Stephff's world

A light of hope for refugees in waiting

Panel discussion,
Thursday, 19 June, 3pm

How do we navigate in the current context in Asia Pacific with sudden funding cuts and escalating negative narratives on refugees? We are facing a reality where the perspectives of those seeking safety and those who stand alongside them often diverge from the views and behaviours of those receiving them.For World Refugee Day 2025, the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN), Caritas, and the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Asia Pacific seek a flicker of understanding. We invite refugees, NGOs, the media, Bangkok’s diplomatic community and all who care to join us in exploring these difficult truths and perhaps, together, find some light.We will confront the harsh impact of funding cuts on their lives and essential services across Asia. We will also address the damaging effects of disinformation and hate speech, and how these narratives inflict real harm, and we will identify practical solutions on how to improve the human rights situation for those who have been forcibly displaced.We will also have an auction of vibrant paintings and digital art created by young refugees from across Asia. These are the top entries from a JRS-organized competition, and all the auction money will go directly to the talented young artists. We hope this will bring some real joy to their lives.Please join us in the clubhouse or online to hear from and interact with:Sahat Zia Hero, Rohingya photographer, and journalist.Keya Saha-Chaudhury, ICVA Asia Pacific.Dr. Sharuna Verghis, Health Equity Initiatives (tba).Kunanyaporn Jirasamataki, JRS Asia Pacific.Aqwam Fiazmi Hanifan, Narasi TV.Hafsar Tameesuddin, APRRN.Asylum Access Thailand (tba).H.E. Faiyaz Murshid Kazi, ambassador of Bangladesh to the Kingdom of Thailand.Moderator: Klaus Dik Nielsen, APRRN.If you are unable to join either in person or online, the event will be livestreamed and put on FCCT’s webpage.In-person and online. Please register here: https://bit.ly/RegisterWRD2025This is not an FCCT-organized event.Free and open to all.

Coworking at the FCCT

Tuesday, 17 June, 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, 17 June, 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.

A stitch in time: Bangkok refugees embroider their life stories

Exhibition launch, art exhibit and panel discussion,
Friday, 20 June 20, 7pm

There are at least 6,000 refugees who live in Bangkok who are registered with the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and thousands more are in the process of seeking asylum.Where do they all come from? How are they surviving day to day? What challenges do they face in finding food, shelter, safety and income? What do they fear? And what is their plan for the future and path to a better life?On World Refugee Day, advocates and experts will answer those and other questions and celebrate the creativity and ingenuity of several groups of highland refugees from Vietnam who are using a unique way to tell their stories and earn income through embroidery about their lived experiences.On display will be an exhibition of amazing, embroidered triptychs, telling the stories of highland refugees from Vietnam. The exhibition has been collected by refugee advocate Gerda Liebmann, who uses art as a catalyst to encourage healing from trauma.Liebmann work focuses on fostering the emotional relief for refugees that arises when participants tell their stories using paper and paint and, in this case, needle and thread. The triptychs help explain why these refugees fled Vietnam, what they are facing in Thailand and the futures that they dream about.A panel of experts will speak about the triptychs, the refugee community making them and the wider issues facing urban refugees in Bangkok.Gerda Liebmann, art therapist, Visual Arts Mission Asia.Rachel Djamaludin, community relations and education support, Life Raft International. Other panelists to be announced.Moderator: Phil Robertson, director, Asia Human Rights and Labor Advocates, and FCCT board member.Free and open to all.Bar and restaurant open.

Thailand’s bold play at THECA 2025 to become Asia’s next electronics powerhouse

Press conference,
Wednesday, 25 June, 1.30pm

As global supply chains shift and electronics giants look beyond China, Thailand is positioning itself as the next regional manufacturing hub. With a fast-growing electronics sector and robust government backing, the country is ready to claim a greater role in the global tech economy.Central to this transformation is the PCB and PCBA industry -- vital components in EVs, AI, medical devices and automation systems. Fueled by record exports and billions in new investment, Thailand aims to become ASEAN’s new electronics nerve center.This press conference will explore how Thailand plans to capture a larger share of the $26.8 billion global PCB market and develop 80,000 skilled jobs over the next two years.Panel includes:Narit Therdsteerasukdi, secretary-general of the Board of Investment (BOI).Pithan Ongkosit, president of the Thailand Printed Circuit Association (THPCA),Canice Chung, chairman of the Hong Kong Printed Circuit Association (HKPCA).Swaek Prakitritanon, vice president of THPCA and chairman of Thailand Electronics Circuit Center (TECC).David W. Bergman, vice president, international relations, IPC: the Institute of Printed Circuits, USA.Please RSVP via https://forms.gle/4K6kbvHdQF3rsKEq6 , call 085-071-0071, Line id at gobkk, or email thaipr.agency@gmail.com. RSVP required.Lunch and refreshments will be provided.This is not an FCCT-organized event.Free and open to all.

