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Providing even more convenience for our members and guests, the FCCT now accepts payment for all bills, including membership dues, via Visa or MasterCard, over the phone or by e-mail. There's no longer any need to come to the office. credit card in hand, to swipe through our terminal. Just give us your card number and the expiration date and we'll put it through. You'll get a full receipt for every charge.

Plus, we still have all our other payment options available: American Express, in person or by phone or e-mail, ATM transfer, counter deposit or wire transfer to our current account at Bangkok Bank, personal or corporate check in Baht drawn on a Thai bank, or Thai Baht in cash. For more information, please contact the FCCT office.

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Canadian journalist Cameron Cooper and Pascal Butel, French expert in Asian art, document the world's most important piece of social commentary art since Picasso's 1937 painting "Guernica". This masterpiece captures the essence of Abhaya - Fearlessness - in a 2,620 carat natural emerald crystal vetted as one of the largest in history.

Created as a tribute to the lost standing Buddhas of Bamiyan Valley, Afghanistan, this image is encrypted with the Thai message of Pang Harm Yart - ปางห้ามญาติ - "Stop Quarrelling Amongst Yourselves". An Emerald Encryption brings this exceptional creation to world attention at a most appropriate time, the transition of Burma to democracy.

Discussion panel:

Cameron Cooper, Canadian author and journalist
Pascal Butel, author, Asian ancient art expert, critic and collector
Richard K. Diran, sculptor, painter, gemologist and author of
"The Vanishing Tribes of Burma"
Dr. Suchat Chinoraso (Phrakruvititpanyaporn)
Phra Cittadhammo Bhikkhu, Scottish Buddhist Monk

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CETA Worldwide Education (CETA), an Australian secondary school consultant specialist, is holding a media briefing and luncheon on May 22nd to announce its upcoming Australian Secondary School Exhibition and Cocktail Party, which will be held at the end of June.

This exhibition is being organized in conjunction with the Australian Education Assessment Services (AEAS) and supported by the Australian Trade Commission, Australian Embassy in Thailand.

Twenty-eight top private secondary schools from across five Australian states including the cities of Melbourne, Geelong, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide, will attend this secondary school exhibition, the largest and the only one of its kind in Thailand.

During this media briefing, CETA will provide further details of their upcoming exhibition. Members of the media will have the opportunity to:

· Meet with CETA executives, Tracey and Andrew Gray, who have over 10 years of experience in sending Thai students to study in Australia
· The Australian Secondary School Exhibition and Cocktail party will take place on Saturday June 30th 2012 at Plaza Athénée Bangkok
· Understand how an Australian secondary school education can provide benefits to a Thai student academically, socially and personally
· Discover why Australia is a popular choice of destination for secondary school education among Thai families
· Understand the rationale behind the importance of English language as Thailand joins the Asean Economic Community (AEC) in 2015
· Meet with a Thai parent and a Thai student, who will both share their experiences of Australian education
· Scholarship competition valued over THB500,000 to be given away to students who participate in CETA's Front Page Newspaper Contest.

Interested media and attendees may confirm their attendance with PR@bnowconsulting.com or kittima@bnowconsulting.com or call 081-8262399, 085-8463342, 02-6625622

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"Stateless Rohingya...Running on Empty", is a photo exhibition by award-winning photographer, Suthep Kritsanavarin. The documentary produced over three years throughout the region is an in depth portrayal of the plight of the Rohingyas, an ethnic and religious minority in Myanmar/Burma, and the international diaspora of their community from Australia to Malaysia.

The documentary uncovers the political and social challenges of this stateless community from northern Arakan/Rakhine stage - one of the region's most unknown neglected populations.

Powerful images chronicle the story of a people estranged in their own homeland,
denied citizenship, education and jobs in Burma, and their perilous journeys by boat in search of a land they may claim as home.

The panel will address questions about the identity of the Rohingyas and why they have fled their land, the historical source of the Burmese governments denial of statehood and their struggle for humanitarian recognition.

A short documentary video by Suthep will set the tone for a panel discussion with:

Human Rights Watch Phil Robertson, and Maung Kyaw Nu, of the Burmese Rohingya Association of Thailand and a former political prisoner of conscience. We are also expecting a Thai academic (tba).
Reservations: To ensure sufficient food for the buffet, we would greatly appreciate your making a buffet reservation at least one day before the program if you plan to join us for the dinner. (No penalty for cancellation if last minute conflicts arise.) Please also note that tables/seats will be reserved only for those with advance buffet bookings. To reserve, please call 02-652-0580-1 or click here to send an e-mail to info@fccthai.com .

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An official delegation from Amnesty International is currently visiting Myanmar for the first time in nine years. Since 10 May, Amnesty has been meeting with government officials, members of the political opposition and civil society, ethnic minority leaders, and former political prisoners.

