Stephff's world
Thailand's nominee crackdown: Panic, prosecutions – and a possible way forward
Panel discussion, Monday, 26 Oct, 7pm
Across Thailand, foreign owners of villas, houses, land and hotels have woken to a new reality. More than 20 Thai government agencies, including the Department of Special Investigation, the Royal Thai Police and the Land Department, are investigating thousands of companies suspected of using Thai nationals as nominee shareholders to get around the Foreign Business Act. Authorities have flagged around 2,200 companies holding property worth around 85 billion baht.
The total number of companies involved is thought to be much higher. Arrests have been made, and both foreign investors and their Thai nominees may face criminal prosecution, asset seizure and forced sales. For many owners who bought in good faith, often with the advice of Thai law firms, the result has been fear, confusion and a flood of conflicting and sometimes dangerous advice.
The crackdown is aimed at real problems, including money laundering and abuse of Thailand's land laws. But it raises hard questions that deserve a public hearing.
Why is this happening now, and why with such force? Could this have been handled in a way that went after criminal networks without punishing ordinary homeowners and retirees?
Does it damage Thailand's reputation as a destination for foreign property investment at a time when developers are sitting on a large overhang of unsold units?
And, most urgently, what can owners actually do to protect themselves and their families while staying within the law? Can a market-led solution restore confidence, protect owners and keep foreign investment flowing into Thailand?
Four of the country’s most experienced property figures will try and answer these questions. They are part of Better than Freehold, a legal structure designed to help existing owners wind down their nominee companies and move into secure, registered leaseholds that can be renewed by contract and passed on to heirs. This also gives new buyers a compliant way to invest.
Andrew Moore FPFS, CDir, is a British financial services professional and property investment specialist with more than 35 years’ experience in UK financial services, building businesses and property investment. He is a chartered financial planner and chartered director whose work focuses on financial structuring, governance and asset-backed investment. Over the past two decades he has developed several major real estate projects on Koh Samui. He is the creator of Better than Freehold, and its principal trust officer, which helps existing owners dissolve their nominee companies and restructure into leases, and helps new buyers invest in Thailand legally.
Pokpong Yindeepol has more than 40 years’ experience in the Thai property sector. He was senior advisor and director of Real Estate & Corporate Services at AIA Thailand, managing major corporate developments there, including the AIA East Gateway project. He has wide experience in corporate management and real estate asset administration across Thailand’s insurance and commercial property sectors.
Suphin Mechuchep is CEO and a director of Primo Service Solutions, which started providing property services in January. She has more than 30 years’ experience in Thai real estate and was for many years managing director and chairperson of JLL Thailand, a leading global real estate consultancy. Suphin chairs the PropertyGuru Thailand Property Awards, which recognize excellence in the Thai market. She is widely regarded as one of the country’s most influential property figures, having led major commercial deals and asset management strategies for decades.
Spencer Roberts is co-founder and CEO of Better Than Freehold. He has had 38+ years in corporate real estate and property investment, with 32 years based in Asia. Former country CEO for CBRE and JLL (Asia). He leads the executive team and platform commercial rollout across Thailand and the wider region.
Moderator: Raine Grady, formerly Nine News Australia correspondent and head of Capital Television Group.
For more information visit: betterthanfreehold.com
This is not an FCCT event. Free and open to all.
Bar and restaurant open.
The Strongman and the Last Days of the Khmer Rouge
Film, Wednesday, 28 October, 7pm
Longtime Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen (Photo: James Gerrand).
From the frontlines of the conflict against the Khmer Rouge to the backrooms of political power in Phnom Penh, legendary documentary maker James Gerrand provides rare behind-the-scenes views of Cambodian strongman Hun Sen’s battle to gain the upper hand against his former allies, Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. In his late teens, Hun Sen was originally recruited into the Khmer Rouge as a guerrilla fighter. Later, he defected to the side of the Vietnamese invaders who expelled the Khmer Rouge in 1979. As Prime Minister from 1985 to 2023, Hun Sen led the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) and cemented his power while guiding Cambodia’s political and economic development, amid accusations of serious corruption and human rights violations.
“The Strongman and the Last Days of the Khmer Rouge” presents a fascinating insight into how Hun Sen has wielded political power. This story is told via in-depth interviews with Hun Sen and his colleagues and political adversaries. The film draws upon filmmaker James Gerrand’s own archive of footage shot in Cambodia over the past 40 years. It is a revealing portrait – showing Hun Sen’s principal character traits, his political savvy and capacity for both charm and ruthlessness.
James Gerrand has written for publications including the Far Eastern Economic Review, Bangkok Post, The Australian, Nation Review, National Times, and the Asian Wall Street Journal. During the 1970s and 1980s, he filmed and produced news and current affairs reports for Visnews (UK for worldwide syndication), CBS (America), ABC (America), ABC (Australia) and SBS-TV (Australia).