Holding the Myanmar military accountable: ILO article 33 sanctions against the SAC junta

Wednesday, 25 June, 7pm

On June 5, the International Labor Organization (ILO) acted to impose sanctions under article 33 of the ILO Constitution on Myanmar for the government’s continued attacks on freedom of association for people and the workers of the country, and consistent use of forced labor. This is only the third time in the ILO’s 106-year history that article 33 measures have been imposed on a member state.Myanmar’s union leaders and activists have led the way to demand accountability by consistently documenting labor rights abuses, campaigning inside Myanmar and internationally for the release of arrested worker leaders, and advocating for the ILO and its member states, employer associations, and labor union congresses to act. Myanmar’s union leaders and their allies will address the FCCT on what they had to do to achieve this momentous result, and what it will mean for the struggle for the restoration of human rights and democracy in Myanmar going forward.The ILO found that Myanmar has brazenly violated its obligations as a ratifying state of ILO Conventions 29 (Forced Labor) and 87 (Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize) and constantly ignored ILO recommendations to address failures of law and practice that allow these abuses to continue.Since the military coup on February 1, 2021, the State Administration Council (SAC) has engaged in numerous atrocities, including forced labor, torture of union leaders, the detention of at least 69 trade unionists, and the wholesale repression of civil society. Despite straightforward recommendations by the ILO's 2023 Commission of Inquiry, examining the government’s record of compliance with ILO Conventions 29 and 87, SAC junta failed to cease violence, free jailed workers, or abolish forced and underage labor.In the resolution passed on June 5, ILO called on member states, employers, and labor groups to evaluate and cut any financial, logistical, and commercial relations with the SAC. This involves assessing investments, armaments, jet fuel supply, and collaborations with military-related enterprises, and will likely prompt multiple rounds of additional actions and sanctions against the SAC junta.The panel will include:Maung Maung, president, Confederation of Trade Unions – Myanmar (CTUM).Phyo Sanda Soe, vice president, Building and Woodworkers International (BWI), and Workers Delegate, ILO Governing Body.Kyaw Ni, deputy minister of labor affairs, National Unity Government (NUG) of Myanmar.Other panelists to be announcedModerator: Phil Robertson, FCCT board member, and director, Asia Human Rights and Labor Advocates (AHRLA).This is not an FCCT-organized event.Free and open to all.

The price of freedom: An evening with Australian journalist Cheng Lei

Thursday, 26 June, 7pm

Photo credit: Tina SmigielskiAustralian journalist Cheng Lei spent more than three grueling years in a Beijing prison after being wrongly accused of espionage. She is now speaking about her experience in a newly released documentary and book released in early June in Australia, and she will bring her story to the FCCT. The FCCT will show the Sky News documentary Cheng Lei: My Story and then be joined by Cheng Lei online, who will speak about her experience, and answer questions. In August 2020, Cheng Lei was the precise and polished anchor of China's government-run, English-language Global Business TV show, familiar to millions of viewers. A veteran business journalist, the Chinese-born Australian mother of two young children was at the pinnacle of her career when eight words she texted to a friend led to devastating consequences. Arriving for work one morning, Lei was met by officers from the notorious Ministry of State Security. After searching her apartment, they blindfolded her and drove her to a secret location. Detained, isolated and interrogated, she was cut off from all contact with her family and friends. She simply disappeared from TV screens, her apartment, her life.It would be ten months before Lei saw her lawyer, and a year and a half before she faced a 90-minute show trial.  Chinese authorities eventually coerced her into agreeing to a five-year prison term in a country she loved but no longer recognized. Her story triggered a desperate fight for her release, a massive diplomatic row between Australia and China, and a battle over media freedom that played out daily in the global news. It would be three years and two months before international efforts finally secured her release and she made it home to Australia and her children.Harrowing, fierce and often darkly humorous, her memoir is about the power of the human spirit; bravery in the face of cruelty and pettiness; the consolations of letters, music and books; and how unexpected friendships and the love of family can unlock the courage we all have within us to prevail.“It's only through losing freedom that we learn to truly appreciate it. When our canvas is bare, we celebrate one drop of color.” – Cheng LeiCheng Lei’s book can be purchased at the website of her publisher, Harper Collins: https://www.harpercollins.com.au/9781460766576/cheng-lei/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.Bar and restaurant open.

