DEC 2010
Thailand
Eyewitness to Burning Bangkok ScandAsia.dk
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Coming Events Norwegian Artist Exhibition in the National Gallery of Thailand Date: 7 - 28 January 2011 Location: The National Gallery of Thailand, Bangkok
Your FREE ScandAsia Magazine in Thailand ScandAsia is the only magazine that covers all the Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish residents in Thailand. We also publish a ScandAsia magazine in China, Singapore and the rest of South East Asia.
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Norwegian artist Christian Wolther will open his solo exhibition ‘Untitled Ocean’ in the National Gallery of Thailand from 7 to 28 January 2011. For more information about the artist, go to www.christianwolther.com.
DanCham Networking Date: 19 January 2011 It is the first networking of 2011 organized by The Danish Thai Chamber of Commerce. A good chance of getting together with Danish residents and delightfully free flow drinks in friendly atmosphere. More detail will be announced at www.scandasia.com.
Scandinavian Golf Tournament Date: 30 January 2011 Venue:Vintage Golf Club
Publisher: Scandinavian Publishing Co., Ltd. 4/41-2 Ramintra Soi 14, Bangkok 10230, Thailand Tel. +66 2 943 7166-8, Fax: +66 2 943 7169 E-mail: news@scandasia.com
The Scandinavian Golf Thailand will organize the first golf tournament on 30 January 2011 which is being played at Vintage Golf Club. Follow up more information at www.zabaigolf.com or if you have any inquiry please contact scandinaviangolf@yahoo.com.
Editor-in-Chief: Gregers A.W. Møller gregers@scandmedia.com Advertising: Finn Balslev finn@scandmedia.com Piyanan Kalikanon piyanan@scandmedia.com Nattapat Maesang nattapat@scandmedia.com
DWN Weekend Family Trip to Sangkhlaburi
Graphic Designer: Supphathada Numamnuay supphathada@scandmedia.com Distribution: Pimjai Chaimongkol pimjai@scandmedia.com
Date: 22 - 23 January 2011 Venue: Sangkhlaburi, Kanchanaburi
Printing: Advanced Printing Services Co., Ltd.
The Danish Women’s Network will organize the Weekend Family Trip to Sangkhlaburi where is located 230 km to the north of Kanchanaburi province and borders to Burma. Additional info, program and price please contact dwnbkk@gmail.com.
Daily news and features here: www.scandasia.com
Thanakorn Ratanamaitrikiat
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Nordic Young Professionals Night
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he first Nordic Young Professionals Networking was held at Stable Lodge Restaurant on Thursday night 11 November 2010. Surprisingly, some 80 Nordic YP’s got together for a cozy evening! The event was placed by the pool where cold Chang draught beer was served to all participants. Stable Lodge also offered a traditional Scandinavian menu at a special price. Participants are Finnish, Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish - and we have many Thai participants as well.
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1. Michael Corp Dyrendal (left) and his friends 2. DanCham’s Katrine Praest and Grace Jansawake 3. (From left to right) Henrik Wang, Anne Groth Katballe, Surat Kongthai, Anya Palm 4. Kim Martin Rasmussen (right), Surat Kongthai (middle) and friend 5. Peter Alexandersen (right) and his friends 6. (From left to right) Weerapong Ujarean, Pasgol Yurawan, Alan Wihlborg Andersen
SSS Crayfish Party in Bangkok
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candinavian Society Siam (SSS) organized the Swedish Crayfish Party 2010 at Bangkok British Club backyard on the evening of 2 October. 170 guests were seated under four tents covering also the stage and dance floor. Soren Wettendorff, the president of Scandinavian Society Siam, had a welcome speech. “Welcome members and guest to traditional Crayfish Party tonight. It is good to see you all. I would like to thank our sponsor Airberlin who supported this event and provided a free air ticket for lucky draw tonight. And we have many giveaway gift vouchers for those who purchase the lottery tickets. I hope you will enjoy tonight and welcome!”
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1. There were lots of crayfish at this year’s party. 2. Chairman Søren Wettendorff and Kristian Bø were busy drawing winners for the lottery. 3. Kristian Bø and Pär Hollertz. 4. Berit Rasdencrantz, Khwanjai C. and Josie Alm 5. Dancing the night away.
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Norwegian Golfing in Pattaya
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n Thursday 18 November the autumn golf tournament arranged by the Norwegian Seamen’s Church in Pattaya was held. 24 golfers met at Plutaluang Navy Golf Course to compete for great prizes. Everyone was happy with the tournament, which was well led by the Church Council Chairman Kristian Bø. Afterwards there was dinner, a great buffet in the beautiful garden, and awards ceremony at Seamen’s Church. It was Trond Rogne, who ran off with the coveted prize, while Svein Karlsen came in second, with Kjell A Røed third. Trond Rogne, received the great prize of seamen minister Jan Olav Johannessen. Other prizes awarded: Closest to the pin. West hole 8 to Karljot Johansen. West hole 3 to Svein E Furulund. North holes 12 to Nora Ness, who also interpreted north hole 15. Longest drive went to Nora Ness on the west hole 5, while Kjell A Røed took the north hole 5.
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1. Anne Marie Hauslo teeing off. 2. The winner, Trond Rogne, receiving his prize. 3. Dinner and prize for the winners.
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KONE Nordic Masters 2010
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n Saturday November 20th 2010, The Thai-Finnish Chamber of Commerce hosted their annual, prestigious golf tournament the Nordic Masters. This year’s battlefield was the beautiful and very challenging Banyan Golf Club in Hua Hin. Before our 76 international golfers went on the course, they had a chance to get tips and tricks from the USPGA Pro Mr. Doug Hood on the driving range. The Finnish Ambassador to Thailand was very grateful; as this was her first ever round of golf! At the end of the day they saw a very tight race at the top of the leader board. Team Meinhardt was crowned as winners, but only 1.25 average point separated 1st and 6th place. The following Gala Dinner was a superb finish to a great day. Mr. Lars Londal from Londal Consulting and the President of the Thai-Finnish Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Marc Spiegel, ran the Raffle’s Draw and the Live Auction. The loyal sponsors had provided them with outstanding gifts and prizes and they quickly ran out of Raffle’s tickets.
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1. President of Thai-Finish Chamber of Commerce (2nd from right) with his team mates. 2. USPGA Pro Mr. Doug Hood hitting 160 yards with his putter on a Par 3. 3. Ambassador Ms. Sirpa Mäenpää and winning teams. 4. MD KONE Mr. Marc Spiegel and Finnish Ambassador Ms. Sirpa Mäenpää on the driving range. December 2010 • ScandAsia.Thailand 7
Family Fishing Trip
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unday 3 October 2010, six families – all members of Danish Women's Network - met for an activity day. The activity itself had been changed from water sports in Pattaya to a fishing trip in Bung Sam Ran, a great big pond which is well known among fishermen the world over - we found out later. Along a narrow wooden bridge, built at the edge of the fishing pond, all 22 participants - children, adolescents and adults - went to the reserved cabin, along with two instructors who would help us with the fishing. The weather was perfect, the atmosphere and excitement high when the first fishing line was put out and wild cheers were heard when the first fish - a large Mekong Giant Catfish was pulled up on our fishing terrace. Once we had learned the tricks that seemed to work best – like letting the instructors put the bait on the hook and throw the line off - we had several fish hooking and we all cheered when the lucky fisherman used all his energy in the fight to get the fish, weighing maybe a 15-25 kg, up for taking pictures.
Dancham Christmas Lunch 2010
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he Christmas Lunch of Danish-Thai Chamber of Commerce took this year place in the garden of British Club with participation if more than 200 members and guest - again again more than ever before. The event was sponsored by Jyske Bank (Schweiz) AG & Pandora and featured the Danish chef Henrik Boserup who had helped Stable Lodge prepare a large variety of tradional Danish “julemad”. A lucky draw sold out quickly. The main prize was a return flight ticket to Europe sponsored by SAS. Other top class prizes were Jewelry by Pandora, Gift vouchers from Ecco Shoes, Stelton product by Scanproducts, Gift voucher for two for Lake House Adventure by Visit Beyond, Dinnerware by Royal Copenhagen and Gift vouchers from Genesis Skin Klinik at Dusit Thani. Along with the delicious food, attendees were served snaps and free flow of beer and soft drinks throughout the event to the tunes of the jazzband “The Best”.
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ScandAsia News Brief SAS Prepares for Heightened Demand
Sweden and Thailand Sign New Gripen Deal
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AS expects this winter to see the highest ever leisure traffic between Scandinavia and Bangkok and SAS Customer Satisfaction Levels are up. Scandinavian Airlines has added an extra flight on its CopenhagenBangkok route for winter 2010-2011, raising frequency from six days a week to daily. The extra flight was added because this winter is expected to show the highest ever demand for leisure traffic on SAS between Scandinavia and Bangkok, says Bangkok-based Mr Niels Henrik Hansen, SAS South East Asia. Mr. Hansen, who took over as SAS Director and General Manager for Southeast Asia in September, added that SAS was now focusing on future growth based on “Core SAS” strategies. The “Core SAS” strategy is based on streamlined organisation, a reduced cost base, a stronger capital structure, and intensified customer focus aimed at business travellers with strengthened commercial offerings for all categories of passenger. Monthly surveys of 8,000 SAS passengers show that customer satisfaction levels have increased in the last year despite the cost cutting programme, thanks to SAS staff efforts. In September Flightstats.com announced SAS as the world’s most punctual airline. In October, SAS won the SimpliFlying Awards of Excellence in Social Media for the way it handled customer relations during the Icelandic volcanic ash crisis. In July the International Travel Catering Association gave SAS a Mercury award for its highly functional and environmentally friendly comfort bag that it gives to longhaul passengers. Environmental concerns remain central to the way SAS does business. The airline is currently the only one in the world with ISO 14001 and EMAS environmental certification. SAS will also start flying direct Oslo-New York in March 2011 and Copenhagen-Shanghai flights in winter 2011. SAS will also soon launch internet on board.
Berlingske Tidende Available in Thailand
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weden and Thailand on 23 November signed an agreement for the delivery of a further six Gripen fighter aircraft together with one Saab 340 Airborne Early Warning surveillance system and the Swedish RB 15F missile system. At a ceremony in Stockholm today, the Director General of Sweden’s Defence Materiel Administration, FMV, Gunnar Holmgren and Itthaporn Subhawong, Air Chief Marshal, Commander in Chief of the Royal Thai Air Force, signed an agreement for the delivery of a further six Gripen fighter aircraft together with one Saab 340 Airborne Early Warning surveillance system and the Swedish RB 15F missile system. This is the second phase of the co-operation between the Kingdom of Sweden and the Kingdom of Thailand, the first phase started with the agreement in February 2008. Today’s agreement consists of six Gripen fighter aircraft of the latest C version together with one Saab 340 Airborne Early Warning surveillance system and the Swedish RB 15F missile system. In a comment to the agreement the Director General of FMV, Gunnar Holmgren stated: “I am very pleased that we have been able to conclude the negotiations of phase 2 in a successful way for both parties. The content in phase 2 and phase 1 will give RTAF a very capable air defence together with both surveillance and net work centric operation capability” The agreement also includes logistic support and training. Delivery of the Gripen aircraft will take place during 2013. Since 1 August 2010 Sweden has a new authority to promote defense export and benefit Swedish defence and security policies, the Swedish Defense and Security Export Agency (FXM). In a comment to the agreement the Director General of FXM, Ulf Hammarström stated: “From FXM I am very pleased to see the co-operation between Sweden and Thailand further strengthened through the new agreement. We look forward to take part in the continuing co-operation between the two countries” CEO Hakan Buskhe of Saab AB - Swedish aerospace and defense - said the $320 million purchase is further proof of a “strengthening international faith in the Gripen system.” Saab is competing for lucrative contracts to sell Gripen jets to several other countries, including Brazil and India.
erlingske Tidende and BT - two very popular Danish newspapers - are now both available in Thailand for delivery same day in all the major tourist destinations via NewspaperDirect. This will also benefit ScandAsia. Because every time a person buys a newspaper from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden via NewspaperDirect anywhere in Thailand, NewspaperDirect also automatically give the customer a copy of the latest ScandAsia magazine. NewspaperDirect’s Print-on-Demand service is suitable for individual subscribers, retail outlets, hotels & resorts, cruise ships, airlines, corporate offices, libraries, educational institutions, events and private yachts. Subscribe here: http://www.newspaperdirect-asia.com/thailand.html.
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Over 1,000 Visitors Per Day on ScandAsia.com
Winlöf Case: Police Investigation Turned Down
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total of 30,454 people visited in October the website http://www.scandasia.com/. That makes October 2010 the first month where the website was in average visited by more than 1,000 visitors per day. Visitors has jumped 265 percent from 11,485 visitors in October 2009 to October this year 30,454. Content Number of pages viewed has also jumped impressively. In October 2009 the website had 28,580 page views. In October this year, the visitors viewed a total of 61,928 pages. That makes October 2010 the first month where the number of pages viewed on ScandAsia.com has exceeded 2,000 pages per day. More stats The statistics above is based on Google Analytics. Results from another webanalytical program “AWStats”, which scandasia.com has for some time shared with it visitors, is published on this page: http://scandasia.com/visitors/index.htm If these figures are used, the growth is even more impressive.
