The Bulletin

Stephff's world

Lost Horizons - A foreign correspondent’s extraordinary life story

Book launch with Denis Gray,
Wednesday, 1 April, 7pm

This is the remarkable life story Denis D. Gray, born Zdenek Mecir in communist Czechoslovakia, who went on to a celebrated career as a foreign correspondent for Associated Press, most of it based in Bangkok as The Associated Press bureau chief.

From the front lines of the Vietnam War and the ‘killing fields’ of Cambodia to foxholes in Iraq and Afghanistan, Gray chronicles eight decades of upheaval and resilience in this highly personal memoir. He reflects on a world of relentless change and fleeting beauty, torn between the urge to seek a quiet refuge – a “lost horizon” of peace – and the irresistible pull of life on the edge.  

“In Lost Horizons, I try to make sense of it all as best I can,” Gray writes. I tell my story and those of others – not only people, but cities, countries and conflicts – through imperfect eyes. I chose not to present these accounts as a strictly chronological narrative but by subject and theme. In doing so, I hope to have captured the unique period in history during which I lived, loved and lost.”

Denis D. Gray was born in war-torn Pilsen, Czechoslovakia, and fled with his family after the communist takeover. He later studied at Yale and served as a US Army officer in Japan and Vietnam – experiences that sparked his lifelong bond with Asia. In 1972 he joined the Associated Press, beginning a 40-year career reporting from Asia, the Middle East and Africa on wars, political upheavals and environmental disasters.

From the battlefields of Cambodia to the streets of Baghdad, his work has appeared in leading newspapers  and magazines worldwide. He is a past president of the FCCT and co-president of the Indochina Media Memorial Fund (IMMF) and now lives in retirement in northern Thailand, where he continues to write.

Moderator: Dominic Faulder, FCCT board member and Nikkei Asia associate editor.

Hardcover copies of Gray's memoirs will be available on the night.

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 local media with ID 150 baht.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’.

Regan Kwan, research analyst, Stimson Center.

Pianporn Deetes, executive director, Rivers and Rights.

Gerry Flynn, Southeast Asia staff writer at Mongabay.

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

Muzzling the media: SLAPP writs in Thailand
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Panel discussion,
Wednesday, 8 April, 7pm

Two defamation lawsuits were filed by a Thai politician against editors of The Isaan Record in March – moves that drew criticism as attempts to silence investigative reporting. The Record's report was linked to coverage of alleged bribery in a labour trafficking scandal, but the legal cases have been described by the outlet as strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPP).

While the initial case was ultimately dropped, it was followed by a second lawsuit. This underscores a broader pattern in Thailand, in which defamation laws are often used by politicians, companies and powerful individuals to exert pressure on journalists and activists by imposing legal and financial burdens.

Join us at the FCCT for a timely discussion on the use of SLAPP lawsuits and their impact on press freedom.

Speakers include:

Hathairat Phaholtap, editor-in-chief, The Isaan Record.

Sarinee Achavanuntakul, director, Climate Finance Network Thailand.

Yosathorn Niamsaing, advocacy associate, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights.

Tewarit Maneechai, senator.

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

Winds of Change – Geopolitics at the crossroads of South and Southeast Asia

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Book talk,
Monday, 20 April, 7pm

Drawing on firsthand experience, regional travel, exclusive interviews and research, ‘Winds of Change' examines four key themes: the Geopolitics of Belt and Road, India-China Regional Diplomacy, Geopolitical Power Rivalries and Sri Lanka’s Domestic Political Challenge. This book looks at how countries like Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore and Vietnam are adjusting to shifting power dynamics, while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Maldives, and Nepal struggle to maintain balance amid India-China-US tensions. It goes on to investigate how Trump 2.0 could accelerate a global order increasingly tilted toward China.

Asanga Abeyagoonasekera is an author, international security and geopolitics analyst and strategic adviser from Sri Lanka. He is a senior fellow and the executive director of the South Asia Foresight Network at the Millennium Project in Washington DC. He was the former director general of the Institute of National Security Studies under Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Defence and former executive director of the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute, a foreign policy think tank in Sri Lanka.

Moderator: Panu Wongcha-um, FCCT president and Reuters senior correspondentCopies of the book will be available on the night.

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

Co-working at the FCCT

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Tuesday, 31 March, 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.

Free and open to all.Bar and restaurant open.

Board games night
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Tuesday, 31 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.