The Bulletin

Stephff's world

Trump’s global trade war: What will it mean for Thailand and the region?

Panel discussion,
Wednesday, 9 April, 7pm

President Donald Trump announced tariffs that herald major changes to international trade.

On 2 April, President Donald Trump declared high trade tariffs on goods from around the world in a move that he announced as “Liberation Day” for the American economy.

Nations around the world were hit with a 10% base tariff. US trading partners in Southeast Asia – which are major export economies – have been hit with much higher tariffs: Thailand (36%), Vietnam (46%), Malaysia (24%), Cambodia (49%), Laos (48%) and earthquake-stricken Myanmar/Burma (44%).

What will the impact be on Thailand and the wider region? Which sectors will lose most, which will scrape by? What should Thailand and its neighbors do to engage with the Trump administration to reduce or end these tariffs, or is there no hope for such strategies?

And how will this all affect the Thai economy, whose performance has already been a source of criticism for Prime Minister Paethongthan Shinawatra and her government?

Please join us for a night of insightful, hard-hitting analysis with the following speakers:

Supavud Saicheua, chairman of the National Economic and Social Development Council.

Veerayooth Kanchoochat, lecturer at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (Japan), and deputy leader of the People's Party.

Nattakorn Devakul, Thai television host and political analyst.

Francesca Regalado, former Bangkok correspondent with Nikkei Asia.

Moderator: Gorya Ilada, Workpoint journalist, Chevening scholar and FCCT program committee member.

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; students with ID, 150 baht.
Bar and restaurant open.

A war of their own: FULRO -- The other national liberation front, Vietnam 1955–75

Book discussion,
Thursday, 10 April, 7pm

In the first of three programmes to mark the 50^th anniversary of the fall of Indochina to communist forces in 1975, the FCCT welcomes author William H. Chickering to discuss his exhaustive work on one of the great secret armies of the Vietnam War era.

“This is a lost and extraordinary story. William Chickering has excavated it with heroic persistence, and now tells it with authority, empathy and grace,” wrote David Quammen, the author of the bestselling book Spillover, and three-time National Magazine award winner. “Damn, what a fine and valuable book.”

In 1967, Chickering commanded a Mike Force battalion in Vietnam of montagnards -- highland tribesmen who were also members of a secret army, the United Front for the Liberation of Oppressed Races, or FULRO. Its purpose was to rid the highlands of all Vietnamese, both communist and non-communist. Fighting for land and dignity, they saw the Vietnamese as colonialists and themselves as revolutionaries. For a while, FULRO appeared capable of changing the course of the war. Then, inexplicably, it faded away.

Bill Chickering with FULRO leaders in Phnom Penh, April 1973

Chickering’s quest to understand FULRO took him to Phnom Penh in 1973, where he found five of its six leaders -- the sixth having been mysteriously murdered. He was unable to discern the truth behind their political smoke.

Two years later, 150 of them -- men, women and children – sought refuge in the French Embassy as the city fell but were expelled into the hands of the Khmer Rouge. Among them was the family of Bhan, one of the leaders. In the United States at the time of the fall, Bhan tried to learn their fate with Chickering's help, but Cambodia had become a tomb.

In 1986, Bhan headed out into the world to learn for himself. He resurfaced in Cambodia 22 years later, after an extraordinary odyssey, never having found them. Had they and the rest of the FULRO montagnards been executed, or could they still be alive somewhere in the hinterlands?

Determined to learn the truth, Chickering moved to Phnom Penh. His research led him to the widow of a Cambodian Cham widely assumed to have been FULRO’s puppeteer and eventually to FULRO’s secret papers. From these he was able to piece together why FULRO faded away and how that was connected to its one last heroic shot in 1965 to win a country of the montagnards’ own.

This extraordinary account corrects history’s assumption that Vietnam’s montagnards were only pawns, revealing how an ideology of their own -- ethnonationalism -- gave them the agency to create an army and clandestine movement that kept Hanoi, Saigon and Washington guessing.

Veteran Australian correspondent Mark Dodd

The discussant for the evening will be Mark Dodd, a distinguished Australian foreign correspondent who arrived in Phnom Penh in 1991 to reopen the Reuters news agency bureau that had beeb closed in 1975. He covered the United Nations Transition Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) interregnum from 1992 to 1993, and reported the discovery of FULRO remnants in Cambodia’s remote eastern borderlands in 1992. He left Cambodia in 1995.

