ScandAsia Thailand - November 2012

NOV 2012

Royal Copenhagen makes moves into Thailand

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Opinion

Networking

W 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.

Please sign up for your own FREE copy: www.scandasia.com Publisher : 211 Soi Prasert Manukit 29 Prasert Manukit Road Chorakae Bua, Lad Prao Bangkok 10230, Thailand Tel. +66 2 943 7166-8, Fax: +66 2 943 7169 E-mail: news@scandasia.com Editor-in-Chief : Gregers A.W. Møller gregers@scandmedia.com Assistant Editor: Wachiraporn Janrut wachiraporn@scandmedia.com Advertising : Finn Balslev finn@scandmedia.com

hen words and concepts have been used much and for a long time they become tired from overuse. Not only that: the organizations or firms behind this constant use appear tired and out of ideas too. A case in point is the word ‘Networking’.

In the Nordic community in Thailand we have been networking for many years. Do we really need to mend the same net one hundred times – by more or less the same people? One could of course argue, “never mind, the purpose is very important”. I will discuss that, but first: Let us have a look at the Norwegian roots of ‘Social Networking’.

John A. Barnes (Professor at Cambridge) carried out fieldwork over two years in a settlement on Bømlo, an island (235 km2) at the west coast of Southern Norway. The results were published in 1954. In his work he produces complete diagrams over all the inhabitants’ social contacts in life – family and friends, old contacts and new contacts recently established, frequency and duration.

What to call these knots and webs?

Bømlo was a fishing community and our researcher got inspired from all the fishing nets and the men mending them, aha Social Network, of course. Barnes method has been used by researchers ever since. Social network maps can tell about the strength or the weakness of a person’s social life, but can also give most valuable knowledge about progress or stagnation in the community where the research is carried out.

Recreation or progress We have peaceful old photos of groups of fishermen on Bømlo sitting together, maintaining their nets and smoking their pipes, old friends, old contacts – and we have photos of mature foreign businessmen in Bangkok, anno 2012, often standing, drinking their wine, holding their glass by the stem and eating their finger food or approaching the delicious buffet; old friends -often the same well-known heads like on Bømlo, old contacts; we get an almost cozy and recreational impression from both places - and so be it. So why not call these events what they are: Social gatherings. In the long run it is not profitable in any way to pull the wool over our eyes and call things what they are not; and modern social networking is somewhat more offensive and engaging than the impression, and words I get in private, about what is going on.

We tend to believe that our world is the best of all worlds; we are also conservative. When we reach a certain age and standing we see no need for changes. The ‘Young Lions’ will maybe ask: “Why don’t we”, “why can’t we”. If the answer to that from the old hands is: “Oh, but we are not used to do it that way” then it is time to think hard.

Stagnation is retreat This page in Scandasia Magazine is meant for opinions – and it is my opinion, as an observer for 12 years, that the Scandinavian community is now in a phase of stagnation, maybe market based, maybe generation based or maybe both. Gone are the captains and the entrepreneurs, but also the engineers who founded Siam Cement and those from Kampsax and Christiani & Nielsen who designed the roads. EAC is now an entertainment complex, SAS will stop summer flights CPH-BKK and so on.

I give full credit to those companies that stayed and those that started up, but progress and optimism are not in the cards. In such a scenario I’m not sure it is a good idea to throw pompous black tie parties; or arrange big low key seafood parties away from Skaergaarden, the natural habitat of this tribal affair. Modesty and seriousness is what is needed, also taking the political and socio-economic situation in the country into consideration. The sentiment against foreigners can easily be whipped up again. But it will be most interesting to see whether new life can be blown into the Scandinavian community –and from where it will eventually come.

Piyanan Kalikanon piyanan@scandmedia.com Nattapat Maesang nattapat@scandmedia.com Graphic Designer : Supphathada Numamnuay supphathada@scandmedia.com Distribution : Wanvisa Rattanaburi wanvisa@scandmedia.com Printing : Lake & Foundtain Printing Co., Ltd.

Daily news and features here: www.scandasia.com

Flemming Winther Nielsen is Senior Lecturer (retired) DSH. DK. M.Sc.soc. (Aalborg University). Guest Lecturer UTCC, University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, Bangkok. Free lance writer, Bangkok Post. Writer for Scandasia Magazine, Thailand. Member of the Board of Scandinavian Society Siam.

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CONTENTS 8

NOVEMBER 2012

Coming Events

10 Past Events 15 News Brief 20 Royal Copenhagen makes moves into Thailand

Interview with Mogens Hansen, Managing Director of Royal Copenhagen (Thailand) By Miklos Bolza

20

24 Scandinavian Vikings football team

The coach of Scandinavian Viking football team shares how the team is preparing for the new season. By Johan Muhlman

26 Distinctively Scandinavian 28 Localization for success

A traditional Swedish pre-Christmas celebration at the St. Regis Bangkok By Gregers Moller

Interview with EQHO Communications, the language service provider

By Wachiraporn Janrut

30 Minimizing your risks 32 Kelson – Mobile apps creator 34 No such thing as ‘society’ 36 Myanmar Trail Blazers 38 Hua Hin Health

40 Swedish delicacies and panorama valley view at Black Mountain Golf Club

Interview with Jesper K. Pedersen, joint-owner of security solution company “ARMA Group” By Wachiraporn Janrut

26

Norwegian Kelson Company shares its views on the development of mobile apps

By Wachiraporn Janrut

Different perspectives in the east and the west By Flemming Winther Nielsen

Interview with two Danish Myanmar experts, Jakob Thoft Korslund and Bjarke Manniche Nielsen By Rose Jensen

Interview with Prof. Dr. Somarch Wongkhomthong, a director of Bangkok Hospital Hua Hin By Gregers Moller

34

38

Interview with Swedish Executive chef Marten Karlsson at Black Mountain Golf Club’s restaurant By Joakim Persson

42 Planning 70 weddings this year 44 The caring Phuket Nursing Home 46 Hotel News Update 50 Sodoku and Old-fashioned pot roast beef recipe

Interview with Norwegian wedding planner Ingeborg Fallet Kristensen By Dennis Krog

Anita Somaini opened a home for the elderly on Phuket By Dennis Krog

by Kim Birkkjaer Lund

Coming Events

TCC Expo 2012 “The Best of Siam” Date: 16 – 23 November 2012 Location: Impact Muangthong Thani, Challenger 1 – 3 Hall Organised by the Thai Chamber of Commerce and Board of Trade of Thailand as part of the celebration of His Majesty the King 84th birthday anniversary as well as the 80th anniversary of The Thai Chamber of Commerce, the exhibition will showcase the country’s leading position in trade and industry development. New products, services and innovative technology from different sectors will be exhibited.

For more information, contact 02 6221860– 76 or visit www.tccexpo.com

DanCham Christmas Lunch Date: 30 November 2012 Location: The Royal Danish Embassy in Bangkok Price: See the Chamber’s website for updates You are invited to celebrate Christmas in a Danish style on 30 November. The Danish-Thai Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual Christmas lunch at the Royal Danish Embassy from 1.00pm to 6.00pm. Traditional Danish Christmas lunch will be on offer.

Scandinavian Festival

For more information, visit www.dancham.or.th

Date: 24 November - 2 December 2012 Location: Rembrandt Hotel in Bangkok Rembrandt Hotel is hosting the Simply Scandinavian Festival showcasing Scandinavian food and live jazz music. The Swedish band “Gus Dahlberg Quartet and Deri Rowlands” will perform their hits exclusively at the Rembrandt Hotel with well-known names such as singer Deri Rowlands, drummer Gus Dahlberg, double bass player Pelle Karlsson, pianist Kjell Fernstrom and bandleader Goran Larson who plays clarinet & saxophone.

The Rembrandt Hotel also invited special guest Dr. Pathorn Srikaranonda, the youngest member of His Majesty the King’s Au Saw Friday, to feature with “Gus Dahlberg Quartet and Deri Rowlands” on the grand opening night, 26 November at 7.00pm.

Chef Bjorn Ekstrand and Chef Jack Jansson from Indigo restaurant, Finland, will prepare a wide range of delicious Scandinavian delicacies for Scandinavian buffet, priced at THB 899 net per person, at “Flavours” restaurant on the first floor.

Samitivej Christmas Market 2012 Date: 1 – 2 December 2012 at 3.00pm – 10.00pm Location: Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital Samitivej Hospital will organize its first Christmas Market 2012 at Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 December 2012. Guests can enjoy festive shopping in a traditional style Christmas market with decorative stalls, live band, ferris wheel and raffle prizes.

According to the hospital, net proceeds from the shopping fair go to “New life Samitivej’s Fund for Pediatric Heart Surgery”.

For more information, contact 02 2617100 or visit www.rembrandtbkk.com

For more information, contact 02 7118473

Jazz Blues Cruise with Nordmenn in Hua Hin Date: 12 December 2012 at 2.00pm Location: Hua Hin Miss You restaurant and Pranburi For anyone looking for a fun day out, Nordmenn in Hua Hin is organising a Jazz Blues Cruise on Wednesday 12 December. Participants are invited to meet for a drink first at the restaurant “Hua Hin Miss You” at 2.00pm. The group will then take a minivan to Pranburi where there will be a boat waiting to cruise away.

For more information, visit Coming Events page on www.scandasia.com 8 ScandAsia.Thailand • November 2012

Coming Events

Finnish cultural events in Bangkok

Boston Promenade big

band

A few fun Finnish cultural events will soon be held in Bangkok including Finnish jazz band Boston Promenade at Brown Sugar, Finnish director’s film at the World Film Festival at Esplanade Cineplex and Finnish contemporary lithography exhibition at Bangkok Art and Culture Center.

Film Festival in Bangkok

Live music

Contemporary lithography

Directed by Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki, the most award winning film in 2011 “Le Havre” will be screened at the World Film Festivals in Bangkok on 16 – 25 November 2012 at Esplanade Cineplex. The film received the Fipresci award from the film critics in Cannes last year. It tells the story of a shoeshiner who tries to save an immigrant child in the French port city Le Havre.

Film will be screened in original language, French, subtitles are in English.

Boston Promenade big band will stage their show at Brown Sugar jazz club on 24-25 November 2012. Their rhythm section, 13 horns and 5 vocalists, will make you dance! Boston Promenade’s repertoire is very broad and flexible. Besides jazz tunes, they play hits from the 70s and also pop and rock music of today.

Violonist Linda Hedlund will conduct a master course in Bangkok in December.

Cultural season ends with an exhibition of contemporary Finnish lithography at Bangkok Art and Culture Centre in January 2013.

Helsinki Lithography center from Finland will feature works from eight artists; Ms Maija Albrecht, Mr Kalle Berg, Mr Matti Hintikka, Ms Valpuri Kylmänen, Mr Kuutti Lavonen, Mr Tapani Mikkonen, Ms Kaisu Sirviö and Mr Miikka Vaskola. In Asia, their works will be exhibited only in Manila and Bangkok.

Date: 16 – 25 November 2012 Location: Esplanade Cineplex

For more information, contact 02 354 2133 or visit www.majorcineplex.com

Date: 24-25 November 2012 Location: Brown Sugar Jazz Club

For more information, contact 085 2265880 or 089 4991378

Date: January 2013 Location: Bangkok Art and Culture Centre

For more information, contact 02 214 6630-8 or visit www.bacc.or.th

November 2012 • ScandAsia.Thailand 9

Past Events

Stylish and Vibrant 20 Year Dancham Anniversary

By Gregers Moller Photos by Disraporn Yatprom

D

ancham – the Danish-Thai Chamber of Commerce – celebrated on Friday 19 October 2012 in grand style the 20th Anniversary of the Chamber with a Gala Dinner and Party at the prestigious Oriental Hotel in Bangkok.

The Ballroom was packed with 199 guests who were guided through the events and happenings of the evening in excellent style by former Dancham President Tom Sorensen.

After this pleasant surprise, President Peter Romhild welcomed the guests and talked about where the Chamber was today, 20 years from its foundation. No less than 60,000 people are employed by Danish or Danish related companies in Thailand, he said.

Danish Ambassador Mr. Mikael Hemniti Winther followed up with a few congratulatory remarks to the Chamber.

After a scallop as first course, a speech was held by Founding Dancham President Poul Weber. Sharing some of the events that 20 years ago led to the formation of the Danish-Thai Chamber of Commerce, Poul Weber in particular mentioned that he missed to see two people present at the celebration; Ambassador Mogens Isaksen and Peter Miller, Managing Director of Maersk Bangkok at the time.