Take the Ferry From Pattaya to Hua Hin
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ravelling around in Thailand just became a bit easier. A new high speed catamaran was launched today sail between Pattaya and Hua
Hin. A new high speed catamaran ferry inaugurated 19 November 2010 will shorten the distance bewteen Pattaya and Hua Hin to three hours and fifteen minutes. The Thailiving Ferry will provide the exclusive water transportation between Pattaya and Hua Hin initially three days a week. The ticket price for a single fare is 1600 THB and 2950 THB for a round trip. The ferry will depart from Pattaya 08:30 on Wednesday, Friday and Sundays. From Hua Hin departure will be at 13:30 on the same days. Customers will get transportation to and from the piers with minibuses collecting and dropping of at central points in the cities. For booking or information, info@thailivingferry.com Tel: 038-364515
he prosecution office in Bangkok has not accepted the police investigation regarding the death of 45-year-old Swede Johan Winlöf in early September. Instead the police has been requested to investigate more thourughly. On September 8, Johan Winlöf was stabbed to death by his wife, Ornanong Winlöf, in their apartment in Ekamai Soi 30. At the Swedish Embassy in Bangkok the death of Johan Winlöf has been closely monitored, and Senior Counsellor Officer, Pär Kågeby, expresses somewhat of relief that the case will not go to court at this point. “The Thai police have seen this as selfdefence all along. And nothing else. But it’s been obvious to anyone that there was more to it, and I think it’s very positive that the prosecution office has asked of the police to get to the bottom of this sad matter,” he says. The thing that has caused the most astonishment in the months since the death of Johan Winlöf, is the fact that the surveillance tape from the tragic night, recorded by a CCTV camera at the apartment complex where the Winlöfs lived, has never been included in the investigation. “Apparently the tape is broken, and so far the police have denied the possibility of getting it fixed. Now that the case is reopened we need the surveillance evidence to reach a more whole picture of what happened that night,” Pär Kågeby says. When a Swede dies and the circumstances are not clear it is not something that is taken lightly at the embassy. Thus, the pressure on the Thai police has been quite vast, the Senior Counsellor Officer explains. “The Swedish Embassy has contacted the highest police authority in Thailand and at the same time Swedish police has enquired of the Interpol branch in Thailand that investigation is done properly and thoroughly,” he says. Something that may have been contributing to the prosecution office deciding that the case is not court ready just yet. Pär Kågeby foresees that the investigation will go on for about one month and ensures that the embassy continuously will do their utmost in seeing to that justice will be done.
December 2010 • ScandAsia.Thailand 11
Eyewitness to Burning Bangkok
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When the World Trade Center in Bangkok was torched by red shirt arsonists on 19 May 2010, Sirpa Mäenpää, Finland’s first female Ambassador to Thailand, and her staff were watching from their offices. By Bjarne Wildau
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fter a long carrier in Finland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs with postings in Kenya, and Nicaragua, and other exotic places, Sirpa Mäenpää got her first appointment as an ambassador, when she took the position as Ambassador to Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar on 1 September 2009. That turned out to be an exciting first chapter in her new professional life. Less than nine months after her arrival at the Embassy in The Amarin Plaza in Bangkok, the Ambassador and her staff had to escape from the Embassy and relocated it to the Ambassador’s Residence.
A great view “As you can see I had an excellent view to the Red Shirt demonstrations,” Sirpa Mäenpää says while standing in front of the panorama windows, from where there was a perfect view to, among others, The World Trade Centre when it was burned down during some of the most violent demonstrations Bangkok has seen for almost twenty years. “Bangkok is burning” was almost a standard headline in the world press those days in April and May 2010. Asked if she was afraid the first Finnish female Ambassador in Bangkok shakes her head.
“We, my staff and I, were tense, yes. But afraid? No. I can’t say that was afraid. We just had to cope with the situation and handle the problems step by step,” the ambassador says.
Citizens caught in their homes “But some of our Finnish citizens were caught in their own homes. They couldn’t get out for several days. So we were actually better off. They had to cope with the seriousness of the situation in a completely different way,” the ambassador says. Beside relocate the embassy, a new “branch” was opened on Face
Fact about H. E. Sirpa MÄENPÄÄ Born:
10 December 1957
2009
Ambassador Bangkok, Thailand
2007 - August 2009
Deputy Director General, Department for Africa and the Middle East, Ministry for Foreign Affairs
2005 - 2007
Director, Unit for Eastern and Western Africa, Department for Africa and the Middle East, Ministry for Foreign Affairs
2000 - 2005
Chargé d´Affaires a.i. Embassy of Finland, Managua
1995 - 2000
Director, Unit for Planning and Coordination, Department for Development Cooperation, Ministry for Foreign Affairs
1991 - 1995
First Secretary (Development Cooperation), Embassy of Finland, Nairobi
1986 - 1991
Second Secretary (Development Cooperation), Ministry for Foreign Affairs
1983 - 1986
Attaché (Development Cooperation), Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Education:
Master of Science, University of Helsinki 1983
Languages:
Finnish (mother tongue), English, French, Spanish, Swedish
December 2010 • ScandAsia.Thailand 13
We have increasing activities in both Cambodia and Laos.
Book. With more than 180.000 Finns visiting Thailand per year, and more than 6.000 visas to Finland issued on a yearly basis, the consulate constitutes at least 50 % of the Embassy’s activities. “Many of the visas are issued to Thai berry pickers, but in general we have more and more Thai people visiting Finland. And we can also see that more and more Finnish men chose a Thai woman as their wife. All together the consulate at the embassy is a busy place, and Finnish citizens didn’t stop getting ill, having traffic accidents or even die during the demonstrations. Same with people who needed a visa. The need was still there, so we had to help,” Ambassador Sirpa Mäenpää explains.
Finnish staff all female This article is not the venue for a walk into the trivialities about the strength between the sexes, male and females, but it has to be mentioned that at the moment the Embassy was surrounded by troubles the entire Finnish staff were females.
“That’s true. Even before that, when guest attended the celebration of the Finnish National Day, the guests were greeted by four women. But first I have to say that is was a coincidence. And secondly I don’t think anyone had any complains about the way we handled the situation with the unrest in April and May,” Sirpa Mäenpää is laughing. And here it’s the time for a historical look back at the diplomatic relations between Finland and Thailand. Thailand recognized Finland's independence in 1919, but the relations between the two countries were handled from outside Thailand for 60 years. In 1980, an interim Chargé d'Affaires was sent to lead a mission in Bangkok. And the Embassy was opened surprisingly late, namely 1 January 1986.
Development projects Today the Finnish Embassy in Bangkok is only one of more than 77 Embassies in the world. “Finland is a member of the Europe Union, and therefore the for-
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eign policy is taken care of by the EU. The commercial activities are mostly handled by FinnPro which is today run as a private company and situated outside the embassy. FinnPro staff members have no longer diplomatic status,” Sirpa Mäenpää explains. Beside the daily diplomatic “business” in Thailand, the embassy has responsibilities in Cambodia, Laos and lesser In Myanmar/ Burma. “We have increasing activities in both Cambodia and Laos. In Cambodia there are more than 1.8 mio. land titles and Finland has been involved in a land mapping and registration project together with Germany and The World Bank”. The Finnish people has also, trough the ministry of foreign Affairs and the embassy in Bangkok, among other projects supported Cambodia with Forest Resources Management.
Mekong River In Laos, Finland has been working a lot with Sustainable Forestry Projects,” Sirpa Mäenpää says. Finland has also been heavily
involved in project coping with the more than 5.000 km long Mekong River involving countries as China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. At least 100 hydroelectric power plants along the Mekong and its tributaries are established already or on the drawing board. One particular concern is the loss of local fish stocks, which are a major source of income and food for millions of people, many of whom live below the poverty line. “And off courses Finland is involved in protecting the Mekong River simply because so many people are depending on the free flow of the Mekong,” says Sirpa Mäenpää. In controlling all these Finnish development projects in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, special attention is placed on fighting corruption, ambassador Sirpa Mäenpää explains. It’s not so much about condemning the often culture related corruption in each country but more specifically about controlling each single project and educating about the consequences of corruption, she adds.
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Scandinavian Deli Read A Scandinavian deli and restaurant has opened up in Bangkok with a delivery service covering all of Thailand and, possibly, also the neighbouring countries as well. By Bjarne Wildau
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our Swedes and one Thai investor will in November this year open Scandinavian Deli Ltd. after several years of wheeling and dealing to get all the permissions in place. Thai-Sweden Review has interviewed the “Public Face” of the Deli, Gunnar Sjobeck, who is one of the five investors. “It’s so obvious that there is a market for Scandinavian products, and it’s been a long time since we started talking about the need of a Scandinavian deli in Bangkok. But we wanted to be sure that we did it the right way. Better late, than doing it quickly without a proper lease on a proper location,” says Gunnar Sjobeck.
The right location The biggest hurdle in the project has been finding a proper location. Without convenient parking facilities and a natural flow of costumers there is no reason to waste investments, creativity, and time. “In our search for at proper lease facility we simply walked up and down the Sois in the west end of Sukhumvit. It was some project, I can tell you!” Gunnar Sjobeck smiles. 16 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2010
Finally in March this year, Gunnar and the co-investors found what they were looking for. A spot in Soi 18, just beside the Swedish Managed Rembrandt Hotel Bangkok, only seven minutes walk from Bangkok’s MRT subway and BTS sky train. The final negotiations were done in April, and the key was handed over. Since then at least seven millon Baht has been invested in rebuilding the property.
“Everything is perfect now. The kitchen for instance is just beautiful, all clean, new, and practical,” Gunnar Sjobeck says.
A fantastic selection So what will you be able to find at Scandinavian deli? Everything. What ever you can think of in Swedish or other Scandinavian foods, it will be there. From Kalles kaviar, over goat cheese to Danish salami.
dy to Serve
“We have done almost everything we could think of to make this deli a success,” says Gunnar. “The preparations include a costumer survey. More than 600 hundred people have filled out forms about what they would buy if it was made available to them. I would say we are prepared,” says Gunnar Sjobeck with a hint of pride in his voice. He is confident the shop will be a winner, making colleagues jealous and its costumers happy. And the restaurant in front of the deli shop will be as efficient and cozy as planned.
Doorstep delivery Another side of the new business that the Swedes see as promising and important, is the delivery service to Scandinavians and other customers outside Bangkok. “More and more Scandinavians settle for shorter or longer periods in the Hua Hin area. We have already had several request from there and other areas as well, despite the fact that we haven’t opened yet,” Gunnar says. He talks about the possibility of delivering goods with a company owned van. Maybe even with
a mobile deli shop. If the demand is there, a van will visit the greater Pattaya and Hua Hin / Cha-am and Prachuabkhirikhan. The rest of Thailand will be taken care of by express delivery.
The Deli’s specialities “Scandinavian Deli will also be the place where you can buy freshly baked bread delivered by a baker educated in Denmark and Switzerland. He will be able to deliver what ever sort of bread our costumers may demand,” Gunnar Sjobeck says. “The same will be the case with different types of sausages made in Bangkok but definitely within the range of Scandinavian expectations.” Gunnar Sjobeck’s own role in the Scandinavian Deli is linked to his successful Tasty Thai franchise chain of restaurants. “People know me from Tasty Thai. That’s where I and most of my professional life belongs. But I made an investment in Scandinavian Deli and I’m very happy about that. Right now I’m impatiently anticipating the opening,” says Gunnar Sjobeck with a broad smile.
They Came, They Saw, and They Settled in Pattaya After more than 20 profitable years in the international property industry Kathrine and Kurt Svendheim has finally settled down as the sole owner of New Nordic in Pattaya. And after 18 months in Thailand they are building and selling their first apartment project in Pattaya. By Bjarne Wildau
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athrine and Kurt Svendheim came to Pattaya first time in the spring 2008. The couple has been working in so different countries as Brazil, Spain and Belgium, and now they wanted to go down a new path being agents, selling apartments and house. “Soon after the arrival here at Nordic in Pattaya, we bought four apartments. We had never been in Thailand before and were absolutely taken by the Thai people, their culture and the climate” Kurt Svendheim says. Kathrine and Kurt had been traveling and moving time after time, and the feeling of “coming home” in Thailand began to sink in to the hearts and minds of the Norwegian couple.
Wonderful from day one “We had a wonderful time in Pattaya from day one,” the Norwegian investor says. While the experienced property couple was over the moon in Pattaya they had no problems discovering that the Norwegian owner of Nordic had problems keeping the crisis at bay.
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“Some people’s problems can turn into new openings for other people. Kathrine and I started to talk about what we could do about the crisis hitter Nordic,” Kurt explains. Kurt Svendheim, the CEO, and his wife, Kathrine, who attends to guest services and room decor, not forgetting their son, Marcus, who will take a progressively more active part as he grows older, ably helped by Sigurd, the General Manager, and Ronnie, the Sales Manager.
