The Bulletin

Stephff's world

Four years after Myanmar’s coup: Is the ground shifting in 2025?

Panel discussion,
Monday, 3 February, 7pm

Myanmar marked the fourth anniversary of the Feb. 1 2021 military takeover with record numbers of people displaced -- now well over 3.5 million according to U.N. agencies -- and a savage military campaign still raging in the countryside.

The economy is predicted to shrink another 1% this year to zero growth, according to the World Bank, while poverty and hunger are reaching unprecedented levels. Meanwhile, the country’s once lucrative border trade remains semi paralysed and foreign investment all but stalled.

Are there any game changers on the horizon to half this relentless downward spiral? A potential watershed moment is long promised elections, widely dismissed by critics as a “sham” exercise.

By its own admission, the regime -- or State Administration Council -- controls barely half of all electoral constituencies and has lost at least 60% of territory to resistance forces.

Many argue the elections can only deliver results in the key population centres, Yangon, Mandalay and the capital, Naypitaw, and will not be acceptable to most in the country. The SAC’s key allies are fully backing the effort, including Thailand and neighboring Mekong countries as well as regional powers such as China, India and Russia.What is the outlook and prospects for real change?

Join us this evening to hear from a panel of top experts:

Sihasak Phuangketkeow, former Thai Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs and chairman of the Center for Strategic Policy.

Thinzar Shunlei Yi, executive member, People’s Goal (Myanmar military defectors), and member of Strategic Initiative Forum, focusing on anti-sham election campaign.

Toe Zaw Latt, secretary, Independent Press Council of Myanmar.

Jason Tower, Myanmar country director, United States Institute of Peace.

Moderator: Gwen Robinson, past president FCCT.

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Members who wish to book in advance should email info@fccthai.com or call the FCCT office on 02-652-0580.

Non-members can use this link.Members free, non-members 450 baht; Thai media and students with ID, 150 baht.

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Bar and restaurant open.

Impact of air pollution on children’s health in East Asia and the Pacific

Press conference,
Thursday, 6 February, 10.30am

UNICEF will hold a press conference to address the devastating impact of air pollution on children’s health in East Asia and the Pacific, where the crisis is particularly acute.

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Key speakers from UNICEF Regional Office for East Asia and the Pacific include:

Myo Zin-Nyunt, deputy regional director.Eliane Luthi, regional chief of communication.Basil Rodriques, regional chief of health.

Nick Rees, climate change specialist.

They will share new regional analysis, powerful stories and actionable solutions to protect children from this silent killer.

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Why now?

• Air pollution levels are rising across East Asia and the Pacific, with Thailand recently experiencing hazardous air quality that threatens children’s health and well-being.
• Every one of the 500 million children in the region are exposed to harmful air pollution daily.
• Air pollution causes one in four child deaths under five in the region.
• It impacts children from birth through adulthood, increasing risks of preterm birth, asthma, developmental delays, and chronic diseases.

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We invite journalists to join us at this critical moment to explore the data, hear real-life stories and amplify the urgent call for action.

Please RSVP to Chiara Frisone: cfrisone@unicef.org

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‍This is not an FCCT-organized event.

Free and open to all.

Board games night

Tuesday, 3 February, 7pm

Join us for a chilled night of board games with The Boring Club. Try your luck with classics like chess and backgammon or modern games including Catan and Pandemic.

The bar and restaurant will be open. Try our pizzas from the new pizza oven. The Boring Club meets at the FCCT clubhouse for games every Tuesday at 7pm.

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Free and open to all.

The red emperor and Donald Trump II: Two styles in leadership

Discussion,
Wednesday, 19 February, 7pm

A high-risk year lies ahead in the most important bilateral relationship in the world, between China and America. The two Pacific giants enter a new era under two powerful leaders with strong agendas, privileged backgrounds but utterly different experiences of adversity and triumph.

How will Xi Jinping and Donald Trump manage this vital strategic dialogue? The two men met during Trump’s first term but their cordial relations turned sour after Covid-19 broke out in 2020. Now it falls to both of them to start again.

Michael Sheridan is the author of The Red Emperor, described by the Financial Times as “the most vivid and compelling biography of Xi to date” and picked by that paper as recommended reading for the incoming US administration.

It has been shortlisted for the Hatchards and Biographer’s Club First Biography Prize, and translation rights have been sold in numerous languages, including Polish and Japanese.