Tom Sorensen was then joined by President Peter Romhild on the stage to present a small gift to four Danes who had been part of the original group of businessmen who had initiated the formation of the Chamber. They were Allan Jensen, Gregers Moller, Ole Madsen and Poul Weber who all received a commemorative Thank You award.

President Peter Romhild took this opportunity to also motivate an Award to Tom Sorensen.

After Tom Sorensen, Leo Alexandersen had taken over as President of Dancham and also he was present at the celebrations.

Throughout the dinner, the Navy Band had been entertaining the guests. Suddenly they were mixed in with a screeching sound which turned out to the Danish Ambassador Mikael Winther performing a personalized version of a Jimmy Hendrix tune to the praise of Dancham on his electric guitar.

Perfectly timed after the dinner, the sound of guests talking and laughing was suddenly split by the roaring drums of four young Danes from “Copenhagen Drummers”. Their performance culminated in a show in pitch darkness with their drumsticks on fire. Possible only few noticed that to the right, the firefighter in full gear was in fact Executive Director Savija Pannark Korslund backed up by a team from the Danish company Fireexpress.

After a refreshing desert, the main sponsors of the evening, Pandora, SAS, Asiatique and Nordea were honored for their contribution to make the evening possible.

Immediately before the dance-floor was given over to the eager guests, a last surprise was a delicious Danish style marzipan from Fyn Bakery that was served along with the coffee.

10 ScandAsia.Thailand • November 2012

Breakfast Seminar on ECCO’s Flooding Experience

Past Events

T

he Joint Chambers’ Breakfast Seminar was held on 25 September 2012 at Grand Millennium in Bangkok, featuring ECCO’s experience from last year’s flooding.

About 72 participants turned up at the hotel and were welcomed

by Executive Director of Danish-Thai Chamber of Commerce, Ms. Savija Pannark Korslund. After having a breakfast buffet, the attendants headed to the seminar room.

ECCO’s Logistics Director, Mr. René Jessen started the seminary by giving some insight into the critical situation ECCO was facing when its factory and leather tannery in Saha Rattana Nakorn Industrial Estate, Ayutthaya, suffered catastrophic damage from the devastating flooding last year. He shared that the company was forced to take extraordinary measures to handle the situation in the best possible manner. For example, ECCO provided salary to its employees, despite the temporarily close-down of the factory, to avoid losing its staff. Finally, Mr. René Jessen encouraged other companies to create a contingency plan to protect themselves from such critical damages caused by natural disasters.

The talk was followed by presentations from Mr. Marcel Wismer, AquaFence and Mr. Tjeerd Driessen, Royal HaskoningDHV, who went into details regarding protective measures that can be taken to combat the challenges in connection with the flooding and flood risks.

The information provided by the speakers encouraged a brief debate on the role of the Thai government on these matters. President of Danish-Thai Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Peter Romhild stressed that the business environment in Thailand could not afford a similar situation as the one caused by the flooding in 2011, hence, a need of action from the government persists.

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8/29/11 1:57 PM November 2012 • ScandAsia.Thailand 11

Past Events

Scandinavian gathering at Phothalai Leisure Park

By Rose Jensen Photos by Thierry Julien and Frank Michael Bayer

T

he Danish, Norwegian and Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Thailand co-organized an exclusive Scandinavian Networking event on Wednesday 19 September 2012 hosted by the breathtaking Phothalai Leisure Park in Bangkok.

This was a much anticipated event - a chance for an exclusive sneak peak at a venue not yet open for public viewing. In addition to the outstanding caliber of venue, a unique twist on the evening came in the discovery that the company responsible for the construction of this remarkable place is the Danish company, Londal Consulting Co., Ltd. Upon arrival approximately 200 members of the chambers were treated with a welcome cocktail, as well as sushi, hor d’oeuvres and desserts while taking a peek at this enormous place which is more than 130,000sqm.

Vice President of the Danish Chamber, Soren Presmann, welcomed the guests and gave the floor to Lars Londal, CEO of Londal Consulting who presented a passionate, amusing and incredibly informative talk about the venue.

Lars Londal then took the audience out in the open to watch a beautiful traditional Thai dance followed by son et luminére which showcased special lighting effects along with the water show.

The highlight of the performances was the massive fireworks display, which blew everyone away.

Eventually it was time to name the winners of the lucky draw. Phothalai Leisure Park offered wonderful prizes including gift vouchers for massage and spa treatment, an all-inclusive meeting and lunch package for 12 people at the venue, and last but not least, a membership for the Master Golf Arena.

Phothalai Leisure Park is aiming for a Grand Opening on 12 December 2012 with a collection of leisure options including Phothalai’s own world-class spa, eight restaurants & Life Style Cafés, Wine Cellar dining and what is termed “Asia’s first 6-star” Golf & Leisure Complex.

12 ScandAsia.Thailand • November 2012

Past Events

Jan Egeland speaks on disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation

O

n 5 October 2012, Norwegian Jan Egeland, former Chairperson of the High-level Taskforce for the Global Framework for Climate Services, gave a lecture on the importance of being proactive in disaster risk reduction and adaptation to climate change.

The Asian Disaster Preparedness Center, based in Bangkok, hosted an event which facilitated a panel discussion with scholars and professionals from around the region. The panel discussion was attended by leading officials, scholars and professionals in Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management including Norwegian Ambassador Ms. Katja C. Nordgaard and Minister Counselor Erik Svedahl.

Jan Egeland said at the event, “The time has come for setting up a global system for providing climate services and applying them in decision making at every level of society. Putting this system in place is very much within reach, but will require unprecedented collaboration across political, functional and disciplinary boundaries, and a global mobilisation of effort.�

November 2012 • ScandAsia.Thailand 13

Past Events

Scandinavian Crayfish Party celebrated in Bangkok

By Rose Jensen Photos by Disraporn Yatprom

A

pproximately 175 Scandinavians joined the Scandinavian Society Siam’s colorful Crayfish Party on Saturday 29 September 2012 which again this year took place at the Rembrandt Hotel in Bangkok.

When you hear the word Crayfish Party, you wouldn’t think there would be more to it than having a good time eating crayfish. However, Scandinavian Society Siam crayfish parties typically feature lots of drinking songs, beer and snaps, which can get pretty rowdy. Apparently a Scandinavian crayfish party is really more of an elaborate drinking game than a meal. Everyone wore a party hat and was supposed to take a shot of snaps between each crayfish. And a normal serving of crayfish was about a dozen. So let’s just say a minimum of 12 shots and for some it did not stop there. You do the math.

There was also a wonderful cheese board offering large varieties of delicious cheeses. As a typical Swedish custom is to have your seafood with lots of cheese, many people were happy to keep up the tradition. However, by the end of the party, there was less eating and much more drinking. Hence, the party guests became more of colourful characters and the singing was a lot more boisterous.

Not to forget the lucky draw. There were plenty of gift vouchers to win. The most attractive prize was a week accommodation including golf at Black Mountain Golf Club. Other top prizes included 1 cubic meter sea freight to Scandinavia from Asian Tigers, a gourmet lunch combined with a guided tour of Asia House in Copenhagen, a diving and sailing tour in Phuket with Scandinavian Divers, accommodation at Oakwood and Rembrandt Hotel, equipments for golfers from Volvo, as well as free laser tooth whitening and two treatments at Nicolie Wellness Center, and many more.

All in all the night was an absolute riot, quite a few people were passing out left, right and centre at their tables. One guy was put to sleep on a sofa, hugging a bucket to puke in. Another jumped in the pool in his underwear. However, that is the stuff legends are made of. The rumors had it, that this was going to be a wild one - and it sure was one H... of a fun party!

14 ScandAsia.Thailand • November 2012

News Brief

Norway in 10th ASEM Finance Ministers’ meeting

T

he Norwegian Deputy Finance Minister Hilde Singsaas participated in the 10th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Finance Ministers’ meeting in Bangkok, held on 14 and 15 October 2012.

This participation marked the first time Norway was represented in this forum.

The ASEM is an informal trans-regional platform for dialogue and cooperation between the two regions and has risen out of a mutual recognition that the relationship between Asia and Europe needs to be strengthened in light of the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.

The discussions in Bangkok were chaired by Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minis-

ter Kittirat Na-Ranong, and focused on how to share Asia’s dynamic growth with Europe and the rest of the world so as to resume prosperity to both regions.

The Norwegian Deputy Finance Minister in her intervention emphasised the importance of human capital and employment to economic growth and welfare.

The outcome of the meeting will be reported to the 9th ASEM Summit of Heads of Government and State in Vientiane, Laos, on 5-6 November 2012, where Norway, Switzerland and Bangladesh will be formally admitted as new members.

ASEM was initiated in 1996 when 15 EU member states, seven ASEAN member states,

plus China, Japan, Korea and the European Commission met in Bangkok, Thailand.

ASEM saw the first enlargement during the 5th ASEM Summit in the year 2004 in Hanoi where the 10 new EU Member States (Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia) and three new ASEAN countries (Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar) became officially part of the ASEM process.

The second round of enlargement in 2007 brought in Bulgaria, India, Mongolia, Pakistan, Romania and the ASEAN Secretariat. In October 2010, the 8th ASEM Summit in Brussels welcomed Australia, New Zealand and Russia to the ASEM process.

November 2012 • ScandAsia.Thailand 15

News Brief

How to welcome a surveillance aircraft

By Kim Birkkjaer Lund

R

oyal Thai Air Force invited guests and media to attend a welcoming ceremony, held on 10 October 2012, for their Saab 340 AEV aircraft. The second of two ordered together with 12 JAS-39 Gripen fighters in 2008 with a price tag of approximately USD 1.1 billion in a purchase divided into two phases.

The press and notables from the Air Force gathered at Don Muang military air base at 9.30 a.m. for flying to Wing 7 in Suratthani with the Air Force’s Airbus A-310 passenger jet. On our way to the Airbus we pass the Saab 340 AEW aircraft we will welcome in Suratthani.

The spirit is high as the plane leaves Bangkok and air hostesses pamper approximately 60 reporters and a few more representatives from the Thai Air Force with soft drinks and muffins on the 50-minute flight to Suratthani, where lunch is waiting at the party.

What a wonderful world While a three piece band entertains with western evergreens such as “What a wonderful world” and “Yesterday” mixed with presumably likewise Thai evergreens, generals and colonels from the Thai Air Force together with guests from the Swedish Air Force and the press enjoy the day’s special Saab 340 AEW menu and take the opportunity to mingle and update acquaintanceships.

Airshow After lunch it is time for the second point on the

program. A Gripen JAS-39 fighter, one of the six delivered in February 2011, will show its capabilities. It flies vertically up into the sky and then falls toward the ground, just before it hits the ground it straightens up and thunders over the heads of the spectators while rotating on its axis. After a trip out to the horizon, it returns turning sharply in a manoeuvre which, according to the commentator, exposes the pilot to a G-force of nine G.

The reunion We are now ready for the main event: The welcome of Saab 340 AEW. The aircraft we passed in Bangkok lands and parks in front of the tribune. The Swedish crews who have flown the plane to Thailand exit it and are received with manners.

Air Chief Marshal Arya NgamPraMuan, Royal Thai Air Force’s Chief of Staff, welcome them with a speech where he stresses the importance of the cooperation with Saab in obtaining the Thai Air Force’s goal of becoming one of the world’s most modern, efficient and technical advanced air forces.

After the speech which was commendable brief the Swedish Air Force crews got flower wreaths, champagne and a handshake from each of the 10 generals that were present at the ceremony.

The Saab 340 AEW had now been welcomed as the first step in phase two of the deal between Royal Thai Air Force and Saab. The remaining six Gripen aircrafts are scheduled to be delivered in 2013.

Saab 340 AEW (Airborne Early Warning system) The 340 is a two-engine turboprop machine.

Original made as a 36 seats civilian aircraft in 1983.

Introduced as a military surveillance aircraft equipped with Saab’s Erieye AEV system in 1997.

Length: 19.73 m.

Wingspan: 21.44 m Crew: 5 Gross weight: 13.2 t.

Cruising speed: 300 km/h Endurance: 1,450 km 16 ScandAsia.Thailand • November 2012

Erieye AEW System Flying at high altitude, Erieye covers a much wider area than a conventional ground based sensor system can.

The effective surveillance area is more than 500,000 sq km horizontally and 20 km vertically. It detects air targets at a range of up to 450 km.

Sea coverage is only limited by the horizon, which is around 350 km.

Within this area, every object in the air and at sea will be detected and pinpointed.

It is designed to track the smallest of objects, such as cruise missiles and jet-skis, even among heavy clutter and in jamming environments.

Greenland Parliament Member concerned about Thais

News Brief

T

he working conditions for Thais in Greenland have troubled Siverth K. Heilmann, member of the Greenlandic parliament Inatsisartut. His concern is both about their working condition and if they with wage dumping takes work from Greenlanders.

