It gives me great pleasure on behalf of the Tourism Authority of Thailand to welcome all the cricketers, friends and supporters of the 18 th Chiang Mai International Cricket Sixes. To have run eighteen years without a pause is a wonderful milestone for the tournament and the long association of our Northern, Region 1 office with the Sixes, makes us very pleased and proud to share in a small way with your success.

With over 300 participants flying into Chiang Mai for a full week of sport and entertainment, the Sixes has become a very significant event on our annual tourist calendar. I understand there are some teams and participants who have taken part every year, and others who are celebrating up to ten years or more at the Chiang Mai Sixes. I have to say a sincere thank you and congratulations, you are surely a dream come true for those of us working with Chiang Mai tourism! To those of you visiting for the first time, I hope you will have a wonderful time and discover enough of our famous northern hospitality to bring you back again.

May I close by wishing you every success with this year's Sixes festival of friendship and sporting fun. I hope that you all enjoy a great and memorable holiday in beautiful Chiang Mai and that I will be able to welcome you all back again next year !