APR 2012
Cambodia Indonesia Laos Malaysia Philippines Vietnam
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Theme: International Schools
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Spring is in the air...
MASBA, SWEA and SSM cordially invite you to attend the
For the first time ever the Malaysian Swedish Business Association along with the Swedish Women’s Educational Association and the Scandinavian Society Malaysia will be hosting a Spring Ball. The Spring ball will be held at Hilton Sentral where Chef Michael Elfwing has put together a fantastic Nordic spring inspired set dinner menu. The dinner will be accompanied by great wines and entertainment. One of the performers for the evening is an up and coming Malaysian singer, Liyana Fizi, who performed with Richard Marx at his recent concert in Genting Highlands. Let’s have a fabulous evening with good company, food, wine and dancing. A limited amount of tickets are available so make your booking now, at the latest by April 18th 2012 at masbakl@gmail.com For further inquiries log on to the website www.masba.org MASBA, SWEA and SSM
Coming Events I Run For Integrity Towards A New Philippines 2012 Date: 6 May 2012 Location: Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, Philippines
Your FREE ScandAsia Magazine ScandAsia is the only magazine that covers all the Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish residents in South East Asia. We also publish a ScandAsia magazine in China, Thailand, and Singapore.
Following the highly successful first running event organized by Integrity Initiative in May last year, the organizers are staging another run on May 6, 2012 also at the Bonifacio Global City. The event is targeting 7,000 runners from last year’s 5,000 participants. Runners can choose to participate in the 3K, 5K, 10K, and 15K categories. For more information, please visit www.eccp.com.
Norway’s Constitution Day Date: 17 May 2012 Location:Venue to be announced The Philippines Norway Business Council is organizing a dinner on Thursday 17 May to celebrate Norway’s Constitution Day. More information to follow closer to the event, but we can assure that it will be an evening with good food and entertainment. If you wish to participate please visit www.pnbc.ph.
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2012 Nordic Spring Ball Date: 18 May 2012 Location: Hilton Sentral Kuala Lumpur For the first time ever the Malaysian Swedish Business Association together with the Swedish Women’s Educational Association and the Scandinavian Society Malaysia will be hosting a Spring Ball. The Ball is on Friday 18 May, held at Hilton Sentral Kuala Lumpur. Take this opportunity to invite your valued customers, business associates or spouse to participate in this special evening with dinner, live entertainment and lucky draws. Price per single person is RM 320 for Members and RM 350 for Non member. For more information please visit one of the websites of the organizers.
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ECCP Golf Challenge 2012 Date: 21 May 2012 Location: Sta.Elena Golf Club, Philippines The European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines’s Annual Golf Challenge is recognized as the biggest and most well attended Golf Tournament organized by a Foreign Chamber in the country. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to play golf with clients and associates. For more information please visit www.eccp.com.
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Viking Party in Vietnam
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ikings from Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Vietnam had a wonderful party Saturday the 17th of marts when they join the traditional buffet and beer drinking in Local Valhalla on Binh Quoi 2 Riverside Restaurant at Thanh da Island in the area of Saigon River. The party starts at Me Lind Pier in Saigon where all went onboard the Viking ships and sailed to Valhalla. And all participants were dressed up as Vikings. At the local Valhalla, there was dance and music and the competitions and live entertainments. The big Viking party arranged by Nordcham Saigon gives the companies a unique opportunity to give friends and staff and costumer a true Nordic Viking experience
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Sigmund Stromme, Chairman of Nordcham and Jorgen Lundbaek with his wife Tip. Henrik Kjaergaard and his daughter Elisya. Baconco team at Viking Party. Henry Johannesen, 85 dancing with a beauty from the Viking Fest. Ms. Hang and her son Kevin from Strom P. Sari from Nordcham talking with Dancham Thailand’s Executive Director Savija Korslund. Pulling the rope. Jorgen Lundbaek with the nickname The King and his manager I Vung Tau, Poul Schmidt.
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AGM in Scandinavian Society Malaysia
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he Scandinavian Society Malaysia held its 47th Annual General Meeting of 2012 at the Tropicana Golf and Country Resort on Saturday 18 February. The Society treated the 23 members who attended the meeting with dinner and drinks before the meeting itself which went without a glitch. For the new committee, the 23 members elected Swedish Tommy Lagerhjelm as Honorary President, Swedish Mats Engtrom as Honorary Treasurer and Monica Hautala Grill as Honorary Secretary also a Swede. The other positions will be filled by the Committee during the year. That includes the Vice-President, Mirkka Jyläntö-Wikberg (Finland). According to Monica Grill, the new committee is looking forward to an exciting year ahead with a full schedule of activities such as: Berjaya Hills visit, and Easter Potluck dinner and also a Spring Ball. For details on these and so much more visit the SSM web site www.scandinaviansocietymalaysia.com.
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13:45 April 2012 • ScandAsia.South 13/09/2011 East Asia 7
Philippines Norway Business Council Networking Luncheon
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he Philippines Norway Business Council, PNBC held its monthly Networking Luncheon on 15 April with more than 40 members and guests who attended the event. The luncheon was organized at I’m Angus Steakhouse in Metro Manila. Prof. Victor Andres C. Manhit, Managing Director of Philippine Stratbase Consultancy Inc. and President of Stratbase Research Institute was invited as guest speaker. He held a presentation entitled “Sustained and Inclusive Economic Growth through Right Governance”.
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MASBA Waterhole Networking
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alaysia Norway Business Council had its first Waterhole Networking Session in January. The get-together was held at the Norwegian H.E. Ambassador Terje Theodor Nervik’s residence. While the 60 attending members enjoyed their food and beverages, the MNBC used the opportunity to thank Dr. Peggy Wong for her presentation and the wonderful work she is doing for the Malaysia Youth. All members of MNBC were also thanked for sponsoring Dr. Peggy Wong and her charity work.