“Thais working long hours every day is a common sight in many towns on the coast. I can’t help wondering whether they are paid properly,” he says.

But now 20 Thais have joined the Greenlandic union SIK, giving the union some insight to their working conditions.

“Their wages are not as bad as we had feared, but their working hours I find problematic,” says Jess G. Berthelsen chairman of SIK to the Greenlandic Broadcasting Corporation.

“Thais working in the hospitality industry often work 10 hours a day seven days a week,” he continues.

“We must in principle require that the minimum standards for wages, working hour and other working conditions as union and employers have agreed on are kept,” says Siverth K. Heilmann.

He finds that the working conditions for Asians in Greenland are kept in darkness.

“The issue of Asian workers in Greenland needs to be highlighted. We need to have all facts to be able to discourse their conditions and whether they are taking work from residents. I tried to raise the issue during the opening debate in the parliament, but got no response from the government.”

Royal Copenhagen is offering ScandAsias readers an exclusive 20% discount on all items in the online shop

Royal Copenhagen tilbydeR 25% på alle vaReR i webshoppen i Resten af 2011 I vores webshop får du lige nu 25% rabat på alle dine køb. Vi pakker julegaven ind og sender til hele verden.

Køber du for over 500 kroner skal du ikke betale fragt.

In Royal Copenhagens online shop you can get 20% off in November 2012. We gift wrap and have worldwide delivery.

Just go to www.royalcopenhagen.com and place your order.

Please use this campaign code: SCAND_ASIA The discount cannot be combined with other discounts and is only applicable in the online shop and on products that are not already discounted.

GaranTIen er underlaGT beTInGelser, se GaranTIbeTInGelserne på www.royalcopenhaGen.com

136882

Tast følgende kode DANES2011 når du handler.

Tilbuddet gælder kun på www.royalcopenhagen.com

November 2012 • ScandAsia.Thailand 17

News Brief

Two Norwegian architects change lives of needy in Asia

T

wo young Norwegian architects Andreas Grontvedt Gjertsen and Yashar Hanstad, founders of TYIN tegnestue Architects, have changed lives for orphans in the remote villages of Noh Bo and Ban Tha Song Yong in Tak Province, Thailand, by building huts, a library and bathhouse for the kids.

In Bangkok they collaborated with Bangkok-based CASE Studios Architect to build a community library and gathering space in a derelict shoplot housed in a 100-year-old market building in the slums of Min Buri.

Their biggest and most important project so far is the Cassia Co-op Community project in Sumatra, Indonesia. A French businessman has asked the duo to design and build a sustainable cinnamon school for local farmers and workers.

“Cassia is one of the most important works we’ve done because it affects more people. Also, we managed to combine ideas from earlier projects into this project and improve on the things we’ve done wrong before and fix the mistakes,” says Gjertsen.

They have recently won the European Prize for Architecture 2012, which is given to architects who have demonstrated a significant contribution to humanity and green built environment through the art of architecture.

Swedish Minister Maria Larsson visits Thailand

H

.E. Ms. Maria Larsson, Swedish Minister for Children and the Elderly, visited Bangkok on 30 September - 3 October 2012. It was her first time in the country where she brought with her a business delegation consisting of Swedish companies manufacturing advanced medical technology.

During her visit, Ms. Maria Larsson met with Mr. Santi Promphat, Thailand’s Minister for Social Development and Welfare, and Dr. Surawit Konsomboon, the Deputy Minister for Public Health of the Royal Thai Government, as well as the representatives from the United Nations Programs and Funds, and Thai Civil Society.

Organized by the Swedish Trade Council and SWECARE, Dr. Surawit and Minister Larsson gave the keynote speeches at the Swedish SymbioCare Seminar at The AETAS Hotel Bangkok. Accompanied by the Secretary General of Swedish Save the Children, Ms. Elisabeth Dahlin, Ms. Larsson also conducted a field trip to visit the Association for the Promotion of the Status of Women and the Pakkred Reception Home for Boys in Nonthaburi.

18 ScandAsia.Thailand • November 2012

News Brief

Launch of USD 3million healthcare programme in Myanmar

A

A patient at the Yangon office of a non-government organization supported by the 3DF

n event was held at the Chatrium Hotel in Yangon, on 25 - 26 September, to review the past six years’ conduct of the Three Diseases Fund (3DF) working to address HIV, tuberculosis and malaria, and to launch a new USD 300 million programme “the Three Millennium Development Goals fund” (3MDG). Denmark, Norway, and Sweden are among the seven donors of the programme.

Among those attending the event were the Minister of Health, the Funds’ seven donors, the Funds’ manager, the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and 3DF’s implementing partners.

The donors will be the same as for 3DF programme including Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Australia’s AusAID, the European Union, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development.

Ms. Veronique Lorenzo of the European Union and the Chair of 3MDG said, “The Fund will succeed the 3DF and build on its success. The same seven donors have decided to increase their support to health and broaden the scope of the programme to take advantage of the changes happening in Myanmar.”

Working closely with the government, the Fund intends to work on a broad strategy to increase accessibility of health to all.

“We know that maternal and child mortality is high in Myanmar and most deaths are preventable. That is why the majority of the expected USD300 million for the Fund will serve to improve delivery of essential healthcare for poor and vulnerable mothers and children,” Ms. Lorenzo said.

To combat some of the worst diseases, the 3MDG Fund will also finance HIV, TB and malaria interventions for people and in areas that have not been covered by the Global Fund.

Finnair sees increase in passengers in Asia and Europe

F

innair, the Finnish carrier, has seen a strong growth in number of airline’s passengers in September, especially in Asia and Europe.

According to Finnair, the traffics on its regular routes especially in Asia and Europe have increased significantly, representing the growth rate of 10 percent in both areas. The numbers of airline’s passengers on leisure flights have also increased by almost 30 percent.

“In September, we saw continuing strong demand in our traffic. Traffic growth notably exceeded the growth of overall capacity, contributing to the improvement in unit revenue year-on-year,” said Erno Hildén, the airline’s chief financial officer.

Finnair has announced that it is cutting back on fuel consumption for its cargo planes. The company started to use lighter container units which resulted in improved fuel economy and significant reductions in CO2 emissions. The lighter the plane, the less fuel it needs to fly. Finnair is committed to reducing its per-seat CO2 emissions by 24 percent from 2009 to 2017.

November 2012 • ScandAsia.Thailand 19

Royal makes Mogens Hansen, Managing Director of Royal Copenhagen (Thailand) has helped expand and develop the company’s facilities in Thailand. After working on such a challenging job, Mr Hansen is clearly a man who loves what he does.

By Miklos Bolza Photos by Disraporn Yatprom

20 ScandAsia.Thailand • November 2012

Copenhagen moves into Thailand

“I

’m very happy working at Royal Copenhagen.

It’s been really satisfying. Being so old, the company is such a big part of Danish culture. In Denmark, everybody knows Royal Copenhagen or knows somebody who has been working for them.”

Rooted in Tradition Founded in 1775, Royal Copenhagen is one of Denmark’s most respected brands. Originally owned by the Danish Royal Family, its hand-made, hand-painted porcelain is now known around the world for its quality design and craftsmanship.

It is especially popular on the Danish and Japanese markets.

A Man in Charge Mogens Hansen worked for eight years in the Danish army. In 2007, he sought out something different, applying for a job as Planning & Warehouse Manager at Royal Copenhagen in Denmark. In 2010, he was asked to move to Thailand and support the Managing Director, Soren Nielsen, in expanding and developing the company’s new production plant in Saraburi. He is now the Managing Director for Royal Copenhagen (Thailand).

“Working in Thailand is challenging in many ways but also rewarding as we’re part of building something. Out here, we have a chance to restructure Royal Copenhagen to take it to new heights,” Mr Hansen says.

Reasons for Change Royal Copenhagen relocated to Thailand because of the country’s superior porcelain craftsmanship. In Thailand’s vibrant porcelain industry, it is easy to recruit skilled workers.

The province of Saraburi was chosen as the site for Royal Copenhagen’s new factory. It is the hub for porcelain manufacturing within Thailand, producing some of the highest quality items in the country.

Expansion in Thailand To tap into local expertise, Royal Copenhagen decided to form a joint

venture with the Thai-owned Patra Porcelain. Under this arrangement, Patra supplies the raw materials and does some basic casting onsite.

In 2003, Royal Copenhagen tested the waters in Thailand, establishing a small painting department at Patra. In a rented room, two Danish instructors taught ten Thai students sourced from a Bangkok art college.

This test run was a success. In 2004, land was purchased from Patra and a small painting factory was built. This focused on hand-painted porcelain and was a trial for large-scale painting. The company has expanded since then, growing from 60 to 330 employees. From 2004 to 2012, the size of the factory has increased from 800 m2 to 10,000 m2. The facilities have all been built from the ground up, being adapted to Royal Copenhagen’s specific production needs.

Although more Thai painters have been hired, production pace has been slowed down. Additional time is now spent on each item, improving the quality of the design.

Production output has improved as well. This past year, the factory produced 1.8 million pieces of porcelain, an increase from last year’s production of 1.5 million pieces. There is still room for growth in the future as the factory has a maximum production capacity of 4 million pieces per annum.

hagen’s main concern was the need to sustain the same level of quality.

In order to do this, exactly the same materials are used. Additionally, each item has to go through a rigorous approval process before being produced. The designs are first formed in Denmark and sent to Thailand. An undecorated, unglazed product is created and sent to Denmark for appraisal. After this, a glazed sample is created with no decorations. This too must be approved. Finally, a complete sample with full decorations is sent for approval. Only after passing this stage can full production commence.

All important equipment is imported. The paintbrushes are from Denmark, the kilns are from Germany and the production rails are from Italy. Other components such

as heat pumps and filter systems are from Thailand.

“When we moved, especially since it’s such a well-known brand, we had to make sure that there was no difference between Thai and Danishmade goods. The challenge was to get at least the same level of quality or preferably better. Despite the move, the main message that we would like to send is that Royal Copenhagen products are still designed and developed in Denmark. They have still kept their roots,” Mr Hansen adds.

Casting & Painting When each piece of porcelain is cast, it is called “biscuit ware”. This unpainted version is named because it looks edible and has the same density as a biscuit. The company’s most difficult items are cast at Royal Co-

Retaining Its Danish Roots Royal Copenhagen will always remain in Denmark. The luxury brand, Flora Danica, is still designed and painted locally. Its design centre is also situated there, ensuring that the style and shape still retains its heritage. As of 2012, the company has around 200 employees in Denmark.

Four years ago, Royal Copenhagen had a catalogue of 3,000 products.

After the global financial crisis of 2009, a decision was made to refocus the business. Now, Royal Copenhagen stocks about 750 items. This downsizing aimed at strengthening the company’s key porcelain brands.

Promising Premium Products In the move to Thailand, Royal Copen-

Mogens Hansen with one of the classic pieces of Royal Copenhagen porcelain.

November 2012 • ScandAsia.Thailand 21

penhagen. The rest are cast at Patra.

Each piece is then stencilled to give the basic paint outline before being sent to the painters. The general design is the same, but painters have the ability to vary small details, giving each plate or cup a unique appearance. Once a painter starts an item, they finish it, ensuring that all paintwork is consistent.

Royal Copenhagen’s painters work on all types of products and patterns. This improves flexibility, allowing production to continue even if one of the company’s 150 painters falls ill.

Once painting is complete, each piece is sent to be glazed. Glazing teams consist of four people: one to dip the porcelain, one to remove the glaze, one to clean the products and one to carry the goods. These roles are alternated so each worker is kept stimulated.

defects and sends the goods back to the kilns. Most then return as Agrade, premium products.

Royal Copenhagen’s Saraburi factory ships all of its goods to Denmark, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea.

Catering to the Collectors Some Royal Copenhagen painters have their own following, especially in Japan. Painters put their initials on the base of each piece they finish. Some customers only want goods handpainted by a certain individual and will

tion by Danish employees.

“We have employees from the factory in Denmark training our selectors as well. If you look at lower quality porcelain, you will see errors in the embossment, iron spots, etc.

We cannot have any of that because we are expected to deliver premium quality,” Mr Hansen states.

For employees on the floor, there is also room to work up within the company.

“All our foremen and supervisors are promoted from the floor.

Cultural Management In order to minimise misunderstanding between cultures, Danish workers are given Thai culture classes in Denmark.

The right managers are also needed to avoid culture clashes.

