The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand

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The recent clashes between Thailand and Cambodia are the deadliest conflict between the two Southeast Asian neighbours in more than a decade, killing dozens and displacing at least 300,000 In both countries.

The two countries agreed to a ceasefire after five days of fighting at a talk in Malaysia on July 28 with involvement from the U.S., China and Malaysia who is the current chair of Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Now, the fragile ceasefire is largely holding but distrust persists on both sides with a series of meetings being set up aiming to deescalate the tension.
Come join us at the FCCT club house for a panel discussion from correspondents and observers who cover on the ongoing situation, exploring how we got to this point and what is the outlook for Thai-Cambodia relations.
Panellists include:
Coby Hobbs, associate editor, CamboJA.
Marwaan Macan-Markar, Asia regional correspondent, Nikkei Asia.

Thitinan Pongsudhirak, professor of international relations, Chulalongkorn University.

Ou Virak, founder of Future Forum and leader of Cambodian Center for Human Rights.
Moderator: Panu Wongcha-um, FCCT president and senior correspondent, Reuters.

[Members free, non-members 200 baht. Bar and restaurant open.]

Step into the frontlines of the conflict in Myanmar and see the real toll on the lives of the people, in Moses Marks’ new film, Paper Airplane. Set in the war-torn Karen State, Paper Airplane follows the life of a Karen girl, Naw Mi, her mother, and her younger brother as they are forced to flee their home amid the violence of the country’s ongoing civil war.
After a harrowing nighttime escape, they manage to seek refuge in an internally displaced persons camp hacked out of the jungle. Living in a makeshift tent, they struggle with the harshness of their new reality without a home or land to call their own, while continuing to have constant concerns for their safety. Despite the hardships, Naw Mi's younger brother finds solace in watching airplanes soar overhead, not recognizing they are Myanmar Air Force jets responsible for terrorizing and bombing civilians.
In a tender moment, Naw Mi folds a paper airplane for him, symbolizing their shared hope and longing for a brighter future in a country where airplanes can be marveled at, not feared. This poignant story of one family’s struggle to survive, and remain united in face of all challenges, signifies much of what is at stake in the war in Myanmar. Paper Airplane is also accompanied by two short films to complete the narrative of the story, and the FCCT will show all three films.
Moses Marks is a writer, producer, and director. He graduated from the Ngee Ann Polytechnic, School of Film and Media in Singapore. He started his career as an editor for the Singaporean film Masala Mama, which was shot on super 16mm film format. This film won several awards at various festivals and was featured in Singapore cinemas.
In 2010, Moses joined Myanmar International Television (MITV), and produced numerous TV shows for MITV, leading production and post-production teams.
While television played a significant role in his career, Moses’s true love has always been films. He has written, produced, and directed several short films whenever he had the opportunity. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he moved back to Singapore in 2020. After the 2021 military coup in Myanmar changed the film and media landscape, Moses became involved in several film projects including Broken Dreams: Stories from the Myanmar Coup (2023).
Paper Airplane has been screened in Singapore, and for Burmese audiences in Mae Sot district, Tak province, and makes its Bangkok screen debut at the FCCT.
After the films are shown, there will be a panel discussion with the filmmaker and other experts.
Moses Marks, director, The Paper Airplane.
Sompong Srakaew, founder and executive director, Labor Rights Promotion Network.
Additional panelists to be announced
Moderator: Phil Robertson, FCCT board member and director of Asia Human Rights and Labour Advocates (AHRLA).

[This is not an FCCT-organized event. Free and open to all.]

Four and a half years after the 2021 coup, Myanmar’s trajectory remains uncertain. The military regime continues to face major challenges on the battlefield, yet is pressing ahead with elections that will lack credibility and are likely to trigger further violence.

At the same time, shifting geopolitical dynamics, including China’s growing support for the junta and regional fatigue with Myanmar’s protracted turmoil, are enabling a slow re-engagement with Naypyitaw, even as conflict and humanitarian needs grow. As regional engagement increases, there is a real risk that Myanmar’s crisis will be sidelined.
This event brings together esteemed speakers to examine the country’s evolving conflict, political and information landscape and to consider what options remain for supporting the country’s people.

The panel will also mark the opening of “Still Here,” a photography exhibition hosted by Crisis Group and the FCCT showcasing post-coup work from within Myanmar by local photographers and journalists. Captured despite significant risks and constraints, the images offer a rare window into how people across the country continue to live, work and persevere amid ongoing conflict and uncertainty.
All photos will be available for sale via the FCCT, with proceeds going directly to the journalists featured.

[Members free, non-members 450 baht; students with ID, 150 baht. Bar and restaurant open.]

Thai politics has once again reached a critical juncture with the government facing numerous challenges.

The suspension of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, pending a Constitutional Court decision over the leaked phone call with Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen, has left the country with only an acting prime minister as leader amid an ongoing border crisis and faltering economy.
Paetongtarn’s father, the influential former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra who is seen as the power behind the ruling Pheu Thai Party, is besieged with two court cases that could see him go to jail.
Meanwhile, the ruling coalition is hanging on to power by a razor-thin majority in parliament after the withdrawal of support from the Bhumjaithai Party in June.
As public confidence on the government decline, protests has reappeared on the streets of Bangkok.
Is the country heading towards another political crisis? Are we seeing the return of the vicious cycles of protests, coups and other turbulent that plagued Thailand in the past two decades?
Come join us at the FCCT club house for a discussion on what’s next for Thai politics with panellists include:
Rudklao Intawong Suwankiri, former deputy government spokesperson, United Thai Nation Party.
Verapat Pariyawong, former special counsel to deputy PM of Thailand and founder of VLA Law office.
Other panellists TBC
Moderator: Panu Wongcha-um, FCCT President and Reuters senior correspondent.