Turkey, Brazil and Bulgaria This Norwegian management team is helped by a 60-person Thai team of employees. Kurt and Kathrine also have investments in Turkey, Brazil and Bulgaria, but Thailand is by far their favorite location, as it is for many Scandinavians. Kurt and Kathrine have begun to explore Southern Thailand, most particularly the islands, and are looking forward to exploring further north as soon as the opportunity presents itself. Kurt Svendheim can’t and want break the confidential agreement, but the couple started counting. Almost 200 apartments were connected to an administrations service
with service and a rental system, securing a constant flow of business. The same with the restaurant, bakery, massage, transport service to and fro the airport etc.
Thailand for ever “What we saw was a fantastic possibility to settle. We didn’t want to travel, settle and pull up our roots any longer. And Nordic could be the business for the rest of our life’s”. And so it turned out. 15. July 2009 Nordic got new owners and a new name, namely New Nordic. During the interview 15 months after the take Kurt Svendheim can’t recall any kind of problems more than what is normal in a normal business when you employ between 50 and 70 people and served hundreds of apartment owners and guest. “New Nordic is running the service for the individual owners of the apartment, from taken care of the pools to maintenance of the common area. My wife Kathrine take care of that section included renovation of apartment”.
115 apartments for rent Kurt is handling the rental of 115 apartments and the restaurants and the bakery. In an way you can call the New Nordic complex a village. You hardly need to leave the place. Everything is there. Take the Christmas and New Year festival. Hundred of guest is attending. Maybe the more people having lute fish at the New Nordics Christmas eve than in the rest of Scandinavian restaurant all together in the greater Pattaya. At the top of what could be more than enough for most people, Kurt is also heading new developments. There will also be two further small condominium buildings, one currently under construction, VIP 1, with another, Grand, to commence shortly. Situated in one of the most exclusive locations in Pattaya, Phratumnak Hill, New Nordic is a close neighbor of the royal princess’ residence and has access to three beaches: Cosy, Cabbages and Condoms and Dongtan, with its own
What we saw was a fantastic possibility to settle. We didn’t want to travel, settle and pull up our roots any longer. And Nordic could be the business for the rest of our life’s
“We have a good feeling about the sale. It’s running well. But we are in no hurry about starting a new project. When all the units are sold, we start the next project. We have the land already, but we just take it step by step,” say Kurt, who doesn’t have any problems about the political situation I Thailand.
We aren’t blind stretch of private beach area on the latter.
Expensive land As such, the land values in the area are among the most expensive in Pattaya at around Bt40 million per rai as opposed to a similar plot over the east side of Sukumvit Road, which sells for about Bt2 million. The resort represents a community composed of nationals from over 15 countries, 80% of whom are Norwegian, but literally anyone is welcome. And despite the financial crisis the sale is progressing well. More than half of the apartments are sold all ready months before the apartments are ready.
“We aren’t blind. And we watch TV news and read newspapers. People demonstrate, and when people sit back in Scandinavia and see the pictures from Bangkok, they think the entire Bangkok is burning. But despite of that Thailand is still attractive for investments. You have corruption here and so un. But I lived two years in Brazil. You cant walk around like you can in Thailand. People shoot you. Here in Pattaya its so peaceful if you behave in a proper manner,” says Kurt. And once again he talks about how he and his wife have settled. For the rest of their life’s. “It’s simply so wonderful here. And we are so happy. Finally we have come home”. December 2010 • ScandAsia.Thailand 19
Phuket’s First Self Storage
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It was not the downturn within the property sector that caused the managers of real estate brokers Home2Thailand Exclusive Real Estate, Mr Robert Akerblom and his partner in life and business Miss Sukanda Chiaranussati, to diversify their business. The idea for their new venture rather came up based on an expressed need from their client base on Phuket – a need for proper storage. By Joakim Persson
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bout two years ago it dawned on us that there was commercial need for quality storage on Phuket, which had developed to the stage where additional infrastructure and services where demanded. With a growing number of local businesses, visitors and a residential real estate market that has been booming our initial findings told us that self storage as a service should be successful in a location as Phuket.” says Managing Director Sukanda. “Among many of our real estate customers that where either buying, selling, letting out, renting within any property transaction - there was an expressed demand for this type of service,” says General Manager of StoreGuard, Robert Åkerblom. With that they started research and sowing the seeds which recently resulted in that the island’s first self storage facility saw the light in August of 2010, MY STORAGE Secure, Clean & Cost Effective Self Storage. They were both accustomed to the concept of self storage from back west, having used it extensively themselves when living in the USA, England and Sweden. The concept is widely spread within the Sun Belt region of the USA, resort areas, urban areas in Europe and anywhere else where
the market fluctuates and the population for various reasons is transient – just like on Phuket. “In Phuket people come and go with an increasing number of proper snow birds. It’s exactly like in the southern parts of the USA and that’s where the need for storage comes in,” Robert explains. “A typical client buys consumer goods and move quite frequently. For instance, a tenant might rent a place that is furnished but have brought their own inventory, so they’ll need some place to store, at first part of what was in the dwelling and later their own belongings for next season when they are returning to the island. Or they may have invested in a property that’s not yet complete but already have belongings. Some are up or downsizing while others are letting out their property short or long term.” Their research also showed that communities in warmer climate zones require a larger number of storages space as more time is spent outdoors and one tend to own more recreational equipment. Villas or apartments with little or no storage area also impacts how much storage space the market will demand. Clearly the business community is a core sector for My Storage since their first facility is strategically located in an annex to the Jungceylon Shopping Center in Patong. Retail businesses within and in the surroundings of this shopping centre are current customers (storing inventory and equipment) as well as companies in the process of moving, up- or downsizing. Many firms also want to avoid long-term commitments and have flexibility. They can for instance store archived company files in order to free up precious office space or use it for storage and distribution of products, marketing etc. My Storage also offers self storage for businesses looking for larger bespoke storage units of up to 25 square metres with 24 hours drive up access. “We selected Jungceylon as the location for our flag ship facility in order to be in the most sought after mixed-use development in Phuket where a broad range of services are offered attracting large numbers of visitors,” says Robert.
Is Swedish “One of the factors is that there are many local sales representatives for clothing, furniture and cosmetics companies etc. that bring goods to the island that is being sold or promoted in and around Jungceylon. Which other storage alternatives where previously offered? The rental of shop houses, which meant long-term commitment, questionable security and higher costs. These days companies strive for a more streamlined, just-in-time approach and only keep stock for imminent distribution. Our rental terms are very flexible and clients can at any time increase or decrease their unit sizes.” “Business today fluctuates rapidly and need flexibility in how to move stock and in controlling costs especially in Phuket being so seasonal. So what we offer is seen as a very cost-effective storage solution” adds Sukanda. “Location-wise we looked for an urban retail environment as in Patong where businesses and individuals conveniently could rely on our type of storage. We also wanted to service densely populated surrounding areas in need of storage space.” In Asia self storage is a relatively recent service industry where Thais may not be all that familiar with the concept of self storage.
“There’s a difference between managed storage and self storage when you manage the space yourself. In self storage you don’t share an open space with everyone else. You have your own individual unit, own lock and own access code.” “The Thailand population is familiar with the concept of storing goods even if they haven’t been exposed to our version. Given time the broader market will also catch on to self storage,” says Robert. “Our research tells us that it is feasible but will require a more informative and educational marketing approach being a green field market. The beauty of self storage is that once you have become accustomed to this kind of service it will become a lifestyle choice.” After the opening of My Storage on Phuket their expansion plans aims at urban areas such as Bangkok, Hua Hin and Pattaya. The mother company, StoreGuard Co. Ltd., will in parallel act as a turnkey developer and management company of self storage facilities for parties interested in entering the Thai self storage market. And they will continue working at their real estate brokerage firm under the somewhat unfortunate Thai real estate market conditions.
December 2010 • ScandAsia.Thailand 21
Tuk Tours in Hua Hin
“I
t’s a bit surprising but the coming high-season is starting to look better than last year. I did expect worse but it seems that people very quickly have forgotten what happened in Bangkok just a couple of months back”, says Martin Kaiser-Nielsen, the coowner of Tuk Tours in Hua Hin. It’s said that 10% of tourism related businesses in Thailand have closed down but months of political unrest has not deterred the Scandinavians from coming to Thailand. As some tour operators in Denmark have reported their Thailand program being sold out for the coming high season, local travel businesses like Danish Tuk Tours seem to have overcome the crisis already. “You get a bit used to the fact that no seasons are normal. Now we had the unrest and the riots. Before it was the airport closure in 2008. We had the coup back in 2006. Sars and birdflu earlier on and then the tsunami in 2004. It’s a setback every time but we are getting used it. So are the costumers fortunately”, says Martin Kaiser-Nielsen. Martin has been in Thailand long enough to see it all. Working as a guide for “Alletiders rejser” which is now called Kuoni he met Tuk who
Danish “Tuk Tours” is one of the many smaller travel agencies in the famous seaside town of Hua Hin who has suffered from the political turmoil in Thailand. But now the tide has turned and the tourists are starting to come back.
22 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2010
at that time worked for the Danish tour operator Ben Adisti. She became his thai teacher. They fell in love but it nearly ended in a big tragedy. A serious taxi accident on their way from Hua Hin to Bangkok damaged Tuks back badly. Tuk has still not physically recovered 100% from the accident. Martin and Tuk opened up Tuk Tours in Hua Hin in 2005. It’s situated in a quiet spot at Poonsuk Road in central Hua Hin. A very charming town house that could easily being mistaken for a café, as this is a place you wouldn’t mind to sit and relax for half an hour. Wooden chairs and tables on the verandah and you can actually get an espresso if you want. If you want to order more you could do it in English, Swedish, Norwegian and Danish. Tuk would still be able to understand. “I would say 50% of our costumers are walk in costumers and 50% are from the internet. Around 15% are regulars coming back and back again. We handle most Scandinavians and we see quite a few senior backpackers who need a little help to organize their rather long holidays in Thailand”, says Martin who also manages to work as a tourguide for Albatros Travel.
December 2010 • ScandAsia.Thailand 23
Changing the Tool Box to a Brief Case Henrik Wang, a 27-year-old Danish mechanic, lost his job in Denmark when the financial crisis hit the country in 2008. After a fruitless job search he decided to try his luck abroad - and ended up working with assistance for insurance companies in Bangkok. By Anya Palm
Dear Reader. My name is Anya Palm and I am your reporter on this article. I want to introduce myself, because this story is personal - it is about my boyfriend. I live in Bangkok with Henrik, with whom I moved to Thailand in September 2009. He had never been to Thailand before and he knew chances of him getting a job within his profession were slim. Nevertheless, he took the plunge. Today, he can look back on how a single decision altered his life in every aspect. That is the story I would like to share with you.
S
omewhere in the heart of Bangkok, a 27-year-old mechanic puts on his shirt. He buttons up, grabs his briefcase and heads towards the BTS to go to work. This is not routine for him. In all other jobs he has ever had before he would be wearing a boiler suit and carrying a tool box: Henrik Wang, a Danish mechanic has indeed come to Bangkok to an entirely different life. “Moving to Bangkok for me was a complete change in every aspect. From a garage to an office, from a house with three stories to a skyscraper, from a city where I could drive around everywhere to a city with constant traffic chaos. And from a place with a certain line laid out for me to a place with endless possibility,” he says. Boy meets girl He moved to Bangkok in September 2009, after the company he worked for, was forced to shut down. By then, he had worked as a mechanic there for six years, so the natural thing to do was to start sending out job applications, but the car industry was not an easy place to get a new job. After a year with nothing promising turning up, he made a decision: 24 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2010
“I moved to Bangkok, because I suddenly had the opportunity to. My girlfriend wanted to move to the city, because it was a good base for her writing, and I wanted to try new ways to get back into the job market,” he says. And so he started looking in Bangkok instead. “In the beginning, I looked a lot after jobs on the internet, because that is what you do when unemployed in Denmark. But things don’t work that way here,” he says. It took him six fruitless months, before things started to happen. But once they did, they happened fast. Over the course of just two months, Henrik Wang got first a job as a mobile phone salesman and shortly after that a job as an advertise salesman. In March 2010 the phone rang again. “It was Euro-Center and they wanted to talk to me. I was excited, because this was a steady job with a salary and all that. Like I had hoped for,” he says. Euro-Center, an international claims handling network for travel insurance and assistance companies, offered Henrik Wang a job as Head International Coordinator, the position he holds today.
“It was interesting, because it was a whole new area to learn and I was really happy to get that opportunity. Things are not that black and white - I don’t think that just because you have an education as a mechanic, then you are destined to always be a mechanic,” he says of the transition. He doesn’t miss it; “I can move to a place that has a garage. Then I can fix cars as a hobby,” he says. In his new job, he handles claims from travelers, who need insurance and he coordinates hospitals, doctors and travel details for the clients. He has an alarm phone for emergencies and he answers emails and conduct reports. “There is nothing at all in this job that is similar to being a mechanic. Except the fact that in both jobs it is an advantage to think logical, and I have always done that,” he says. Luckily Henrik Wang had never shied away from things that are new, and he although he feels the job is challenging, he is learning fast. The job suits him, he feels, despite his unconventional background. He is not going anywhere anytime soon. “There is just not really anywhere I would rather be. Simple as that,” he says.
