The Bulletin

Stephff's world

Media coverage and public communications approaches for the Thai-Cambodian border tensions

Panel discussion,
Monday, 4 August, 6pm

Credit: ReutersAgainst the backdrop of information warfare, foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), general misinformation, disinformation, promoting objective media coverage and timely, verified and effective public communications approaches becomes a challenge, to say the least.Added to this mix, public sentiment currently runs high between the two countries while the Thai government continues to insist that border tensions are an issue for governments to resolve, and not the people of both countries. Under these circumstances, what are the principles that those in the communications realm should abide by? How do we promote ethical journalism? Should we forsake accuracy over speed? Can we have both? Does the principle “do no harm” apply here?This panel attempts to start this conversation in a frank and open manner, with representatives from the government’s main communications vehicle -- the ad hoc centre for the Thailand-Cambodia border situation -- and representatives from the domestic and foreign media to contribute their distinct viewpoints on what roles the different sectors of society should or can play in keeping the public fully informed.Speakers:Maratee Nalita Andamo, deputy director-general of the information department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.Rear Admiral Surasant Kongsiri, Ministry of Defence.Thanchanok Jongyotying, editor-in-chief, TNN.
Tony Cheng, Bangkok correspondent, Al Jazeera.Moderator: Panu Wongcha-um, FCCT president and senior correspondent, Reuters.This is not an FCCT-organized event.Free and open to all.

Thai-Cambodia border clashes: Reporting it and looking ahead

Panel discussion,
Thursday, 7 August, 7pm

Credit: ReutersThe recent clashes between Thailand and Cambodia are the deadliest conflict between the two Southeast Asian neighbours in more than a decade, killing dozens and displacing at least 300,000 In both countries.The two countries agreed to a ceasefire after five days of fighting at a talk in Malaysia on July 28 with involvement from the U.S., China and Malaysia, which is the current chair of Association of Southeast Asian Nations.Now, the fragile ceasefire is largely holding but distrust persists on both sides with a series of meetings being set up aiming to deescalate the tension.Come join us at the FCCT club house for a panel discussion from correspondents and observers who cover on the ongoing situation, exploring how we got to this point and what is the outlook for Thai-Cambodia relations.Panelists include:Coby Hobbs, associate editor, CamboJA.Marwaan Macan-Markar, Asia regional correspondent, Nikkei Asia.Thitinan Pongsudhirak, professor of international relations, Chulalongkorn University.Moderator: TBC.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.

Holding companies accountable for wage theft: Over 900 Thai garment workers owed millions

Press conference,
Thursday, 7 August, 2pm

More than 900 Thai workers are owed millions of US dollars by the factory owner of Body Fashion Thailand Limited, and the prominent European and American brands who ordered their clothing manufactured there. Over the course of several months, the owner of Body Fashion illegally terminated the entire workforce from two factories in Nakhon Sawan and Samut Prakan without a single dollar in severance being paid to any worker, many of whom had worked at the factories for over a decade.Clear and decisive Thai court rulings requiring the workers be paid severance pay, in line with Thai labor law, have been repeatedly ignored by the factory owner. Now Thai and international groups are stepping up to demand the factory owner, as well as the European and American clothing brands that sourced from Body Fashion [namely the Austrian company Huber Holding (owner of the brands Hanro, HOM, Huber Bodywear, and Skiny), the Swiss company Triumph, and the American brands Lane Bryant and Victoria’s Secret] pay the workers what they are owed.At stake is an estimated $US 7.6 million in severance pay owed to the more than 900 Thai garment workers who worked at Body Fashion Thailand Limited.In recent years, Thailand has been at the center of historic victories for supply chain accountability victories for workers and trade unions. For example, in 2022, a coalition of trade union and worker activists secured a $US 8.3 million settlement from Victoria’s Secret for more than 1,000 Thai garment workers who previously made Victoria Secret’s products at the Brilliant Alliance Thailand factory. At the time, this was the largest severance pay theft settlement in the history of the global garment industry. Ensuring international brands meet their obligations is a burning issue for workers in Thailand, and globally. The Body Fashion case is unique and potentially precedent setting for several reasons. First, the huge amount owed to workers makes this one of the largest instances of severance pay theft in the history of the global garment industry. Second, the owner of the factory is also the CEO of one the main brands that sourced from Body Fashion.This case is particularly timely because Thailand is in the midst of negotiating a bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the European Union. Due diligence laws to hold companies accountable for workers’ rights violations in their overseas supply chains are burgeoning in the EU, and Thailand itself in the process of drafting its own mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence law.Join us in the FCCT clubhouse or via Facebook Live, to hear from:Dave Welsh, country director, Solidarity Center Thailand.Scott Nova, executive director, Worker Rights Consortium.Gertrude Klaffenböck, coordinator, Austrian Clean Clothes Campaign, Südwind.Johnson Ching Yin, Yeung, international urgent appeals coordinator, Clean Clothes Campaign.Prasit Koedphithak, former Body Fashion garment worker.‍Jaruwan Karak, former Body Fashion garment worker.Thai-English interpretation will be available.This is not an FCCT-organized event.Free and open to all.

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, 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.

Co-working at the FCCT

Tuesday, 6 August, 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 and Tommy Walker, FCCT broad member and digital nomad.

Free and open to all.

Board games night

Tuesday, 6 August, 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.Bar and restaurant open.

