From a Dalí-themed Italian restaurant to a former royal palace, from Oktoberfest to a Chao Phraya sunset, a look at the Club's 2024–25 fellowship year.
How do you keep a club of more than eighty people from twenty-plus nationalities genuinely connected across twelve months of busy working lives?
In 2024–25, the Fellowship Committee's answer was a varied, well-thought-out programme — something different nearly every month, mixing good food, interesting locations, and the particular pleasure of spending time with people you wouldn't otherwise meet.
July: Surrealism and Italian Food
The year opened on 25 July at The Melting Clock — an Italian restaurant with a Dalí-inspired interior. Clocks melting over table edges, surreal artwork on the walls, welcome cocktails, and a room full of Club members discovering that interesting people become even more interesting when the furniture is slightly absurd. Good start.
August and September: Fusion, Oktoberfest, and a 94th Birthday
August brought a Mexican fellowship dinner at Santiaga — Thai-Mexican fusion, good turnout.
September packed in three events. The Club's 94th anniversary was celebrated at the Grand Hyatt Erawan: monks offering blessings, a lunchtime ceremony, and the quiet pleasure of marking another year in a very long history. A Japan fellowship dinner at KUB KAO KUB PLA followed, organised by PP Chiemi Svensson with partners from RC Okegawa and RC Ageo-West — including a visit the next day to the grave of late Past Rotary International President Bhichai Rattakul in Hua Hin. Then Oktoberfest at Alexander's German Eatery with RC DACH and RC Cyber: traditional food, competitive games, uncertain weather, and fundraising proceeds going to DACH's iCare causes.
October to December: Taipei Dinner, a Factory, and Christmas
October's Taipei South World Dinner, organised by Rtn Angus Lin, brought Bangkok and Taipei Rotarians together for an evening that showed how far the Club's international network actually reaches.
November combined work and fellowship: the Mercedes-Benz factory visit in Samut Prakan, with RC DACH and RC Cyber, offered a close look at a live production line — including the new EV battery assembly — followed by lunch on site.
Late November brought dinner at the Gardens of Dinsor Palace: an open-air terrace at a former royal residence, peacocks on the grounds, visiting Rotarians from other clubs, and a setting that most members had never expected to find in the middle of Bangkok.
The Christmas Fellowship at the Grand Hyatt Erawan was made special by children from the HDF Mercy Center, who performed singing and dancing for the assembled members. The Smilebox collection that evening was donated to the Centre, arranged by PP Maleeratna Plumchitchom.
January to June: Sunsets, Art, and Songkran
January started at the Hansar Bangkok Hotel — Sky Terrace at dusk, watching the sun go down over the Royal Bangkok Sports Club, then an international buffet inside.
March: a private guided tour of MOCA Bangkok, scheduled on a weekend to open the event to members' families. Contemporary Thai art, a knowledgeable guide, and the experience of seeing a Bangkok cultural institution through fresh eyes.
April: Songkran at the Grand Hyatt, including the annual ceremony honouring members aged eighty and above, with younger members performing the traditional water-pouring blessing. Then the Rotary Bangkok School visit to Nong Plub — traditional dances, a school renovation conversation, and lunch at Monsoon Valley Vineyard. A good end to a full year.
Why Fellowship Isn't Optional
It's easy to see the social programme as the fun part tacked onto the serious work. That's not how it functions. Fellowship is where trust is built. And trust is what makes everything else possible.
The Club was able to collect 329,000 Baht for Myanmar earthquake relief in one week because members trust each other and trust the Club. The Board agreed in principle to fund a school renovation — before the formal budget was drawn up — because the relationships in the room were strong enough for that. A club that eats well together and laughs together is a club that can act together when it matters.
The Fellowship Committee's work, year after year, is the foundation everything else runs on.
The Rotary Club of Bangkok holds fellowship events throughout the year, open to members and their guests. Come along and see what we're like.