In an effort to more deeply understand the seminal events of the past several years - the Saffron Revolution, Cyclone Nargis, the arrest and trial of Aung San Suu Kyi, the 2010 national elections, the release of Suu Kyi - as well as to assess the past year's reforms, Amnesty is meeting with many of the people who were directly affected or involved.

Mindful that the prevailing narrative is one of almost unqualified optimism, Amnesty is seeking to identify the human rights improvements, the presistent and ongoing human rights violations, and the new human rights challenges to which the recent changes have given rise. Not since once hoped-for reformer Khin Nyunt was Prime Minister has Amnesty been permitted to do so inside Myanmar itself.

Join us for brief remarks by the delegation followed by Q&A.

Delegates/panelists:

Donna Guest, Deputy Asia-Pacific Programme Director
Benjamin Zawacki, Myanmar Researcher

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ESCAP Report: Low Carbon Green Growth Roadmap for Asia and the Pacific
 

Date changed from 14th May
 
11:30 am, Monday May 28 2012
Admission Free


This is not an FCCT-sponsored event. It is a paid function and responsibility for program content is solely that of the event organizer
 
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) to launch a publication entitled Low Carbon Green Growth Roadmap for Asia and the Pacific: Turning resource constraints and the climate crisis into economic growth opportunities. The launch will take place on Monday, 14 May 2012 at the FCCT at 11:30 AM.

The days of resource abundance and low fuel prices are over. The world is entering a new era of high and volatile resource prices. The Asia-Pacific region uses three times the resources as the rest of the world to create one unit of GDP. Resource-intensive growth patterns have exacerbated the vulnerability of the region to resource price volatility while negatively affecting its ecological sustainability.

Despite the increasing demand for policy options to make economic development green, a clear blueprint that can lead us to a green economy, especially in developing countries, was not yet readily available.

To fill this gap, ESCAP developed the Low Carbon Green Growth Roadmap for Asia and the Pacific: Turning resource constraints and the climate crisis into economic growth opportunities. The Roadmap explores the opportunities that a low carbon green growth path offers to the region.

It articulates five tracks on which to drive the economic system change necessary to pursue low carbon green growth as a new economic development path. In particular, the "visible structure" of the economy, comprising such physical infrastructure as transport, buildings and energy systems, together with the "invisible structure", which encompasses market prices, governance, regulations and lifestyles, have to be re-oriented towards resource efficiency.

The Roadmap provides policymakers in the region with a comprehensive list of policy options and practical implementing strategies as well as examples of successful practices, woven through more than 100 fact sheets and case studies.

The Roadmap is released ahead of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) to be held in Rio de Janeiro in June 2012, and is intended to help countries in Asia and the Pacific better understand the challenges and opportunities the region faces in moving towards a green economy.
 

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Singapore: Prelude to the post-Lee Kuan Yew era
 
 
7pm Tuesday, 29th May, 2012
 

 


This is not an FCCT-sponsored event. It is a paid function and responsibility for program content is solely that of the event organizer
 
This year is the 25th Anniversary of 1987 Operation Spectrum, an Internal Security Operation mounted in Singapore which resulted in the arrest of 24 political activists in Singapore. Amongst them were lawyers, journalists, script writers, social and church activists and supporters of the opposition parties.

The detainees were labelled "Marxist conspirators", but denied the right of defence in an open court. Instead, public "confessions" were elicited under the threat of indefinite detention without trial.

Speakers, both of whom served prison terms in Singapore for their beliefs, will speak on the theme of past and future of Singapore are:

# Tan Wah Piow, the exiled former President of the University of Singapore Students. He has published 'Smokescreens & Mirrors' to rebut the 1987 allegation that he was the mastermind of the alleged Marxist Plot to turn Singapore into a Marxists State. In his book, published on the May 19 (last week), Tan calls for a Reclaim of fundamental rights to freedom of speech and assembly, rejuvenation of politics in Singapore by the wholesale rejection of anti-human rights legislations, and a restart of Singapore's politics. Tan Wah Piow is a practising lawyer in London.

# Teo Soh Lung, a lawyer at the time, and one of the 1987 activists, is the author of the book 'Beyond The Blue Gates', described by Prof Peter Carey, Fellow Emeritus, Trinity College, Oxford as "an essential benchmark", which shows "how a person of courage and integrity can speak truth to power".

The theme of the abuse of law in a country which is democratic in theory but sacrifices its most democratic citizens to the whim of its rulers, is a story which began in Athens, the birthplace of democracy, and continues not only in Singapore but in Thailand and elsewhere.

Copies of the recent books of both authors will be available.

 

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An evening with Lord Michael Williams
 
 
8pm, Wednesday, May 30, 2012
(Please see pricing and reservation procedure below)
 
Michael Williams is a member of the upper house of the British parliament, the House of Lords.

