2026 Thailand

After breakfast, we will explore Thailand’s rich culture beyond Chiang Mai’s city center. Begin at Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, a sacred mountain pagoda with stunning views and a gilded stupa, where you’ll learn about Thai Buddhist beliefs. Travel higher into the hills by songtaew (local truck) to the Chang Khien Coffee Research Project for fresh Arabica coffee and insights into the region’s coffee industry. Continue to a White Hmong hilltribe village to meet locals and discover their unique traditions. After this cultural journey, return to Chiang Mai and your hotel. 

This evening, we’ll experience a traditional Khantoke Dinner and Show. Enjoy Thai fare served family-style on low tables while you sit cross-legged on floor mats with fellow guests. While you savor typical Thai dishes, performers from across northern Thailand will entertain with songs, dances and music from the region. Watch as locals perform the Thai Finger Dance, a candle dance, and even a thrilling sword dance. Guests are usually invited to participate in the traditional Ramwong (a Thai folkdance synchronized to drum beats).  The evening ends with a final show by members of hill tribes like Yao, Meo, Karen and Lahu. You’ll notice the differences in their appearance and dress.  After dinner, head to Chiang Mai’s Night Bazaar, which is perhaps the city’s most popular must-do attraction. The colorful mix of regular shops and stalls create a unique market buzz. You’ll find everything for sale here, from ersatz designer brands to embroidered hill tribes textiles, lacquer ware, silver jewelry, carvings, silks, ceramics and antiques. 

The number of students receiving special educations services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has doubled over the last 40 years. This course will examine the history of special education laws in the United States, vocabulary and acronyms of special education terms, the thirteen conditions which qualify for special education services, the umbrella of special education programs, how school districts have responded to changes in the law and where school districts fall short in meeting these requirements.

The number of children diagnosed with mental illness has drastically increased over the past 10 years. Many of these children end up in mental hospitals, sometimes without the consent of the student or their parents. This course will explain the process and criteria for involuntary hospitalization of children. The responsibility of the school district to provide educational services to these children does not terminate due to hospitalization. This course will examine the continued responsibility of the school district to provide services to these children and the challenges facing the district in meeting these responsibilities.

Adult children are frequently named as successor trustees in their parents’ estate plans—often without fully understanding the scope of their responsibilities or the potential legal liability involved. This course provides a practical overview of the trust administration process and outlines a successor trustee’s fiduciary duties, responsibilities, and best practices. Attendees will gain the knowledge to guide clients, family members, or fiduciaries through the complexities of post-death trust management with confidence and compliance.

Including practices rooted in Thai culture, this program equips attorneys and judges with practical, science-backed strategies to cultivate resilience in high-pressure legal environments. Drawing from research on well-being, performance, and mindfulness—as well as Thailand’s rich traditions of patience (Khanti), awareness (Sati), and perspective (Mai Pen Rai)—Cecilia B. Loving, a minister and lawyer, will introduce the POWER framework: Press Forward, Optimize Opportunities, Welcome Wonder, Envision Possibilities, and Reframe Success.

Through interactive discussion and actionable techniques, participants will learn how to remain focused, balanced, and adaptable while sustaining excellence. This program is designed for litigators, judges, and legal professionals seeking to manage stress, prevent burnout, and perform at their highest level with clarity, creativity, and purpose.

A Lanna–style school located in a country-side village, Just 15 minutes from the city of Chiang Mai. The school offers lessons in how to cook delicious Thai food, Thai sweets, fruit-carving and presentation. The atmosphere surrounding the school is filled with warmth, understanding empathy and helpfulness, all representing ancient, traditional Lanna custom and culture. You’ll be returned to your hotel with a full stomach and a deeper understanding of Chiang Mai’s food culture.  

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before heading to Mae Tang for an unforgettable elephant sanctuary tour. Feed and interact with these majestic creatures while learning about their care from specialists. Dress in local attire, prepare healthy treats, and observe the elephants as they play in mud and sand spas. Afterward, you’ll shower, change your clothes, and savor a traditional Thai buffet lunch, including vegetarian options. Relax on the 1-hour ride back to your hotel. 

This session provides an overview of the fundamental stages of a personal injury case, from initial case evaluation through resolution. Topics include assessing the merits of a potential claim, client intake and engagement, early investigation and evidence preservation, management of medical treatment and records, identification and resolution of liens, settlement considerations, and proper file closing procedures. The program also outlines the basic roadmap of litigation when a case does not resolve during the pre-litigation phase.

This session addresses the unique legal and procedural considerations involved in personal injury cases where the injured party is a minor. Topics include proper client engagement through a legal guardian or custodial parent, ensuring appropriate and complete medical treatment, monitoring the minor’s progress to maximum medical improvement, and identifying and resolving medical liens. The program also covers the process of filing a friendly suit, appointment and role of a guardian ad litem, information sharing and coordination with the guardian ad litem, preparation of parents or guardians for court proceedings, and an overview of the hearing process and court approval requirements.

This session examines common ethical issues that arise in personal injury representation, with a focus on professional responsibility and client protection. Topics include ethical rules governing client solicitation and advertising (ABA Model Rules 7.1–7.3), conflicts of interest when representing multiple clients in cases involving limited insurance coverage (Model Rules 1.7 and 1.8), and the attorney’s duties regarding communication and informed client consent (Model Rule 1.4). The program also addresses ethical requirements related to settlement authority and client approval (Model Rule 1.2), as well as the proper handling and distribution of settlement funds in compliance with trust accounting and safekeeping obligations (Model Rule 1.15).

Thailand’s Education for All policy guarantees free schooling for all children regardless of nationality, but migrant and undocumented children — primarily from Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia — continue to face significant legal, financial, and language barriers that prevent them from accessing this right in practice. USAID played a pivotal role in bridging this gap for decades, funding programs that reached hundreds of thousands of students, built teacher capacity, and helped embed quality standards into Thailand’s national education framework. However, the dismantling of USAID beginning in 2025 has left a devastating funding void, threatening to reverse years of progress and pushing the most vulnerable migrant children further toward dropout, exploitation, and invisibility.

Following breakfast, you will travel overland to the far north of Thailand, crossing mountains and passing scenic valleys. Stop at Wiang Pa Pao. Famous for its hot springs and visit Yao and Akha hilltribe villages. This afternoon, we’ll explore Chiang Rai’s contemporary artistic gem, Wat Rong Khun (White Temple). Completed in 1997, the White Temple is otherworldly in scope and scale, blending modern art with traditional Buddhist symbolism. Cross its main bridge, flanked by outreaching hands symbolizing unchecked desire, and admire the temple’s fine craftsmanship up close. You will then visit nearby Baan Dam Museum, which is an art piece that creates imagination for the viewers in many perspectives and houses a collection of items used in daily life of the past. Your day will end at the hotel for check-in. Includes lunch.