Managers with confidence in themselves who also understand the Thai and western cultures are vital in maintaining an efficient, productive workplace. Managers have either worked overseas or been recruited from international companies within Thailand. This ensures that constant communication between the headquarters in Denmark and the factory in Saraburi is maintained with as little cultural conflict as possible.

Building Unity

Firing in the Kilns After this, the porcelain is sent to the kilns. These can take 7,000 pieces per day and reach a maximum temperature of 1,350°C at their midpoint. The temperature increases and then decreases, allowing the porcelain to be heated and cooled at a slow pace. This process takes 9 hours to complete. Royal Copenhagen also has UPS and backup generators in case of a power outage.

This protects the kilns and goods as a sudden loss of power can drop the temperatures and destroy the glaze.

Grading & Shipping Final products are sorted into three categories. 75% are A-grade items which are of the high quality the company is looking for. These get shipped off to be sold as premium goods. 7.5% are B-grade products with very minor defects. These are sent to outlet shops in Denmark and Japan. The remaining 17.5% fails to pass the inspection process and gets scrapped.

This grading is done by selector teams, which consist of three people. One worker grinds the base so it is smooth. A second examines each product, sorting them into the different grades. This individual has to look out for minor flaws. Some of these can be repaired by the third worker who removes these

become truly proficient at their jobs.

wait until a new piece is created.

Royal Copenhagen also appeals to collectors as the decade of production can be identified by looking at the back stamp. These change every five years so each item is traceable back to its origins.

The Right Recruits In their initial test, potential painters have 60 minutes to copy a floral drawing. If accepted, there is a three month probation period to see if new employees have the skills required.

New glazers and selectors go through peer training under instruc-

22 ScandAsia.Thailand • November 2012

This is one of my key principles. We should recruit internally, especially on these levels, because knowledge gained in the company should preferably stay within the company.”

Training Techniques One method of knowledge transfer is to send Thai paint instructors to study in Denmark. At the factory in Saraburi, hands-on training is completed under the same instructor for the entire training period. After a peer review evaluation, painters can then apply their skills. Painters typically take two or three years to

Teambuilding events are also held to give employees the opportunity to mingle. This is necessary as painters, glazers and selectors work in different sections along the production line.

“The culture in Denmark through 200 years has always been that the painters were something special. That is something we try not to build up here because there is as much craftsmanship in our glazing department as there is with our painters. It’s more important that everyone is thought of equally,” Mr Hansen explains.

This inter-company bonding has brought about positive results. During the 2011 Thai floods, workers were still dedicated to their jobs.

“Even though many of our employee’s houses were flooded, they still showed up for work. It was very admirable. They were really loyal to the company,” Mr Hansen said.

Further Development With the relocation finished, Royal Copenhagen’s plans will now focus on sales and marketing. According to Mr Hansen, there is the need to regain foothold in former markets, such as Sweden and Norway, which were lost in the company’s downsizing activities.

New initiatives such as the ‘Mix and Match’ product line are also being made to further expand the brand’s potential around the globe.

Scandinavian Vikings for the 2012/13 seas

By Johan Mühlman

T

he football team Scandinavian Vikings was founded back in the early 80’s and has since then functioned as a network for football-interested Scandinavians in Bangkok. The team is a social platform for players, families and friends. Scandinavian Vikings is synonymous with commitment, winning spirit, fairplay and a positive set of mind.

As always at this time of the year,Coach Johan “Mofok” Mühlman, is trying to overlook his squad to see what’s left, what’s new and what’s up… Unfortunately a few key players such as long time serving assistant coach Chris Lundqvist, star keeper Juuso Heikurainen, striker Sivapol Pipatanangura and the midfield virtuoso Filip Lagerstedt all decided to move back to Scandinavia for different reasons. Not easy to lose four players of such caliber all at once.

But it is not all bad… There

are new faces too and they have all showed the right spirit and skills during pre-season. Among new players we see Maarten Kallenberg and Bert Veerman from Holland. They recently transferred from Cosmos FC after they were relegated to Div. 2. Both Maarten and Bert are true fighters and their aggressiveness and never give up attitude will for sure be valuable over the season. We also have Swedish ex-Allsvenskan (1 game for IFK Norrköping) Marcus Ek joining along with new Danish keeper Frants Andersen and fellow countrymen Jesper Egholm, so there are high hopes going forward.

Scandinavian Vikings ended up in 6th place in Div. 1 last year and will continue to compete in Div. 1 also this season. The Bangkok Casuals league consists of 18 teams in two divisions and each team play each other three times. A total of 24 games. On top of that there is a Champions league style cup competition running which add another 4 games + possible play-

24 ScandAsia.Thailand • November 2012

off, so Scans are in for a busy season that started on Sep 29 and goes on until May/June when the rainy season starts. As always no professional players are allowed, this in order to keep the league casual. After all, we are doing this for the love of football and it should always be a friendly atmosphere before, during and after games! Games will as usual be played at Bangkok Patana International School (Sukhumvit soi 105), Arsenal Soccer School (Sukhumvit soi 71) and with a few away games in Pattaya.

Sponsors Scandinavian Vikings rely on sponsor money to cover league fees and rent of training facilities. The clubs main sponsor, BNH Hospital, has been a great support for a number of years.

Their commitment extends further than only financial support. This year all Vikings player will attend a first aid/CPR course at BNH Hospital, something we find very important after the tragic passing of a fellow

league player at Patana last season.

We have also managed to sign up some new sponsors that we sincerely want to thank for their support.

Among these we find BKK Condos (a great partner for buying/selling/ renting condos in Bangkok), Coffeöl (the newly started coffee company with prime locations in Bangkok), deVere Group(the world’s largest independent international financial consultancy), Pickled Liver (an Irish pub on Sukhumvit soi 7/1, ideal to watch sports over a pint or two…), Carlsberg(the worlds famous Danish beer worth waiting for…), Unitech-Polymer (selling machinery) and United Relocation (a relocation company owned by assistant coach, Stein Kråkholm). Since years back we also receive sponsorship funds from Danish shipping company Jebsen & Jessen. To all our sponsors we what to say – Thank you! Your support is so valuable and we will always do our utmost to create value for your investment in us.

are ready son!

New shirts have been printed and Vikings are in it to win it (and have lots of fun along the way)!

Match Reports The new season started vs. Londoners FC on Saturday 29-Sep at Patana. During this time of the year the weather is always unpredictable due to heavy rains but luckily enough the game kick offed as planned. A 15 men strong squad of Vikings players was ready for the season, but facing Londoner is always tough. They are among the strongest teams in the league and are always among the top three teams year after year, and in this game they gave us a lesson in football… Their one touch play was too much for our defense and we only created one chance in the

first half. A close range shot by Fran Romero after nice build up play by Johan Mühlman and Oscar Rolfsson, unfortunately over the cross bar.

With 2-0 down in half time and a third goal early in second half we saw ourselves chasing the ball most of the game. New keeper Frants had some great saves in the game, but no one of the Vikings can be satisfied with a 0-4 defeat.

Second game in the league was played at Patana on Saturday 6-Oct vs. Titans FC. Titans started the season with back to back wins over BSL Youth and Anatolia FC, so even if they are new in Div. 1 it was going to be a hard fought game. A 16 men squad of Vikings started of the game quite poorly and we let Titans create chance after chance

in the first ten minutes. Frants in goal was on his toes though and made some crucial saves in the start of the game. After 20 minutes Vikings was awarded a free kick a few meters outside the Titans penalty box. Bert Veerman steps up and hits the ball beautifully around the wall and knocks the right post and into the goal, 1-0 Vikings! Unfortunately the lead didn’t last long and only a couple of minutes later Titans scored the equalizer after some misunderstandings in Vikings defense. 1-1 halftime. Second half started off with a series of Titans chances, when Vikings couldn’t close the gap between defense and midfield. One shot in the post and some great saves by Frants kept us in the game. Twenty minutes into

second half a corner hit by Fran Romero was forced into goal by Jesper Egholm. The Titans keeper claimed he had the ball in his possession before Jesper reached it, but nevertheless 2-1 Vikings! That was also the end of positive things to write about this game… Titans scored 2-2 10 minutes from full time after a poor clearance on a corner and then 2-3 only minutes from full time. A painful defeat for the Vikings, but plenty of Carlsberg’s after the game made us forget about it quickly…

If you have a spare moment on a Saturday of Sunday afternoon... why not come out to Patana and support your local Vikings?! Match schedules until Christmas to be found through ScandAsia.

November 2012 • ScandAsia.Thailand 25

Distinctively Scandinavian

A Traditional Swedish pre-Christmas celebration will take place during 6 – 16 December 2012 at The St. Regis Bangkok on Rajadamri Road in Bangkok.

By Gregers Moller

T

he St. Regis Bangkok, which opened in April last year on Rajadamri Road in the heart of the city, will this Christmas reach out to the Scandinavian community in Bangkok.

Starting on Thursday 6 December, The St. Regis Bangkok will over the next ten days offer traditional Swedish Christmas lunch and dinner in the Viu restaurant located on the 12th floor next to the Sky Lobby.

Smörgåsbord The Viu restaurant will throughout the event serve Christmas lunch with semi Smörgåsbord (starters + dessert) with special Scandinavian menu for main course – THB 1,100++ includes a soft beverage.

The Dinner – full Smörgåsbord – is sold at THB 2,250++ and includes beer, red & white wine, soft drink and juices. On the two Sundays during the promotion - Sunday the 9th and the 16th – a Scandinavian Brunch is served at THB 2650++ which includes martinis, St. Regis signature Bloody Mary.

High Tea with Glögg The St. Regis Bar will every day from 2pm – 6pm serve Scandinavian High Tea with Glögg, an assortment of sweets and salty finger bite dishes at THB 950++. In the evening the Swedish band Gus Dahlberg Quartet featuring Deri Rowlands will play 45 minutes sessions at intervals from 18:00-22:00.

The band Gus Dahlberg Quartet featuring Deri Rowlands will play Swedish and international jazz throughout the event at St. Regis Bangkok.

Gus Dahlberg is one of the lucky Swedes who is good enough to make all Swedish musicians interested to follow him, especially gigs in foreign countries. Gus is a drummer who has studied in both Sweden and in USA. On his visit to Bangkok this year Gus has chosen a saxophone player, Bertil Jonasson “Jonas” who, like the piano player, Pär Björck and the bass player, Stellan Ljung have fantastic talents and also experience from playing music together with wellknown persons from all over the world. As example “Jonas”has been playing together with Stan Getz, Chet Baker and many others.

The chefs The special Scandinavian Christmas food will be prepared by two chefs from Sweden, Jack Jansson and Björn Ekstrand.

Bjorn Ekstrand has several times before participated in Scandinavian Week festivals in Bangkok and needs no further introduction. For Jack Jansson, this event will be his first Scandinavian week in Bangkok – but possibly not the last.

Reservations for dinners or lunches during the period of the pre-Christmas celebrations should be made directly to: The St. Regis Bangkok. 159 Rajadamri Road, Bangkok 10330 / Telephone +66 (0) 2207 7777 Stregis.Com/Bangkok Find Us On Facebook 26 ScandAsia.Thailand • November 2012

November 2012 • ScandAsia.Thailand 27

Localization for success Ranked among the top 20 Language Service Providers in Asia by Common Sense Advisory this year, EQHO Communications Ltd. is capitalizing on a rapid increase in demand for localization solutions in emerging markets.

By Wachiraporn Janrut

From left to right: Per Taube, Tomas Julin, Steven Bussey and Ross Edwin Klinger

W

ith the rise of emerging markets, global companies are expanding in Asia more than ever before. To reach the markets effectively, companies need not only business knowledge but also communications that are suitable for local markets.

EQHO Communications Ltd. was established in 1996 by six Swedish entrepreneurs. Among the investors, Per Taube and Tomas Julin are the company’s biggest shareholders.

“Demand in the region has increased rapidly and it’s clearly happening here too. One of the main reasons that we opened an office in Thailand is due to the accessibility to well-educated and competent staff,” says Tomas, the chairman of EQHO. Per Taube’s main business is real estate development. He has invested in a number of property projects,

28 ScandAsia.Thailand • November 2012

including the notable “Airport City” project near the Stockholm-Arlanda Airport. Tomas Julin is from a telecommunication business background where he has been involved in a startup of mobile operators in over 15 countries worldwide.

Localization The two partners met in Sweden and co-invested in many businesses together. With their extensive experience in international business, the partners believe that localization is vital for successful business communications.

“In clear simple terms, localization is adapting to local markets. For communications, the main part of localization is done based on literalism.

Translation is, however, a small part of it because localization takes into account cultural angles, local practices and environments”, says Tomas. “It is a sophisticated business,” he adds.

