Beyond Small Talk, Chiang Mai

## 🌹❤️ Event Description

❤️***Meet Your Valentine – A Dinner for Connection

Valentine’s Day can feel complicated — especially when you’re far from home.
This dinner is for expats, nomads, travelers, and open-hearted souls who don’t want to spend the night pretending they’re fine or forcing romance.

• This is not a dating event.
• This is not small talk or networking.

It’s a warm, shared table where strangers become familiar faces — even if just for one night.
We’ll gather over good food, gentle conversation prompts, and honest presence.
Some may come single. Some partnered. Some unsure. All are welcome.
Because belonging doesn’t require a label.
And sometimes, being together — without expectations — is enough.
Hosted by Fran, creator of Beyond Small Talk Chiang Mai, this Valentine’s dinner is an invitation to pause, soften, and remember that you’re not alone here.
✨ Come as you are.
✨ Leave feeling a little more human.

Host: Fran
Originally from Seoul, Fran has lived and worked across different cultures around the world. After retiring in Chiang Mai in May 2024, she began sharing her journey through vlogs focused on expat, nomad, and retiree life.
Beyond vlogging, Fran hosts intimate gatherings that go beyond small talk — creating warm, intentional spaces where the expat community can connect, bond, and simply be human together.

Location : Spice Garden
💝 Valentine’s Exclusive Set Menu
**🍽️ SET MENU – “A Taste of Romance”

• Satay’
(Chicken and Pork Satay)
Main (choose one):
• Fig Toast
(Chiang Mai fig & honey drizzle with feta cream cheese and roasted walnut)
• Kang Phed Ped Yang with Kao’
(Red curry with roasted duck, served with steamed rice)
• Spaghetti Bolognese with Chorizo
• Kao’ Pad Kung Yang
(Fried rice with river prawn)

Dessert
• Kao’ New’ Ma-Muang
(Mango with fried sticky rice and ice cream)
💰 Price: 550 THB / set / person

***
📌 Important
All attendees must order the Valentine’s Exclusive Set Menu.
Drinks are ordered separately.

### Vulnerability Is the Door: How Cults Walk Right In

Cults rarely enter our lives through force or fear.
They enter through vulnerability.
As a child, I was involved in a cult.
Not because my family was weak or uneducated, but because we were open, searching, and in need of belonging. Living outside our home country left us feeling isolated, vulnerable, and searching for connection.
Over time, what begins as support and certainty can quietly turn into control. Cults don’t just influence beliefs—they can take over how we live, how we earn, how we relate, and how we see the world. They can distort our view of humanity into us versus them, damage mental health, drain finances, and slowly sever relationships with family and friends—all while convincing us it’s necessary or “for the greater good.”
These experiences shaped my life in ways I only understood much later: how authority can replace critical thinking, how loyalty can be mistaken for love, and how fear can disguise itself as purpose.
In this meetup, I’ll share my real-life story, followed by an open and respectful conversation about:

• How cults gain control over livelihoods, finances, and personal freedom
• The psychological impact on mental health and identity
• How belief systems can reshape how we see humanity
• Why family and friendships often suffer or disappear
• Why it becomes harder to leave the longer we stay
• And how people begin the process of breaking free

### What to Expect

• A personal story shared with honesty and care
• A safe space for people to share their own cult experiences (only if they wish)
• Reflections on how these experiences have shaped beliefs, relationships, and life choices
• An open Q&A and group discussion, with no pressure to speak
• A respectful, non-judgmental environment focused on awareness and healing

### Host

Fran
Originally from Seoul, Korea, Fran has been shaped by multiple cultures since the age of seven. She relocated to Chiang Mai in May 2024 and is known for her YouTube vlog “Fran’s Fresh Start in Chiang Mai,” where she shares personal stories, expat life, and meaningful human experiences.
Since January 2026, Fran has been actively creating spaces for expats through hosting Meetup events—bringing people together for honest conversations, connection, and deeper bonding.
This is not about blame or shame.
It’s about understanding, choice, and reclaiming autonomy.
If you’ve ever felt trapped by a belief system, group, or relationship that slowly took more than it gave—this conversation is for you.
Come with curiosity.
Leave with clarity.
— Fran

📍 Location: Spice Garden
🍽 Minimum order: Lunch – 150 THB