They Help You Build Your Home in Thailand They met each other at the University in Sweden. They both made their thesis in Thailand, and now they help busy investors turning their expectations into reality. This time the task was to design and build a tropic paradise on top of an abandoned shrimp pond in the middle of nowhere. By Bjarne Wildau
Y Here Stefan shows an arrangement changed because the walkers could not do the granite tiles properly. Instead of living with a terrible looking granite wall, it was taking away.
ou can call it a challenge. Three Swedish families bought a peace of land close to a beach in the middle of the absolute nowhere. And now they wanted to build a villa, sort of, with a common area plus three separated homes for as many owners. All together 655 squaremetres under roof. And not to forget – a decent house for the couple who takes care of the house. Plus a pool of course. And by the way. The land was actually not proper land, but an abandoned shrimp pond. The owners new from the very beginning, that they needed someone try could trust, to handle the project. Actually, they found two Swedish engineers, Stefan Stolt and his wife Poui (Yosawadee Pisanupoj), who already had some constructions experiences in Thailand trough there own company “Thai Natural
26 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2010
Estates Col., Ltd.”. They already finish one house, their own, in their own planned project in Pranburi south of Hua Hin. Their agent in Sweden died, they same you could almost say about the World Finances, and then by coincidence, the got a phone call by one of the three Swedish families with the plot in Chantaburi. “We didn’t have to think twice. The project could learn us a lot. It was the right phone call at the right time. Both Swedes. Definitely. But as you get from Stefan’s wife, she grow up in Sweden, got proper education, and at the top of all that, she speak fluent Thai. Not a bad thing coping with so many different people at so many educational levels as they had to do when they accepted to create a paradise at the edge of Laem Sing beach, approximately 25 KM from Chantaburi, south eastern Thailand, close to the Cambodian border. It’s a Monday morning. Once again the couple are on their way from their own hove in the Ram Intra area outside Bangkok, to the challenge of their professional life’s, the villa in Lam Sing. While Poui speak Thai in her mobile Stellan starts to tell their story. They met each other at the Uppsala University, where they both attended the chemical engineer study. “We were hook on the green living idea. And after we started dating the thought of doing our thesis in Thailand popped up with out any hassle. And yes, I think we also considered to settle in Thailand as soon as we finished our education”, Stefan explains.
In the middle of the interview Stefan ask his wife if the remembered to bring her soy drink and her pills. The five month very happy and hard working wife confirm. At least for a day or two, the health of their baby girl is secured. Plain sailing you can call it. And the couple surely wish that their big baby, the villa project at Laem Sing beach could be done with soymilk and some pills. At the back seat Poui start to talk a little louder. The reason for this very Monday trip is that some very important granite tiles should arrive. “They say it’s a big holyday to day. They can’t bring the granite today”, Poui says, and then she get silent again. Five minutes later she is back. “I arranged so our staff can go and get it, and then bring it down by her self. Shit. Why he didn’t say that before we went this morning. Thailand”, Poui complains in fluent Swedish. While she is speaking, phoning and drinking her soymilk her husband is trying to drive and talk at the same time. “We had huge problems with the architects design. He was dreaming. Lots of things wasn’t possible. A huge roof section designed by the architect was simply useless. The engineer had to start from the very beginning until we ended up with a proper roof construction”, Stefan tells. Another challenge was the huge hole, the former shrimp pond. “We had to fill up the hole with 1.200 truck loads of soil. 10.000 m3. When that was done, we started
the piling. We had to go 24 meters down to secure a proper foundation”. And then the you can say the problems started. “I hired a supervisor. Carefully I picked a very good one from Bangkok. I felt he was the best to the job, and I was very proud and happy. It went well. For five weeks. The he missed his family and Bangkok too much. Ok, Then I found the Bangkok markets second best supervisor. He came down, worked, and he left too. It lasted a little longer, but he left”. Then Stefan and Poui decided to go local. The guy isn’t half as good as the to Bangkok supervisors. But he stays. At a lower level Stefan and Poui has their biggest problem. The workers. “They jump for a dollar. The team we have now is number five or maybe number six. Once a team left for lesser than a dollar more per day. Once some shell picker arrived and told our workers that they could make much more money by picking shells”, Stefan tells. With three different families involved in the project they started from scratch you would think that had to be the biggest challenge for Stefan and his wife. But no. “We have changed a lot during the building process, but it has never been a problem. Change were done because of mistakes by the supervisor or the workers, some changes were done because simply because the owners changed their minds”. And it seems like the Swedish owners are happy too. Time after time they have extended the duties for the Swedish Engineer couple. The latest were furniture’s. “We have to take care of the furniture’s, the kitchens and much more, simply because it’s impossible to take care of it your self if you are in Sweden or in another western country”, says Stefan.
What To Do ..and Not To Do
Stefan below the ceiling whohc was one of the many things that changed during the process of building the house. 1. Do not start a conflict with the people who decide on your building permit. Start the building permit process as soon as you can. Do not handle the case the “Scandinavian Way”. Follow local traditions in the process. Befriend the local officers who handle you application. A bottle of whisky and a dinner will help you more than 10 expensive lawyers. Do the same with applications for power and water. 2. Don’t think you can handle a villa project from back home in Scandinavia. You can’t. Find a person or a company to handle the project in a hands-on fashion. The best is a westerner but with local knowledge. 3. Use a local construction site supervisor. The one you can import from Bangkok or other big cities are better, cost the double but they want stay long. Stick to a local supervisor. 4. Demand your architect to design the house or villa down to every single detail. At the same time get your engineer involved as soon as possible. Architects are dreamers - engineers turn dreams into reality. 5. If you found good workers then do everything you can to keep them. They work to keep themselves and their families going and they will jump for a single dollar. That single dollars extra will save you lots of worries and money. Stick to your workers. 6. Consider making all or most of your shopping in big cities like Bangkok, Pattaya or in Phuket. If you build in an area where it’s unusual to build expat villas, then forget local shopping. If the locals have what you need the quality will be too low and the prize far too high. Even simple stuff like iron to concrete can be bought in Bangkok much cheaper despite the transport.
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Du får nyheter och fakta. Musik, sport och natur. Barn- och nöjesprogram. Drama, debatter och kultur – dygnet runt och året om! Programfrågor: svt.se/svtworld För abonnemang kontakta: ConNova TVX +46 (0)141 - 20 39 10 svtworld@connova.se www.connova.se December 2010 • ScandAsia.Thailand 27
The Carpet Expert Swedish Indian Alex Baba has sold his unique carpets in Thailand for 15 years and his two showrooms in Bangkok and Chiangmai are a flourishing success.
time, Alex would also take part in the process of repairing and washing many different types of carpets for his father’s clients. “I feel lucky that the ‘in-depth’ technical knowledge I posses about carpets today was naturally acquired from working on thousands of carpets with my father throughout my childhood. This is truly the treasure I’ve inherited from him, and I’m sincerely grateful.”
Friendly business
By Nina Jagota
W
hen beginning to talk to Alex, I notice a carpet roll next to him. “I always carry this carpet with me, despite the numerous times I have gotten a good offer to sell it,” he explains. “It reminds me of the history of how the carpet came about, and why it matters.”. Alex found this particular carpet near the Afghanistan-Iranian border and instantly knew he had to have it. It is a tribal carpet, hand-knotted by nomad tribes people, which explains the variety of colours. Most carpetproducing countries are Muslim and the use of lamb’s wool dominates. Thus, the lamb in the centre represents a humble animal which have always been a part of the Muslim culture and tradition. The white colour in the carpet represents the natural colour of wool, and the green colour is the symbol of Islamic traditions.
The Scandinavian benefits Alex is an Indian-Swedish national, with his family back in Sweden. His Scandinavian connection has helped him in various positive ways when dealing with Scandinavian clients around the world. Alex explains, that whenever he reaches a country, his first step is to visit the Scandinavian Embassies and Consulates, and begin building his network. Three years ago, for example, he successfully opened his new carpet showroom branch in Chiangmai, and with the help of the Swedish Consulate, he launched an opening ceremony with a fashion show where models wore carpets on their bodies, supported by more than 100 prestigious guests.
“Being able to communicate to a certain level in Swedish, together with my understanding of the Scandinavian way of live, as well as having my family back home in Sweden, brings me and my Scandinavian clients much closer,” Alex Baba says. “As I have lived in Sweden for almost ten years, I have gained an insight into the Scandinavian lifestyle and know what the Scandinavian clients’ concerns are when dealing with carpets,” he continues.
Inheritted expertise Back in his school years in Bombay, Alex used to spend his holidays distributing business cards to the neighbourhood to help advertise his father’s carpet shop. At the same
Guan Gong
For Alex’s 15 years in Thailand, trust is what has succeeded him closing deals with more than 5,000 clients or, as he prefers to call them, good friends. Alex’s unique selling point is that every piece of carpet he selects is unique in itself. He chooses to sell only the real quality hand-knotted carpets with human passion and real life stories attached in them. Most of his carpets come from Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey. Each carpet is the one and only piece of its kind in the whole world. When asked about his best sell, Alex mentions a semi-old carpet which was sold to a man whose wife fell in love with the carpet at first sight, but was turned off by the high pricing. The couple with children took a photo with Alex and the carpet, and the next morning the husband secretly came to make a deal and shipped the carpet abroad to surprise his wife as her Christmas present. “When I experience my carpets bring happiness to people’s lives, and especially to families, this is what I truly enjoy.”
For Sale
Gold plated Silver Filigree 42 cm high, 640 g Sterling Silver, semi precious stones. Made in a limited quantity by Mr. Tian Ruihe for Beijing Jewellery Branch of the China National Arts & Crafts Import & Export Corporation. Price: MYR 20.000 + package and transport Contact: Bo Jeansson 012-339 5289 bo.jeansson@spray.se
28 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2010
© palungjit.com
Koh Samui
With over a million visitors a year, Koh Samui is the second most popular island destination in Thailand. And Koh Samui’s special island ambience is just as vibrant as ever. By Gregers Møller Photos by Disraporn Yatprom
© palungjit.com
K
oh Samui is one of my favorite vacation destinations in Thailand. The ever increasing number of tourists to the island has not spoiled the charm of this wonderful place. Instead, the many visitors have only created more interesting options of where to stay, where to eat and what to do. During our most recent visit to Koh Samui, we started out in a luxury resort on the South end of the island before moving from there to the busy Chaweng Beach for the final two days. While Chaweng and Lamai remain perfect locations and home
to the majority of hotels, don’t make the mistake of spending your entire Ko Samui trip on just the one stretch of sand. On previous visits, we have had great fun backpacking around on the island, changing accommodation every night. This is still a very charming way to experience local beaches and villages around Koh Samui! The development around the island has seen some stunning resorts appear – with boutique spas and hidden jungle hideaways. If budget is of no concern, then Samui has some terrific options for serious pampering -- even without having to leave the resort.
For backpackers and the budget traveller, Samui is not a lost cause. Mae Nam beach in particular has some outstanding old-style backpacker guesthouses that are excellent value. Big Buddha is also decent, though the noise from the aircraft darting in and out at the nearby airport is a distraction.
When is the best time to visit Koh Samui? December to February is traditionally the best time to visit Koh Samui as the temperature is down to around 30c. This is the “Dry Season” with normally not much rain if any. Most days there is a refreshing breeze on
the island which is great for sailing and other water sport activities. If you have no problem with heat, March to August are also nice on Koh Samui. In May and June however, you can experience a little increase in the rain. The rainy season or monsoon season is from September to November. The weather is mostly unpredictable during this period. In the worst case, the rain will pour down for a whole week – but it is more likely that there will be sunshine most of the day with daily afternoon showers.
How to get there
With over a million visitors a year, Koh Samui as island destination in Thailand is surpassed only by Phuket. Most come by air and land at what is no doubt the most charming airport in the world. The open structure reminds me always more of a stable than an airport and the thatched roof contributes to this country feeling. And where else in the world is the international transit shopping lounge an outdoor experience? The moment you exit the small aircraft that brought you to Samui you feel immediately that here is where your vacation starts. Other travelers prefer to arrive the old fashioned way by boat from Suratthani with its overnight train connection to Bangkok. If you have the time, this is charming every step of the way – from when you are rocked to sleep in the bunker in the night train, to the fight against tourist traps in the early morning at the Suratthani train station, followed by a quiet time in a chair on the ferry and then topped with the final challenge to find a transportation that will bring you to the hotel, where you have decided to stay at reasonable price.
December 2010 • ScandAsia.Thailand 31
Islands Near Samui The beaches on Koh Samui are indeed some of the most beautiful you will ever come across. But Samui is only one in a cluster of islands in the Gulf of Siam – why not go exploring new beaches?
T
he smaller islands around Samui are all reached easily.
Koh Pangang
The most well-known is Koh Pangan because of the famous Full Moon party there. This is a must for backpackers or anyone under 62 years with a young mind. If there is no full moon during your stay, don’t worry – Koh Pangan is always good for also Half Moon parties, No Moon parties or Just a Little Bit of Moon parties whatever day in the month you are there! If you did not book anywhere in advance, allow me to suggest a charming way to find your dream resort that I have often enjoyed: Hire a long tail boat on Had Rin to take you on a day trip around the island following the beautiful coconut coast line and take your pick from what you find along your excursion!