“Most companies don’t want their words literally translated from a set of words in English to an equivalent set of words in another language. They want more than that.

They need a different version that is suitable for the local audience,” explains Steven Bussey, Marketing Manager of EQHO.

EQHO services EQHO provides a comprehensive range of translation and localization solutions in over 50 languages with a strong focus on Asian languages.

In addition to fully integrated documentation, software, website and multimedia localization solutions, stand-alone services also include localization engineering, desktop publishing, audio dubbing, subtitling, close captioning, multimedia engineering and localized product testing.

The company is well respected in the language services industry as a key supplier to many US and European based localization vendors and was recently ranked among Asia’s Top 20 Language Service Providers (LSPs)

by Common Sense Advisory. It is, in fact, the first ever Thailand-based LSP to be ranked by Common Sense Advisory.

EQHO’s growth can be attributed to many factors including a rapid increase in demand for Southeast Asian language services, the geographical location of the company, and competency of its staff in providing high quality services.

With office space of 700 square metres , the company employs 78 full-time staff of ten different nationalities to work in seven departments; Project Management, Resource Management, Audio & Multimedia, Desktop Publishing, Engineering & IT, Quality Assurance, and Account Management.

“Only about eight of the 78 staff works in linguistics. Many are project managers, technical engineers or work in other ancillary localization roles. The operation requires soft-

ware and computer-assisted translation tools to help maintain the high quality it provides. But, we don’t use computers to translate or to localize, rather we use them to assist,” says Ross Edwin Klinger, Chief Executive Officer of EQHO. “Each product is translated, edited and reviewed by our network of in-country linguists to ensure perfect grammar and style suitable for the locale and then our engineers will convert back to the original formats for delivery to our clients. The key is to make sure that the reader feels that the language was written in their language from the beginning”.

Ross adds that the company uses ‘translation memory’ software to maintain all of the work done for each client, meaning that if a similar kind of work is requested by the same client, the price tends to reduce because the previous work can in effect be ‘recycled’.

Located in the heart of Bangkok, the company also takes advantage of a large expat community to recruit professional voice talents to provide audio services.

High profile clients EQHO’s clients come from a wide range of industries and include many of the world’s largest corporations such as Pfizer, P&G, Nestle, Microsoft, IBM, Siemens, Hitachi, Air France, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, in addition to Scandinavian corporations such as MAERSK and IKEA. “We have about 500-600 active clients worldwide. You can pick virtually any industry, and I’m sure we work for leading companies within that industry. If the company is in the top 50 in the world, we probably work for them or at least have done at some point,” says Ross.

Though the company has systematic processes in dealing with all clients’ work and requests, Ross says that in reality it sometimes faces a challenge in negotiating with customers who want perfect quality

‘yesterday’ or in the shortest time frame at the lowest possible price.

Supporter of social projects Beyond the company’s aim to maximize profits, EQHO believes that communication is a medium for helping people understand each other and get closer together. Thus, the company supports social projects of Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) such as Translators without Borders and The Media Alliance.

Since the Haiti earthquake in 2010, Translators without Borders has provided humanitarian translations to aid groups working in the country and to other NGOs working across the globe in disaster relief, healthcare and education.

EQHO is a bronze sponsor of Translators without Borders, meaning that the company provides both financial support through a subscription fee and service support by offering Thai translation when it is required.

For The Media Alliance, the company supplies media localization solutions at reduced prices for the production of ‘Redraw the Line’, a campaign aiming to spark peoples’ concerns over climate change and environmental issues.

“If you are in a business, you can buy our services. But if you are not in a business and simply trying to help others, then we want to help you help them. We feel good about it,” says Ross.

On top of the two projects it supports, EQHO provides localization/ translation classes at Chulalongkorn University and the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC).

“We help develop curriculum for the Master’s Degree in Translation

and Interpretation at the universities.

Our staff teaches a number of courses including the Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) Tool class,” says Ms. Phanitanan Thomopson, Chief Operating Officer at EQHO. According to Phanitanan, EQHO provides qualified professors to help broaden visions of students in areas where translation has linked with science, localization, and communications in various media.

Business Expansion With the opening up of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015, the company foresees significant growth in demand for language solutions throughout the region.

“This is a great business opportunity for us since we are located in the heart of ASEAN. Asia is the only region that is growing and still has

forecasted growth for the next 3-4 years,” says Tomas.

In response to an increased demand in the region, the company is expanding into Laos where a new office in Vientiane will be open for operation in the last quarter of this year. The company is also looking to expand its operation in Cambodia and Myanmar in the near future.

“We will have a huge presence in this region. We want to move up in the top 20 list,” says Tomas.

As part of the Swedish management values, Tomas says that the company’s concerns are not only about the monetary value of the business but also the wellbeing of its employees.

“We have invested a lot of money in this business and we are happy that the company is doing very well today,” says Tomas.

EQHO’s staff working to maintain high quality audio November 2012 • ScandAsia.Thailand 29

Minimizing your risks From a Danish military background, Jesper K. Pedersen moved to Thailand in 2003 to work in security service industry. Last year, together with another Dane, he started his own security solutions company called ‘ARMA Group’.

By Wachiraporn Janrut

I

n today’s society and business environment where time is money and business trips must run like clockwork, travelling to or doing business in another country with a different language and culture can be stressful. A company that can help minimize your risks and make you feel at ease when you are in Southeast Asia is Danish security solutions provider ‘ARMA Group’.

Established last year, ARMA Group is headquartered in Denmark.

The operating company in Thailand, ARMA Group Thailand Co., Ltd. was established in January this year.

Though the company is new, Jesper is well known in the industry. In fact, on top of his Danish military background, he has extensive experience in security solutions of almost 10 years.

Since 2003, Jesper has worked in international security companies based in Thailand including Danishowned MPA-Securitas, Guardian-gbs and SSA (Security Services Asia).

With his connections and experience plus knowledge of local traditions and language, Jesper decided to establish his own security company.

“It’s natural for me coming from a military background in Denmark to do this. I enjoy getting involved with the training of our staff myself as well,” says Jesper.

Elite security officers At the moment, the company employs over 40 full-time security

officers who are well trained, experienced and equipped to handle security challenges for customers.

“There are many security companies out there but we focus on the quality of our security officers. Our officers are ‘elite security guards’. We aim to provide high level of international standard as well as practical insight on local environment,” says Jesper.

According to him, the company has good connections with local police and army forces as they sometimes require cooperation from them.

ARMA’s services ARMA provides security and advisory solutions specialized in the Southeast Asia region. The company’s services include all aspects of security from risk and vulnerability analysis, security survey/audits, information services, fixed site security, evacuation, crisis support to close personal protection/ executive protection.

ARMA’s customers are both private individuals and companies such as Top Fortune 500, where it provides security services and surveys for factories, warehouses, and many hotels and condominium projects in central Bangkok.

For close personal protection service, many of its customers are CEOs and top executives of multimillion dollar businesses in the west who travel to Southeast Asia and China for business. In this case, Jesper says that customers came to him because they wanted to have advice from someone who has been in the country for long enough to understand the language and local protocols.

According to him, part of the job here is also to manage for customers to meet their business schedules.

The operation tends to be stressful because top executives usually have strict business schedules. He says that a lot of them have high expectations and Bangkok’s traffic is challenging to deal with.

ARMA support during Thailand floods.

30 ScandAsia.Thailand • November 2012

Strong Network in Southeast Asia To share resources, experience and local knowledge, ARMA collaborates with its partners in Southeast Asia such as Guardian and PSI (Peak Systems International). The company has a strong network in Southeast Asia.

“It’s not that Bangkok and Southeast Asia are dangerous places. We just have to make sure that our customers are safe and that they have positive events going on in their trips because their reputation is out there,” says Larry Peak, Managing Director of PSI, “We want to make sure customers feel confident and relaxed so that they can focus on their work.”

Another main business of the company is to provide private investigation and due diligence for companies wishing to do joint ventures with companies in Thailand and other countries in Southeast Asia. The company does comprehensive background checks and forensic analysis for finance of local companies that its clients plan to work with.

Recently, Jesper and Larry travelled to Myanmar to conduct a country survey and look for business opportunities.

“There are definitely a lot of opportunities there. Myanmar will be booming in the next couple of years and corporate investigations and due diligence will be much needed for companies planning to do business there,” says Jesper.

ARMA Group plans on major expansion within security guard services in the coming 6-12 months in Thailand. To support this expansion, ARMA Group recently employed three top executives from within the security industry in Thailand.

“I feel confident that our team will be able to help our company gain a larger share of the market in Thailand,” says Jesper.

For more information about ARMA Group, visit www.arma-world.com

There are many security companies out there but we focus on the quality of our security officers. We aim to provide high level of international standard as well as practical insight on local environment.

November 2012 • ScandAsia.Thailand 31

Kelson - Mobile ap

The rapid rise of mobile phone apps has seen them become an indispensable part of many people’s daily lives. Capitalizing on this trend is Norwegian company Kelson, a creator of mobile apps for people with a modern lifestyle.

By Wachiraporn Janrut

L

ooking around the new generations of people in Bangkok travelling on the sky train, dining in a restaurant, having a drink in a pub, sitting with friends, and even walking on the street, you may notice that many of them are engaged on their smart phones. Have you ever wondered what they are doing?

Mobile apps development Beyond a mere communication tool, a mobile phone has become an item that plays an important part in many people’s lives today. No longer just a device to receive and make phone calls, a smart phone owned by many people today offers extensive functions.

With many mobile phone applications (apps) available, users can now take advantage of the technology to help them with many things in their daily lives from sending and receiving free messages and images,

32 ScandAsia.Thailand • November 2012

reading news, checking e-mails, editing and playing images, checking currency exchange rates, learning a new recipe to cook dinner at home, to looking for the nearest bars offering happy hours.

The list of today’s mobile phone apps is endless. It is perhaps, however, just the beginning of the revolution.

Mobile app development is on the rise.

“I think the apps trend in general has not reached its peak yet. Many people see it and want to make apps for their companies as well. Though it’s getting harder to get an app out in the market, I believe many more apps will be released,” says Anders Kjeldsen, owner of Kelson, a Norwegian company in Thailand capitalizing on this trend.

Establishment of Kelson Since 2007 Kelson in Norway has been creating mobile applications, website applications, websites, and graphic

designs for international clients.

Norwegian entrepreneur and programmer Anders Kjeldsen, 32, started Kelson in Thailand in 2010 with about five employees. The company employs 11 full-time staff today. The IT and Design Department consists of three programmers (including Anders), three mobile app developers, and three designers – two of which can also do website development.

“I made my first program when I was seven so it’s natural for me to do this kind of business. I have always been interested in creating programs because I think it is mentally challenging. I enjoy writing programs and see how they turn out on screens.

However, we need good designs to sell them too,” says Anders.

Kelson creates mobile apps, web designs and graphic designs for many local and international clients. The company also sells its works to its

pps creator Screenshots of Kelson’s EURO 2012 app

Stelvin and Anders

partners in Norway and Denmark.

Mr. Stelvin Tham, Business Development Director, says that most of its clients were Scandinavian in the beginning stage. However, the company’s customer base has grown to include more Thai and other foreign companies in Thailand. One of the company’s main advantages here is that all staff can speak good English.

“Many start-up companies who have business ideas come to us. We discuss ideas and offer them advice on feasibility and cost-effectiveness.

If they are interested, we then give them a quotation,” says Stelvin.

Mobile apps trend Since the mobile apps trend has taken off, the company has created many apps for iOS (iPhone, iPad etc) and Android devices such as online banking apps, currency trading apps, beer branding apps, cooking apps, restaurant menu apps, advanced

games apps and many more.

One of the company’s most popular apps is a game app that the company developed together with one of its Danish partners for Danish Carlsberg Brewery, which launched the app last Christmas to promote the release of its annual “Christmas Brew” of Tuborg beer. The app was very well received and became the top downloaded app in Denmark for a few weeks last Christmas.

Based on number of downloads, another most popular app created

by Kelson is EURO 2012, which hit over 50,000 downloads globally during the football season. The app allowed users to see football fixtures and receive instant updates on teams’ scores and ranks.

“I told the guys in the office to take some time off their main work to create an app that they want. The only one condition was that that they must include the company’s logo on there for promotional purposes. A lot of them like football and they came up with a brilliant idea,” says Stelvin.

The app was free to download.

According to Stelvin, the purpose there was to showcase mobile apps created by Kelson which hopefully will bring more clients to the company.

success comes from a large number of downloads,” says Stelvin. “But you can also sell apps. If you have an app that is demanded by a mass market worldwide, for example the ‘Angry Birds’ game, which hit at least over 30 million sales, then it takes off and a price of 99cents per download could lead to millions of dollars.”