He is also an International Trustee of the BBC and will be in Bangkok to speak at an Asia Media Summit hosted by Thai PBS on May 29-30, on the topic of Public Service Broadcasting.

A Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House), he was prior to his appointment to the House of Lords, UN Under Secretary-General and Special Coordinator for Lebanon (2008-11), and UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East (2006-07). His other positions with the UN include Director of Human Rights in the transitional administration in Cambodia, and Director of Information for the UN Protection Force in former Yugoslavia.

He became Lord Williams of Baglan in 2010.
A graduate of University College London and of the School of Oriental and African Studies of the University of London - where his PhD was titled 'Islam and Politics in Indonesia' - Lord Williams has been Special Adviser to two British Foreign Secretaries, Robin Cook and Jack Straw. Earlier in his career he worked for Amnesty International and the BBC World Service where he specialized in Southeast Asia.
He is the author of three books Communism, Religion and Revolt in Banten (1990), Vietnam at the Crossroads (1992) and Civil-Military Relations and Peacekeeping (1998).
Lord Williams will share his views at the FCCT on, among other things, the role of the media in recent transitions in the region and beyond. Join us for what promises to be an excellent evening with an engaging speaker!
 
Pricing Details:
Members: No cover charge, buffet dinner is 350 baht
Non-members: 300 baht cover charge without buffet dinner or 650 baht for buffet dinner including cover charge
 
Reservations: To ensure sufficient food for the buffet, we would greatly appreciate your making a buffet reservation at least one day before the program if you plan to join us for the dinner. (No penalty for cancellation if last minute conflicts arise.) Please also note that tables/seats will be reserved only for those with advance buffet bookings. To reserve, please call 02-652-0580-1 or click here to send an e-mail to info@fccthai.com .
 


 

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POSTPONED:PLEASE CHECK BACK FOR RESCHEDULED DATE OF THIS FILM

UPPERDOG ( NORWAY)
Director : Sara Johnsen

 
Screening Courtesy: Embassy of Norway, which will provide Norwegian salmon and the
  famed 'shot' drink 'Akkevit '
 
8 pm, Thursday 31 May, 2012
 

 
Members: Free Non Members: 150 THB , Norwegian Akkevit / Salmon : 150 THB
 
This warm, lively, thought-provoking comedy about youth, social class, culture, offers a unique insight into the multi-ethnic character of contemporary Norwegian society.

Yanne and Axel are Korean half-siblings who are adopted by two Norwegian families, and get separated. They lead completely different lives, in two ends of Oslo. The plain-looking and hard-working Yanne is brought up by a single mother ,while the handsome and spoilt Axel leads a life of luxury at his wealthy parents' home.

Into their lives, comes the lively Polish immigrant Maria. She is Yannel's room-mate and friend, but suddenly finds a job as a maid in Axel's house. The flirtatious Axel entices her and she soon becomes his lover. When she discovers that he is Yannel's brother, she tries to connect them,which leads to much emotional turmoil.

In the background, is the quiet, intense Per, who Yanne is attracted to, but who is smarting from the memories of his violent experiences in the Afghan war.

The film is studded with arresting characters, that hold us in their thrall, and offer us a larger picture of the unique country they live in. It swept Norway's prestigious 'Amanda Awards', and was a big, commercial success.

We are delighted to present the first movie from the Scandinavian region, in our Film Series. To celebrate the event, the Ambassador of Norway HE Ms Katja Nordgaard, will serve the famous 'Akkevit' shot-drink, and delectable Norwegian salmon.

Don't miss a warm and delightful movie, in our Contemporary World Film Series.
 

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Book Launch: "Viper's Tail" by Tom Crowley & Metta Visions Publications
 
 
5.30pm Wednesday June 6th, 2012
 

 
Free


This is not an FCCT-sponsored event. It is a paid function and responsibility for program content is solely that of the event organizer
 
In Viper's Tail, Tek Chance, an ex-U.S. Army Ranger, is disillusioned with war and violence and seeking peace in Thailand, his mother's homeland, but his escape from the conflicts of the world is destined to be short lived.

U.S. medical researchers are dying mysterious deaths in Thailand. Tek is called upon to look into the affair. And after Tek peels back the layers of the mystery, he discovers the deaths are linked to a conspiracy dating back to the Second World War.

Tek is recruited to stop the plot hatched by right wing Japanese fanatics. Their grievances go back to World War II and the subsequent loss of Japan's preeminent position in the world as the second most powerful economy.

To avert possible world catastrophe, Tek battles governments and the Japanese underworld to end the plot.

Tom Crowley served as a soldier in the Vietnam War where he was wounded, and decorated for his service. During his tour of duty he developed a deep connection with Asia. After years of working as a US Foreign Service officer and in business in various Asian countries he ended up in Bangkok volunteering for the Mercy Centre, an NGO in Klong Toey that helps street children, orphans and also children and adults who are HIV positive. In his spare time he shoots pool.