Myanmar’s conflict, political and information landscape -- 4.5 years on

Panel discussion and photo exhibition,
Monday 11 August, 7pm

Four and a half years after the 2021 coup, Myanmar’s trajectory remains uncertain. The military regime continues to face major challenges on the battlefield, yet is pressing ahead with elections that will lack credibility and are likely to trigger further violence.At the same time, shifting geopolitical dynamics, including China’s growing support for the junta and regional fatigue with Myanmar’s protracted turmoil, are enabling a slow re-engagement with Naypyitaw, even as conflict and humanitarian needs grow. As regional engagement increases, there is a real risk that Myanmar’s crisis will be sidelined.This event brings together esteemed speakers to examine the country’s evolving conflict, political and information landscape and to consider what options remain for supporting the country’s people.The panel will also mark the opening of “Still Here,” a photography exhibition hosted by Crisis Group and the FCCT showcasing post-coup work from within Myanmar by local photographers and journalists. Captured despite significant risks and constraints, the images offer a rare window into how people across the country continue to live, work and persevere amid ongoing conflict and uncertainty.All photos will be available for sale via the FCCT, with proceeds going directly to the journalists featured. Richard Horsey, senior adviser, International Crisis Group.Mon Mon Myat, independent journalist and former bureaucChief, DVB; and department of peace studies, Payap University.Moderator: Margarite Clarey, senior communications and advocacy officer, International Crisis Group.Register here.This is not an FCCT-organized event.Free and open to all.

What’s next for Thai politics?

Panel discussion,
Wednesday, 13 August, 7pm

Credit: Panu Wongcha-umThai politics has once again reached a critical juncture with the government facing numerous challenges.The suspension of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, pending a Constitutional Court decision over the leaked phone call with Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen, has left the country with only an acting prime minister as leader amid an ongoing border crisis and faltering economy.Paetongtarn’s father, the influential former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra who is seen as the power behind the ruling Pheu Thai Party, is beset with two court cases that could see him go to jail.Meanwhile, the ruling coalition is hanging on to power by a razor-thin majority in parliament after the withdrawal of support from the Bhumjaithai Party in June.As public confidence in the government decline, protests has reappeared on the streets of Bangkok.Is the country heading towards another political crisis?  Are we seeing the return of the vicious cycles of protests, coups and other turbulent that plagued Thailand in the past two decades?Panelists include:Rudklao Intawong Suwankiri, former deputy government spokesperson, United Thai Nation Party.Verapat Pariyawong, former special counsel to deputy PM of Thailand and founder of VLA Law office.Other panellists TBCModerator: Panu Wongcha-um, FCCT president and Reuters senior correspondent.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.

Is it the end of Thailand’s weed wonderland?

Panel discussion,
Wednesday, 20 August, 7pm

Photo credit: BBCThree years after decriminalising marijuana and unleashing a raucous weed business, Thailand is trying to put the genie back in the bottle.New regulations introduced by the health ministry now require a doctor’s prescription to buy cannabis products, and for every dispensary to become a registered clinic with a trained medic in attendance.Campaigners in favour of liberalisation complain that this will force many smaller growers and sellers to close down, leaving the industry in the hands of big business. But the Thai government argues that the industry is out of control, with too many growers and sellers depressing prices and encouraging smuggling to other countries.The FCCT is inviting Tom Kruesopon, the businessman who played a central role in decriminalising marijuana, but who now supports the government’s efforts to regulate it, to debate with Kitty Chopaka, perhaps the best-known campaigner for liberalisation, who believes this is the wrong way to deal with problems in the industry.Moderator, Jonathan Head, FCCT board member and BBC Southeast Asia correspondentMembers 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 pub trivia

Friday, 29 August, 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.

On the frontline of Cambodia’s environmental battles

Documentary screening, panel discussion
Thursday, 4 September, 7pm

In July 2024, Cambodia jailed five activists from the award-winning environmentalist group Mother Nature Cambodia for plotting against the government, after they had sounded the alarm about river pollution and land reclamation projects. The Clearing, a film produced with support from the Pulitzer Center and Mongabay, follows activist Ly Chandaravuth -- one of the group’s most outspoken members -- and his colleagues in the months leading up to their incarceration. The film captures their relentless fight to expose state-sanctioned environmental destruction as they continue on their collision course with Cambodia’s rulers. and refuse to buckle under pressure.

The human rights situation in Cambodia has been deteriorating year on year, with dozens of activists and journalists facing ever-growing threats of arrest and sometimes even death. As the crackdown continues, the future of environmental activism in Cambodia looks to be hanging in the balance.

Join us for the showing of this amazing film and hear from a panel of experts who will discuss the film and the issues facing Cambodia’s environmental and rights activists.

What’s happening in the forests and neighboring communities in Cambodia? How does the deepening government crackdown affect environmental defenders and their organizations? What is happening to media reporting about forest destruction amid the rapid decline of press freedom in the country? And how are regional and international actors responding to the crisis facing Cambodia’s forests, and the attacks against the country’s activists? These and other questions that speak to the current state of activism in Cambodia under PM Hun Manet will be discussed.

Join us in the FCCT clubhouse to hear from the team behind The Clearing, alongside experts working on environmental and human rights issues in Cambodia. Speakers include:

‍Andy Ball, co-director, The Clearing.‍

‍Gerald Flynn, Southeast Asia staff writer, Mongabay.‍

‍Lisa Mean, campaigner, Mother Nature Cambodia.

Other panelists to be confirmed

Moderator: Jonathan Head, FCCT board member and BBC Southeast Asia correspondent.

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.

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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.

Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU) is looking for an experienced communications manager

Use your skills to promote world leading tropical medicine research. Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU) is looking for an experienced Communications Manager.A science degree is not essential but the candidate must be able to understand basic terminology and methodologies in academic research and be fluent in English and Thai.For more information, click the following link MORU communications manager.To apply, please e-mail a cover letter and CV to application@tropmedres.ac

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