Though there are many mobile apps available in the market, just a fraction of them become global hits.

“A lot of people think they can just make an app and it’s going to sell itself just because it’s available out there. To make an app popular, it actually requires a lot of marketing and research. You need not only to create the best app that stands out, but also to create interest in that app among people,” says Anders.

The company’s rates for making an app vary depending on complications and technical work requirements. For a simple app that works on a mobile phone without internet connection, prices start from 30,000 baht.

“We seldom go under 100,000 baht for creating an app. Many apps are complicated to make because we need a server site that links informa-

tion to the system. For example, we created an app called ‘Skuup’ for a Norwegian client. This app monitors a user’s location and provides information about available discounts at businesses within a 5km radius. This kind of app requires a huge system,” says Anders.

Apart from making mobile phone apps, the company also offers web design and graphic design services.

Though Kelson’s service rates are higher than most local companies, Stelvin states that the company delivers quality and handcrafted designs, and clients are sure to get what they pay for.

To give the office a good creative environment, the company aims to keep the office atmosphere casual and relaxed.

“This isn’t just work,” says Stelvin.

“We do this for fun as well.”

For more information, contact Kelson Co., Ltd. Forum Tower 32nd Floor, 184/221 Ratchadapisek Road, Huaykwang, Bangkok 10310 Tel. 085 225 1730 or visit www.kelson.co.th

Marketing tool “Most of the free apps we make are usually used for marketing purposes. There are many free apps with advertisements in them, and Screenshots of the special app Kelson and its Danish partner created for Carlsberg Brewery November 2012 • ScandAsia.Thailand 33

No such thing as ‘Society’

by Flemming Winther Nielsen

M

argaret Thatcher, The Iron Lady, once said: “There is no such thing as Society, there are individual men and women and there are families” ....’and then there is the law (state)’. In Continental Europe people were perplexed; this because the modern perspective of life is that our being basically revolves around the individual person interacting with Society. The family as such has a more recreational role.

But Mrs. Thatcher ruled an outdated class divided country without much mobility up and down in society.

Strange it may sound, but meanwhile Thatcher’s statement would immediately be endorsed by the oriental (Chinese) culture. In this perspective of life everything starts and ends with The Extended Family.

Confusion and knowledge When talking with many Scandinavians, both business people and private, the confusion and even anger regarding these cultural differences show up fast: ‘In closing a business deal I’m not only dealing with an individual, I’m also dealing with his father, uncle, sister and brother inlaw’ or the foreign boss: ‘My staff work and work but they cannot think for themselves, they refuse to take any decisions’.

In order to understand what is going on and act in a more professional way it is profitable to ‘lift up’ the understanding of the two ways of looking at life: The individualistic (Western) and the collectivistic (Eastern) perspective on life.

The Individualistic family is small.

The individuals are drawn with a solid line and the family with a dotted line to show the characteristics of this perspective; the individual human being is the focus, the entity to be supported and backed. This will be introduced from early childhood.

The family members are interacting heavily with society from Nursery to University, working life and eventually Social Welfare Office, therefore the dotted line. This regime is under stress in times of economic downturns. The families don’t have the resources to take over.

The Collectivist family is large.

All the members, from toddlers to widowed grandmothers, cousins and other next of kin, interact heavily with each other. Hence the dotted line around the single person. The family as such is the highest unit recognized, hence the solid line. The family is the castle -or the fortress if you like.

There is a problematic relation to the rest of what we call society and state, sometimes characterized by exploitation of the common good.

The collectivist family with an omni-

Individualistic view

From Skytte, Marianne (1996 and later) 34 ScandAsia.Thailand • November 2012

scient know-all head is under stress, also because of IT and the digital revolution.

other scapegoats, for example those few on social welfare.

The Norms

The most important factor to understand, both for Western business people and for travelers, is that the norms we bring with us are relative and don’t carry the weight of eternal truth about what is right or wrong, for example regarding pedagogical methods during

From the early childhood all of us wherever we live are taught norms, the way we believe important factors and happenings in our life should be met, handled and dealt with. A few characteristics:

From our side of the table

West

East

The relation between the sexes

Equality between men Hierarchical often male and women; romantic dominance; partner chosen via love. economy and rank.

Values in upbringing

Equality; self-fulfillMutual dependency; feeling ment; family relations of responsibility towards the optional; individualism. ‘Collective’; obedience and devotion.

The final aim of the moral

The moral of justice.

The moral of Honour.

More characteristics are lined up by Skytte, op. cit.

The real tricky thing about norms is that we, for so many reasons, are drilled even coded to see them as the truth, but we learn from history that that is not the case. When I was young, although long ago and far away, homosexuals were sick perverts, now they get married in the church. They are not seen as a threat anymore and we have found

upbringing. The more we can hold our own norms out at arm’s length and look at them, the more we will be able to understand, but not necessarily embrace, the norms of other cultures. But we will also be able to see through these other norms, even penetrate them – in order to get things done.

In the Western culture, children are drilled into individual thinking, taking

Collectivistic view

West

East

West

Opinion more and more complicated decisions by themselves, here and now! Then the child must also stand up for criticism if the decision proves to have unwanted effects -a lonely position. In the Eastern culture, the child will rely on the head of the family being the decision maker. The first obligation of the child is to obey, do what he is told, and don’t question the decisions. Doing so the child is free of the burden of responsibility.

When these two children grow up into young adults and meet with the intention of doing business, complications are to be foreseen. We have a whole industry dealing with ‘Cross-cultural Communication’, they are mostly just scratching the surface with commonplaces and their efforts will not help much. It all starts with the individual’s capacity to accept that he/she was ‘brainwashed’ from early childhood. No need to quit the norms –the brainwashing- but understand them as relative.

Realize that when you meet your counterpart, you meet the young front office man in the family, but he of course wants to show that he is of importance and that can eventually trick you. Nevertheless, behind him is the back office man, and behind him again, the real players. If you then know and accept, by looking hard at your own norms, that you shouldn’t expect a deal ‘here and now’, you are on the right track. It is not sure that

East

Party

you will ever meet the ‘Big Boss’ but you will meet his spirit in the form of the front office fellow. Can make you a bit paranoid, unless you realize the presence of the big man’s spirit and acknowledge the fact.

Leader lead!

-Foreign boss Thai staff If you are manager in a company with Thai staff, you will maybe notice that the staff work hard but regarding decisions and actions they will typically wait for you, you are the boss, you are expected to tell them what to do and eventually how to do it. Many young Thais are well aware that this is a problem in a modern digitalized world, but they, often in despair, exclaims: ‘But we never learnt to think out of the box’.

The silliest thing you can do is to regard your Thai staff as stupid, they are not, they are children of their cultural norms. I have two adopted Thai sons. It has been a job for their mother and me to ‘lift’ them up to some thinking ‘out of the box’; they absolutely haven’t learned that in school. Take the motorcycle taxi drivers; they are extremely fast and smart but hopelessly underused.

Your most profitable option as employer is to handle your staff with patience and care. That becomes easier if you can laugh a bit, looking at yourself, your norms and your belly!

I know well that all this is not new to some old hands in this country, but I also know, from so many talks in confidence, that the young ones and the newcomers don’t see what is going on right under their nose, but just wonder why their counterparts are not reacting in a proper (read Western) manner.

The author has working and research experience from the Sudan, Zambia, Portugal and Thailand.

Thanks to Claus Gundersen for valuable comments and proofreading.

The icons are designed by Liu Young, born in China - educated in Germany.

West

East

The Boss West

East

Handling of Problems West

East

Travelling November 2012 • ScandAsia.Thailand 35

Myanmar Trail

36 ScandAsia.Thailand • November 2012

Blazers Two Danish Myanmar experts, Jakob Thoft Korslund and Bjarke Manniche Nielsen, have from their physical base in Bangkok set up the company “Myanmar Liaison Limited” with the purpose of assisting other companies in entering the difficult Myanmar market.

By Rose Jensen Photo by Thierry Julien

T

heir first contract has been entered with the Danish company Thrane & Thrane whereby Myanmar Liaison Limited has become the sole distributor for Myanmar of Thrane & Thrane’s maritime radio communication and navigation equipment in Myanmar. The deal is attractive, as Thrane & Thrane’s Sailor series presently holds an overwhelming share of the global market and is already in great demand in Myanmar.

Together with a local partner, the two Danes are now in the process of establishing a large showroom for Thrane & Thrane in a very attractive Yangon location.

The two Danes had expected to concentrate on Danish companies interested in Myanmar, but based on the response they have also had from non-Danish companies they have now started the process of establishing yet another separate company.

“The response has been quite overwhelming, so we are now working on a new business initiative together with a partner that we cannot yet disclose the name of. But the idea is to adopt a much broader Nordic/north European perspective,” says Jakob Korslund.

Myanmar hysteria Jakob and Bjarke notes with slight amusement that since the opening of Myanmar has become a reality, a lot of experts on the country have come out of seemingly nowhere.

For anyone interested in Myanmar it should be noted, that there is no such thing as easy money, they say. That goes, if anything, only more so for Myanmar, they add.

“Myanmar is a traumatized country and characterized by distrust towards not only outsiders, but anyone who a person or group of persons is not already familiar with. That is why local presence and having network entry points is critical,” Jakob explains.

“I would like to stress also that with the hype right now being felt in Bangkok and elsewhere – sometimes bordering hysteria, I’d say – it is important to do your own research and use multiple sources, rather than just running with any one of the many many ‘Myanmar experts’ who have suddenly appeared, seemingly from out of nowhere.”

Many of these experts also seem to forget to look at what is good for Myanmar.

“In terms of general development we firmly believe that what Myanmar needs right now, almost more than anything, is to get some ‘wheels turning’, creating business and local jobs, in order to get a functional and sustainable economy up and running.

“Our aim is to do profit oriented business in partnerships to the benefit of local progress. By making use of our portfolio of local partners and focal points, we are in a position to help companies find local partners and customers, or make bids for government tenders - basically facilitating business”, says Jakob.

Bjarke adds: “At a time when especially Europe is hard hit by economic crisis we feel motivated to help Danish, and other, companies find new markets,” adding that “it feels great to be able to be part of ‘win-win’ initiatives”.

“Old” hands The strength of Myanmar Liaison Limited lies not least in the two partners’ combined several years of experience in Myanmar.

Jakob Thoft Korslund arrived in Thailand in 2006 to do an internship with United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). He continued to do a Master Degree in Development and International Relations, and worked almost three years as Political & Consular Officer with the Royal Danish Embassy in Bangkok. In September 2010 he went back to Denmark where he spent one year in Copenhagen, only to return to Bangkok last year with fresh ideas and a new-found ambition for private enterprise.

Before co-founding the Myanmar Liaison Limited company in January 2012, he worked for the advanced web design company Area Digital and Control Risks Group, which is a global risk and strategic consulting firm specialising in political, security and integrity risk.

Bjarke Manniche Nielsen’s career includes two years with the Population and Community Development Association (PDA) in Thailand and 3,5 years of service as Senior Programme Officer at the Danish Embassy in Bangkok. Bjarke

was responsible for the Danish development assistance to Myanmar, which has given him a very extensive insight into the socio-economic development of Myanmar. Bjarke has also actually lived in Yangon while working as Project Coordinator for the Australia based Institute for International Development (IID).

Together, hey have successfully developed an extensive and efficient network in Myanmar which include many highly placed focal points, as is critical when doing business in the country.

Advice for business with Myanmar For anyone interested in starting business in or with Myanmar determination and perseverance is key, according to Jakob - and definitely along with a good measure of patience. He further mentions that work on local networks is important - a lot of time must be invested in this, as it will very often determine which possibilities and alternative options you will have as a business.

To this end, he adds, a real physical presence in Myanmar is necessary – i.e. by frequent visits and/or a locally placed representatives.

“As in any country, it is also important to nurture multiple positive relationships in the local business community and not - so to speak place “too many eggs in one basket”.

The turnover of people in influential positions - private sector as well as official - has increased dramatically since democratic reform started gaining momentum and are likely to continue. Depending on the context and sector it can be notoriously difficult to predict who will be the decision makers tomorrow”.

“Reality checks should always be done, especially in regards to HR issues, logistics and market opportunities, just as it is also important to steer clear of indications of corrupt practices and people with a tainted reputation”, he adds.

But overall, Myanmar is an exciting once-and-for-all opportunity that is happening right now.

“It has really been an adventure and there is no indication that it will slow down for us anytime soon – the future is exciting, to say the least,” Jakob says.

November 2012 • ScandAsia.Thailand 37

Bangkok Hospital Hua Hin is part of the Bangkok Hospital Group.