The author collected eyewitness accounts of Xi and Trump from sources who were in the room or at the table in close personal encounters. He tells how the two men failed to bond despite their heritage as sons of powerful fathers.

His book tells how China and America turned into open adversaries during Xi’s period in power since 2012 through three US presidencies, emphasising that a hawkish line on China is now established bipartisan policy in Washington.

‍The Red Emperor digs deep into Xi Jinping’s youth, childhood and early career to paint a portrait of China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong. Working with researcher Howard Zhang, former head of the BBC’s renowned Chinese News Service, the author drew on reams of official publications, Xi’s own writings, little-known recollections by relatives and friends and a seam of gossip and scandal from the wilder shores of the Chinese internet – which the book treats with due caution but lays out for the reader to judge. It is the story of Xi the man.

Michael Sheridan first reported from China in June 1989 and later served as Far East Correspondent of The Sunday Times for twenty years from 1996 to 2016, based in Hong Kong and  Bangkok. Earlier he worked for Reuters, ITN television news and The Independent reporting on wars in the Middle East, international diplomacy and European politics, with postings in Rome, Beirut and Jerusalem. He is the author of The Gate to China (2021), an acclaimed history of Hong Kong.

Michael will be in discussion at the FCCT with Keith Richburg, a member of the Washington Post’s editorial board since 2023, and a veteran observer of Xi Jinping and China. Keith’s storied career as a foreign correspondent includes postings as the Post’s bureau chief in Beijing and Hong Kong. He was president of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Hong Kong from 2021 to 2023.

Copies of The Red Emperor will be available on the night.

Members who wish to book in advance should email info@fccthai.com or call the FCCT office on 02-652-0580.

Non-members can use this link.Members free, non-members 300 baht; Thai media and students with ID, 150 baht.

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Bar and restaurant open.

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FCCT pub trivia

Friday, 28 February, 7pm

Gather your friends and colleagues for a night of pub trivia at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand.

Come for a bite and a beverage and test your knowledge. 1,000 baht bar tab up for grabs for the winning team, to be redeemed on the night.

Advanced table bookings encouraged here.

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Free and open to all.

The FCCT is grateful for the support of corporate sponsor Bitkub. For more information about the club's corporate sponsorship program contact: info@fccthai.com.

The FCCT expresses appreciation for the support provided by corporate sponsor Bumrungrad International Hospital. For more information about the club's corporate sponsorship program contact: info@fccthai.com.

Heart valve disease: A possible hidden danger!

The heart consists of 4 chambers with the valves opening and closing to let blood pass through between the upper and the lower chambers in one direction, and not backward.

Heart valve disease occurs when one or more of the heart valves do not open or close properly. This causes the heart muscles to work harder to pump blood for the body’s requirements. This can result in heart failure and death.

What are the symptoms of heart valve diseases?

• Fatigue, tired when doing daily activities.
• Difficulty breathing while doing activities or lying down.
• Rapid weight gain.
• Swelling in various organs such as the abdomen, legs, ankles and feet.
• Cardiac arrhythmia such as fast or irregular heartbeat.
• Fever and body aches, if due to infection.
• In severe cases, too much fluid in the lungs, difficulty breathing and loss of consciousness.

What is the treatment for heart valve disease?‍

There are many ways to treat heart valve disease. Currently, Bumrungrad Hospital has the technology for heart valve replacement without surgery, offering good results and highly safe.

Learn more about heart valve disease and treatment option here.

Send us an enquiry today by clicking here.

FCCT’s new podcast: Dateline Bangkok episode three

For this week's episode of the Dateline Bangkok podcast, Tommy Walker speaks with Mookdapa Yangyuenpradorn.

This interview will discuss Mookdapa’s work as an activist, Thailand’s marriage equality bill and the LGBTQ+ community.

Mookdapa talks about how she got into activism for gender rights, including her studies in London, her work at Fortify Rights and her participation in Thailand’s 2020 protests.

Mookdapa also explains the importance of Thailand’s marriage equality law, why it matters and what other gender related issues she continues to advocate for.

Watch the full episode here.

Also now on Spotify.

New to Bangkok? Under 35?

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New FCCT merchandise

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• Write a catchy headline, followed by a maximum of three sentences + contact email/phone number/ link to a website for further details if applicable.

To book an ad please email: info@fccthai.com