by Joseph L. Chairez

Thailand is a country of wonderful contrast. In the gleaming modern cities, one can travel quickly on state-of-the-art skytrains or on iconic long-tail boats. The latter was the choice of James Bond (Roger Moore) in the fast-paced spy movie, The Man with the Golden Gun. This coming January 26 through February 4, 2018, OCBA Thailand Travel Seminar attendees will have an opportunity to make their choice of city travel as our first days will be spent in the high-energy city of Bangkok. After Bangkok, the group will be whisked away to the mountainous jungles of Northern Thailand in Chiang Mai. While these two cities could not be more different, they share the same warmth and welcoming nature of the Thai culture.

In Bangkok, OCBA attendees will stay at the five-star landmark Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Without question the most famous of all Bangkok hotels, the Mandarin Oriental boasts a 140-year history of serving guests from all over the world. While at the Mandarin Oriental, CLE seminars will be held adjacent to the renowned Authors’ Wing. This part of the hotel served as the residence for many well-known authors including Noël Coward, James Michener, Somerset Maugham, and Joseph Conrad. Not into literary giants? Well, did I mention the Mandarin’s gym and spa are across the river and that they offer free boat rides? While in Bangkok, the OCBA attendees will also have the hotel to serve as a base for visiting local temples—Wat Pra Kaew and Wat Arun are the most famous—and doing day trips. For day trips, three favorites are the floating market, the flower market, and Wat Ayutthaya. Whether exploring the city or dining on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, Bangkok will not disappoint.

Leaving Bangkok, the OCBA seminar moves to the lush green mountain plains of Chiang Mai where the group will stay at the breathtaking five-star Dhara Dhevi Resort. The Resort is a 64-acre tropical jungle paradise with spacious rooms sprinkled across rice paddies. The buildings’ unique architecture is drawn from the ancient Lanna Kingdom. The resort exudes a peaceful, natural calm that will quickly melt away any day-to-day worries. Day trips from the Resort abound and provide a great opportunity to experience more fully the beauty of Northern Thailand, including its mountains, temples, and many exotic creatures. Let’s not forget that Thailand is also known for its food. In Chiang Mai, Thai cuisine can be enjoyed at the world-class restaurants in the resort, the famed open Night Market, or the many restaurants that line the Ping River. The OCBA seminars are scheduled between 4:30 and 6:30, so attendees will have plenty of time to experience the sights, sounds, and tastes of Chiang Mai.

At both locations, the OCBA will offer a combined total of eight CLE units taught by well-respected lawyers and OCBA judges. Joining us on the year’s trip as speakers are Judge Gail Andler (Ret.), Judge Mary Kreber Varipapa, Judge John Nho Trong Nguyen (Ret.), and Judge Kim Hubbard. The seminars will cover a variety of subject areas including practicing as an in-house counsel, family law, and international law. In addition, the Thailand seminar will feature panels on trial practice, mediation, and those hard-to-get CLE units: ethics and substance abuse. Unlike local CLE courses where your time with speakers is limited, on the OCBA Thailand Seminar you will have days to interact with speakers and fellow lawyers.

For those new to travel seminars, they present a unique networking opportunity. Instead of the standard business power lunch, colleagues on the Thailand Seminar can exchange ideas while navigating a bamboo raft down the River Kwai or observing elephants in the dense Thai jungle. For dinner, one might choose to dine at restaurants along the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok while watching the beautifully lit water taxis and boats skim past. In Chiang Mai, meetings and dining take place in the many restaurants located on the Ping River. A number of these restaurants feature folk dances and music played on traditional Thai instruments. Whatever your choice, the beauty that is Thailand is sure to leave a lasting memory for any get together or meeting.

If an exotic tropical destination is not enough, the OCBA travel seminars represent a true travel value. The Thailand Seminar, for example, includes round-trip international air travel, domestic local air travel, hotels, transfers, and eight CLE units. To make this trip even better, the OCBA was able to negotiate free breakfast at both hotels. In these two remarkable hotels, a Thai breakfast is not the usual orange juice, eggs, and potatoes. Both hotels boast lavish buffet breakfast sure to delight even the most captious guest.

The OCBA always endeavors to bring its members a rich and memorable travel MCLE seminar. I fully expect the 2018 Thailand Seminar to meet these goals, and hope you will join fellow OCBA members on this extraordinary trip.

Joseph L. Chairez is a partner at BakerHostetler LLP, OCBA Past President, and co-chair of the OCBA Thailand Seminar. He can be reached at jchairez@bakerlaw.com.