After arriving in Phnom Penh in 1967 in a canoe, a voyage that became the basis of his film ‘Mekong Downstream’, Gerrand based himself in Phnom Penh and covered the outbreak of the civil war that eventually brought Pol Pot to power. He began his first news filming of the war as a stringer for Visnews and CBS (America). From this intense involvement in the Cambodian tragedy, came his seminal documentary study ‘Khmer! Khmer! Cambodia in Conflict’ (1972). His commitment to filming and documenting every major twist and turn in Cambodia’s tortured history has never waned. Returning to the region every year since the fall of Pol Pot in 1979, he has worked independently to produce his landmark documentaries ‘Cambodia, the Prince & the Prophecy’ (1986), ‘Cambodia Kampuchea’ (1987) and ‘The Last God-King’ (1996), which still stand as among the clearest, most penetrating film studies available that delve down to the roots of modern Cambodian conflicts.
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; students and local media with ID 150 baht.
Bar and restaurant open.
Official Business: Security companies & authorities at scam compounds in Cambodia
Report launch, panel discussion, Thursday 29 Oct, 1pm
Amnesty International will launch – and discuss – their latest research report, titled ‘Official Business: Security companies and authorities at scamming compounds in Cambodia’.
Over the past three years, Amnesty has extensively investigated the scamming industry in Cambodia, releasing reports based on our research in June 2025 and June 2026. Building on those findings, this third report examines one of the key groups enabling abuses within the scamming industry: the private security companies guarding scamming compounds.
The event will be held in a hybrid format, with in-person attendance at the FCCT in Bangkok, and online participation via Zoom, on 29 October 2026 from 1pm to 3pm (GMT+7). Simultaneous interpretation will be available in English and Thai.
Speakers:
Agnes Callamard, secretary-general, Amnesty International;
Jaruwat Jinmonca, vice-president, Immanuel Foundation;
Montse Ferrer, co-regional director, Amnesty’s East & Southeast Asia and Pacific regional office.
Free for all, but attendees are asked to RSVP on the registration form for this event.
Free and open to all.
Bar and restaurant open.
Threats Evolve, Impunity Endures: The growing crisis of crimes against journalists
Panel discussion, Monday, 2 Nov, 7pm
UNESCO will mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists and release its biennial Director-General’s Report on the killing of journalists, media workers and social media producers engaged in journalistic activities. A panel of distinguished journalists will speak about the danger journalists face as they seek to investigate and report the news in Southeast Asia.
In 2026, these efforts come at a particularly critical moment. According to the UNESCO Observatory of Killed Journalists, 30 media professionals have been killed worldwide so far in 2026. Findings from the 2026 Director-General’s Report point to an alarming reality: Killings of journalists are increasing, 86% remain unresolved, and new threats are emerging, including the growing use of drones in conflict zones.
This situation requires a concerted response from governments, officials, journalists, civil society representatives and the general public, based on four core principles. First, ensuring accountability – meaning that no crime against a journalist should remain without investigation or consequence. Second, seeking justice – because impunity fuels further violence and undermines freedom of expression. Third, providing protection – reflecting the reality that the safety of journalists is essential to the public’s right to information. And finally, upholding truth – because silencing journalists ultimately means silencing the stories and information they bring to society.
Welcome address: UNESCO and/or representative from Embassy of Sweden.
Panelists:
Thu Thu Aung, editor-in-chief, Frontier Myanmar;
May Wong, Indochina bureau chief, The Straits Times;
Other panelists to be announced.
Moderator: FCCT board member.
Free and open to all.
Bar and restaurant open.
Outsider. Freud
Film, Thursday, 5 Nov, 7pm
Outsider. Freud is an award-winning film journey into the life and work of Sigmund Freud in four acts, combining animation, dreams, and insights from leading psychoanalysts. It explores Freud’s experiences of marginalization as a Jew in Vienna during Hitler’s rise and how these shaped his theories and personal life. Through an intimate lens, the film reveals new dimensions of Freud’s legacy, focusing on his impact on psychoanalysis, Judaism, and the power dynamics of being an outsider.
Critics have raved about this film. “The best film ever made about Freud,” said George Makari, a renown psychiatrist and historian. Monika Pressler, director of the Freud Museum in Vienna, simply called it “a masterpiece.” Harvey Schwartz, editor of the podcast “On and Off the Couch” of the International Psychoanalytical Association, said it is “a rare film that captures both Freud’s personal history and the essence of his spirit.” Famous German author Ilse Bindseil said “The film does not only deal with a personality, it has one of its own. “Hannah Brown of the Jerusalem Post called it “a brilliant, entertaining documentary.”
The film has been screened in 22 different countries, participated in 20 film festivals to date, and won 15 awards, including the prestigious 2025 Gradiva award given annually by the National Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis. The film was also the winner at both the Mannheim Film Festival and the Berlin Kiez Film Festival, held in Germany last year. It also won the Best Feature Documentary/Animation award at the Jaipur International Film Festival and the Best Feature Documentary/Animation at New Delhi’s International Film Festival in 2025.