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ScandAsia News Brief
Earthquake Triggered Tsunami Alert
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very powerful earthquake struck off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra on Wednesday 11 April, triggering a tsunami alert for the Indian Ocean. The earthquake happened at 15.38 GMT+7 (local time) about 430 kilometers from Banda Aceh, the capital of Indonesia’s Aceh province, and had a magnitude of 8.7 on the 9 point Ricther scale. In Banda Aceh, power lines were disrupted and people fled to higher grounds. If the eartquake had created a tsunami wave, it would have hit the coast of Aceh in a matter of minutes and the coast of Thailand, Langkawi and Penang within two to four hours from the time of the earthquake. While the damage on land still has to be assessed, the tsunami did not happen. Apparently the two earth plates had moved horizontally and not vertically when they snapped into adjustment. Vertical movements of the earth plates are know to create the most destructive tsunamis. Scandinavian residents and tourists on vacation on Phiphi, Krabi, Lanta, Phuket and Khao Lak either evacuated themselves or were evacuated by their tour guides in fear of a repeat of the tragic tsunami on 25 December 2004. Around 8 pm, the tsunami warning was called off, but aftershocks continued to strike througout the night.
Norway Allowed into ASEM N orway was in early March granted permission to participate in the ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) although Norway is not part of the EU. “I am very pleased with the decision. This opens up a new and meaningful forum for dialogue for Norway,” said Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. “Joining ASEM will enable us to participate in a forum where relations between the Asia of the future and Europe are being formed. This is important for Norway. Our involvement in Asia is steadily expanding and we are seeing growing Asian interest in our policies on the High North, climate change, the environment and energy,” said Mr Støre. The ASEM summits bring together the heads of government of the EU member states and 19 Asian countries. Some 60% of the world’s population and the international economy are represented at ASEM.
Mr. Jonas Gahr Støre, Foreign Minister of Norway 10 ScandAsia.South East Asia • April 2012
‘Newbie Offices’ in Ho Chi Minh City The Danish Economic and Commercial Office in Ho Chi Minh City Expands By Mikkel Nørgaard Porsing
KONE Wins Huge Malaysian Order
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he Finnish Elevator manufacture KONE has won an order to supply the people flow solutions for Hatten City, a mixed-use development project in the coastal city of State Malacca in Malaysia. The order is for a total of 109 different elevators and escalators. KONE’s elevators will be delivered to a five-story shopping mall and two 170-meter-high tower blocks of luxury condominiums which are currently under construction. The Silverscape residential tower will be the highest building in the State of Malacca. ”We are honored that our close cooperation with Hatten Group has resulted in providing smooth people flow to Malacca’s largest real estate project,” says Noud Veeger, EVP and Area Director of KONE Asia Pacific. Hatten city has been developed by Singapore-based Hatten Group. The first phase of Hatten City is expected to be completed by 2015.
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he Danish Economic and Commercial Office in Ho Chi Minh City expands their office with 90 square meters. Pia Starbæk Szczepanski, commercial counselor at the embassy, is excited over the addition that had been considered for some time and could finally be realized when a neighboring office became available: "It gives us more office space, but even more importantly, it will allow us to provide Danish companies with an office base in the start-up period.” she says to ScandAsia, Vietnam. The purpose of the expansion is to provide additional work stations for extra commercial staff members as well as enlarged incubator facilities for Danish companies. The Danish Economic and Commercial Office established in 2011 an incubator facility for Danish companies. It is a plug and play service giving access to office facilities and professional advice from the commercial staff. This allows companies to gain initial experience with the Vietnamese market at limited costs. Currently 2 Danish companies are using the incubator service and the embassy is in dialog with more companies in Denmark: "A company can have a physical base at our office, but we also have the possibility of providing a virtual space in the incubator where we at the embassy act as their local point of contact.” Pia Starbæk Szczepanski explains. The official opening of the new facilities is scheduled for the 9th of February 2012 in connection with the monthly open house arrangement. The incubator facility helps reduce the risk and costs associated with entering a market substantially different from the Danish market. Pia Starbæk Szczepanski says: “The offer is especially suitable for start-up companies or small- and medium sized enterprises with limited resources, but the possibility is open for all companies that are new to the Vietnamese market.” “Our key selling point for the incubator facility is not the low rental fee – because the local market will offer you comparable prices. We are able to differentiate ourselves because we can offer professional advice and assistance on the issues that arise when considering establishing a business or finding local business partners in Vietnam. “Pia Starbæk Szczepanski adds.
More Filipinas Come to Norway
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he largest group of non-European foreigners obtaining longterm residence and work permits in Norway last year came from the Philippines, according to new statistics from immigration agency UDI (Utlendingsdirektoratet). UDI granted 1,829 au pair permits last year and 80 percent went to persons from the Philippines. This influx of au pairs from the Philippines made them the largest single group of immigrants after those from various European countries who no longer need to apply for residence or work permission. Other Asian immigrants came from India (1,754), China (1,410), Thailand (1,373) and Vietnam (1,063).
Pia Starbæk Szczepanski, commercial counselor and head of the Danish Economic and Commercial Office in Ho Chi Minh City. April 2012 • ScandAsia.South East Asia
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The Audio Visual Indus Robert Rosenberg, Managing Director, Swedish, and Bjarne Pedersen, Director of sales, Danmon Asia Ltd, Hanoi, shake hands on a successful business venture.