Had Rin Beach is home to the Full Moon Parties. Nowhere else on the island comes close to Had Rin’s esoteric mixture of bars, restaurants, shops, clubs, hippies, performance artists and ravers, which all help to create a debauched, but friendly, atmosphere. Had Rin however offers also one of the best swimming beaches on the island - the sand is perfect and the water’s clear and deep. Had Leela, a ten-minute walk down the isthmus, is a small, considerably quieter, beach. Had Yuan is only a ten-minute longtail boat ride away from Had Rin. The long sweeping beach has fine white sand and almost no rocks or coral offshore and is excellent for swimming. Had Tien is monopolised by the Sanctuary Spa and Wellness Centre, which is famous worldwide for its cleansing and fasting courses.There’s also a good vegetarian restaurant,
32 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2010
open to visitors and guests alike. The one downside is that the beach is pebbly and the sea is very shallow a good 20 metres offshore. Tong Naipan. a pristine beach at the top of Koh Phangan’s northeast coast, is split in two by a huge rock formation. Tong Naipan’s reef offers some of the best snorkelling on the island. Had Kuat (Bottle Beach), on the north coast, rests in a cup like bay and, thanks to the presence of a large fishing village, is one of the most atmospheric, as well as beautiful, spots on the island - sunset are particularly spectacular. Had Salad has pure white sand and emerald green waters. The resorts on this beach are developing fast from the initial simple beach bungalows.
Koh Tao and Koh Yuan From Koh Pangan jump further to Koh Tao or Koh Yuan and discover
more of this collection of the worlds most beautiful beaches.
Go South... To the South of Samui you have Koh Taen and Koh Mudsum. They are two small islands often offered as a daytrip by local tour companies and individuals. Koh Taen is in my mind the most interesting. It has a few bungalows, a couple of restaurants and a wooden walkway through a mangrove swamp. Local people insist that no dogs can survive on Koh Taen. Some people ascribe this to an ancient curse, others explain it with the high-pitched emissions from the thousands of bats living in the island’s caves. More cynical people believe that the mostly Muslim inhabitants won’t allow dogs on their island.
Where to Eat?
Orgasmic
Eat Sense
O
rgasmic located on Boput Beach Road opened in December 2009 but has already become one of the most talked about restaurants on Koh Samui. The kitchen is managed by Master Chef Walter "Wally" Andreini who has created his own culinary universe. He has developed a menu with individual submenus for vegetarian, lobster and Royal Thai cuisine. The delicious Duck Carpaccio with Aquitaine hazelnut oil, kalamata olive chutney and foie gras shavings comes recommended. Wally’s seafood is also highly recommendable; like the succulent White Snapper Fillet with zucchini, pecan-celeriac mash, cumin-carrot pastilla and dragon sabayon. For desert try the Orgasmic Chocolate comprising a volcano fondant, chocolate mousse, violet ganache, Tonka bean ice-cream, cocoa croquant and a drizzle of vincotto originale. With its idyllic location, excellent cuisine, great wines and friendly service, it really is orgasmic here and that’s always a happy experience! Orgasmic By Chef Wally is open from 5:00 pm until late (kitchen is open from 6 - 11:00 pm). For reservations and further information, telephone 0 862 769 101.
S
troll along Chaweng Beach after dark and start looking for your spot for your dinner this evening. A number of restaurants move their tables out on the sand at night and set up seafood barbeques right on the beach. In the better end of the scale you find Eat Sense serving delicious Southern Thai cuisine with a healthy eating twist. Try for instance its signature dishes such as crispy soft shell crab with eggplant, kaffir lime leaves and sweet basil leaves in green curry paste and roasted duck in red curry stuffed with rambutans and lychees, accompanied with grape, kaffir lime leaves and sweet basil are highly recommended. The already romantic setting is enhanced by lots of candlelight When you are done dining, move a bit further down the beach. Here you will find some establishments who have specialized in After Dinner Beach Parties with music and various drinks on offer. Such places are Ark Bar and Liquid Lounge and the audience here is predominantly in the 18-35 age range.
H Bistro
@Hansar Samui
T
he H Bistro belongs to the five-star Hansar Resort but it is a fabulous restaurant in its own right. If you do not stay at Hansar, its a bit hidden but its worth to look for it! H-Bistro under the management of Executive Chef Stephen Dion features a fresh French Mediterranean menu and exclusive wine list. Enjoy true Mediterranean spices merged together with ingredients ranging from imported fresh Maine lobster and oysters from Canada, Japan, and France. Welcoming guests from all over Koh Samui, H-Bistro's indoor and outdoor dining spaces are yours to experience from breakfast until late at night. Operating Hours:
34 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2010
Breakfast : 06.30 am - 10.30 am Lunch : 11.30 am - 03.00 pm Dinner : 06.00 pm - 11.00 pm
Where to Stay?
Saree Samui on Maenam Beach
S
aree Samui on Maenam Beach is a stunning four-star resort in a harmonious blend of traditional Thai and modern style. The resort spreads over 4 acres of land and features a total of 53 boutique villas in Thai village styled architecture yet comprises of modern facilities and amenities. The resort is part of The Unique Collection of Hotels & Resorts. All 53 boutique villas feature a master bedroom next to the outdoor-living area, full-scale outdoor-bathroom with separate bathtub and rain shower, an outdoor courtyard and a sundeck. 6 Beach Front Villas and 4 Beach Front Pool Villas overlook the stunning view of the sea. The remaining 8 Tropical Pool Villas and 35 Tropical Villas (8 of these are interconnecting rooms which consist of 1 double bed and 1 twin bed) are amongst lush vegetation, though, short distance from the sea (152 meters). An open-air restaurant on the beach offers a diverse selection of traditional Thai and International favorites, and also a lively cocktail. Contact Detail Saree Samui 135 Moo 4 Tumbol Mae Nam, Amphur Koh Samui, Suratthani 84330 Thailand Tel: +66(0) 7724 7666 / Fax: +66(0) 7724 8620 Email: reservation@sareesamui.com / Website: www.sareesamui.com
Coconut Villa Resort & Spa
C
oconut Villa Resort & Spa is located on Thong Tanote Beach, a secluded beach on the south coast of Koh Samui, offering a clear view of the blue sea and the Koh Taen island opposite the resort. Coconut Villa Resort offers modern decorated rooms with exit on the ground floor directly to a long pool running between the two wings of the resort. The peaceful surroundings and the friendly staff make Coconut Villa Resort & Spa a place you will enjoy returning to again and again. Guests can enjoy the on site health spa and treatment. In-room wi-fi internet access is available. If you are looking for friendly smiles and service, a peaceful romantic setting, a healing treatment, or an astoundingly comfortable, romantic seaside retreat, Coconut Villa Resort & Spa is the place for your next vacation.
Contact Detail Coconut Villa Resort & Spa 114/1 M. 4 T. Taling-ngam Koh Samui, Suratthani 84140 Thailand Tel/Fax: +66(0) 7733 4069, +66(0) 7733 4071 Mobile: +66(0) 863 744 404, +66(0) 898 730 662
36 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2010
What to Do?
Paradise Park Farm
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f you are looking for a place on Samui to relax, close to nature, Paradise Park Farm should be your destination. This park with parrots, goats, deer, rabbits is located on Samui’s highest mountain, Khao Pom, within a tropical rainforest. You can go in the cages and feed the birds and other animals, great for adults and kids. The Paradise Park farm also has an amazing swimming pool on the top of the mountain with an amazing view! Developed over four years, originally as a bird zoo with hundreds of bird species including parrots, love birds, parakeets and macaws, Paradise Park Farm is home to Molly and Mommaem, two parrots that can talk to visitors in both Thai and English. They are popular especially to children, who love to have their pictures taken with these colorful characters. Because the Paradise Park Farm covers a very large and unspoiled area measuring 50 rai (20 acres), animals enjoy a comfortable life in a natural and spacious habitat. They all live in different zones around the site, connected by pleasant walking trails with resting areas to sit and enjoy nature’s beauty and the spectacular views of Koh Samui and the surrounding islands. The friendly tour guides in the park are pleased to give you information and fill you in on the habits and unique characteristics of the animals. During the day the animals are let out, and you can pet or feed them if you like. Of course, the Paradise Park Farm does not forget to feed its guests, too. There is a nice restaurant in the park serving tasty Thai and European dishes, which you can relish while being awed by the magnificent mountain views. While Koh Samui can be very hot, at Khao Pom the temperature in the Paradise Park Farm is cool. You can spend the entire day relaxing. For just Bt300 you can spend the night in a tent in the wilds, feeling secure with the park’s 24-hour security. There is an infinity swimming pool overlooking the area from which you can take in the panoramic view of Koh Samui and its sister island Koh Phangan, set in the blue waters of the Gulf of Thailand. As the sun sets and the stars come out, there is no better place on the island to gaze at the night sky through the clean, crisp air of Khao Pom. Paradise Park Farm accepts visitors from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Shuttle service is provided at a fair price.
38 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2010
Learn to Sail
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f you would like to learn sailing, or warm up your previous sailing skills, Samui Ocean Sports offers a wide range of boat types to learn on. From the legendary Laser dinghy or the smallest beach cat “Hobie Bravo” or “Hobie Wave” up to a 27 foot Bi-plane rigged catamaran, the newly build “Radical Bay 8000”, all boats are fully fitted with easy handling features to get you quick and safe into the sport of yacht sailing. Samui Ocean Sport’s team provides basic lessons, courses and assistance and will have you up and sailing in no time. Lessons can be given in English and German language. Even if you don’t plan to become a big sailor, the warm tropical waters around Samui gives you an experience to remember and a great day out on the water! If you already know how to manage a sail boat, you may also rent a private sail boat for a full day. Samui Ocean Sports & Yacht Charter is the longest running yacht charter company on Samui with more than 12 years experience of sailing around the Samui Archipelago. You can book sunset cruises, half day charters, day charters or overnight trips to the neighboring islands of Koh Phangan, Koh Tao or the Angthong National Marine Park. The charter boats range from a 26ft. sailing boat “Viva 2”, which takes up to 4 guests to a 27ft. Sailing Catamaran “Crazy Horse” which can take up to 8 guests. The big 33ft. live aboard Sailing Catamaran “Dreamcatcher” can accommodate for 5 guests for overnight charter and 18 guests for day charters.
December 2010 • ScandAsia.Thailand 39
Koh Lanta’s Golden Girls
Britt and Karin - two happy Swedish women in their 60’s - have for three years been running the EuroLanta White Rock Resort right next to the beach at beautiful Koh Lanta. By Søren Lykke Bülow
40 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2010
I
was tired of my job. I worked with violent young people, and I started to feel empty. I wanted to do something new,” Britt says. “And I was a manager in ‘Ældresagen’ and worked in the municipality. Something new had to happen after many years of the same,” Karin says. The two look at each other. They both laugh. Britt Alhan and Karin Malmgren are now in their sixties. Three years ago, they chose to leave Sweden and start their own business in Thailand. “It was a little crazy, I mean, moving all the way to Thailand,” Karin says. “From the second we arrived, we could feel a change of passion. When we came, we didn’t know exactly what we were about to do here. But we have known each other for 30 years, so we knew that something would be possible for us,” she adds. Neither Britt or Karin had a husband to take care of, so that was one less factor in the equation.
A surprise It was not really the resort business that Karin and Britt thought would become such a part of their lives. But now the two of them sit in their own outdoor restaurant at the EuroLanta White Rock Resort at Koh Lanta. To one sides of the resort the jungle starts. On the other side the ocean and beach is less than 100 meters away. The resort has a bunch of small, wooden villas side by side, while a cozy outside bar complements the indoor restaurant. “The resort was indeed a surprise,” Karin says. “But we got this place offered, and we thought, well, why not take the chance?” The name of the place, White Rock Resort, goes way back from before Karin and Britt took over three years ago. “Actually, we really wanted to change the name. But we ended up not doing it,” says Britt. “Here at Lanta, people know the White Rock, so we would have had a much harder start if we changed the name. That is what the previous owner told us, and as it turns out she was right,” she says.
December 2010 • ScandAsia.Thailand 41
In Sweden you always have some knowledge about the problems that you are fronting. But here in Thailand there are always surprises. You must expect changes.
Bad timing Three years ago was not the exact best timing for Karin and Britt to go to Thailand and start up a business. First of all the airport in Bangkok was closed down because of demonstrations and then the global recession kicked in. That does not surprise Britt though. “My whole life I have always had bad timing. That’s just a fact,” she laughs. “I don’t think we would have made it without the resort. Who knows what else we would have started up - we might not have succeeded,” Britt says. Karin agrees. It has been hard enough to re-brand an already wellknown place as The White Rock Resort, so she wonders what could have happened if they had not succeeded. “Luckily my brother is a lawyer, and he was quite tired of his job back home in Sweden too, so he went down here with us and helped us in the starting phase. I think that was a good thing,” says Karin.
Always something to do When the two Swedes took over The White Rock Resort and renamed it EuroLanta White Rock Resort, they knew they had a lot of hard work coming. “We felt like something had to be done,” says Britt. Many of the buildings - the small, cozy guest villas - needed some kind of renovation. “It’s like having your own house. There’s always something to do,” Karin says. EuroLanta White Rock Resort is based very close to the jungle in
Koh Lanta. In their first year as resort owners, Karin and Britt had an intense fight with especially the termites around the place. “We had a long, tough fight with the termites. We had to go wild and sprayed acid and had special work done. But we succeeded at last,” Britt says. What has been very interesting for Karin and Britt is the many new problems that arise when you suddenly are in Thailand - and not Sweden. “In Sweden you always have some knowledge about the problems that you are fronting. But here in Thailand there are always surprises. You must expect changes,” Britt says.