Following the film, director Yair Qedar will speak about Freud and the film, and take questions from the audience. Yair Qedar has made numerous award-winning documentaries that bring intellectual and marginalized voices to the forefront. Prior to filmmaking, Qedar was a prominent journalist for Haaretz, Davar, and Masa Acher. He is also a pioneer of the LGBTQ+ movement in Israel, founding HaZman HaVarod (Pink Times), the country’s first LGBTQ+ newspaper, and the Rainbow Families Organization.
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; students and local media with ID 150 baht.
Bar and restaurant open.
Burma Soldier
Film screening, panel discussion, Wednesday, 11 Nov, 7pm
The Embassy of Ireland in Thailand, in partnership with Frontier Myanmar,presents the Emmy-nominated HBO documentary Burma Soldier at the FCCT.
Burma Soldier is a powerful exposé of Myanmar’s military from the perspective of an insider. The film tells the story of Myo Myint, who joined the Myanmar army at the age of 17, drawn by the security, respect and employment it promised. After losing a limb in a landmine explosion, he turned against the military regime and joined the pro-democracy movement. Combining interviews, archival footage and photographs, much of it smuggled out of the country, Burma Soldier traces Myanmar’s history from independence in 1948 and examines how decades of military rule have shaped the country. More relevant than ever, the film offers valuable insight into understanding Myanmar today.
The New York Times said the “documentary shows dissent in Myanmar military ... In quiet and measured tones in the film, broken at one point by tears, Mr Myo Myint describes his journey…” And Variety said:“HBO’s documentaries have a way of compelling us to take a look at parts of the world the rest of the media tends to forget ... The strongest elements come from Myo Myint Cho’s first-person accounts of the horrors he witnessed.”
Narrated by Colin Farrell with music by U2, Burma Soldier won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the United Nations Association Film Festival. It was also nominated for an Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) Award for Best Feature Documentary and nominated for an Emmy.
The Ambassador of Ireland to Thailand, Nora Delaney, will deliver opening remarks before the screening of the film.
And after it is screened, there will be a thought-provoking discussion on how decades of civil war and military rule have shaped Myanmar’s society, affecting its ability to reconcile, compromise and solve problems, and how battlefield experience has influenced the worldview of the military, featuring:
Kyaw Kyaw, researcher at the Myanmar Defence and Security Institute, medical doctor, and former Myanmar Military officer;
Agnes Mary, counselling psychologist specialising in trauma;
Nic Dunlop, co-director of Burma Soldier and features editor, Frontier Myanmar;
Moderated by Thu Thu Aung, editor-in-chief, Frontier Myanmar.
Members and non-members who wish to attend are kindly requested to RSVP in advance by emailing members@frontiermyanmar.net.
Free and open to all.
Bar and restaurant open.
Under Pressure: Journalism and Solidarity in Southeast Asia
Panel discussion, Monday, 16 Nov, 7pm
Journalists and media organizations across Southeast Asia face a range of pressures, from threats and harassment to legal challenges and restrictions on press freedom. How are journalists navigating these challenges, and what forms of solidarity and support can help them continue their work?
Join us for a panel discussion on the challenges journalists are facing in the Mekong region, the role of organizations supporting journalists at risk, and how cross-border collaboration and solidarity can strengthen press freedom and journalist safety.
The evening will also pay tribute to our friend Gwen Robinson, honouring her dedication to journalism in Southeast Asia and her generosity in mentoring and supporting fellow journalists. We will celebrate her legacy of solidarity and care, and reflect on how to carry that spirit forward in strengthening the safety and protection of journalists across the region.
Welcome remarks: Ruth Kronenberg, executive director of Free Press Unlimited (FPU), followed by a tribute to Gwen Robinson on behalf of the FPU.
Panelists:
Yucca Wai, programs director, Exile Hub;
Panu Wongcha-um, president, Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand;
Nathan Paul Southern, operations director, EyeWitness Project;
Vi Tran, executive director, Legal Initiatives for Vietnam.
Moderator: Phil Robertson, FCCT board member.
Free and open to all.
Bar and restaurant open.
Co-working at the FCCT
Tuesday, 27 Oct, 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 foreign correspondent Tommy Walker.
Free and open to all.
Bar and restaurant open.
Board games night
Tuesday, 27 Oct, 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, 27 Nov, 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.
Job Opening: News Researcher at NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation)
NHK, (Japan Broadcasting Corporation), is looking for a professional and highly motivated person to join our team.
Position: NEWS RESEARCHER
Job description
Research and assistance in producing news features related to political, economic, and social issue stories based mainly in Thailand for Japanese news programs as well as for English Channel, WORLD.
Responsibilities
- News research
- News monitoring
- News transcription
- Covering news in the field.
- Source and connection building
- News reporting
Requirements:
- Thai citizen
- Excellent communication skills in Thai and English (Ability to speak Japanese is also an advantage)
- At least 3 years of experience in the news industry
- Ability to work and study independently, and travel on short notice
- Bachelor's degree
Interested candidates are invited to submit their comprehensive resume, portfolio of work, and cover letter directly to personnel@nhk.or.th. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for further interviews.
Application period : October 12 – November 3, 2026.