Newly licensed Danish Company Danmon Asia sells full-service broadcast Equipment to clients in Vietnam, Cambodia , Myanmar and Laos. By Indius Pedersen
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r. Bjarne Pedersen from Denmark and Mr. Robert Rosenberg from Sweden are the two dynamic Nordic businessmen behind the newly established company Danmon Asia Ltd. based in Hanoi. The company supplies professional audio, video and transmission equipment to clients within the Radio/TV Broadcast, Telecommunications and audiovisual industry with a comprehensive service program for its customers. The company has started its Asia venture in Hanoi, Vietnam where Danmon Asia Ltd. has just been licensed to operate within the entire audiovisual industry. Adding to the company will be continually increased servicing of equipment within the TV industry’s county and that of pro audio, conference centres, hotels and theatres. The two Scandinavians are employed with Mr. Bjarne Pedersen as the Danmon’s Sales Director and Mr. Robert Rosenberg as the CEO. “Our market here will be huge, not only in Vietnam but also in Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos,” they say. “We’ve been in Vietnam for five
12 ScandAsia.South East Asia • April 2012
years operating from a Representative Office. With financing from Danida’s Mixed Credit we have in that time established several TV stations in Vietnam. It has not only added to our experience, but has also inspired us to create a regular imaging company here in Vietnam.” Over the next few weeks, the company now needs to recruit eight to ten technicians and sales people. Initially, in Hanoi, later at the representative office in HCMC. “We look at Southeast Asia as one market, but we’ll take it “step by step””, they add. “What is happening in the future we do not know, but our plan is to start in Vietnam and then expand to neighbouring countries Cam- bodia, Myanmar and Laos. We will look at Indonesia and Malaysia at a longer term. What is important is to work purposefully and take one country at a time. “Step by Step” is our recipe”. It is the Danish company Dan Technologies A/S that is the Mother company behind the establishing of Danmon Asia Ltd. in Vietnam. The Danish company has settled around the world in places like Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Germany,
United Kinfdom and sees it as an exciting challenge now to work in Southeast Asia. A 1300 square meter commercial building, internally called the “Danmon House”, has been rented to house show rooms, sales and service facilities. “It’s economically sound for us to establish in Vietnam. Our costs her are much lower than for example in Singapore. In addition, we are self-financing, which makes our operating costs reasonable.” “We will make sure that this venture is done sensibly. We want to establish a well renowned brand here in Vietnam and in the rest of the region. We will create confidence in our brandname “Danmon” as well as in relate to the many services we are going to offer”. Although Danmon Asia Ltd. is new in the country, the expertise behind the company has a solid knowledge of Vietnam. Mr. Bjarne Pedersen has been visiting the country frequently since 1999 and for the last 5 years been living in Hanoi and working as Chief Representative of the representation office, now in new sister company licensed to operate independently as an entity in Vietnam.
stry Equipment Experts We will make sure that this venture is done sensibly. We want to establish a well renowned brand here in Vietnam and in the rest of the region. We will create confidence in our brandname “Danmon” as well as in relate to the many services we are going to offer.
April 2012 • ScandAsia.South East Asia
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A New Day for Camb Muriel Stockheim helps Cambodian garbage kids go to school. By Kirsty Turner Photos by Dave Ale
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hen Annette Jensen from Denmark became director of “A New Day Cambodia” back in November 2007 she told in an interview how amazing it was to see the transformation of the Cambodian children from garbage scavengers to school children. “To see the children miserable, dirty, sad looking at the garbage dump and then have them arrive here with their little plastic bag with
all their belongings and move into the center.And to see their excitement about taking a shower.To see their excitement about getting their little bag of shampoo. And to see them clean, putting on their school uniform and going to school has just been amazing!” December 2011, Annette Jensen left ANDC and has now returned to the USA with her husband and Muriel Stockheim has had the hard task of replacing and trying to fill Annettes shoes in the great
14 ScandAsia.South East Asia • April 2012
task Annette started at ANDC in 2007. The garbage dump, where she used to recruit the young students for “A New Day Cambodia” has been closed, but the organization is planning to continue adopting students from other garbage dump sites around Phnom Penh.
100 Children A New Day Cambodia was established to provide free schooling, shelter, fod and clothing to more than 100 children who once scav-
enged for a living on the Steung Mean Chey dump in Phnom Penh. Life was extremely hard for the children that now study in the class rooms set up by A New Day Camboda. They had to get up very early in the morning, usually remaining on the dump until late in the evening. The children made a meager living by picking their way through the rubbish dump in 100 degree heat to search for bottles, cans and plastic bags to recycle in exchange for cash. Many of the children worked barefoot, risking diseases such as hepatitis and tuberculosis to bring home around $10 a month. However, life dramatically changed for many of the children who worked on the dump when Chicago Bears team photographer Bill Smith founded A New Day Cambodia in 2006. Smith had originally visited the Stung Mean Chey rubbish dump with his wife in 2002 and was horrified to see the conditions that the children were forced to live and work in. Smith and his wife were unable to walk away without taking action, and the next day they returned to the rubbish dump. Bill Smith and his wife Lauren approached 9 year oldSrey Na Oun, who was working at the rubbish dump with her 12 year old sister, SreySalimOun and their 9 year old friend SreyNak Pan. With the help of their local driver and translator, the Smiths found the parents of the girls and told them that they wanted to enroll them in a local school and
bodia’s Children We provide full support for them until the day that they finish their studies and find full time employment. Some of them are students at a local college, and a few are studying at university.
pay their usual monthly salary themselves so that the girls would receive an education and never have to work at the dump again. After returning to Chicago, Bill Smith raised support from family and friends, and A New Day Cambodia was born. Under the watchful eye of Annette Jensen and now Muriel Stockheim, the school has flourished, and currently cares for 95 children aged between 7 and 22 years old.
Learn English and Khmer The children at A New Day Cambodia learn English and Khmer during the day, as well as ports, art, music and other subjects. Classes start at 7.30 from Monday to Friday and there are between 15 and 20 students in each class, with student separated according to their ability level. A New Day Cambodia also provides housing in two segregated dorm rooms, as well as three meals a day. If they have the option to study further, they can stay at the center Muriel Stockheim explained. “The children are encouraged to stay with us and take on higher education,” she says. We provide full support for them until the day that they finish their studies and find full time employment. Some of them are students at a local college, and a few are studying at university.”
Day Cambodia is often challenging, before Annette left ANDC, she had the pleasure of seeing her hard work turn to triumph. In December 2011 the first student graduated from A New Day Cambodia after living and studying there for four years. She now works at Imperial Gardens Resort in Phnom Penh, where she is able to put the skills that she learned at A New Day Cambodia to good use. The children at A New Day Cambodia are encouraged to follow their dreams and aim for the highest goals possible. Many of the children were on a break when I visited the school, and were happily playing volleyball in the large sandy playground. The walls of the playground are decorated with colourful murals, which have been
painted by the children themselves. As I explored the school, Muriel and I were approached by one of the teenage boys, who proudly held up a football shirt for us to see. The boy’s name had been stamped on the back of the football shirt. “It finally came!” the boy told Muriel excitedly. “I can’t wait to play this weekend.”