FCCT pub trivia

Friday, 27 June, 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.Free and open to all.Bar and restaurant open.

7.7 MMERQK: Through the cracks -- life after the Myanmar earthquake

Photo exhibition,
Friday, 4 July, 6.30pm

The exhibition will showcase photos of the disaster’s impact, presenting powerful visual documentation of the significant damage in earthquake-affected areas near Mandalay and Sagaing, as well as surrounding towns and rural areas in central Myanmar. The photos were taken by a group of concerned Burmese citizen photographers, organized by Platform 36, who have been mobilizing funds and support for grassroots organizations operating in the earthquake area to provide assistance directly to affected people and communities. During the exhibition opening, there will be opportunities to provide support for those efforts.A panel discussion will also be organized as part of the exhibition opening so that those attending can ask questions about the photographs and the current situation about what’s happening in Myanmar.  

The panel will include:

Khin Ohmar, chairperson, Progressive Voice.

Nang Nyi, project coordinator, Platform 36.

Other panelists to be announced

Moderator: Panu Wongcha-um, president, FCCT.

The 7.7 magnitude earthquake that hit the central region of Myanmar on March 28, 2025, was the most devastating to hit the country in more than a century, devastating entire communities, killing and injuring thousands, and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless. While the world’s media quickly responded, drawing international attention and donations, Myanmar’s military State Administration Council (SAC) regime continually sought to restrict outsiders’ access to afflicted areas and control any incoming international assistance.

Over the past several months, the SAC has shown it is part of the problem rather than part of the solution by steering the disaster response away from those most in need. Moreover, despite announced ceasefires by both the SAC as well as ethnic armed organizations and People’s Defense Forces (PDFs) opposed to the military regime, fighting has continued and the SAC has launched airstrikes against civilian targets, including in earthquake affected areas.

Urgent action is needed to provide relief to affected communities in the earthquake zone who cannot return to their damaged homes, have no livelihoods, and face Myanmar’s torrential monsoon season living in tents. Relief is needed for immediate needs as well as for long-term recovery efforts. All funds raised via the exhibition will be used toward medical supplies and healthcare services via trusted local and civil society organizations working on the ground. For those interested, the photos as well as postcards and booklets will be on offer for donations.Platform 36 is a collective of photographers, artists, technologists and creative activists working at the intersection of art, community and social change. United by a shared belief in the power of storytelling, Platform 36 has long engaged in grassroots media projects across Southeast Asia. Ye Aung Thu, a Burmese photojournalist and World Press Photo Award winner whose work has shed light on life in Myanmar and the broader region, leads Platform 36. With deep ties to communities across Myanmar and Thailand, Platform 36 focuses on truth-telling, building resilience and providing inclusive support for those most affected by crisis and conflict.The exhibition opening is free and open to the public.The exhibit, which is organized by Platform 36, will be at the FCCT from July 4-31, 2025.Free and open to all.Bar and restaurant open.

Vampire state -- The rise and fall of the Chinese economy

Book talk with Ian Williams,
Wednesday, 9 July, 7pm

Ian Williams has attracted a lot of attention with his critical commentaries on China in publications such as The Spectator in London and a lengthening list of books. His latest, ‘Vampire state – The rise and fall of the Chinese economy’ was published last year and described as a “hard-hitting exposé” by Nigel Inkster, a former MI6 director of operations and intelligence in London.“Williams demonstrates how the Chinese Communist Party’s obsession with exercising uncontested power has led to pervasive corruption and unintended consequences for China’s own population and the world at large,” Inkster observed.Ian bills his latest work as “the terrifying story of China’s vampire economy”.“There have been numerous descriptions of the Chinese economy,” he writes. “However, none seems to capture the predatory, at times surreal, nature of the economy of the world’s most populous nation – nor the often bruising and mind-bending experience of doing business with the Middle Kingdom.“Rules and agreements mean little. Markets are distorted, statistics fabricated, foreign industrial secrets and technology systematically stolen. Companies and entrepreneurs, at home and abroad, are bullied – often with the collusion of the victims themselves. The [Chinese Communist] Party is in every boardroom and lab, with businesses thriving or dying at its will.“All this is part of realising President Xi Jinping’s ambition of China becoming the world’s pre-eminent economic, technological and military power.”“This is a timely and important read,” Tej Parikh wrote in the Financial Times – before President Donald Trump upset the applecart of international trade in a tariff war nobody wanted.“Williams’s sceptical prognostications about China’s economic future are hard to argue against, particularly as the state is right now struggling to revive ‘animal spirits’ that have weakened, in part, because of President Xi Jinping’s recent clampdown on wealth-creators and tech firms. Still, with China’s dominance in emerging technologies, critical minerals and green industries, it is also difficult to write it off,” said Parikh.

