PATTAYA, Thailand – With the 2026 Pattaya Rotary Institute just days away, organising committees have been bringing months of preparation together, checking arrangements and coordinating the details that will shape the experience of delegates arriving from across the world.
Past District Governor Jason Lim of District 3350, Chair of the Institute, called members of all organising committees together on November 10 for a final coordination meeting, followed by an inspection of the venues at the Royal Cliff Hotels Group.
The discussions covered venue arrangements, food, entertainment and transportation, with committee members reviewing how their responsibilities would fit together throughout the gathering. The purpose was practical and immediate: to resolve outstanding details before delegates arrive and ensure that the programme runs smoothly.
That work supports the broader ambition Jason sets out in his published welcome message. He encourages participants to exchange ideas, build friendships across borders and turn the Institute’s theme, “Discover, Unite and Act,” into meaningful service in their communities. His message gives the preparations a clear purpose: creating an environment in which people can learn, connect and develop opportunities to serve together.
Following the meeting, committee members visited the Royal Cliff Grand Hotel, the venue identified for the Governors-Elect Learning Seminar and Governors-Nominee Learning Seminar, before continuing to the expansive Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Hall, better known as PEACH.
The visits brought the planning into its physical setting. Moving from the learning venues to the main convention centre underlined the coordination required between the smaller leadership sessions and the much larger Institute gathering. A successful international event depends on these connections: delegates finding their sessions easily, moving between venues comfortably and having time to enjoy fellowship alongside the formal programme.
The Governors-Elect and Governors-Nominee Learning Seminars are scheduled for November 18–19. Further specialist seminars follow, leading into the main Institute from November 20–22.
Preparations also reached a wider audience through a YouTube programme on Sunday, November 15, featuring Jason and Past District Governor Dr. Sanguan Kunaporn, hosted by the engaging Vimolphan “Deedee” Wiboonma.
Presented under the title “When People Come Together, the World Changes,” the programme introduced Rotary as a network through which people from different professions can combine their abilities to improve lives.
Its published description highlighted Rotary’s work towards eradicating polio, creating opportunities for young people and helping communities recover during crises. It also explored the power of cooperation across borders—how an initiative rooted in one community can grow through international partnerships—and placed the forthcoming Pattaya Institute within that wider story of collective service.
These themes offer a fitting perspective on the preparations taking place behind the scenes. The venues, meals, transport and entertainment provide the framework; the lasting value will come from the ideas exchanged, friendships renewed and partnerships formed.
More than 1,200 delegates from 24 countries have registered for the Institute. Visiting leaders will include Rotary International President Olayinka Hakeem Babalola and Past Rotary International President Jennifer Jones, Chair of The Rotary Foundation. Rotary International Directors Jennifer Scott AM and Kenichi Nakaya serve as co-convenors, with Jason leading the organising team.
For Rotarians in Thailand, the gathering is both a responsibility and an opportunity to share their country’s warmth, culture and commitment to service. As the final preparations come together, Pattaya stands ready to welcome the international Rotary family—with Thai hospitality, a spirit of fellowship and a shared determination to turn discovery and unity into action.