Moving forward A New Day Cambodia continue to receive support from its sponsors in Chicago and other parts of the world. In fact, the founders visit the children at least twice a year and are always warmly received. Although the Stung Mean Chey
rubbish dump has now been closed down, there are many other similar rubbish dumps located in and around Phnom Penh, where large groups of children and adults can still be found scavenging for recyclable rubbish. As the children at A New Day Cambodia graduate from school and find employment, the plan is to take children from one of these other dumps and offer them a new start in life. Choosing which children to help must be a very tough task. As Muriel admits; There are always a lot of parents coming to our door and asking for their children to learn with us. But we only have room for a certain number of children and we have to try and decide fairly which children to take.”
Her first graduate Although being the director of A New April 2012 • ScandAsia.South East Asia
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Cambodia´s Orphans By Steen Poulin Nielsen
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visit to Phnom Penh without facing street children seems rather unlikely. Children aged down to three years old are seen on sidewalks and near coffee shops collecting paper and plastic objects, or approaching foreigners trying to sell items, such as books and wristbands or simply to beg for money. I was curious to know how Cambodia takes care of its orphans and poor children so on my way back from a visit to the Killing Fields, I asked the tuk-tuk driver to take me to an orphanage. Raksmey Komar Kampuchea Association orphanage center is located in Tnoat Chhrom village, Sangkat Boeung Tompon in the outskirts of Phnom Penh. The roads here are in a bad condition and so are many of the houses. It is obvious that the economic growth has yet to reach these outskirts. The orphanage home is an orange painted two-storey brick building, housing around 85 children, according to the staff. The news about a visitor bringing instant noodle packets and candy spread like a whirlwind and soon the kids flocked around the staff who distributed the goods. Visiting an orphanage was not a part of my plan for the trip and I had no idea before I went to Cambodia that I would be exposed to poor children to this extend. Ignorance, you can call it. Nevertheless, many visitors to Cambodia have been in a similar situation.
12, 000 children in 269 orphanages UNICEF reported earlier this year, 2011, that one-third of the Cambodian children live beneath the poverty line and that around 12,000 children live in 269 orphanages spread out through the country while the number of orphans in Cambodia can be as high as 630.000 children. Within the South East Asian region alone, Cambodia has the highest infant and child mortality rates.The infant mortality rate is 68 deaths per 1,000 live births and the child mortality rate is 88 deaths per 1,000 live births. The number of orphanages has doubled in six years and only ten percent of the orphanages are
There is little doubt that some Cambodian orphanages have been set up to make money from foreign tourists. Sebastien Marot, Friends International
state-funded, leaving the rest to be financed by charities and NGO´s.
Inspections underway Earlier this year, the government began inspecting all orphanages after admitting having little idea of how the children were being treated. A spokesman for the Social Affairs Ministry told online media, Voice of America (VOA), that it is unclear how long it will take the Government to inspect all 269 orphanages, but promised that those found to be sub-standard or in contravention of the law will be closed. The new standard enforced by the Government covers areas such as nutrition, health, education, shelter and emotional support. These guidelines were developed after discussions the Government had with child rights organisations, such as UNICEF and Save the Children. The orphanages in Cambodia were, until very recently, not officiated by the Government. UNICEF's country representative Richard Bridle said to the news
16 ScandAsia.South East Asia • April 2012
agency, AFP, that the standards represented an advancement for children's rights in Cambodia. ”It's important to have these guidelines that address the different types of vulnerabilities that children face,” Mr. Bridle said. Child rights groups have long said putting children into care should be a last resort. UNICEF said studies showed parental care was far more preferable to institutional care, and was also much cheaper.
Businesses in disguise? According to UNICEF, orphanages in both Phnom Penh and Siem Riep are becoming a source of tourism revenue. Human Rights groups go even further and suggest that some orphanages are simply thinly disguised businesses, allowing unscrupulous people to earn money from children by getting foreign tourists to pay when spending time helping them. Sebastien Marot, from the
Phnom Penh street kids organisation Friends International, told VOA that he acknowledges most tourists going to orphanages are acting out of pure motives when they visit the children and offer money. However, he says there is little doubt that some Cambodian orphanages have been set up to make money from foreign tourists. His advice to tourist is to stay out of the orphanages because an orphanage is supposed to be a safe place for the children. They are already vulnerable and having people coming from outside is just not acceptable, he said to VOA. A negative feedback cycle exists between tourism and the institutionalisation of children. According to Friends International, orphanages have become more of a tourist attraction among global volunteers, causing the number of institutionalised children to increase. This is despite the fact that many of these impoverished and institutionalised children, have at least one parent still alive.
Sexual abuse of Cambodian children Action Pour Les Enfants (APLE), a Child Protection and Child Rights based NGO, tells that research on pedophiles shows that most of them prime their victims over time through a process known as grooming. It is common for foreign child sex offenders to assume the fatherly duties of (monetary) support, discipline, education (often in the form of English lessons), as well as food and shelter. Consequently, such ‘god-fathers’ are inevitably grooming the child, the child’s relatives and those close to the family, by providing housing and luxuries. In 2010, Mr. Nicholas Griffin, the British director of the Cambodia Orphan Fund orphanage in Siem Reap province, was arrested for indecent acts against a minor. APLE reported that Mr. Griffin, 52, was at least the third Briton arrested in 2010 on suspicion of child sexual abuse in Cambodia, who has also been accused of misconduct while providing child care. In March 2011, Siem Reap Provincial Court convicted Mr. Griffin of committing indecent acts with seven boys aged 7 to 12 and sentenced him to one year in prison.