Tom is also the author of "Bangkok Pool Blues", a non fiction look at the counter culture of the pool world in Bangkok and the denizens who inhabit it. Both books will be available and Tom will be on hand to sign books and answer questions. The author can be contacted at actionbooks88@hotmail.com .

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The King of Thailand in World Focus
Now available in soft cover!
Only Baht 270 for FCCT members
 
The FCCT's sell-out publishing success, The King of Thailand in World Focus, a 280-page collection of articles and images from the international press on the life and reign of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Rama IX, is now available in a new, popularly priced soft-cover edition. In addition to making for fascinating reading, the book is the only comprehensive reference work on the current reign as reported over the years by correspondents, journalists and photographers in magazines and newspapers around the world

This large-format, full-color book is identical to the hard-bound third edition which sold out late last year, but with a stiff, varnished art-card cover, and priced to be easy on the wallet. It's available through the FCCT office and at Asia Books around town for the cover price of only Baht 300. FCCT members can get a copy through the FCCT office only for just Baht 270, on presentation of your current membership card.

Bulk rates (25 copies or more): 260 baht per copy.

Normal price is 300 baht per copy available at Asia Books, Se-ed and Kinokuniya.

Don't miss out. Get your copy of this unique publication today!

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Our Sincere Thanks

 
The FCCT gratefully acknowledges the kindness and generosity of these fine firms.. Please support our sponsors when you can, as they support us!

Major Sponsors


Coca-Cola (Thailand) Limited, producers of Coca-Cola, Fanta, Minute Maid, Nestea, Sprite and Cafe Zu
Pfizer (Thailand) Limited
Unilever Thai Group of Companies, producers of Chesebrough-Ponds skin care products, Helene-Curtis shampoos & deodorants, Best Foods mayonnaise, Lipton Tea and a host of other food, beverage, home and personal care products
Bangkok Bank: providers of personal and business banking services to the FCCT and its members, throughout Thailand and the world


Sponsors

• Nation Multimedia Group, for daily delivery of The Nation


• NewspaperDirect, for daily delivery of a wide variety of leading international newspapers


• Post Publishing Co., Ltd., for daily delivery of the Bangkok Post


• TrueVisions Public Company Limited, for premium cable television access


• Star Alliance, for our wi-fi internet service and air tickets supporting the FCCT's annual photojournalism contest


• Maneeya Realty


• Richard Wilson and Biz-Art Design & Direction for creation of our logotype.


• Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, often voted "The Best Hotel in the World", for their consistent support, including, for the past three years, our Year-End Party.


• The Intercontinental Bangkok and Intergroup Agencies (Thailand) for accommodation and airport transfers, allowing us to bring Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim to our table this week.

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The FCCT Bulletin
 
The Bulletin is published weekly by the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand, Penthouse, Maneeya Center, 518/5 Ploenchit Road, Patumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand. President: Nirmal Ghosh First vice-president: Aela Callan. Second vice-president: Anasuya Sanyal. Treasurer: Umesh Pandey. Clubhouse manager: Chaiya Richard Holt. Office telephone: 02 652-0580-1; fax: 02 652-0582. Clubhouse telephone: 02 254-8165. E-mail: info@fccthai.com. Web site: www.fccthai.com.

Opinions expressed may be entirely those of an individual writer or organization, and do not necessarily represent the policies, positions or opinions of the FCCT, nor does the FCCT, by virtue of publication in The Bulletin, assume any liability therefore. While all reasonable efforts are employed to ensure accuracy of announcements appearing in The Bulletin, including but not limited to dates, times and cover charges, the FCCT is not bound by those announcements and occasional errors or omissions may appear; we apologize for any inconvenience. Copyright © 2011, Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand and others. All rights reserved.




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About FCCT
 
For five decades, the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand has played a vanguard role as Southeast Asia's most active press club. The club advocates press freedom as a cornerstone of civil society in emerging democracies and is a vital venue for an open exchange of information. Our speakers range from heads of state to local activists to international advocates, many of whom address issues that might not get a full hearing without the support of the FCCT.



 

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Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand
Penthouse, Maneeya Center Building
518/5 Ploenchit Road (connected to the BTS Skytrain Chitlom station)
Patumwan, Bangkok 10330
Tel.: 02-652-0580-1
Fax: 02-652-0582
E-mail:  info@fccthai.com
Web Site:  http://www.fccthai.com
 
Hours of Operation -
All departments are open Monday-Friday and closed Saturday, Sunday, and Holidays
 
Clubhouse
(including Photo Gallery)
10:00 am - 11:00 pm
Restaurant
12:00 noon - 2:30pm
6:00 pm - 9:00pm
Bar
12:00 noon - 11:00 pm
Office
9:30 am - 6:00 pm
 

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