The paperwork Britt is thinking about the many logistic changes compared to Sweden. There are so many aspects to take care of when you are starting business in Thailand, she explains. “For instance, the authorities might need a special piece of paper, so they call you and say that you have to meet up and present this paper in person. Often you will get forced to come in with the paper the same day, although it’s quite late in the day already,” she says. “We are at Koh Lanta and it takes us two-and-a-half hours to go to the Immigration’s office. When it happens like the third time, then you can send it with a bus. But until then, you have to come in person. It is even possible that when you go there they say that you need some extra papers that you didn’t bring with you. And then you will have to drive back to Lanta to pick them up and go back to the immigration once again,” she explains.
42 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2010
“But it’s cool to be here,” as she says. Thailand is experiencing a growing economy and although the tourism was hurt by the political battle in Bangkok this spring, the two Swedes can feel that Thailand has growing pains. “You can feel Thailand is coming up again, and we can also notice that when we look at our economy,” says Karin.
Third year is the charm It hasn’t just exactly been a bed of roses for the two Swedes in Thailand. It is quite hard to get everything to run smoothly in an economic sense. “The first year we had so many things to do. We had the termite problems and we had to repair many of the villas. So we had a significant deficit the first year. The second year we decreased the deficit, and this year it looks like it will all level out. We think that from next year we will start to actually make money from this, so we look forward to that,” Karin says. To live and work in the south of Thailand is so far from life inSwseden, the two say. “It’s just different,” Karin starts. “Here, you work every day and every hour - all year around,” she explains. “But Thailand is also very luxurious for westerners like us. We often have more money, and I think it’s easy to lose some sense of reality when you go from cold Scandinavia to a paradise-like place as Koh Lanta,” Britt says. She thinks that many ‘farangs’ down in the south have a sort of
bad habit of forgetting some of the realities of the world because life is so easy-going down here. “I think it is easy to forget all the troubles because there is a very relaxed atmosphere down here. It’s easy to think of this as another world where the facts of life are not the same, I think,” says Britt.
High season makes up for the low It is obvious that Britt and Karin make the most money in the high season. Koh Lanta is a very popular island, especially for Swedes, and the money here are used to finance the low run of tourists in low season. “It’s a good way to do it, I think. We also use the revenue from the high season to finance big projects - like the termite attack and renovations,” Karin says. The two Swedes do not really see any reason to go home to Sweden in the future. Right now, Thailand and Koh Lanta is where they want to be. “I think that we are settling down here, and right now I don’t see any big reason for me going home to Sweden. There are always friends and family, but our goal is to be able to go to Sweden more often in the future - and of course to get lots of visits from people we know,” says Britt. “It’s really cool here. It is a completely foreign culture for us, it’s easy to live here, your entire life is just easier. And we do get some different friends around here, so right now there is no turning back,” says Karin.
December 2010 • ScandAsia.Thailand 43
Our Favourite Hide-Aways Where to go to avoid having to share table with brawling backpackers and loud spoiled kids on vacation in the tourist season? A panel of “Thailand veterans” give their best tip. By Anya Palm Photos by Disraporn Yatprom
Camping Khao Yai
W
hen the tourist season kicks in, Thailand changes. Being one of the world’s top tourist destinations, every year in the cold season, millions of people head towards this country and her promising beaches, beautiful culture and smiling faces. In 2009, 11 million foreigners visited Thailand, and despite political unrest in April/May, the Tourism Authority of Thailand expects 2010 to be about the same. This is all well and dandy, expect for one thing: For those, who live in Thailand, this means that all the normally tranquil get-away-spots will be crowded with loud families with obnoxious kids, stoned out backpackers or cute couples, who will never stop asking if you can take their picture. “One more!” Luckily, amongst the expatriates there are people, who know more about Thailand than any travel agency and who know exactly where to go to relax. We have asked some of them to share their favorite hideaway with ScandAsia’s readers.
44 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2010
Kanchanaburi
Golf near Bangkok
Susanne Morch
Camping Khao Yai
S
usanne Morch has lived in Thailand for 18 years with her Thai husband and their two sons. She is a former tour developer for the now closed down travel agency DaneTours, but for six years, she toured the country and found all the perfect spots. A profound curiosity towards the Thai culture has kept her travelling around, also after she stopped as guide. Today, she is the director of the insurance assistance company, Asian Assistance, and based in Bangkok. Her best tip is general: Go camping! “It is a fantastic experience for the whole family to camp out with tent and bonfire and it is a very reasonable way of travelling. You don´t need to go further from Bangkok than just Khao Yai National Park to experience the nature. In the early mornings, you can hear the gibbons in the trees, the birds and if you are lucky, you can have a dear standing right behind your tent,“she says. Perfect spots, she points out, has to match the expectations one has - does the dream spot comprise of white sandy beaches or active jungle trekking? Fortunately, Thailand has it all. For her, one place in particular has a special significance: Like Kristian Bø, Morch is fascinated with Kanchananburi, more specifically Sangkhlaburi, the most rural district of the province. Sangkhlaburi town is surrounded by a big, artificial lake, which came in the eighties, when one of the neighboring cities built a dam. Many of the locals live on the lake on river rafts and floating houses. “Every time, I visit the area, I experience a certain calm which is far from the humdrum in Bangkok. It´s a bliss to sit and look out over the lake, enjoy listening the town wake up, see the morning fog clear while the monks walk over the wooden bridge, build by one of the areas minorities, the Mon people,“ Morch says and continues: “This is one of the best places in Thailand to go river rafting and to ride elephants.” In Sangkhlaburi, there is even a chance to live on one of the river rafts for a couple of days - in the national park of the area the guesthouses has accommodation in the middle of the river. Links: P guesthouse Sangkhlaburi: http://www.p-guesthouse.com/home.html Saiyok river view I Saiyok national park: http://www.saiyokviewraft.com
Our Favourite Hide-Aways Kristian Bø
Kanchanaburi
K
Pär Holletz
Golf near Bangkok
P
är Hollertz and his wife Monica has been in Thailand for more than 20 years. Still, when asked about his favorite place, Pär Hollertz answers: “Bangkok is a lovely place.” And he is right. However, the pair has travelled extensively in their many years in the country and one of their favorites is the Eastern Seaboard. “We go to Jomtien, Chonburi or Rayong for golf. It is easy to reach and competitively priced compared to other places,” he says. The region in general and Thailand in particular offers carefully designed courses to play golf on – taking into consideration that the sun is merciless towards the green, the courses are usually filled with lakes, waterholes and little streams. Golf legends as Nick Faldo, Jack Niclaus and Robert Trent Junior are famous for designing golf courses in South East Asia, where the sport is as much about politics as it is about golf. For Pär Hollertz and his wife, however, it is about relaxing in a beautiful setting and for that, those are the places to go, they say. Neither of the places are very far from Bangkok, so the easiest way to reach the Eastern Seaboard is by own car or taxi.
ristian Bø has lived in Thailand for 24 years and has travelled extensively – in 2004 he attempted to bike his way from Bangkok to Oslo and made it all the way up near Chengdu in China, before heavy snow and strong winds forced him to return to Bangkok. He is an adventurer, and as such, he has seen most places in Thailand. His favorite place is Kanchanaburi, “because it has touched my heart more than others,” as he puts it. It is the nature and the many interesting spots that make Kristian Bø and his wife return to Kanchanaburi. One of the interesting places in the province is the famous River Kwai - but that may not completely tourist free. However, the province is Thailand´s third largest and boasts seven national parks, several waterfalls, as well as mountains, caves and an array of museums, so there are plenty of places to go to avoid the crowds. From Bangkok the easiest way to travel to Kanchanaburi is by bus or train. Kristian Bø recommends the train, which has a special treat for history buffs: “It is especially interesting travelling from Kanchanaburi City to Nam Tok, because that is the only section left of the railway the Japanese built to Rangoon using war prisoners,” he advices. Today, the railway is known as “Death Railway”, because it was built by World War II prisoners during the war under orders of the Japanese army. The purpose was strengthening the position of the Japanese occupation of Burma. That story can be found at one of the provinces three war museums…
LAND FOR SALE Lot FP 91 in Emville Golf Resort Size of lot 9800 sqf or 909 sqm
for details contact
46 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2010
Bo Jeansson bo.jeansson@spray.se 012-339 5289
December 2010 • ScandAsia.Thailand 47
Daily Deals at Incredible Prices If you’re an expat who’s been residing in Thailand for more than a couple of years, then you’ve probably missed out on the whole daily deal sensation that has been sweeping the western world.
48 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2010
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ew daily deal sites are cynically referred to as Groupon Clones (the reference being to the US website that gave birth to the concept), so new start-ups are automatically at a disadvantage as they struggle to make themselves unique in the eyes of weary consumers. TikTokThai certainly weren’t the first to bring this concept to Thailand; Ensogo launched with much fanfare earlier this year, with DealDidi and even web-portal giant Sanook.com following closely behind. Still, so far, TikTokThai is the first to promise daily deals tailored especially for Thailand’s huge, yet often neglected, expat community. TikTokThai’s commitment to serving Thailand’s expats was made clear during October and November when, during the pre-launch phase, the site ran a series of amazing (others said insane!) contests giving away some seriously cool stuff ranging from cash prizes for a Halloween photo contest to tickets to see the recent Charlatans concert in Bangkok. Then, as though to outdo themselves, a bizarre giveaway of 1,000 free coupons that could be redeemed for free pints at a British pub and Belgian chocolates at a top-end local outlet -- no strings attached! The beginning of December saw the real deals running on the website, but in our chat with Team TikTokThai, we were told to expect more random, unannounced and equally crazy giveaways too, keeping things fresh, fun and interesting. Just like the daily deals, the giveaways will come and go within very short timeframes, so one has to be quick. It’s a good idea to be following TikTokThai on Facebook or Twitter or simply to be subscribed to their spam-free mailing list; once the deals and giveaways are over, they’re over. As one can imagine, it doesn’t take long for 1,000 free pints to be snapped up by thirsty expats!
What is really unique and striking about TikTokThai is the way that they’re set up as a business. This isn’t your typical setup with hi-flying directors gunning around town for venture capital injections. Instead, TikTokThai is made up of a humble group of people, both in Thailand and abroad, all with their own businesses and careers. They seem more interested in the fun of creating the deals and spicing up the expat social and business communities than anything else. As such, the team are always eager to form spontaneous, creative and generous partnerships with other individuals and organizations. As one team member put it, “we’re up for whatever... you can’t get too serious about this kind of thing and we’re not going for any sort of world-domination angle on this... it’s more important that everyone has fun, this is Thailand after all!” Yes, it is!
TikTokThai’s website can be reached at TikTokThai.com, but you can also follow them at facebook.com/ TikTokThai or @TikTokThai on Twitter.
“The first health insurance in Thailand I can really trust” You may be feeling good and enjoying your stay in Thailand, but what happens if you have an accident or fall ill? How well are you really protected? For the first time, Thaivivat offers complete insurance coverage which meets Scandinavian standards: the StarHealth-Plan. At premiums that will surprise you.
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TVI_ScandAsia_Dec-Jan.indd 2
11/26/10 5:44 PM
Elephants Are Elephants Since 1878, all together 12 elephants have been brought to the Zoological Garden in Copenhagen from Thailand.
These two were named after the famous pair of ‘Siamese twins born at that time; another of Koebkes jokes, I suppose.
Baby and Ellen In 1896, Admiral Andreas Richelieu donated two small females: Baby and Ellen. Baby died, but with Chang as father, Ellen later delivered more offspring. At that time it was a sensation that elephants in captivity could carry the fetus for 18 months, and then deliver the calf without any problems. This couple became the founders of the elephant breeding program in Copenhagen and they both remained in Copenhagen Zoo all their lives.
By Flemming Winther Nielsen
Ø and K In 1929 ØK (EAC) presented the Zoo with two more elephants named Ø, a male born in 1924, and K, a female, born in 1923. Ø was later sold by the Zoo to Tierhandelsfirma Ruhe in Germany. We don’t know why. K lived to be 41 years old. In Siam/Thailand at that time, hundreds of elephants worked in the company’s teak concessions in and around Phrae in Northern Thailand. They dragged the logs to the creeks and rivers.
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s children we knew about the Thai elephants; we visited the Zoo and they were important parts of a Danish child’s creativity and fantasies. I also came to admire these huge, grey and elegant creatures during my school days. We learned about the Punic Wars and antique Rome. To fight the Romans in their own heartland, Hannibal brought with him 37 African elephants from Carthagenia; they crossed the Pyrenees and passed the Alps – and they did so walking the narrow paths and mountain passes normally used by mountain goats. Elephants know
Chieng Mai is the most impressive elephant in captivity I have ever seen is. He is a great grandfather and patriarch of the Zoo in Copenhagen where he has lived since the day he arrived in 1962, whose offspring is now found in many European Zoos. He is really huge and has the longest tusks I’ve ever seen.
exactly where to tread, and elegant they definitely are. No wonder, then, that they were also used by medieval sovereigns as symbols of strength and power. The most prestigious Danish Order of the Elephant was established with its present statutes in 1693, but dates even further back. The Siamese Highest order, The Order of the White Elephant, was established in 1861. Elephants have always attracted the high and the lowly.