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April 2012 • ScandAsia.South East Asia
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The Secret to Good Grades – It’s in a Book By Michael Hirsch, Secondary School Principal at KIS
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he following is an example of an SAT math question. It is one of 44 multiple choice questions that students will need to take, in addition to another 10 free response questions. A special lottery is to be held to select the student who will live in the only deluxe room in a dormitory. There are 100 seniors, 100 juniors, and 200 sophomores who applied. Each senior’s name is placed in the lottery 3 times; each junior’s name, 2 times; and each sophomore’s name, 1 time. What is the probability that a senior’s name will be chosen? Students will have 70 minutes to answer the above and all the other 54 questions, meaning that they will have a little over one minute to read and comprehend the question, and then to make the necessary calculations. Let’s take another example, in this case of an IB Standard Level Maths question: 75 metal spherical cannon balls, each of diameter 10 cm, were excavated from a Napoleonic War battlefield. (a) Calculate the total volume of all 75 metal cannon balls excavated. [3 marks] The cannon balls are to be melted down to form a sculpture in the shape of a cone. The base radius of the cone is 20 cm.
(b) Calculate the height of the cone, assuming that no metal is wasted. [3 marks] This question is worth a total of 6 marks. The test has a total of 90 marks, and students have 90 minutes to complete the exam.
What are we testing? Are these examples of math tests, or reading tests? Perhaps they’re both. Test takers must decode and comprehend the questions. There is vocabulary that is key to getting the questions right (cone, base radius, diameter, spherical, probability, etc.) and there are other words that are not crucial for getting the question correct that can be sources of distraction (Napoleonic, excavated, sculpture, assuming, deluxe, dormitory, senior, junior, sophomore, etc.) There are plenty of students who will get these questions wrong who understand geometry and probability, some of whom are native English speakers, because of their reading skills. These students could not decode the question, or could not decode it quickly enough. Remember, in each exam students have only about a minute for each mark / question – not only is it important to be able to understand what you read, but it is important to be able to do so quickly.
Reading the challenge A student’s ability to read is probably the factor that is most correlated with both their academic success in school, and their success on
18 ScandAsia.South East Asia • April 2012
exams like those they take for their IB Diplomas, or exams that they take for college admissions. At KIS International School students are encouraged to read through a variety of activities, such as book week, mother tongue language day, “Drop Everything and Read”, quiet reading time, buddy reading and other strategies. Thailand is not generally thought of as a country of readers – people are more likely to be using their iPad or phone for playing Angry Birds than to be reading a newspaper or book on the Sky Train or while relaxing at a Starbucks. Thailand ranked 53rd on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Programme for International Student Assessment reading exam. This result placed us behind countries like Romania, Mexico, Uruguay, and Serbia, not just economic powerhouses like Hong Kong, Singapore, and Finland.
Books – not money So, what can we do about it? We can read. We can encourage our children to read. We can buy our children books for their birthday, for Christmas, or even as a reward for having done well on their report card. The research on this is conclusive. Researchers from the University of Nevada, UCLA, and the Australian National University published a report in the journal, Research in Social Stratification and Mobility looking at the effect of the size of family libraries on educational attainment in 27 different countries.
Controlling for parent education and wealth the study found that children who lived in homes with more than 500 books went significantly farther in school. In China having a library of over 500 books equated to the child on average earning an additional 6.6 years of education, while the international average was over 3 years. There is actually a stronger correlation between family library size and a student’s academic success than there is between family wealth or parent education and student academic success. If you want your child to be successful, don’t by them an iPad, buy them a book - or at least buy them digital books or magazines for their iPad!
Set time for reading Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers suggests that to truly master a set of complex skills we must spend 10,000 hours on it. Most students start to develop literacy skills at around 3 years old. If we want to have our students be master readers by the age of 16 when they start their IB Diplomas, that would mean that they would need to average reading a little bit over 2 hours a day, 365 days a year, for those 13 years. This may sound like a lot, but how many days has your child spent over 2 hours watching TV or movies, or over 2 hours playing video games? If you want your child to have an advantage for their education and future, set aside daily time for reading – every little bit helps.
The Boarding Option There are boarding options in the Southeast Asia region that provide both a world-class education and the ‘traditional’ residential boarding option – all right here on your doorstep!
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here are many reasons to attend a boarding school. In the old days, there was often no other school in the region that could meet the educational needs of the child. This is sometimes still the case, but more often there are other reasons in play. Parents may want to provide a stable school environment as their child nears the end of their schooling. Maybe they expect that they may have to relocate – again – during those final years and want to protect the child against yet another break-up. Sometimes, choosing a boarding school also means that the child can take subjects that may lead to their preferred university course or career. At the same time, the boarding school experience of living away from home will be an excellent preparation for university that will also develop the child's inde-
pendence and English language skills. Or it may simply be that the parents wish to give their child the rich and varied experiences that only a boarding school provides.
Benefits of boarding Whatever the reason behind the decision, there are some key benefits your child will gain from boarding; particularly during high or secondary school. Boarding provides a boost in self confidence for students and helps develop their independence and self management skills while still providing a safety net of schoolorganised routines and schedules. There are studies that suggest boarding provides an added edge in academic performance, since the routines in a boarding house provide for a structured study roster and tend to result in greater time spent on homework, revision and study during these vital final years.
20 ScandAsia.South East Asia • April 2012
What is boarding? The ‘traditional’ boarding experience is a residential boarding school, where students live together in a school-run boarding facility with shared or single bedrooms and shared living spaces. There are house parents to provide supervision, assist students, help resolve issues and answer queries – be they academic or personal. The routines of a boarding house ensure students have a balance between academic and leisure pursuits, resulting in dedicated time towards homework and other pursuits such as sport, music or community service. Meals, housekeeping and study support are usually included and the boarding houses are usually located either within the school grounds, or very close to the day school.
‘D-I-Y’ boarding There is boarding and there is
boarding. A number of schools now accept students as day pupils while they board in a student hostel or an appointed guardian’s home. This can be successful if your (older) child is going to be a weekly boarder (meaning they will come home every weekend) or they are very independent and self motivated, and are likely to make friends easily. However, this option does not always offer the level of support needed by young people in a country or city not their own.
Sending them ‘home’ Another option, traditionally the choice of expats and other families who think their child will be going to university abroad, has always been to ‘send them home’ to finish their schooling in the country they are likely to attend university in. However, given the long-term nature of some expatriate relocations nowa-
may miss some opportunities available at the school.
