The Bulletin

Stephff's world

Asia's security order in flux: the role of US allies

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Monday, 16 March, 2pm

As the global order shifts, longstanding security arrangements in the Indo-Pacific are under strain. Power balances are changing, alliances are being tested and key regional partners are rethinking how they deter threats and protect their interests. From Tokyo to Seoul, Canberra and Manila, the US’s Asian allies are reassessing their reliance on external security guarantees and their own deterrence capabilities. This panel brings together International Crisis Group analysts to unpack how defence postures across the region are evolving and what these changes mean for the future of the Indo-Pacific security order.

‍Comfort Ero, president and CEO of the International Crisis Group will deliver opening remarks.

Panelists:

Georgi Engelbrecht, senior analyst, Philippines.

Christopher Green, senior consultant, Korean Peninsula.

Huong Le Thu, deputy director, Asia Program.

Matthew Wheeler, senior analyst, South East Asia.

To attend this event, please RSVP here.

This is not an FCCT event.

Extreme travel – The challenge of visiting every country on earth

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Wednesday, 18 March, 7pm

The innate impulse to explore has been woven into the human story since day one. For some, it has evolved into the mission of a modern nomad – those driven by a compulsion to visit every country on earth – a mission now termed “extreme travel.” While these travellers might collect the physical markers of their journey, like magnets and ink-heavy passport stamps, their true pursuit is much deeper: the acquisition of indelible experiences that remain long after the borders are crossed.

This panel of three extreme travellers will explore this growing segment of travel, where these modern-day explorers travel to countries like Afghanistan, Libya, Haiti, and others. Why do they pursue this audacious quest? What counts as visiting a country? How do they get the most difficult visas? How do they assess security and risk factors? What were their most dangerous situations? What were their most cherished and least favorite countries? And finally, what were some of their unforgettable culinary experiences?

Speakers:

Ric Gazarian is the founder of the Extraordinary Travel Festival and a globe-spanning explorer, storyteller, and community builder whose work has centred on the pursuit of understanding the world through travel. Since 2009, Ric has been on a mission to visit every country on earth, a journey defined by deep curiosity, human connection, and unguarded experiences in places both extraordinary and overlooked.

Shigeki (Shagg) Makino worked for 20 years for investment management companies in Tokyo, Hong Kong, London and Boston. He has been to 164 countries so far, with extensive time living in 10 of them. He is focused on visiting the remaining UN member nations over the next few years.

Jenna Pava was born in Russia and moved to the United States with her family when she was six. She became a teacher, a career she loves for the impact she makes in the classroom, as well as the freedom it gives her to travel during school breaks. In 2023, she moved to Bangkok. Jenna has visited 188 UN countries and continues her pursuit of reaching all 193, blending her love of teaching with her passion for global exploration.

Moderated by Imtiaz Muqbil, executive editor of Travel Impact Newswire.

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 and local media with ID 150 baht.Bar and restaurant open.

Democratic Voice of Burma Peacock Film Festival

DVB film festival and panel discussion, Wednesday, 25 March, 7pm

The DVB will bring a selection of short films from Burmese film-makers on developments in Burma, showing untold stories of resilience, justice, and the struggle for human rights in the country. These films showcase the voices of the ordinary people of Burma, who have suffered so much since the illegal military coup in February 2021, amid ongoing fighting across the country to resist the restoration of military rule.

Following the successful Peacock Film Festival held in Chiang Mai in December 2025, DVB is now bringing selected, award-winning films to Bangkok.

After showing the films, there will be a panel of film-makers, political analysts, Burmese media figures and activists to discuss what’s happening in the country, and what 2026 holds for the Burmese people.

Aye Chan Naing, the co-founder, chief editor and executive director of DVB will give opening remarks at the event.

A full list of documentary films and panel members will be announced soon.

Phil Robertson, director of Asia Human Rights and Labour Advocates and a FCCT board member, will moderate.

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 250 baht; students and local media with ID 150 baht.Bar and restaurant open.

Board games night

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Tuesday, 17 March, 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.

Toxic rivers: Mining pollution and the fight for clean water in mainland Southeast Asia

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Panel discussion, Wednesday, 1 April, 12pm

More than a year ago, communities living along the Kok River in Chiang Rai discovered that the water sustaining their livelihoods had been contaminated with heavy metals linked to upstream mining operations in Myanmar. Civil society groups have since mounted an energetic campaign that has drawn significant media attention, yet many residents say the response from Thai authorities has been limited, leaving them unable to safely use water from the river.

The problem is part of a much wider regional challenge. In late 2025, the Stimson Center released an interactive dashboard identifying more than 2,400 unregulated mining sites across mainland Southeast Asia that are polluting tributaries feeding major river systems, including the Irrawaddy, Salween and Mekong.

Join us at the FCCT to hear from a panel of experts that will discuss the scale of mining pollution across the region, review responses from national governments, the Mekong River Commission and international partners, and discuss what more must be done to address the environmental and health consequences of toxic mining runoff in Southeast Asia’s shared river systems.

Speakers include:

Brian Eyler, director of the Stimson Center’s Southeast Asia programme, author of ‘Last Days of the Mighty Mekong’.

Other speakers to be confirmed.

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 and local media with ID 150 baht.Bar and restaurant open.