The Bulletin

Stephff's world

Ethnic demographic and health survey in Myanmar

Press conference,
Thursday, 28 August, 10.30am

The Health Information System Working Group (HISWG) invites you a press conference where it will launch what is the most comprehensive report on the current dire situation of health in Myanmar’s ethnic communities.  The Ethnic demographic and health survey (EDHS): health, displacement, and service-delivery in conflict affected Burma covers events of 2024. It is based on a survey of 3100 households and over 15,000 individuals in ethnic areas of Myanmar. The report presents the most comprehensive, population-based assessment of health, well-being, and service access across some of the country’s most underserved and hard-to-reach regions since the 2021 military coup.The report provides a rare and critical view into how communities are coping with overlapping challenges -- including economic hardship, service disruptions, military attacks and rapidly expanding health needs among the ordinary people in areas of the country that are hard to access. Major challenges include lack of access to medical resources and treatment, very high infant and child mortality, widespread household food insecurity and loss of livelihoods, many deaths and injuries due to SAC military junta attacks on civilians; huge untreated mental health challenges; displacement causing stress and other health issues, and other medical problems. More than two-thirds of the communities surveyed had no access to foreign aid in 2024, and this figure has worsened in the light of recent USAID and other donor cuts.Come find out more about the very grave health situation on the ground in Myanmar, and what leading ethnic health organizations are doing to tackle these challenges.A panel of expert speakers will present the report’s findings and answer questions. On the panel will be:
Dr Cynthia Maung, director, Mae Tao Clinic.Saw Nay Htoo, director, Burma Medical Association.Saw Eh Pwoh, secretary, Karen Department and Welfare.Additional public health specialists, to be confirmed.Moderator: Jim Pollard, former FCCT board member, Bangkok-based journalist.The EDHS is the flagship publication of the Health Information System Working Group (HISWG), which includes as its members ten prominent health service delivery organizations representing ethnic and health advocacy organizations including the Burma Medical Association; Karen Department of Health and Welfare; Kachin Women Association Thailand, Civil Health and Development Network; Shan State Development Foundation; Mon National Health Committee; Pa-Oh Health Working Committee; Loi Tai Li Clinic; Back Pack Health Worker Team (BPHWT); the Ethnic Health Systems Strengthening Group; and the Mae Tao Clinic.This is not an FCCT-organized event.Free and open to all.

A Useful Ghost: The development of Thai film on the global stage

Talk and Q&A,
Wednesday, 3 September, 7pm

After dying from a respiratory disease, a mother's spirit possesses a vacuum cleaner to protect her husband when he begins showing the same symptoms. A Useful Ghost (2025) has been hailed as one of the most distinctive Thai films of the year, capturing attention at international film festivals. Blending folklore and social realism, the film explores life, loss and labour in post-industrial Thailand through the lens of a ghost story.The FCCT welcomes the director and the producer of A Useful Ghost to speak about the challenges and opportunities facing Thai filmmakers as they navigate global platforms and domestic realities. The conversation will reflect on how Thai cinema has evolved and where it might be heading as it gains visibility on the world stage.Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke, director,  A Useful Ghost.Cattleya Paosrijaroen, producer, 185 Films.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.

Co-working at the FCCT

Tuesday, 26 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, 26 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.

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.

FCCT’s new podcast: Dateline Bangkok

For part one of this weeks episode of the Dateline Bangkok podcast, Tommy Walker speaks with Tony Cheng.Tony is a foreign correspondent who works for Al Jazeera. He has worked within the Southeast Asia region for two decades and for BBC News and CGTN covering news and conflicts in Asia and the Middle East. Tony is a former board member of the FCCT.Tony recently spent a week covering the Thailand-Cambodia border conflict from the Thai side including in red zone hotspots such as Surin and Sisaket.In this episode he speaks with Tommy about covering the conflict, who also reported from the border, with both sharing their experiences on the ground.Watch the full episode on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

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 confirmedModerator: 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 450 baht.Bar and restaurant open.