The Asia-based options
days, this may not be the child’s ‘home’ country, regardless of what it says on their passport! Undoubtedly, going to board in the UK, Europe, Australia or America can prepare a student for attend-
ing university in those countries. However, especially if the child is younger, this option can be fraught with culture-shock and homesickness, in that the student can sometimes take a long while to adjust and
Many parents know that there are numerous international schools across the region offering excellent education options for students of all ages that now accept boarders enrolled on a school-sanctioned, hostel-based arrangement (the D-IY option mentioned above). What many parents do not realise is that there are boarding options in the Southeast Asia region that provide both a world-class education and the ‘traditional’ residential boarding option – all on their doorstep! One such school is the UWC South East Asia in Singapore, which offers boarding to students in Grade 7 and above. The boarding house on its Dover Campus is home to nearly 200 students from over 40 nationalities, and the East Campus will house about 120 students from around the world by 2015. It is an IB World School, and one of the largest IB Diploma schools in the world. The Asia-based boarding option provides not only a ‘closer-to-family’ option; it also opens a wealth of opportunity in terms of travel and
cultural / global awareness. Many students in these schools – be they day or boarding pupils – have experienced the transition of moving to a new country and culture to start school. The international school community is naturally geared to understanding and providing support for boarders as they adjust to living away from home, possibly for the first time. Being closer to family also means more frequent visits; this is especially important for younger boarders (and their parents!)
The final decision In the end, only you and your child can decide which option and which school is going to be right for your child. Families need to invest some time in making sure that the school they have selected is going to be a good fit, by visiting the school if at all possible, taking a tour and making sure it will support your child socially, emotionally and culturally as well as academically. The rewards of making the right decision stand to resonate far beyond the school gates.
Sometimes it is all about you. Applying for a place at UWC South East Asia is one of those times. We are looking for families who are as committed to our mission and values as we are. For students who will embrace the opportunities provided by our learning programme. No never-ending wait list. No concerns about date of application. Simply apply and let us get to know you. Please contact admissions on +65 6775 5344. www.uwcsea.edu.sg UWCSEA Dover is registered by the CPE CPE Registration No. 197000825H Registration Period 18 July 2011–17 July 2017 UWCSEA East is registered by the CPE CPE Registration No. 200801795N Registration Period 10 March 2010–9 March 2017 039ADV-1112
April 2012 • ScandAsia.South East Asia
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“Ni hao!” at Stenhus Kostskole
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he Chinese Dragon has come to stay at Stenhus Kostskole in Denmark. The Chinese classes at Stenhus Kostskole work closely with the two sister schools in Tianjin and in Shijiazhuang in the province of Hebei in North China. Stenhus Kostskole aims to strengthen the understanding of crosscultural communication, so the students can understand the world around them, not least understand China today. “The Chinese Dragon is awake and alive, and we have to follow its pace,” the school says. In August 2010 on a study tour to Beijing and Tianjin, students from Stenhus met their Chinese counter parts . In 2012 the first Chinese students will visit Stenhus Kostskole in Denmark. For Danish children to learn and experience the Chinese culture, it gives them respect and a drive for the future. Stenhus Kostskole DK-4300 Holbæk Phone: +45 59 43 02 69 E-mail: admin@stenhus.dk Website: www.stenhus.dk
B a g s væ r d k o s t s k o l e gymnasium tid til talent
Bagsværd kostskole & gymnasium (Bk) er en udviklingsorienteret og traditionsrig skole grundlagt i 1908. elever, der vælger en uddannelse hos os, siger ja til fællesskab, faglighed, seriøsitet og individuel talentudvikling. det vi på Bagsværd kostskole & gymnasium kalder for: tid til talent. vi tilbyder: • • • • • • •
dansk uddannelse med et internationalt præg grundskole, 10. kl., studentereksamen (stX) danmarks første femårig Biotek-uddannelse 8.kl.-3.g sport- og talentklasse fra 7. kl. mulighed for morgentræning tirsdage og torsdage aktiv brug af it og internet i undervisningen enkeltværelser til kostelever, lektiehjælp hver dag
scan Qr koden og besøg vores hjemmeside www.bagkost.dk aldershvilevej 138 • dk-2880 • Bagsværd • telefon: +45 44980065 • e-mail: bk@bagkost.dk
22 ScandAsia.South East Asia • April 2012
Bagsværd Kostskole og Gymnasium
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agsværd Kostskole and Gymnasium is a Danish school steeped in traditions and yet in constant development. The school was founded in 1908 on the brink of Bagsvaerd Lake 14 km north of Copenhagen. Education starts in the Danish kindergarten school and ends with the Danish Gymnasium. Boarding school students are taken in from the Danish 7th grade, but the greater part of the students joins during the last years of Grade school or in the gymnasium. The boarding house, Haraldsgave, offers 60 fully furnished single rooms where the students are helped daily on a daily basis with their homework by well educated staff who listen to the students. Bagsvaerd has recently started Denmark’s first five year A-level for students who want to specialize in biotechnology on a higher level. Bagsværd Kostskole og Gynmasium Aldershvilevej 138, 2880 Bagsværd +45 44 98 00 65 Email: bk@bagkost.dk Website: www.bagkost.dk
Nyborg Gymnasium
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yborg Gymnasium is an unusual Danish college, offering both STX (a standard Danish A-level), HF (2 year exam that gives access to university studies) and IB (International Baccalaureate) - and further takes in boarders. As a consequence, young people from the local town of Nyborg meet young people from other regions of Denmark and from abroad at Nyborg Gymnasium. It gives a special educational atmosphere, being local, national, and international at the same time. All three educational lines are characterized by • a high educational standard and personal attention to each student • development of the student in terms of competence in the subjects, excellence in cooperation and an appetite for further learning • participation in the IT education and it-based communication between students and their teachers related to their everyday working environment • tolerance, involvement and responsibility for creating a safe and pleasant living atmosphere for all • positive and fun experiences, school parties, sports days, etc.