Humble Zoo beginnings Consul Frederik C. C. Koebke donated the first two elephants from Thailand to Copenhagen Zoo. Eng and Chang arrived in 1878 and Chang lived until 1918.
The ornithologist Niels Kjaerboelling opened Copenhagen Zoological Garden in 1859. The inhabitants consisted of eagles, hens, ducks, owls, rabbits, a fox, a seal in a bath-
50 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2010
tub and a turtle in a bucket. That was the humble beginning, but soon more and more animals were included in the garden population.
Eng and Chang It must have been a singular ‘growth experience’ when the first two elephants arrived in 1878. They had travelled from Bangkok onboard one of Consul Frederik C. C. Koebkes tallships, and they were a gift from the very highly esteemed Consul and his 76-year-old mother; widow and ship-owner Mette Marie Koebke, born Bruun. The first elephant was Eng, female, born in 1872. She died at the young age of 21 in 1893. Chang, the male, was also born 1872. He lived until 1918 in the Zoo.
Chieng Mai, Lamphun and Buak Hag The year 1962 represented a new phase in the relationship between the Thai elephants, the Zoo and the general public. On January 29, King Frederik wrote a private letter to Dr. Bøje Benzon, the chairman of the self-governing Copenhagen Zoo: “As you will know, I have been given three young elephants in Thailand. I would like to ask whether I can keep the three elephants in the Zoological Garden. The youngest and last is only seven month old, and so for the next two years it is doubtful when it will arrive. The other two will arrive within some months……….” [my translation]. Of course, these three ‘royal’ elephants, Chieng Mai, Lamphun and Buak Hag were heartily welcomed and the whole nation followed their news with great interest. By this time all homes had TV’s, and the public were able to follow their progress. The most impressive elephant in
- and Symbols
Crown Princess Sirindhorn blessed Tonsak, Kungrao and Surin before the departure to Denmark in 2001. captivity I have ever seen is Chieng Mai, born in 1959. A great grandfather and patriarch of the Zoo in Copenhagen where he has lived since the day he arrived in 1962, whose offspring is now found in many European Zoos. He is really huge and has the longest tusks I’ve ever seen. Chieng Mai has his own quarters, since male elephants only mingle with the females during the short mating period. The herds are matriarchal and are generally led by an old female, followed by the other females and young elephants. Together with Lamphun (male, born in 1961) and Buak Hag (female, born in 1958), Chingmai were a gift from king Bhumibol to the late
king Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid. They visited Thailand during the first weeks of January that year, and they named the elephants after the beautiful places they had been shown. Chieng Mai and Buak Hag mated and again founded a dynasty of elephants born in captivity. The youngest, Lamphun, lived for some years in Copenhagen, but was later sent to Vejle Zoo.
Tonsak, Kungrao and Surin Then, on November 27, 2001, another three elephants arrived, one male and two females – Tonsak, Kungrao and Surin. This time there was no need to ask the zoo for lodging beforehand as the Zoologi-
Tonsak, Kungrao and Surin getting ready before leaving for Denmark.
Tonsak, Kungrao and Surin were received in Denmark by HM Queen Margrethe and HRH Prince Henrik. cal Garden was prepared and ready. Two of the garden’s elephant keepers had been with the elephants in Bangkok for 14 days before their departure for Copenhagen. In Bangkok Tonsak, Kungrao and Surin were blessed by HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn just before they boarded the cargo plane. Onboard were also their three mahouts and a veterinarian. Earlier in 1962 Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik had paid an official visit to the King and Queen of Thailand. On their departure, King Bhumibol repeated his gesture from 1962 and gave the royal elephants Tonsak and and Kungrao as a farewell gift. Surin was a gift from the
people of Surin Province. In the presence of Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik, officials from the Thai Embassy and a delegation from Thailand, the three were then handed over to the Garden on November 30, 2001. The Zoological Garden in Copenhagen has now opened a new elephant compound. It offers first class conditions that few other zoological gardens anywhere in the world could match. ................ The author would like to thank director Bengt Holst, Zoo, Copenhagen for most valuable information and guidance re the elephants -dead and alive.
Tonsak, Kungrao and Surin in the huge elephant area in Copenhagen Zoo
A School with Room to Grow St. Andrews International School, Sukhumvit 107 is getting bigger. This year, the school has a new Secondary Building, new soccer field, basketball court…and a new nursery teacher: Swedish Ann-Marie Goverde.
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nn-Marie Goverde kneels down in the nursery section of St. Andrews School. The toddlers around her have just finished singing “Twinkle, Twinkle” and now it is time to go home. The children all amble up to their teacher and give her a nonchalant hug before they go home. It is a little thing, but for Swedish Ann-Marie, who recently started as nursery teacher at the school, it represents the core in the values she wants to teach them: The children should feel safe and secure in their home away from home. Numbers in nursery are kept low to make sure there is a lot of time for each child to feel valued and nurtured.
“I really enjoy the international school work”, she says of her new job. “The teachers are very involved and they have much to give to the children.“ Ann-Marie Goverde moved to Bangkok from an international school in Hanoi in August. But back in Sweden, the 54-year-old mother of five was in various positions within the Swedish school system. For 30 years. “I feel like I should have done this a long time ago. When I was at the interview for the position, I felt something just clicked – the opportunity to be able to play a lot with the children and let them explore that way is very similar to the Swed-
ish way of thinking. I like the atmosphere here at St. Andrews 107 a lot,” the experienced Swede says.
Growing with the students The nursery section of St. Andrews Sukhumvit 107 is where it all began. It was built in 2004 and over the years, St. Andrews has expanded to fit the needs of the ever growing student body. Today, there are 105 students from the toddler group in the nursery section to the teens in Year 10. In October, the school opened up a whole new building with a library, secondary classrooms and science lab, drama/music room, art room, food technology and language classrooms. The building overlooks the brand new soccer field and covered basketball court. “We are very proud of our new facilities which will benefit all the students in the school. Students here love learning and the extensive new amenities together with the installation of the integrated IT systems will further enable our students to thrive and achieve their very best,” said Head of School Julie Way. Already, outside next to the school’s grassy school yard, a couple of girls in school uniforms are shooting hoops at the basket court. Quite a few of them land in the basket.
International environment The student body comprises of part expatriates and part internation52 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2010
ally orientated Thai families, so as is natural for a school like St. Andrews, students come and go. However, there is a majority of long term families and the philosophy behind recruiting is very clear – the school is a place to where each student has a sense of belonging and the teachers of St. Andrews Sukhumvit 107 guide the children to be creative, independent, life long learners. In the nursery, where Ann-Marie Goverde and two teaching assistants work, they have a special toddler programme for the pre-nursery children. This is part of the British Curriculum for Early Years. Twice a week, the toddlers (and their parents or nanny) come in to play for an afternoon. They are just at the stage to develop communication, language and social skills. The children are given a wide range of multi-sensory activities to enjoy and explore. “Some of them have never felt sand or grass, but for me it is natural, that they get messy, explore and play here, Ann-Marie Goverde says. The children from last year’s toddler group have joined the school this year and so it is the hope, the new ones will as well. If they do, the now expanded St. Andrews Sukhumvit 107 is ready for them although it might take a couple of years, before they are ready to play basketball.
December 2010 • ScandAsia.Thailand 53
Proper Table Manners Maybe it’s possible to grow up as a polite respectful person without always eating at a table? By Ane Sofie Syberg
W
hen I was expecting my son, my husband and I started practicing being a family. That meant that we could no longer have dinner sitting in the sofa in front of the television and we could no longer have a snack at 5 pm. It was time to get rid of those bad habits! From now on, we would sit at the dinner table, television turned off, dinner will be ready at 6 pm sharp. We will sit together and talk about our day, we will not get up until everybody has finished. We will say “thank you” for the meal and there will be no dessert or candy if the plate is not empty. That was how we wanted things to be in our family. Learning good table manners was the essence of a good upbringing. That was how we saw it.
Enter Bangkok... Then we moved to Bangkok. And suddenly we had to ask ourselves
why we had come to the conclusion that a good upbringing and good table manners were synonymous. I don’t know when it happened. But I do know that in Bangkok there are no right or wrong times to eat. All day is a good time to eat. You eat when you are hungry. Where we live, you can get food more or less all day long. Especially if you are a child with a nanny! When the children get hungry, they will just run to get a bite to eat and then run back to the playground. Here, nobody demands or expects you to sit nicely and quietly and wait for everybody else to finish before you can run out and play again. Some mothers and nannies will even walk around on the playground with a bowl of rice in one hand and spoon in the other. All the child has to do is to open its mouth and voila, dinner is served!
We were civilized In the beginning I kept to the ways in which we had done things in Denmark. When it was time for lunch we would break up from the garden, where everybody else were enjoying themselves and go to our apartment, sit at the dinner table, eat together and not get up until everybody had finished. Of course, my son cried his eyes out when we, as the only ones, left the playground and the garden. Actually, I also wanted to stay because it was really nice to sit and talk with
I was raising my son properly! And that meant sitting by a table with a plate of food at the same time every day! Whether or not he was hungry.
the other parents and watch the children play with each other. But we couldn’t stay. I was raising my son properly! And that meant sitting by a table with a plate of food at the same time every day! Whether or not he was hungry. Now, my sons friends weren’t all bullies and vandals, and at some point I realized that. Actually, Thais are some of the nicest and most polite people I have met. And that
goes for their children as well, even though most of them, according to my thoughts on upbringing, should be really poorly behaved. But they are respectful, helpful, considerate and friendly. It may be that they have their lunch while running around on the playground, but still they know and recognize basic values.
Still important, but... I still think that it is important for children to know and discover that it is nice to sit together with family and friends and to talk and listen to each other. In Denmark the family members usually meet around the dinner table. Getting together usually involves food. I am sure that that will be the case in our home, as well. I also think, though, that our time in Thailand will have an effect on how I raise my son in Denmark. Maybe we will pay more attention to what our stomachs tell us than what our watches tell us when it comes to meal times? Maybe we will have lunch in the garden by the playground if the weather permits? And maybe my son will grow up to be a nice, polite and respectful person even if he gets to leave the table a bit earlier than his parents? I think so now.
