none boring."
  • "How My GPS Lost Me In Southeast Asia"
  • "No Strangers To Danger – Survival Riding In Third World Countries"
  • "Think You Are Tough?"
    1. Riding A Motorcycle To Alaska
    2. ADVENTURE MOTORCYCLE magazine's 2006 "Adventure Motorcycle Ride"
    3. The 2006 Famed "Colorado 500" Dirt Bike Ride

How about you? We're all here to learn, and there's LOTS to learn! We want to do more presentations and clinics - but we need volunteers to give them! Any topic you can contribute having to do with motorcycle travel, maintenance, planning etc, lasting 20 minutes or more, would be great. Please contact me here to volunteer.

The Meeting Location

Riders Corner Bar and Restaurant (Food, maps, motorbike rental, traveller's "touch point")
357, Moon Muang Road
Chiang Mai

Tel:0870481787

More information on how to find it.

GPS: N18.47.701, E98.59.602 (Located in the heart of Chiang Mai, on the northeast corner of the old moat, just minutes walking from the central Tapae Gate. Easy to find by tuk-tuk from most hotels and guest houses.)

Menu: Western and Thai

Free Wifi, some off-street parking, open late, English spoken and a "HU traveller friendly" atmosphere. Motorcycle traveller DVD player with multiple screens! Got your special adventure travel DVD? Bring it along and the management will try to play it on the house system.

The Riders Corner Bar and Restaurant and Ride Inn Hotel have become "the meeting point" for serious local and international motorcycle travellers in Asia and especially those in the Golden Triangle of Thailand. It is here that the latest information can be found on motorcycling and travel through the wide network of contacts in and out of the location. The motorcycle specific and freshest maps of North Thailand and Laos are sold from here with net profits going to charitable organizations in Asia. If a motorcycle traveller wants Golden Triangle riding tips, this is the place to start in Chiang Mai!

Camping, Accommodation

Major Accommodation

The Ride Inn Hotel
357 Moon Muang Road
Tel: 087-0481787, 085-6188914
Note: The Ride Inn Hotel is the base camp for the 2012 HU Mini-Meeting. They have a limited number of rooms but can find you local accommodations if filled. Located on the corner of the moat surrounding the old city of Chiang Mai, it is easy walking distance to many of the local sites.

Other Accommodation Possibilities

Numerous accommodation possibilities are nearby, but do reserve early as this is the "high season" in Chiang Mai.

Top North Hotel
41 Moon Muang Road
8 rooms are reserved under "Horizons Unlimited"
1,050 TB per night, with air con
Tel: 053-279-6235
topn...@hotmail.com, www.topnorthgroup.com

Top North Guest House
approx 600 Thai Baht (Big Room, air con) 500 TB (Small room, A/C), 400 TB (Small, fan)
15 Moon Muang Road, Soi 2
Tel:  053-278-9000
topn...@hotmail.com, www.topnorthgroup.com

Lai-Thai Guest House
No rooms reserved, but vacancies
111/4-5 Kotchasarn Road
750 Thai baht - Double/Twin
Tel: 053-271-725
m...@laithai.com www.laithai.com

Note: All three of the above are short walking distance to Amora Tapae Hotel, Art Café, "Chill and Swill" Oasis's on The Moat, as well as Internet shops, Starbucks, and numerous other restaurants and tourist shops. They are also very popular with motorcycle travelers attending Chiang Mai Bike Week and have off-street motorcycle parking.

Information about the area

ART CAFE (Swill and Chill near Tapae Gate)
N18.78786 E98.99367

TONY'S BIG BIKES (Motorcycle rentals)
17 Ratchamankha Road, Tel: 053207124

Can you supply us with links, and other info on the places to ride, and interesting things to see in the area? Let us know here.

Local Hosts

This event is hosted by Phillip Gibbins of Rider's Corner Bar and Restaurant, with support from local volunteers.

The Horizons Unlimited events couldn't happen without the support of the local organizers and other helpers, and we greatly appreciate their assistance and support - please be sure to thank them too!

There is no registration fee for this event, but reservations for the BBQ are required. Call 0870481787, 0856188914 or email glob...@yahoo.com to make reservations.