The first Bangkok Hospital was founded in 1972 and has since expanded to become the flagship of the largest network of private hospitals in Southeast Asia, with 27 hospitals throughout Thailand and two hospitals in Cambodia.

Hua Hin Hea Bangkok Hospital Hua Hin has been around for little more than one year but has already established itself firmly in the Royal Thai seaside resort.

By Gregers Moller

38 ScandAsia.Thailand • November 2012

I

t has been only one year since the opening of Bangkok Hospital Hua Hin, but in that short time the hospital has already reached out twice to the Scandinavian community in Hua Hin - the first time was at a live demonstration of its Sky ICU helicopter and the second time was at a meeting with the Swedish Association of Hua Hin. At both events, the charismatic director of the hospital, Prof. Dr. Somarch Wongkhomthong, took the center stage.

Dr. Somarch was also the driving force behind Bangkok Hospital Hua Hin attaining the prestigious Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation in a record-breaking nine-month period.

“Joint Commission International accreditationis widely regarded as the gold standard for healthcare providers worldwide. Achieving this certification puts our hospital among the finest hospitals in the world and sends a positive message to patients and insurance companies regarding our dedication to providing the best possible care,” says Dr. Somarch.

An additional certification earned

by Bangkok Hospital Hua Hin is the German-based TEMOS accreditation.

“Temos stands for Telemedi-

cine for Mobile Society. This certification evaluates not only the quality of our medical services, but also non-medical services like our accounting practices.”

Temos certification is rapidly gaining importance among patients who wish to seek medical treatment overseas - which an increasing number of Europeans are now doing.

33 pct Nordic Patients Breaking the patient statistics of Bangkok Hospital Hua Hin down demographically, Dr. Somarch is pleased to report that the single largest group among the international patients comes from the Nordic countries Sweden (12 pct), Norway (9 pct), Denmark (7 pct) and Finland (5 pct).

The migrating habits of the Scandinavians in Hua Hin are revealed in the patient mix at Bangkok Hospital Hua Hin. While approximately half of them stay all year round, the seasonal Scandinavians represent a predicable sloping curve in the patient numbers as they fly back home during the summer months and return in time to escape the Nordic winter.

Progress The goal in establishing Bangkok Hospital Hua Hin was to provide an

alth

exceptional healthcare care option to both Thais and foreigners living in this historic seaside retreat, and its ability to offer high quality service can be seen in the numbers. Each month, the patient volumes have exceeded those of the same month from the previous year, which serves a good indicator that quality of care is being maintained.

Starting from the most essential service, one needs to look no further than the state-of-the-art emergency room, which has since Day 1 has been in a class of its own.

Staffed with six emergency physicians, no other hospital in Hua Hin can offer the same level of professional care when it is needed most, explains Dr. Somarch.

Another advantage of the hospital which Dr. Somarch highlights is the effective use of telemedicine.

“This means, for instance, that we can convert all scans and x-rays to digital format and transfer them to our headquarters in Bangkok, where an expert radiologist confirms our reading of the images. We also have an advanced high-definition web camera and RP7i Robot which can be used by medical advisors in Bangkok to help diagnose and recommend treatment for patients in Hua Hin.”

Prof. Dr. Somarch answering questions from the members of the Swedish Association in Hua Hin.

Private vs. Public hospitals The private vs. public debate is often a hot topic among Nordic patients. Most Nordic patients tend to be impressed by the private hospital offerings in Thailand, extending beyond the décor or even the level of advanced medical technology, to the higher levels of service and personal attention. But perhaps paradoxically, many of these same satisfied patients can be heard defending the Nordic public welfare system with cries of contempt, saying that private hospitals only cater to those with means, that they draw human resources from the public sector and create inequality in healthcare.

And while these are difficult and complicated questions, Dr. Somarch has a very even handed and clearminded perspective with respect to how the public and private systems work side-by-side in Thailand.

“Put simply, we offer the choice of more personalized healthcare services, with the added benefit that every time a patient decides to choose a private hospital, the government can save the money they would have spent on taking care of that patient and use it for patients who are less fortunate.”

“It is also worth noting that if we

provide our value added services efficiently, we both create a positive contribution to the economy while also contributing more in terms of taxes that can be used by the government to fund health programs for those in the public system,” says Dr. Somarch.

The argument that private hospitals drain the public hospitals for medical staff is also not as clear cut as it may seem.

“In Thailand, many of our best doctors work in both the public and private sector. Some of our university hospitals, for example, are truly exceptional and have surgical complication rates lower than can be found in many western hospitals.

To further complicate the argument, several of the public hospitals are now building private wings to provide value added services for patients seeking additional comfort.”

In Japan, where Dr. Somarch has

a distinguished career as a doctor and professor, he is familiar with a system that is different both from the Thai as well as the Nordic.

“Insurance is compulsory in Japan and everybody pays to their health insurance provider. But that doesn’t provide free choice for the individual either. There you are limited to what the insurance company scheme is willing to reimburse, which is just as restrictive.”

“With the private hospitals in Thailand, individuals can make the personal choice to forgo the free treatment they are entitled to and choose instead a different avenue of treatment. Private hospitals provide patients with choice,” says Dr. Somarch.

November 2012 • ScandAsia.Thailand 39

Swedish delicacies and at Black Mountain Golf Swedish Executive Chef Mårten Karlsson offers a variety of delectable dishes including Swedish and Scandinavian favourites at the restaurant at Black Mountain Golf Club.

By Joakim Persson

S

candinavian favourites like ‘beetroot’ and ‘lingonberry jam’ are side dishes going down well with many mouth-watering courses, including some Swedish classics which can be savoured at the restaurant at Black Mountain Golf Club, Hua Hin. How about Meatball sandwich or Swedish Pannbiff (Pan-fried minced beef with friend onion, red wine sauce, fried potato and lingonberries)?

Or Meatballs with mashed potatoes?

Such delicious dishes combined with an outstanding panorama view of the golf course and the valley form the perfect combination well worth a visit, whether you are into golfing or not! Increasingly, the growing population of residents in the neighbourhood embraces that activity. If preferring not to be exposed to the soaking heat from the sun, the club house restaurant offers shade and perfect view of the action. And Black

40 ScandAsia.Thailand • November 2012

Mountain’s own expansive residential property development also contributes to more of these regular guests as club members.

It feels appropriate that some dishes on the menu are Swedish when both the owner and the executive chef are from that country, and since many guests of Black Mountain also are Scandinavians (hordes of golfers flying in during peak winter seasons).

Chefs smitten by Thailand When Anders Hagstedt moved on to open up his own restaurants downtown, his good friend and chef Mårten Karlsson took over the helm as Executive Chef at this golf course restaurant.

They had both worked for the Swedish restaurant brand Rico’s on Phuket - Anders for six seasons, while Mårten five - so it was not difficult for Anders to suggest his successor.

From the beginning they had been smitten by Thailand’s appeal while travelling around here on holiday, and did not hesitate to apply when Rico’s advertised in Sweden for Swedish chefs.

“I took over after Anders who had had more of a food and beverage management role, but when he left we also got more to do here, as the golf course got more established. It has been increasing on a yearly basis.

The setup to have one restaurant and one kitchen manager continued,” says Mårten who spends 90 per cent of his time by the stove, in teamwork with their Thai chefs.

“I also taste the Thai food when westerners have ordered. But for Thais I let the Thais handle it; it’s so different in taste and spices. For Thais - we do it more genuine.”

Catering to golfers and residents

panorama valley view Club We offer a wide variety of dishes on the menu, such as meat including hamburgers, some Italian pasta and salads - there is something for everyone.”

The starter Chevré toast with marinated beetroots, roasted watermelon seeds and Thai honey, or Grilled scallops with asparagus, citrus emulsion and balsamic vinaigrette are examples which give you an idea of the variety on the very attractive food menu, which offers splendid photographs of each dish.

“We try to come up with new dishes. And when they get popular, we use them to replace dishes that sell less. Many of our customers are people who want to get something to eat before playing or when coming in hungry after a round of golf.

So food should be served in a fairly rapid fashion, taste well, and fresh.

That is our overall guidance.”

The golf course can host 220

players and that is about the number of meals ordered per day during high season.

“We often have corporate events: golf competitions with prize ceremony and dinner afterwards and maybe with some entertainment.”

On top of this, the golf course hosted some major golf tournaments such as The Asian Tour and The Royal Trophy.

The growing number of residents is also bringing more business to the restaurant, including private parties and in-villa dining event with catering and BBQ sessions.

“More and more people are moving in to their villas and condominiums, so this upcoming high season will be very busy for us.”

Finding the balance And before the hectic season kicks off again, Mårten has been able to recuperate by having more time for

his family and his favourite pastime (not a hard guess) golf.

“I play as much as I can, mostly here. In low season, some of us Swedes try to meet regularly and play, alternating between the different golf courses in the area.”

“It’s much more relaxing here in Hua Hin, more golf and going to the beach etc. when having a day off,” when asked to compare with Phuket.

“But there is not much time for that during high season,” he adds.

Work wise, having worked in kitchens with Thais for many years he thinks it gets better and better each year.

“Best method is that one must be straight but at the same time fairly kind. Pushing them hard will not work at all. At the same time one cannot be too kind because that will also not work well, so one must find the right balance. A combination is best, I think.”

November 2012 • ScandAsia.Thailand 41

Planning 70 weddi

42 ScandAsia.Thailand • November 2012

dings this year Norwegian Ingeborg Fallet Kristensen came to Thailand, planning to stay a year. Now 16 years later she is the official wedding planner for Star Tours with her own travel agency in Krabi. Ingeborg herself has been engaged for four years, but still hasn’t had time to organize her own wedding.

By Dennis Krog

“I

came to Thailand in 1996 on a one year contract to work at a hotel, but every year I extended my contract for another year,” says Ingeborg Fallet Kristensen, owner of the travel agency Krabi-Spesialisten, looking back on the beginning of her many years in Thailand.

Ingeborg Fallet Kristensen has a hotel management degree from Switzerland, and as she came to Thailand she started working for the Sheraton hotel in Phuket.

“I always planned on going home every year when I had fulfilled my contract, but after four years of always extending my stay here I made the decision of not putting an end date to my Thai life,” says Ingeborg Fallet Kristensen.

So far the 41-year-old Norwegian has lived 16 years in Thailand, first in Phuket and now Ao Nang in Krabi. She enjoyed her work in the hotel industry, but after spending many years working for other people Ingeborg Fallet Kristensen decided it was time for a change.

“I am a very impulsive person, and in 2003 I just decided to start up Krabi-Spesialisten. I had no business plan, no money - nothing. I just launched the company.”

Tough beginning The beginning for Ingeborg Fallet Kristensen and Krabi-Specialisten was tough, although Ao Nang was not hit badly by the tsunami in 2004, the lack of tourists that followed didn’t help the business.

“The first thing you have to learn here is patience, and then always to have a plan B and a plan C, and if that doesn’t work then just move on and don’t get too frustrated when things don’t work out as you planned,” says Ingeborg Fallet Kristensen.

And even though the beginning did not go as Ingeborg had hoped, hard work of Ingeborg and her regular staff of 16 – 40 during high season - have started to pay off.

“We are finally over the bubble.

Now we have to start making money,” says Ingeborg Fallet Kristensen, who not only offers everything a normal travel agency does, but also provides groups and companies with tailor made tours.

However, her specialty is without a doubt organizing weddings - every year with greater success - which actually made her start a second company in 2008, a company that concentrates on the wedding business.

The wedding planner Almost from the beginning of the career in the travel business, Ingeborg Fallet Kristensen has been arranging weddings for mostly foreigners. The locations are yachts, the beach or other romantic places, and because of the great feedback to the weddings Ingeborg has arranged, KrabiSpecialisten has become the official wedding planner for Star Tours.

“It has been very good,” says Ingeborg when asked how it works with the second company focusing on weddings.

“This time I didn’t make the same mistakes I did when I initially opened

up Krabi- Spesialisten.”

A normal beach wedding will cost you around 20.000 – 100.000 Baht, and especially Norwegians are taking advantage of the opportunity of marrying in Thailand, as they – beside having Ingeborg taking care of everything – get a special treat.

“We can arrange for The Norwegian Seamen’s Minister to come down here from Pattaya and marry the couples. That is only possible for Norwegians as other Scandinavian countries only allow blessings, but Norwegians can actually get married properly here,” says Ingeborg Fallet Kristensen.

In 2011 Ingeborg Fallet Kristensen and her staff arranged 69 wedding in Thailand, which is the record so far for the company, but according to Ingeborg the record will not stand for long, as the bookings for 2012 show an increase this year as well.