Moderator: Dominic Faulder, FCCT board member.

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; students with ID, 150 baht.
Bar and restaurant open.

Coworking at the FCCT

Tuesday, 8 April, 10am

Need a change of scenery from your home office? Join us for a coworking day at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand (FCCT) -- a perfect space for working professionals, digital nomads and anyone looking to break free from the home-office routine.

Enjoy a spacious, comfortable workspace with dedicated tables, a full restaurant, café and bar and exclusive lunch specials just for this event.

Whether you're tackling deadlines or networking with like-minded professionals, this is an opportunity to be productive in a collaborative, social environment. Come work, connect, and enjoy great food because working remotely doesn’t have to mean working alone.

Hosted by Nick Bernhardt, FCCT treasurer and managing director of Khayan Consultants.

Free and open to all.

Board games night

Tuesday, 8 April, 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.

Free and open to all.

Democrats Abroad Thailand (DAT) annual general meeting

Thursday, 22 May, 6.30pm

Democrats Abroad Thailand Annual General Meeting will begin with a discussion of President Trump's first 100 days. This will be followed by DAT officer elections and other business matters.This event is a private meeting open to all members and prospective members of DAT; membership requires American citizenship. Free pizza will be provided to all attendees.

This is not an FCCT-organized event.

Democratic jungle: The invisible struggles of the workers who power our world

Photo exhibition and panel discussion,
Friday, 23 May, 6.30pm

We live in a world where everything we need -- products, services and workspaces -- is readily available. Yet, it has become all too easy to overlook the hidden struggles of those who make it all possible. As technology connects us across vast distances, it has also distanced us from the individuals who power our daily lives.Their reality, often marked by exploitation, inequality and suffering, is overshadowed by the corporate language of "ethical sourcing," "fair trade," "social impact," and "sustainability."These words fill boardrooms and marketing campaigns, crafting a vision of progress. But what about the workers behind the scenes -- those whose well-being is rarely considered in the definitions of "wellness" or "eco-friendly" labor conditions?Too often, we hear: "At least they have a job" or “It is cultural.” But would that answer be enough if it were your daughter, your mother or your grandfather working under these conditions?This exhibition challenges us to rethink the systems we participate in, to confront the human cost of convenience and to ask: How can we create a more just and equitable world for those who remain unseen?Nathalie Jamois is a French photojournalist based in Bangkok since 2008, documenting the social, cultural and political landscapes of Southeast Asia. With a sharp documentary approach, her work captures the complexities of human stories -- focusing on resilience, identity and the forces shaping contemporary society. Whether immersed in the energy of city streets or sharing quiet moments with her subjects, her images reveal both the visible and the unseen, inviting viewers to engage with the deeper narratives behind each frame. Covering everything from social movements to corporate and cultural events, she strives to create visual stories that inform, challenge perceptions and spark dialogue. Her work has been featured in Forbes, The Guardian, Le Figaro, Rolling Stone and by groups like Amnesty International, and more, bringing attention to the intricate realities of the region through a lens of authenticity and depth.Panel will include Nathalie Jamois, and additional persons to be announced.Moderator: Phil Robertson, FCCT board member.

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

Exhibition duration -- May 24 to June 20, 2025 (free and open to all).

Free and open to all.Bar and restaurant open.

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

For this weeks episode of the Dateline Bangkok podcast, Tommy Walker speaks with Michael Sheridan.Michael Sheridan is a veteran foreign correspondent spending decades working in Europe, the Middle East and Asia and formerly of The Sunday Times, spending over 20 years as the newspaper’s Far East Correspondent.Sheridan reported from China in 1989 following the Tiananmen Square crackdown, as well as the 2014 and 2019 pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. Sheridan is also a best-selling author, with his latest work a biography of China President Xi Jinping titled, The Red Emperor: Xi Jinping and His New China.In part 1 of this episode, Sheridan discusses his own career and venture into journalism, his experiences in Hong Kong and China, a famous photo, and the three eras of China rule since 1949.

Watch the full episode on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

New to Bangkok? Under 35?

Are you under 35? Check out our special offer below! For further details, please contact info@fccthai.com.

New FCCT merchandise

Advertise in the FCCT's Bulletin at special discount rates

Individuals and organisations are welcome to take out advertising in the weekly FCCT Bulletin which reaches nearly 4,000 people in the club’s network. Guidelines

• 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