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In his grandfather’s footsteps Mads and Terry Rahbek traveled in March and April around Thailand and Malaysia to rediscover the places which Mads’ adventurous Grandfather has described in four books that he wrote about his travels among indigenous tribes in Bandong today Surat Thani - before the First World War. By Gregers Moller and Terry Rahbek-Nielsen Apart from being an adventurer and a planter, Olaf Ascanius was also a captivating writer. He wrote four books on his travels among indigenous people in the area.
30 ScandAsia • May 2018
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round 110 years ago, Mads Rahbek’s Danish Grandfather, Olaf Ascanius, explored the jungle inland from Bandong - today Surat Thani. He arrived in 1909 and spent the next 7 years exploring the jungle and negotiating with tribal elders for elephants and access to teak and rubber. In this capacity he was crisscrossing the land and hills north east, south and west of the Phum Duang river going inland from Surat Thani. Olaf also set up the sawmill in Bandon for the EAC, based on the teak concessions and deals, he negotiated for the EAC. In 1916 Olaf returned to Denmark, married, and with his bride Karen came back to Malaysia where the couple stayed until 1927. In Malaysia Olaf was manager of Teluk Merbau Plantation. Olaf ’s son Erik Ascanius followed in his father’s footsteps and began working for the East Asiatic Company from 1951 to 1961 as manager of Padang Maya rubber plantation. He was accompanied by his wife Ulla and during their stay in Malaysia, Mads Rahbek Ascanius was born in Penang in 1956 as the couple’s third child. His older brother was also born in Malaysia – only their older sister was born back in Denmark before their parents moved to Malaysia.
