The Bulletin

Stephff's world

Evolving transnational crime: Southeast Asia's role in global scamming and the drug trade

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Thursday, 8 January, 7pm

Transnational organized crime groups globally are evolving, scaling and innovating at an unprecedented pace, and Southeast Asia is in many respects ground zero for many of these changes.

Unprecedented profits from the regional drug trade in the middle 2010s led to diversification and investment in casinos and later cybercrime and scams, and we are now in a period of further reinvestment.

The response to organized crime both globally and here in Southeast Asia has traditionally been led by law enforcement and criminal justice authorities, but the limits of this approach have become increasingly clear. Many governments and regional and international institutions are starting to see organized crime as a threat to national and economic security, and they are beginning to discuss and respond more strategically.

‍So what is the latest, and what can be done to disrupt organized crime? Or is it too late? How can governments, regions and international partners come together and respond?

Panelists:

Jeremy Douglas, deputy director of operations and former UNODC chief of staff

John Wojcik, senior threat researcher Asia, Infoblox

Bhanubhatra Jittiang, Thailand representative to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights

Moderator: 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; Thai media and students with ID, 150 baht.Bar and restaurant open.

Beyond the badge: Crime, justice, and the FBI in Thailand

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Book discussion and Q&A,
Wednesday, 21 January, 7pm

Retired FBI Agent John Schachnovsky says the 10 years of his 25-year law enforcement career that he spent as the FBI representative to Thailand was the highlight of his career.  When he retired in 2019, he recognized there was so much he could write about his unique career and his time in Thailand. Beyond the Badge explores how the trust, goodwill, and long-term relationships he built with his Thai counterparts lead to the capture of numerous dangerous criminals in cases that transcended borders. Providing a behind the scenes view of high-profile incidents like the shocking death of famous Hollywood actor David Carradine at a high end hotel in Bangkok, the apprehension of a notorious kidnapper subject to an Interpol Red Notice, the extradition of a suspect in the murder of a United States Marine, and responding to overseas terrorism, Beyond the Badge takes you to the frontlines international crime in Thailand and the region.John will share the highlights of his journey in Thailand with the FBI and explain how he did his work as the FBI’s “man in Bangkok”. His presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer session with the author, and there will be opportunities to purchase the book at the event.

Speaker: John Schachnovsky, author of Beyond the Badge-Crime, Justice, and the FBI in Thailand.

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 and Thai press with ID 150 baht.Bar and restaurant open.

Gofundme appeal for Al Rockoff

Al Rockoff, left, strolling with John Gunther Dean, the US Ambassador to Cambodia when it fell to the Khmer Rouge in April 1975. The ambassador was shown in The Killing Fields fleeing Phnom Penh on a Marine helicopter with the Stars and Stripes folded under his arm. The pair had a cordial reunion in 1991 at Angkor Wat, when it was finally declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, after their more fractious relationship during the war years. (Photo by Dominic Faulder)After American military veteran and war photographer Al Rockoff appeared to have lost control of the archive he risked his life so often to create, friends in the US set up a Gofundme appeal to help with his rent, moving and legal assistance.Vicki Bornas, Rockoff’s longtime partner, is his unpaid caretaker. She has had to forego work in order to look after him, and is overseeing use of the funds.Graham Bowley recently spent four days in Florida with Rockoff preparing a detailed report on his plight for The New York Times entitled ‘Al Rockoff’s war is still being fought’.Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rockoff was a regular visitor to the FCCT, and there has been much concern among his many friends here over his unexplained absence in recent years.Rockoff has never completed the book of his life’s work so often discussed. He was portrayed by John Malkovich in The Killing Fields, the 1984 Oscar-winning film about the fall of Phnom Penh to the Khmer Rouge in 1975. It was a complimentary depiction he never liked. Rockoff’s Gofundme has so far raised over $4,700 and can be found here:https://www.gofundme.com/f/donate-to-al-rockoffs-housing-and-archive-battlePlease consider donating.https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/arts/design/al-rockoff-war-photography-killing-fields.html?unlocked_article_code=1.208.1KYU.cMe4thRscKTz&smid=url-share

Co-working at the FCCT

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Tuesday, 6 January, 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 board member and managing director of Khayan Consultants and Tommy Walker, FCCT board member and digital nomad.

Free and open to all.

Board games night

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Tuesday, 6 January, 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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