54 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2010
December 2010 • ScandAsia.Thailand 55
สแกนดิเนเวียน เดลี่ หนึง่ ร้านอาหารทีพ่ ร้อม เอาใจชาวสแกนดิเนเวียน ทุกๆ คน ซึง่ เปิดตัวเมือ่ ต้นเดือนพฤศจิกายนนี้ ด้วยฝีมอื ของทัง้ คนไทย และสวีเดน กับร้าน “สแกนดิเนเวียน เดลี”่ แปลโดย โมนิก้า เมอลเลอร์
คุณกุนนาร์ เชอร์เบค หนึง่ ในผูร้ ว่ มก่อตัง้ แนวคิดในการสร้างร้านอาหาร สแกนดิเนเวียน เล่าว่า “มันเป็นเรือ่ ง ทีน่ า่ แปลก แต่เรารูว้ า่ มันมีตลาดที่ น่าสนใจสำหรับการขายสินค้าทีม่ กี ลิน่ ของความเป็นสแกนดิเนเวียน และมัน ก็เป็นอย่างนัน้ จริงๆ” “เราเริม่ คุยกันเรือ่ งการเปิดร้าน สแกนดิเนเวียน เดลี่ กันมานานมาก แต่เราอยากจะค่อยๆ ทำให้มนั ดีทส่ี ดุ จึงไม่อยากรีบร้อน เราอยากได้ทำเล ทีเ่ หมาะๆ จะได้เป็นการลงทุนทีค่ มุ้ ค่า” คุณกุนนาร์กล่าว กรุงเทพฯ เป็นเป้าหมาย แต่ทไ่ี หนจะ เหมาะสมทีส่ ดุ ทีจ่ ะเปิดร้านนี้ แน่นอนว่า หุน้ ส่วนทุกคนต่างช่วยกันหาทำเล ทีเ่ หมาะทีส่ ดุ
“ในทีส่ ดุ เราก็มาเจอทีใ่ นซอยสุขมุ วิท 18 ติดกับโรงแรมชือ่ ดังคือโรงแรม แรมแบรนดท์ กรุงเทพ ซึง่ ใช้เวลาเพียง แค่ 7 นาทีในการเดินจากทั้งรถไฟฟ้า บีทเี อสและรถไฟฟ้าใต้ดนิ เอ็มอาร์ที การลงทุนเริม่ ต้นด้วยเงิน 7 ล้านบาท ซึง่ ใช้ในการปรับปรุงตกแต่งสถานที่ ทั้งหมดให้ได้บรรยากาศแบบ สแกนดิเนเวียน และตอนนี้ทุกอย่าง ก็เรียบร้อยอย่างที่เราตั้งใจกันไว้แล้ว” คุณกุนนาร์กล่าว พร้อมทั้งรอยยิ้ม มาถึงตรงนี้ หลายๆ คนอาจจะสงสัยว่า จะมีเมนูเด็ดๆ อะไรบ้างในร้าน “สแกนดิเนเวียน เดลี”่ คำตอบคือ ทุกเมนูทท่ี กุ ๆ คนจะสามารถนึกออก จากเมนูสแกนดิเนเวียน ตัง้ แต่คาเวียร์ ชีสแพะ ไปจนถึงแฮมสลามีก่ ลิน่ สไตล์ เดนมาร์กแท้ๆ “เราทำทุกๆ อย่างที่
คิดว่าจะถูกใจลูกค้าของเรา เราได้ทำ แบบสอบถามถึง 600 ใบ เพือ่ ทีจ่ ะ ทราบถึงเมนูทอ่ี ยูใ่ นใจของลูกค้า และ แน่นอนเราจะเตรียมเมนูเหล่านัน้ ให้ได้ เพราะเป้าหมายของเรา คือความสุข ของทุกๆ คนจากการรับประทาน อาหารทีร่ า้ นของเรา” กุนนาร์บอก แต่นอกจากร้านนีแ้ ล้ว ยังมีอกี หนึง่ ธุรกิจทีน่ า่ สนใจไม่แพ้กนั นัน่ ก็คอื การ นำความอร่อยจากเมนูสแกนดิเนเวียน ต่างๆ ส่งถึงมือชาวสแกนดิเนเวียน รวมไปถึงคนไทย ทีไ่ ม่ได้อยูใ่ นกรุงเทพ ด้วย คุณกันเนอร์บอกกับเราว่า ทุกวันนี้ มีหลายๆ คนเรียกร้องมากๆ ให้เราส่ง สินค้าไปให้หลายๆ คน ทัง้ ทีใ่ นหัวหิน ชะอำ ประจวบฯ รวมไปถึงพัทยา เพือ่
ทีจ่ ะได้อม่ิ อร่อยกันเมนูตน้ ตำหรับ จากสแกนดิเนเวียน และมันก็เป็น ความตัง้ ใจของเราทีจ่ ะทำให้มนั เกิดขึน้ แต่รา้ น “สแกนดิเนเวียน เดลี”่ ยังมีอกี ความพิเศษมาฝากอีกด้วย เพราะทีน่ ค่ี ณ ุ สามารถสัง่ ซือ้ ขนมปังสแกนดิเนเวียน แท้ๆ อบใหม่ทกุ แบบจากฝีมอื เชฟ ทีไ่ ด้รำ่ เรียนมาจากเดนมาร์กและ สวิสเซอร์แลนด์ โดยตรง รวมไปถึง ไส้กรอกอร่อยๆ ทีร่ สชาติถกู ปากชาว สแกนดิเนเวียนทุกคนแน่นอน “สแกนดิเนเวียน เดลี”่ คงเป็นอีกหนึง่ ร้านทีไ่ ม่วา่ จะเป็นชาวสแกนดิเนเวียน เอง หรือใครๆ ทีต่ กหลุมรักในความ เป็นสแกนดิเนเวียน คงได้ไปฝากท้อง รวมไปถึงฝากใจกันทีร่ า้ นนีอ้ ย่าง แน่นอน
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192x65_Julebil_2K_2010.indd 1
56 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2010
23/09/10 8:32:24
ช้างไทยในเดนมาร์ก ถ้าพูดถึงสวนสัตว์ในเดนมาร์ก คงต้องพูดถึง Zoological Garden แน่นอน และตัง้ แต่ปี ค.ศ.1878 ก็มชี า้ งไทยถึงสิบสองเชือกด้วยกันทีเ่ คยใช้ชวี ติ ทีน่ ่ี แปลโดย โมนิก้า เมอลเลอร์
เมืองไทยไปเดนมาร์กโดยเครื่องบิน โดยครั้งนี้เป็นความตั้งพระทัยของ ในหลวงของไทยที่จะมอบช้างทั้งสาม เชือกอีกครัง้ หลังจากทีใ่ นปี ค.ศ.1962 หลังจากอินจากไปไม่นานสวนสัตว์ ได้มอบไปแล้ว และได้รับการต้อนรับ Copenhagen Zoological Garden ที่อบอุ่นมากๆ จึงทรงมอบให้สมเด็จ ก็ได้รบั ลูกช้างเพศเมียสองเชือก ชือ่ เบบี้ พระราชินีนาถมาร์เกรเธอที่ 2 แห่ง และเอเลน แต่ไม่นานเบบี้ก็จากไป ราชอาณาจักรเดนมาร์กและเจ้าชาย หลังจากอุ้มท้อง 18 เดือน เอเลนและ หลังจากนั้นไม่นานช้างทั้งสามเชือก ปี ค.ศ.1859 ได้เป็นจุดเริ่มต้นของ พ่อของลูกช้างตัวใหม่ จัน ก็ได้มอบ เชียงใหม่ ลำพูน บัวหา จากประเทศไทย เฮนริก พระสวามี หลังจากทีท่ ง้ั สอง สวนสัตว์ Copenhagen Zoological สมาชิกใหม่ให้กับสวนสัตว์แห่งนี้ และ ก็ได้เดินทางมาถึงสวนสัตว์ Copenhagen ทรงเสด็จมาเมืองไทยโดย ต้นสัก กันเกรา ได้ถกู มอบเป็นของขวัญในนาม Garden ซึ่งในเวลานั้นมีสัตว์มากมาย ครั้งนี้ก็ได้ทำให้เกิดการเริ่มต้นการให้ Zoological Garden และได้รับ ที่คอยมอบความตื่นตาตื่นใจ และมอบ กำเนิดและขยายจำนวนของสัตว์ใหญ่ๆ การต้อนรับอย่างอบอุ่น รวมไปถึงเป็น ของในหลวง และสุรินทร์ ได้เป็น ที่สนใจของสื่อต่างๆ ในสมัยนั้นด้วย ของขวัญจากชาวสุรินทร์ ซึ่งเป็นสัตว์ จินตนาการให้แก่เด็กๆ ตัง้ แต่ นกอินทรี เป็นครั้งแรกของ Copenhagen สัญลักษณ์ประจำจังหวัด ไก่หลากหลายพันธุ์ เป็ด นกฮูก กระต่าย Zoological Garden ด้วย โดยทั้ง “เชียงใหม่ ลำพูน และ บัวหา” ได้เป็น เต่า หมาป่า เป็นต้น เมื่อเวลาผ่านไป เอเลน และจันก็ได้ใช้ชีวิตทั้งหมด ใครจะเชื่อว่า “ช้าง” สิ่งมีชีวิตตัวโตๆ สัตว์อีกหลากหลายชนิดก็ได้เข้ามา มอบความสุขให้กบั ทุกๆ คนในสวนสัตว์ ของขวัญที่ในหลวงของชาวไทย ได้มอบให้กับกษัตริย์เฟรเดอริคที่ 9 ที่ใครๆ ก็รัก ได้มีส่วนร่วมอย่างมากใน เติมเต็มให้สวนสัตว์แห่งนี้ แห่งนี้จนวันสุดท้าย และสมเด็จพระราชินีอินกริด แห่ง การเชื่อมไมตรีของทั้งสองประเทศ แต่การเปลี่ยนแปลงที่ยิ่งใหญ่ที่สุด ในปี ค.ศ.1929 สองสมาชิกใหม่ Ø และ ราชอาณาจักรเดนมาร์ก หลังจากที่ทั้ง รวมไปถึงการมอบรอยยิ้มและความ คงหนีไม่พน้ การต้อนรับสองสมาชิกใหม่ K ถูกส่งมอบให้กับสวนสัตว์แห่งนี้ แต่ สองได้ทรงแวะมาที่เมืองไทยต้นปีนั้น สุขอีกมากมายให้กับทุกๆ คนที่ได้ แวะเวียนมาที่ Copenhagen ตัวโต อินและจัน ตามชือ่ ของแฝดสยาม จากนั้นไม่นานก็ถูกส่งไปที่เยอรมัน หลังจากนั้น ในวันที่ 30 พฤศจิกายน Zoological Garden และ “ช้าง” คู่แรกของเมืองไทยในปี ค.ศ.1878 โดยทางเรือ ทั้งคู่เกิดในปี ค.ศ.1872 ต่อมาในปี ค.ศ.1962 กษัตริยเ์ ฟรเดอริค ปี ค.ศ. 2001 ช้างอีกสามเชือก ต้นสัก จากประเทศไทย ก็จะยังคงได้มี กันเกรา และสุรินทร์ ก็ถูกส่งจาก โอกาสทำหน้าที่นี้ต่อไป แต่อินจากสวนสัตว์แห่งนี้ไปด้วยมีอายุ ได้เขียนจดหมายปิดผนึกส่งตรงไปที่ สำหรับเด็กๆ แล้ว ช้างคงเป็นสัตว์ ชนิดหนึ่งที่ได้รับความสนใจเสมอ อาจเพราะเป็นสัตว์ที่ไม่ดุร้าย และ แอบมีความน่ารักอีกด้วย จึงทำให้ ช้างตัวใหญ่ๆ เหล่านี้ เป็นที่สนใจ จากเด็กๆ รวมไปถึงผู้ใหญ่แทบทุกคน ทีแ่ วะมาที่ Zoological Garden แห่งนี้
เพียงแค่ 21 ปี ในปี ค.ศ.1893 ส่วนจันมีชีวิตอยู่ถึงปี ค.ศ.1918
Copenhagen Zoological Garden โดยสอบถามมายังสวนสัตว์ว่าท่าน ทรงได้รบั ช้างทัง้ สามเชือกเป็นของขวัญ มาจากเมืองไทย จะทรงนำมาเลี้ยงที่ สวนสัตว์แห่งนี้ เพื่อให้เด็กๆ และ ประชาชนเดนมาร์กได้แวะมาชมด้วย
December 2010 • ScandAsia.Thailand 57
Medium
Othello Cake Othello Cake is a fabulously delicious layered cake. It is named after Verdi’s opera ‘Othello’. And I haven’t got the faintest idea why.
Evil
A
rla, the large Danish-Swedish dairy company, has a recipe on its website, which is worth sharing. The baked layers are quite difficult to find and a bit cumbersome to produce yourself, but you can buy them at Scandshoppe in Singapore or you can buy them online on one of the webshops for Scandinavians abroad. A warning though, while this is definitely a treat and something very good, your waistline might expand if overindulging. Ingredients:
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 high quality ScandAsia polo shirt. Deadline for submit your solution is 15 January 2011 Name:
___________________________________________________
Age: ________________________
Mobile:
___________________
Address:
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
Email:
__________________________________________________
58 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2010
crème filling: - 2 large eggs - 4 tbsps sugar - 3 tbsps flour - 500 mL milk - the vanilla seeds from half a pod - 250 mL double/whipping cream icing: - 100g icing sugar - 2 tsps cocoa powder - 2 tbsps boiling water - 100g pure ‘raw’ marzipan - 3 tbsps icing sugar
layer cake: - 3 layer cakes (If you want to do them yourself, they essentially large flat angel cakes, about 25 cm diameter, 1 cm high) jam: - j glass of raspberry jam or strawberry jam Beat eggs and sugar together in a heavy pan. Add flour and mix in till smooth. Add milk and vanilla and slowly heat while stirring. Cook until thick for 1-2 minutes. Stir continuously to avoid burning. Cool. Whip cream. Unite cold cooked crème and cold whipped cream to crème filling. Smear a thick layer of raspberry jam on the top of two layer cakes and on the bottom of the third (the top one). Stack the layer cakes by putting half filling crème on the bottom layer and half on the middle layer. Sift the icing sugar together with the cocoa and mix to an icing with the boiling water. Apply to top of the cake. Knead the marzipan with the icing sugar and roll into a broad band the width of the cakes height and so long it fits around. Fit it around the cake. Cool for several hours - if possible overnight - before serving.
You were warned. This is NOT diet food.
December 2010 • ScandAsia.Thailand 59
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True wealth management is about more than just risk and reward. It’s about mastery; combining expert technical knowledge with skilful technique. By understanding our clients’ individual needs, ANZ Private Bank is uniquely placed to offer personalised financial solutions backed by trusted advice, superior service, access and connectivity to some of the fastest growing regions in the world. One of only 11 AA rated banks1 in the world, ANZ Private Bank offers clients the invaluable comfort of banking with one of the worlds safest banks.
ANZ Private Bank is also well placed to serve the holistic personal wealth and business needs of our clients through collaboration with our corporate and commercial counterparts. To arrange an introductory conversation, please contact Jens Mansson on: Tel: +65 6216 1146 or +65 6539 8000 or Email: privatebanksg@anz.com. ANZ Private Bank is committed to enriching your world. We look forward to helping you drive for excellence.
AA long-term credit rating, Standard & Poors, as at September 2009.
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Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (‘ANZ’) Hong Kong and Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (‘ANZ’) Singapore are branches of Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited ABN 11 005 357 522. Regulated by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and Securities and Futures Commission in Hong Kong and the Monetary Authority of Singapore in Singapore. Products and services listed are indicative only. Terms and Conditions, fees, charges and eligibility criteria apply. Nothing herein shall constitute a solicitation to buy or subscribe for any security, financial instrument or investment. This material does not take intoaccount your personal investment objective, financial situation, risk profile or needs..