This year June 2 - 3 marks the return of the ‘CMU Initiation on Train’, a unique initiation ceremony in which CMU seniors and alumni gather at the Hua Lamphong Railway Station to give a warm welcome to the new students. This year, freshers will enjoy their ride to Chiang Mai on the CMU Express, provided exclusively for CMU students.
This long-standing ceremony has a history dating back to CMU’s very first batch of students almost 60 years ago. It was cancelled during the pandemic but made a comeback this year with the special CMU Express to take freshers to their new home in the safest and most comfortable air-conditioned sleeper train.
This year the train is set to leave Bangkok on June 2 at 3 pm and it will make a 20-minute stop at Lop Buri, Nakhon Sawan, Phitsanulok and Lampang. At each station, freshers will be greeted by seniors and alumni who will gift them plenty of food, drinks and smiles for their journey heading up north. It is an unforgettable memory that has been shared and passed on to generations and generations of CMU students.
On the train, there will be plenty of games and activities prepared by their seniors throughout the trip. Along the way, they will get to enjoy the company of new friends who have embarked on the same journey away from home, helping to relieve the feelings of loneliness, solitude, and homesickness.
The CMU Express will arrive at around 6.20 am on June 3 at the Chiang Mai Railway Station where CMU students from all faculties will be waiting to welcome the freshers. Once arrived, they will be taken to Sala Dhamma (the Dhamma Hall) to pay homage to the university’s main Buddha image and attend the blessing ceremony that will bring them happiness and prosperity. Freshers will also meet CMU administrators, staff and alumni who come bearing beautiful jasmine garlands as a token of welcome. Afterwards, the CMU President and the Chair of the CMU Alumni Association will give a welcoming speech, followed by performances from the Cheerleading Society, the Lanna Society and the CMU Student Union. At the end, the seniors will accompany the freshers to their dormitories to settle down in their new home.
All CMU alumni are invited to give a warm welcome to our new freshers at the Hua Lamphong, Lop Buri, Nakhon Sawan, Phitsanulok, Lampang and Chiang Mai Stations on this upcoming June 2 - 3.