A former FCCT president, Williams covered business and technology for the Sunday Times before becoming a long-time foreign correspondent in Russia and then Asia. During a 25-year career overseas, he was based in bureaus in Moscow, Hong Kong, Beijing and Bangkok for Channel 4 News and then NBC, the American network. He has also covered conflicts in the Middle East, Balkans and Ukraine. His previous book, ‘The fire of the dragon’, was shortlisted for the UK’s annual Orwell Prize and reissued in a second edition in early 2024.

Ian 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. 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.

FCCT’s new podcast: Dateline Bangkok

For this week's episode of the Dateline Bangkok podcast, Tommy Walker speaks with Chokwan 'Kitty' Chopaka. Kitty is a cannabis rights activist and entrepreneur.Nicknamed the “Queen of Cannabis,” Kitty’s advocacy has seen her protest for the regulation and legislation of cannabis in Thailand. She has also been an advisor to the Thai government and the European Union on issues surrounding cannabis.A former law professional, Kitty spent her youth in Australia before returning to Thailand. Kitty opened up the Chopaka shop in 2022, the same year Thailand de-listed the cannabis flower as a narcotic, effectively decriminalising it.Chopaka was closed as of 2025.Kitty speaks to Tommy about her early years in cannabis advocacy, her own hopes for the use of cannabis in Thailand and the challenges the industry faces today.Watch the full episode on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Stephff's cat is looking for a loving home

Bastet was an ancient Egyptian goddess worshipped as a lioness and later as a cat. Her two-month-old diminutive namesake in modern Bangkok is looking for a loving home after being rescued from Yen Akart Soi 3, the capital's Belair, by Stephff, the FCCT's resident cartoonist. She is full of life, very, very playful, cuddly and friendly with humans, particularly little ones. She has been restored to health after a severe eye infection, and is toilet trained and fully vaccinated. "If you never had a cat, I swear it will change your life as cats are Zen masters in disguise," Stephff says. He can be located in Soi Yenakat 2 but can bring Bastet to the right doorstep.

Contact: stephff.cartoonist@gmail.com or LINE: madam-angel.

Paper Airplane

Film screening,
Friday, 8 August, 7pm

Step into the frontlines of the conflict in Myanmar and see the real toll on the lives of the people in Moses Marks’ new film, Paper Airplane. Set in the war-torn Karen State, Paper Airplane follows the life of a Karen girl, Naw Mi, her mother, and her younger brother as they are forced to flee their home amid the violence of the country’s ongoing civil war.After a harrowing nighttime escape, they manage to seek refuge in an internally displaced persons camp hacked out of the jungle. Living in a makeshift tent, they struggle with the harshness of their new reality without a home or land to call their own, while continuing to have constant concerns for their safety. Despite the hardships, Naw Mi's younger brother finds solace in watching airplanes soar overhead, not recognizing they are Myanmar Air Force jets responsible for terrorizing and bombing civilians.In a tender moment, Naw Mi folds a paper airplane for him, symbolizing their shared hope and longing for a brighter future in a country where airplanes can be marveled at, not feared. This poignant story of one family’s struggle to survive, and remain united in face of all challenges, signifies much of what is at stake in the war in Myanmar. Paper Airplane is also accompanied by two short films to complete the narrative of the story, and the FCCT will show all three films.Moses Marks is a writer, producer, and director. He graduated from the Ngee Ann Polytechnic, School of Film and Media in Singapore. He started his career as an editor for the Singaporean film Masala Mama, which was shot on super 16mm film format. This film won several awards at various festivals and was featured in Singapore cinemas.In 2010, Moses joined Myanmar International Television (MITV), and produced numerous TV shows for MITV, leading production and post-production teams.While television played a significant role in his career, Moses’s true love has always been films. He has written, produced, and directed several short films whenever he had the opportunity. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he moved back to Singapore in 2020. After the 2021 coup in Myanmar changed the film and media landscape, Moses became involved in several film projects including Broken Dreams: Stories from the Myanmar Coup (2023).Paper Airplane has been screened in Singapore, and for Burmese audiences in Mae Sot district, Tak province, and makes its Bangkok screen debut at the FCCT.After the films are shown, there will be a panel discussion with the filmmaker and other experts.Moses Marks, director, The Paper Airplane.Sompong Srakaew, founder and executive director, Labor Rights Promotion Network.Additional panelists to be announcedModerator: Phil Robertson, FCCT board member and director of Asia Human Rights and Labour Advocates (AHRLA).

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 200 baht.
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.

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