Ho undercover -- Ho Chi Minh’s covert journey to independence

An evening with author Teddy Spha Palasthira
Wednesday, 24 September, 7pm

Fascinated by the life of Ho Chi Minh, unquestionably one of the most influential figures in Southeast Asian history, Teddy Spha Palasthira has significantly expanded his earlier book ‘The Siamese Trail of Ho Chi Minh’, based on the true story of the Vietnamese leader’s adventurous journey across the jungles and mountains of northeast Siam in 1928 and 1929. It also includes the fictional story of Wong, a young Thai-Vietnamese idealist who falls under the magnetic spell of Uncle Ho.Teddy has crowned his colourful careers in advertising, diplomacy and academia with a fourth as an author. A noted raconteur, he ranks among the most productive Thai writers in English today with his stylishly written and beautifully presented books.Teddy’s earlier works include ‘Siamese Anglophile’, an autobiographical work about a Siamese born in London and nicknamed ‘Teddy’ by his English nanny. ‘The Last Siamese’ relates the heroic tales of 12 exceptional characters who lived in Siam/Thailand between the 1900s and 1960s. ‘Addresses’ is the story of a Siamese boy growing up in wartime England and post-war Europe and Thailand.  

Teddy was called to the bar at London's Middle Temple in 1969, but did not pursue a career in law. After a short stint at the Thai foreign ministry, he switched to advertising, ran Ogilvy & Mather and Dentsu Young & Rubicam in Bangkok, won a Clio creative award from New York City, was a visiting professor at Missouri School of Journalism in the mid-nineties, and was appointed media adviser to Thailand’s minister of foreign affairs in 2007.A former president of the Thai-Italian Chamber of Commerce and the Dante Alighieri Cultural Association, Teddy has served on the boards of the Siam Society and the Franco-Thai Chamber of Commerce. He is a grand officer (first class) of the Italian Republic (2004).Join us for an evening of historical insight.Discussant: Dominic Faulder, FCCT board member and Nikkei Asia associate editor.Books will be available for signing.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.

Thabyay: Creative resistance in Myanmar

Film screening,
Thursday, 25 September, 7pm

Some take up arms while struggling to stay true to their commitment to non-violence, while others engage in “artivism,” using music, poetry and art to bring about a peaceful, free, democratic and truly inclusive future for all people in Myanmar.What happens when non-violent leaders are pushed to support armed struggle against a brutal regime in a forgotten war?The screening will explore this question through four leaders of the people-power revolution currently underway in Myanmar/Burma. The film illustrates the challenges faced by these individuals and their compatriots, and how art and music remain potent tools in their country's revolution.The panelists will include:Susanna Hla Hla Soe, NUG minister of women, youth and children affairs by Zoom.Thet Swe Win, synergy NGO in person.Phoe San, violinist and composer in person.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.

Is Thailand still amazing? Thai tourism weathers challenging times

Exclusive discussion,
Thursday, 2 October, 7pm

Thapanee Kiatphaibool, the governor of the tourism authority of Thailand, joins the FCCT for an exciting and exclusive discussion about the state of tourism in Thailand today and what lies ahead for Thailand in the coming months.Volatile regional and global situations, economic headwinds, and competition from other destinations are just some of the factors that have made 2025 a challenging year for Thai tourism, which accounts for about 12% of GDP in Thailand, and indirectly impacts an even greater share of the economy.Thailand is constantly looking for ways to boost tourism, from offering domestic subsidies and free plane tickets for visitors, to leveraging soft power initiatives that promote everything from food to film locations.Traditionally TAT served as the marketing arm to promote Amazing Thailand, but it increasingly finds itself in a proactive role, advising local authorities in Thailand and contributing to the discussion about the nation’s tourism policies. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and its governor Thapanee Kiaphaibool play a key role in elaborating and implementing many of these initiatives.How are source markets like China and India changing the tourism landscape? What is the role of domestic tourism? Have current events, ranging from safety concerns to natural disasters and border conflicts, impacted travel decisions? What should TAT do to temper these perceptions?Sustainability and over-tourism concern the entire industry, but are these issues compatible with the economic growth forecast by TAT? What can TAT do to promote greener practices and promote secondary destinations while respecting local communities and the environment?Visa waivers, arrival levies; MICE (meetings incentives, conventions, events); high-value, high-spending tourists; LGBT+ travel in the wake of the legalization of same-sex marriages: these are just some of the questions that Khun Thapanee will address. She will also take questions from journalists, industry leaders and the public. Please join us for this lively one-on-one discussion on this timely topic.Special guest: Thapanee Kiatphaibool joined the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) in 1999 and has spent her entire career supporting the tourism industry in Thailand holding the positions of deputy governor for tourism products and business and deputy governor for domestic marketing before becoming governor in 2023Discussant: Vincent Vichit-Vadakan is a writer who covers travel, food and the tourism and hospitality industries for a number of international publications. He is a member of the FCCT program committee.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.

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