Patrick Winn

Correspondent

The World

I’m The World’s correspondent based in Bangkok. I like to cover stories on an array of topics but am particularly compelled by narratives that subvert stereotypes about Southeast Asia.

I’m The World’s correspondent based in Bangkok. I like to report on crime syndicates, pop culture trends and any story that has overlooked implications for the United States. I’m particularly compelled by narratives that subvert stereotypes about Southeast Asia.

Before joining The World in 2015, I was a senior correspondent with GlobalPost. My work has also appeared on NBC News, The Atlantic, the BBC and other outlets.

My investigations and documentaries have earned numerous awards. I’ve received the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award (known as the “poor man’s Pulitzer”) as well as a prestigious National Press Club award. I’m also a two-time winner of Amnesty International’s Human Rights Press Awards.

Back in 2012, I was an on-the-ground consultant for the debut episode of CNN’s “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown.” Filmed in Myanmar, the show won two Emmys.

I was raised in Eden, a largely abandoned North Carolina factory town that once mass-produced carpets and cheap beer. I graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2003 with a journalism degree.

Since 2008, I’ve lived in Thailand, where I eat an inordinate amount of grilled catfish and sticky rice. I read and speak Thai — and occasionally sing it, badly, in upcountry karaoke bars. 

Working undercover in 1971, former US narcotics agent Michael Levine meets heroin traffickers in Bangkok, Thailand.

Narcs and spies: The drug war’s murky origins in Southeast Asia

In a nationwide address in the 1970s, President Richard Nixon declared drug abuse to be “public enemy No. 1” and stepped up efforts to shut down the global trade. Much of the initial efforts of the DEA were focused on Southeast Asia where US troops in Vietnam were using heroin. 

Narcs and spies: The drug war’s murky origins in Southeast Asia
man speaking at podium

Japan’s infamous ‘happy’ cult sets sights on the United States

Japan’s infamous ‘happy’ cult sets sights on the United States
woman at ceremony in front of line of people

Contempt for the messiah: The scandal behind Shinzo Abe’s murder

Contempt for the messiah: The scandal behind Shinzo Abe’s murder
Malaysian Chinese comedian Nigel Ng poses as "Uncle Roger" to critique people's culinary endeavors. His YouTube channel has nearly half a billion views.

Uncle Roger, YouTube's culinary avenger for Asian food

Uncle Roger, YouTube's culinary avenger for Asian food
Several members of a youth group hold a flash mob rally to protest against the military government of Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing in Pabedan township in Yangon, Myanmar, Nov. 30, 2021.

From bookworm to bomb maker: The evolution of a Myanmar revolutionary

From bookworm to bomb maker: The evolution of a Myanmar revolutionary
Former US Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius, left, arrives for the opening ceremony of the Communist Party of Vietnam's 12th Congress in Hanoi, Vietnam, Jan. 21, 2016. 

Unlikely comrades: The US' and Vietnam’s militaries

How far will the US go in making a darling of Vietnam’s military? The World's Southeast Asia correspondent Patrick Winn asked former Ambassador Ted Osius, who served in Hanoi from 2014 to 2017.

Unlikely comrades: The US' and Vietnam’s militaries
A National Park Service boat navigates the waters in Biscayne National Park, Florida, July 8, 2014. Federal officials are seeking to ban commercial fishing in the park which is offshore from suburban Miami. Officials say cutting off commercial fishing wil

How governments finance the ruin of our oceans 

The World’s Southeast Asia correspondent Patrick Winn spoke with marine bioloigst Dr. Daniel Pauly, asking him what can be done to reverse the crisis around overfishing and creating "dead zones" in the oceans.

How governments finance the ruin of our oceans 
Officers gather kratom plants in Phang Nha province, Thailand. Thailand on Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021, decriminalized the possession and sale of kratom, a plant native to Southeast Asia.

Thailand legalizes kratom, a mild narcotic leaf

For much of the pandemic era, bars in Thailand have shuttered, eviscerating the country's food-and-beverage sector. But the legalization of kratom caught many by surprise, and now, some bar owners are hoping the drug can keep their businesses alive.

Thailand legalizes kratom, a mild narcotic leaf
A Buddhist monk, foreground, chants as local residents offer prayer during a ceremony to celebrate Pchum Ben, or Ancestors' Day, at Kob Srov pagoda on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Sept. 22, 2021. Cambodians on Wednesday began the celebration of

Cambodia is now better vaccinated than many US states

Cambodia’s 15 million population is, when it comes to vaccinations, far ahead of US states such as Alabama, Texas and Ohio. Its full vaccination rate is on par with that of New York state.

Cambodia is now better vaccinated than many US states
A military band rehearses for a ceremony to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Chinese Communist Party at Tiananmen Gate in Beijing, July 1, 2021. Chinese fighter jets, anti-submarine aircraft and combat ships conducted assault drill

Taiwan spokeswoman to China: Quit comparing us to Afghanistan

Whether the United States would go to war to defend Taiwan is an open question. The World’s Patrick Winn spoke with Kolas Yotaka, a former Taiwanese legislator, now a spokeswoman for the Taiwan presidential office. 

Taiwan spokeswoman to China: Quit comparing us to Afghanistan
A one-month dosage of hormonal birth control pills is displayed. Early-stage abortions are legal in Thailand, but many doctors and nurses there refuse to do them.

In Thailand, new abortion freedoms face spiritual resistance

Early-stage abortions are legal in Thailand, but many doctors and nurses there refuse to do them.

In Thailand, new abortion freedoms face spiritual resistance
Local Balinese offer prayers for the victims at the site of the bomb blast in Kuta, Bali, Oct. 18, 2002. Nearly 200 people were killed and more than 300 were injured in the nightclub bombing. 

Top Gitmo detainee Hambali will finally get his day in court

Former US President George W. Bush called him “one of the world’s most lethal terrorists.”

Top Gitmo detainee Hambali will finally get his day in court
Five cows roam in a field with trees in the background and a person walking behind them with a hat and satchel

In Thailand, you could win a free cow with a COVID jab

One district plans to give out a cow each week through a raffle system for the rest of the year — and even deliver them to the winners’ homes.

In Thailand, you could win a free cow with a COVID jab
Red building in China with people in masks mingling in front of it

In Hong Kong, lighting a candle for Tiananmen victims is now a crime

Wearing black, or being in or around Victoria Park on the anniversary, could also land someone a one-year sentence in jail.

In Hong Kong, lighting a candle for Tiananmen victims is now a crime
A man holds a picture of 19-year-old Kyal Sin, also known as Angel, during her burial in Mandalay, Myanmar

Souring on peace marches, Myanmar protesters seek weapons

Will the US support the pro-democracy resistance in Myanmar as it takes up arms?

Souring on peace marches, Myanmar protesters seek weapons