Bergen International School
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he educational programme of the International School of Bergen (ISB) has been developed to help prepare its students for a successful future, whether that future is in the Hordaland region or outside the borders of Norway. Parents also choose ISB for the English language learning environment, the small class sizes and the challenge of the International Baccalaureate programmes. Our mission is to provide an internationally accredited education which serves the Bergen and business communities. An education at ISB is recognized as quality far and wide. The school is accredited by the Council of International Schools and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and is authorized by the International Baccalaureate Organization to offer their Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma Programmes.
ISB is committed to the ethos of continual school improvement and strategic planning which are essential features of accredited schools.
Our students and staff ISB provides educational programmes in English to children between the ages of 3 and 18. The students represent more than thirty different nationalities. The teachers all hold university degrees and appropriate teaching qualifications. Class sizes are small with normally 16 – 18 students. Bergen International School Wilhelm Bjerknesvei 15, 5081 Bergen Phone +47 55 30 63 30 Fax +47 55 30 63 31 Website: www.isob.no E-mail: post@isob.no
IB International Baccalaureate
- an alternative to the Danish ‘Studentereksamen’ • internationally recognized • gives admission to universities all over the world • taught in English You can stay at Nyborg Gymnasium’s boarding school. Contact us for more information about the programme and the boarding school. Deadline for applications: 15th of March.
Read more on our website: www.nyborg-gym.dk and our school magazine: http://issuu.com/nyborg-gym/docs/ magasin2012
Nyborg Gymnasium & Kostskole Skolebakken 13, DK-5800 Nyborg Tlf +45 65 31 02 17, fax +45 63 25 52 19 post@nyborg-gym.dk, www.nyborg-gym.dk
EngElskspråklig privatskolE for barn og ungdom mEllom 3 og 18 • • • • • • •
Få elever i hver klasse Trygt læringsmiljø med god individuell oppfølging God kontakt med foreldre Internasjonalt godkjente og utfordrende læreplaner Utmerkede resultater i internasjonale og norske nasjonalprøver Sentral beliggenhet med bybanestopp rett utenfor døren Nyhet– Internasjonal Videregående med godkjenning fra Lånekassen Contact us for more information: Tel 55 30 63 30 eller post@isob.no
April 2012 • ScandAsia.South East Asia
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A Finnish Twist on IB Schooling How does Finland’s renowned education system mix with the worldwide International Baccalaureate programme when the same school utilises both? By Carina Chela Photos by Markku Ulander/Lehtikuva
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ince 2007, the education at Ressu Comprehensive School has been based on a combination of Finland’s national core curriculum and the PYP curriculum (Primary Years Programme) and MYP curriculum (Middle Years Programme) of the International Baccalaureate Organization, IBO. With 430 pupils, 44 full time teachers, 38 different nationalities and two full-time special-needs teachers, Ressu takes pride in 120 years of heritage and in its mission and strategy as an IB school in Helsinki. “It is good that our curriculum, written by our own teachers, has both programmes, because the Finnish national curriculum is an excellent one anyway,” explains principal Erja Hovén. “Now we have one curriculum that fulfils both programmes. It couldn’t be better!” Finland has a total of 17 IB schools, including comprehensive and upper secondary, of which two
Ressu students don headphones for comprehension exercises in the language lab. 24 ScandAsia.South East Asia • April 2012
Students at Ressu Comprehensive School chat outside a classroom during a lesson break.
are private and the rest are statefunded schools. Ressu and five others are situated in the Helsinki metropolitan area.
receive. Sometimes knowing how to process information is more important than the information itself.”
The learning process
As in many IB schools, instruction is offered in two languages, the country’s official language and English. Ressu has both Finnish and English language streams. Often the students attending the English stream are temporarily living in Finland, or they are Finnish but have lived abroad. The stellar results that Finland’s educational system has received in international evaluations in recent years have given the Finns cause to celebrate more than once. In the newest test results from the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), released in December 2010, Finland dropped from first place in literacy to second place among OECD participants and third place among all participants, placing it just behind South Korea. And even if Finns are now feeling a certain sense of dissatisfaction about missing their beloved first place, it’s still an excellent result considering that the 2009 survey covered the OECD’s 33 member states and 32 non-members. Finland placed secondout of all participants in the science category and sixth in mathematics. “Of course we like to get high scores,” says Hovén. “It also motivates us. The results are important but they are never do-or-die!”
Stimulating problem-solving skills and interaction are elements for which the Finnish school system has often received praise. “Problem-solving is an element that was already incorporated in the Finnish national curriculum. We just emphasise it more in our IB programme.” “Certain points have had to be stressed [since the IB programme was introduced at Ressu]. For instance, there are more hands-on projects and enquiries. Our students now work with larger projects or personal projects that can take a whole winter.” Hovén pinpoints their “holistic approach” to education, especially in the PYP. Emphasising strong self-esteem and an active and responsible role in society is what Ressu aims for, which is also in accordance with the original aim of the IB programme to “challenge schools to encourage the students in become inquiring young people, active and knowledgeable lifelong learners through intercultural understanding.” In addition, Ressu focuses on learning skills and teamwork, which are “just as important as the result,” says Hovén. “We want our students to be critical, to be able to analyse and evaluate the information they
About language
Boarding in Sweden
Sigtunaskolan Humanistiska Laroverket is located on a hill part of Sigtuna, closed to Stockholm, Arlanda and Uppsala.
S
igtunaskolan Humanistiska Laroverket is one of the most modern boarding schools in Europe. Approximately 500 pupils attend the school, of whom 260 are boarders. SSHL offers both the national curriculum natural sciences(NV), and the social sciences programmes (SP). In addition, the International Baccalaureate Diploma, administered by IBO in Geneva,
has been offered at the school for many years. Good results from these three programmes provide access to most colleges and universities around the world. SSHL also offers the Middle Years Programme (MYP), a programme which is based on evaluation of the entire educational process, not just the results. This provides a natural link between the middle and the high school years.
