The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand (FCCT; Thai: สมาคมผู้สื่อข่าวต่างประเทศแห่งประเทศไทย) was founded in 1957 in Bangkok's Patpong area.[1][2] It is considered the oldest and largest press club in Southeast Asia. After the Vietnam War ended in 1975, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam were mostly inaccessible for foreign journalists, leading to FCCT becoming a regional hub for journalism.[3] Today, the FCCT hosts exhibitions for photojournalism and contemporary arts.[4]
สมาคมผู้สื่อข่าวต่างประเทศแห่งประเทศไทย | |
 | |
| Formation | 1957 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Maneeya Center Building, Phloen Chit Road, Pathum Wan, Bangkok, Thailand |
| Leader | Elaine Kurtenbach (president) |
The club's current location is the Maneeya Center Building, on Phloen Chit Road in Pathum Wan District.[citation needed]
Elaine Kurtenbach, Asia business editor for the Associated Press, serves as the club's president.[5]
History
edit20th century
editThe FCCT's informal origins began in the mid-1950s, when groups of foreign media correspondents gathered at Mizu’s Kitchen on Patpong Road.[6] Original members included principal founder, Jorges Orgibet, who worked in Thailand for the US Office of War Information and opened the US Information Service (USIS) office in Bangkok.
21st century
editOn 2 September 2014, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights cancelled a planned briefing on at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club under pressure from the National Council for Peace and Order, Thailand's ruling military junta.[7]
In December 2015, United States Ambassador to Thailand Glyn T. Davies was investigated for violating Thailand's lèse-majesté laws while speaking at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club on 25 November 2015.[8] Davies gave a speech praising the US-Thailand relationship, and expressed concern about lengthy prison sentences given by military courts to Thai civilians.[9] Davies, who was protected under diplomatic immunity, was not charged with a crime.[10]
References
edit- ^ "FCCThai | The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand". www.fccthai.com. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
- ^ PCL, Post Publishing. "Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
- ^ Tebbutt, John (2000). "An interview at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand". Asia Pacifific Media Educator.
- ^ "Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand | Bangkok, Thailand | Nightlife". www.lonelyplanet.com. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
- ^ "FCCThai | The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand". www.fccthai.com. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
- ^ "FCCThai | The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand". www.fccthai.com. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
- ^ Human Rights Watch (9 January 2015), "World Report 2015: Thailand", Share this via Facebook, retrieved 3 October 2024
- ^ Press, Associated (9 December 2015). "Thai police investigate claim that US ambassador 'defamed the monarchy'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
- ^ McKirdy, Euan (9 December 2015). "U.S. envoy Glyn Davies faces probe over Thailand's royal defamation law". CNN. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
- ^ Staff, TIME (1 December 2015). "Thai Junta Warns U.S. Envoy to Watch Words". TIME. Retrieved 3 October 2024.