Sigtunaskolan Humonistiska Laroverket, SSHL PO.Box 328, 5E-193 28 Phone: +46 (0) 8 592 571 00 Fax: +46 (0) 8 592 572 50 E-mail: info@sshl.se Website: www.sshl.se
SWEDEN’S LEADING BOARDING SCHOOL High school and Middle school programmes in Swedish or English. The IB Diploma has been established at SSHL for over 30 years with a proven record of success. Numerous free time activities and close contacts with universities and industry. Our school is located in idyllic Sigtuna on the shores of Lake Mälar, close to Stockholm cultural life and Arlanda airport. Come and visit SSHL, an international version of Sweden. We are happy to show you the school and our activities at any time. We also offer a trial period, giving you the opportunity to experience school and boarding life. During the summer we offer summer courses in Swedish and Mathematics and a confirmation camp.
SIGTUNASKOLAN HUMANISTISKA LÄROVERKET Telephone: +46 8 592 571 00 www.sshl.se
April 2012 • ScandAsia.South East Asia
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Medium
Practical Wine Tips • Best wines for spicy foods Living in Sourth East Asia, a frequently asked questions is what are the best wines to go with spicy food. In general, spicy, salty and smoky foods and ingredients cry out for wines that don’t add more heat or lots of other flavors. So don’t serve high alcohol wines that translate to heat in your mouth, like California Chardonnay and Cabernet. These wines are also a no-no because they also have lots of competing oaky, caramel flavors. Great food wines for spicy, salty, smoky dishes have refreshing acidity that acts like a firefighter to cool your mouth. They should have gobs of fruit flavor, which translates to a touch of sweetness in your mouth, which softens those spicy, salty, smoky flavors. Ideal white wines include Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Chablis; red wines include Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Beaujolais Villages and Chinon.
Evil
• Three steps to make a cheap bottle of red wine taste three times as good Play “TAG” which stands for Temperature, Aeration and Glassware. 1. FEEL THE BOTTLE. If the red is slightly cool to the touch, serve it. If it’s warm, meaning ambient room temperature (70-75 degrees), ask for an ice bucket and give the wine a dip for five to 10 minutes so it gets slightly cool like the temperature of a wine cellar. 2. HAVE THE WINE AERATED IN A DECANTER (or glass pitcher at a more casual restaurant) before serving it. 3. ASK FOR BIG RED WINE GLASSES The big bowl lets you swirl and limber up the wine so it tastes better. Wine glasses are the gift that keeps on giving. So gift yourself first! • The fastest way to chill your wine Add a third of a cup of salt to an ice bucket to make salt water which cools your wine 50% faster than tap water. Great for the holidays and parties when you have thirstier guests than anticipated. • Best wines for Sunday brunch The refreshing prickle of bubbles and mouthwatering acidity of Champagne and sparkling wines cut right through egg dishes and cream sauces (like the Hollandaise on your Eggs Benedict). Next best choices are high acid whites like Sauvignon Blanc or Chablis whose good acidity can also scour your tongue and cleanse it of the egg yolks and Hollandaise sauce. Why? So you can really taste the next bite of food!
Are you done?
W
hen you have completed the above puzzles, please send your solution by fax to +66 2 943 7169 or scan and email to puzzles@ scandasia.com. We will make a lucky draw among the correct answers. Five lucky winners will receive a ScandAsia polo shirt. Name:
___________________________________________________
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Mobile:
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Deadline for submitting your solution is 15 May 2012 26 ScandAsia.South East Asia • April 2012
• How to avoid red wine headaches 1. Histamines are naturally present on grape skins and are present in higher concentration on red grapes than white grapes. So take an anti-histamine 30 minutes beforehand. 2. If histamines don’t bother you and you still get a headache it could be the tannins (preservatives) in red wine. So give up Cabernet and Merlot and drink wines with less tannin like Pinot Noir, Rioja, Chianti, Beaujolais-Village, Barbera, St Nicholas and Dolcetto.
@ Hotel Mermaid Bangkok Ltd.
The Admiral’s Pub & Restaurant was Re-opened in October 2011 as a Restaurant & Pub located at Hotel Mermaid on Sukhumvit Soi 29. The emphasis is on an informal Pub & Dining environment in a “turn of the century atmosphere” and a decoration theme inspired by the entrepreneurs and officers who came to Siam around the turn of last century. The restaurant offers Scandinavian specialties as well as International & Thai dishes.
• Admiral’s Restaurant with: A Journey to our Thai, International and Scandinavian Cuisine. • Admiral’s Wine Cellar The import regulations for wines to Thailand limit severely the wines available and often make them inappropriately expensive. A number of us also share the uncertainty about how the wines have been stored and thus in what condition especially the more expensive and older wines might be. • Admiral’s Pub with Cold Carlsberg from the Tap Exciting Maritime and Turn of the century’s decor.
We have created the ADMIRAL’S WINE CELLAR with the following objectives in mind; 1. Proper storage of wines in temperature controlled decor wine cellar. 2. Quality wines at best competitive rates in the market. 3. Profit margin set per bottle not on purchase price in order to make expensive wines comparatively inexpensive. 4. Selection of new world wines and good offers of Classic wines from Chile, Argentina, France and Thailand. 5 Get you own private Wine drawer in our cellar (Terms & Conditions apply)
• Opening hours: Everyday from 11.30 - Midnight
• Admiral’s Outside Catering We do Outside catering for your private party at home.
• The Boat Deck (Outdoor Terrace) Nice outdoor terrace with cool breeze and cozy bar.
• OR Book your private party, we can accommodate up to 120 pers.
Hotel Mermaid Bangkok Ltd. 6 Soi 29, Sukhumvit Road, Kwaeng Klongtoy Nua, Khet Wattana, Bangkok 10110 Thailand Phone: 02 260 9026 Fax: 02 260 9010 Email: bent@admiralspub.dk
Your No. 1 Choice With almost 40 years of experience in Asia, Handelsbanken provides a full range of corporate banking and treasury services. We believe that all key banking decisions should be taken close to the customer. This means that you can always count on a high degree of flexibility and quick decision making. Make us your number one choice in banking. Beijing – Hong Kong – Kuala Lumpur – Mumbai – Shanghai – Singapore – Taipei
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