Ingeborg herself is engaged to be married, but the engagement has already been four years and she still can’t flash a wedding ring, which has its reasons.

“Well first of all we just haven’t had the time yet and second of all my wedding needs to be so good, normally arranging them myself,” Ingeborg laughs and adds that some of her staff have offered to plan the wedding.

Control freak letting go The fact that Ingeborg now juggles two companies, and at the same time has been trying for the last four years to find time to get married, has made her realize that she needed managerial help to run her business.

“In many ways I am a control freak, but I am trying to change that,” says Ingeborg Fallet Kristensen.

“I employed a General Manager last year as I am trying to change the company from a family business to a “real” company. Letting go has not been easy, but the General Manager and the rest of my staff are doing such a good job, which makes it easier,” adds Ingeborg.

And with the business going well, there is no chance the Norwegian woman, who first came to Thailand with the intent of staying one year, will return to her home country, a country she misses dearly and visits once or twice a year.

“I have a new motivation now with the business going well, and I can’t see myself leaving Thailand anytime soon.”

November 2012 • ScandAsia.Thailand 43

The caring Phuket Anita Somaini

My guests have been working their entire life, and as they get ready to enjoy their retirement, illness should not destroy their dream or leave them with insufficient care in Europe or somewhere else.

People don’t deserve that.

Foreigners generally have few options if they want to stay in Thailand when they get older and need personal care. But now there is one more home for the elderly available as Phuket has seen the opening of a home with very high standards.

By Dennis Krog

Fon Phiwsa

44 ScandAsia.Thailand • November 2012

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ore and more grey hair is seen around the world and many countries are facing a challenge of providing and paying for the care of elderly people who cannot take care of themselves.

In Thailand it is traditionally the family who will take care of the elderly, but for the elderly Scandinavians or other Europeans living in Thailand the tradition is different and admission to one of the government owned nursing homes in their home country is not always possible. For this growing group of people, a quality nursing home offering decent care, as life turns to that unavoidable situation where one needs to be taken care of, has been hard to find in Thailand.

But this January a Swiss lady decided to open a home in Rawai, Phuket.

“My guests have been working their entire life, and as they get ready to enjoy their retirement, illness should not destroy their dream or leave them with insufficient care in Europe or somewhere else. People don’t deserve that,” says 50 year old Anita Somaini who opened up the Baan Tschuai Duu Lää nursing home in Phuket in January 2012.

Anita Somaini is a trained nurse from Switzerland with many years of experience, but even though she has taken care of people her whole adult

life she has always been unhappy with the quality of care the elderly faced in Europe. She felt she could change this if she set up a home in Thailand, a country she knows well as her husband has been doing business here for many years, with Anita spending a lot of her time in Phuket.

Not enough time After some time of looking into the opportunities in Phuket, Anita opened the Baan Tschuai Duu Lää home with the assistance of her trusted business partner Fon Phiwsa.

Fon and Anita share the view that the main problem with the system in Europe is too little time for the patients or as they are called in Baan Tschuai Duu Lää - the guests.

“In Europe we are so well trained, but we have no time to take care of the guests. We have that time here, and I must say it has been a personal relief for me finally to be able to give the care I was trained to provide,” says Anita, who adds that because of the lower staff wages and medicine costs the Phuket nursing home can offer 24 hour assistance to each guest. Twice the cost would according to Anita provide each guest wich a maximum of six hours assistance a day in Europe.

The nursing home is situated overlooking Phuket from the high ground, providing a fantastic view

Nursing Home

during a walk, and if walking isn’t an option maybe the swimming pool pool right next to the outside dining table is. Every guest has their own room with en-suite bathroom in this villa, which has massage facilities as well as every other necessary equipment needed for providing a pleasant stay, and a pleasant stay is exactly what Anita and her trained staff wants to offer.

“You eat when you are hungry it doesn’t have to be at a certain time.

If you want to have your morning coffee at 9am then that is what you do, why should we decide when and what you eat, if there is no health problems preventing your wishes?”

Anita asks without waiting for an answer. ”I get such a pleasure out of seeing our guests smiling. Even though not every guest is reachable I can feel that they are happy being here,” says Anita Somaini, emphasizing that keeping her nursing home small is another deliberate decision she made as she opened the doors to care taking on Phuket.

like a small family. We are dependent on each other and we take care of each other. If a nursing home gets too big it is easy to leave the ‘difficult’ patients in a corner. Here we can have focus on all our guests,” says Anita.

The Baan Tschuai Duu Lää nursing home takes both long-term and short-term patients, but the rumor of the family atmosphere has already spread to people, who are still doing well on their own, making for a couple of interesting requests. ”We have had elderly people asking if they could come here even though they didn’t need any assistance, but then we have to tell them that we only take guests who require care to some degree, because the rest of Phuket offers splendid resorts,” says Anita and starts laughing.

Like at the resorts it is not free to stay at the Baan Tschuai Duu Lää.

A full board stay in these luxurious surroundings will cost you between 65 – 100 Euros a day, depending on which type of care and medicine you need, but then there will be no other added costs.

I want it to be a small family

The paradox of the European health care system

At the moment the Nursing home can only host four guests and even though expansion possibilities are available 8 - 12 guests will be the maximum.

“It is important for me that we are

upset. She has no understanding why governments or health care insurance agencies do not support health care abroad.

“I really don’t get it! If they decided to support their countrymen staying at a nursing home here in Thailand it would cost them only half of what they pay today to keep the elderly in a nursing home back home. And we take better care of them. It’s insane,” says Anita Somaini and shakes her head as if she doesn’t believe her own words.

For some Scandinavian people, support is possible. Some Norwegian municipalities have e.g. opened up for

the financial support, but it is one of the only countries doing so, much to the regret of Anita Somaini. Not because she wants to make more money, but simply because it doesn’t make sense.

“When we don’t want more than 8 – 12 guests it’s never going to be a cash cow, so that’s not the reason, says Anita, who runs her business on one simple rule.

“I refuse to reduce our high standards. I have seen too much of that in my life. If we are forced to do so, then I would rather close down, fortunately nothing points in that direction.”

The lack of government support from countries in Scandinavia or elsewhere in Europe for nursing homes like Baan Tschuai Duu Lää is something that can get Anita quite

November 2012 • ScandAsia.Thailand 45

Special offers at

Anchana Resort & Spa

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ocated 30 minutes south of Hua Hin on Pranburi Beach amidst the mountains in Sam Roi Yod National Park, Anchana Resort & Spa boasts traditional architecture and Thai style decoration. The resort’s rooms range from Deluxe to one or two-bedroom villas, offering cable TV, wifi internet, private balconies and amenities.

The resort offers ScandAsia readers 50 percent discount on the rack room rates for bookings of Deluxe rooms and Villas for weekday (Sunday to Friday) including daily breakfast for two. Surcharge for weekend (Saturday) is THB 500 per room per night.

On top of the special room rates, guests can choose to enjoy either one complimentary pizza or one-hour foot massage at no charge. For a booking of seven nights, additional complimentary seven room nights will be offered.

The offers are not applicable for Songkran and New Year periods. Surcharge for a stay during long weekend is THB 1,000 per room per night.

For more information, contact 0 2516 1574-8 or 032 559 366-7 or visit www.anchana.com

Enjoy the festive spirit at

Le Méridien Chiang Rai Resort

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For more information, contact 053 603 333 or visit www.lemeridien.com/chiangrai

46 ScandAsia.Thailand • November 2012

e Méridien Chiang Rai Resort is located in Thailand’s northernmost province, a region known for its breathtaking mountain scenery, Buddhist shrines and ancient ruins. The resort is a short drive from Chiang Rai International Airport and one-hour drive from the Golden Triangle – where Myanmar, Laos and Thailand converge.

Recently it has launched a special package offering 25 percent discount for bookings made from now until 23 December 2012 and completed by 31 March 2013. The package offers special rates starting from THB 3,750++ per room per night including daily breakfast for two.

Guests can also enjoy additional 15 percent discount on the following festive dinner promotions at the resort’s restaurant by the Kok River.

On 28 November 2012, the resort offers the Loy Krathong Celebration Buffet Dinner at THB 1,375 nett per person. On 24 December 2012, Christmas Eve Buffet Dinner at “Latest Recipe” is at THB 1,575 nett per person and Christmas Eve Set Dinner at “Favola” is at THB 1,575 nett per person. On 31 December 2012, New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner at “Latest Recipe” is at THB 3,750 nett per person. The rates include dinner, performance and entertainment, but not applicable for free flow drinks.

Note that 30 days advanced booking is required.

Hilton Hua Hin Resort & Spa joins the carbon offset program

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For anyone interested in organising an event at Hilton Hua Hin Resort & Spa, contact 032 538 947 or visit www.hilton.com

ilton Hua Hin Resort & Spa has recently joined the carbon offset program launched by Hilton Worldwide. The program aims to reduce environmental impact of events and meetings held at participating properties across Southeast Asia.

At no additional cost to customers, Hilton Worldwide will measure carbon generated by all events at 11 of its properties in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, and purchase carbon credits to offset their environmental impact. The carbon credits will be used to fund renewable energy projects in Borneo and Cambodia.

The program applies to events held from 1 October 2012. It covers all events such as meetings, conferences, weddings and other social occasions held in the participating hotels’ function rooms.

Hilton Worldwide will use its LightStay™ Meeting Impact Calculator to track and measure carbon emissions from each event held.

The calculator takes into account factors such as the event room water and electricity usage, food consumed, and guest rooms booked.

LightStay™ is Hilton Worldwide’s proprietary system for analysing, reporting and improving sustainability performance at each of its properties around the world.

Reporting through LightStay™, Hilton Worldwide has achieved its five-year goal to reduce total waste output by 20 percent; and is on track to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions by 20 percent, and water consumption by 10 percent by 2013.

Hilton Worldwide’s two initial beneficiaries of the carbon offset program in Southeast Asia are the Borneo Rainforest Rehabilitation Project and Cambodia Cookstove Project.

Ramada Khao Lak

promotes community care initiative

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For more information, contact 076 427 777 or visit www.ramadakhaolak.com 48 ScandAsia.Thailand • November 2012

or anyone looking for a tropical getaway while helping out a good cause, beachfront Ramada Resort Khao Lak has initiated activities to promote community spirit and pursue the green environment.

As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Program, the resort offers various fun activities for guests to participate in including free trips to the Sea Turtle Conservation Centre, mangrove, tree and vegetable planting, beach and road clean-up drives, temple preservation and restoration, donations to local and other districts in Thailand affected by floods and merit-making. Moreover, guests are offered opportunities to support local sport teams and participate in activities developed for youngsters in local schools.

“We don’t look at this as a chore or a box we have to tick,” said Ramada Resort Khao Lak’s General Manager Michael Vorderleitner.

“We look at it mainly as fun. CSR is a great way to generate a feel good factor between locals, hotel team members and guests.”

According to Michael, many guests jumped at the chance to give something back to those less fortunate than themselves, or to help protect and nurture the beautiful environment where they were enjoying their vacation.

Michael said the free trips for guests to the Sea Turtle Conservation Centre at nearby Tablamu Naval Base every Tuesday from 10am to noon had proved very popular.

“There is no entrance fee, but we encourage guests to give generously to the Conservation Centre, and many have done so.

“Khao Lak is so very different from Phuket. It’s quiet, natural, pristine and very special. We are proud to be doing our part in keeping it that way, and giving our guests the chance to do the same,” said Michael.

Medium

Old-fashioned pot roast beef

Evil

By Kim Birkkjaer Lund

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raditional old fashion Danish cooking very often includes long cooking time and gravy. Danes love gravy and for most dishes a thick brown gravy is preferred. Gammeldags oksesteg or Old-fashioned pot roast beef is no exception.

Originally oksesteg was a Sunday dish or for parties and celebrations like milestone birthdays. When I was a kid in the 1960s ordinary people didn’t have beef on weekdays but if they had meat dishes it would usually be with minced pork which was cheap compared to beef and could be extended by mixing with flour, vegetables or whatever you had at hand.

Ingredients: • 1 Kg Beef chuck or shoulder • 2 onions • 3 carrots • 20 g butter • 1 l water • 2 bay leaves • Cornstarch • Salt and pepper Accessories: • 1 Kg potatoes • 4 carrots • Pickled gherkins • Lingonberry jam • Currant Jelly

Are you done?

W

hen you have completed the above puzzles, please send your solution by fax to +66 2 943 7169 or scan and email to puzzles@ scandasia.com. We will make a lucky draw among the correct answers. Five lucky winners will receive a ScandAsia polo shirt.

Name:

___________________________________________________

Age: ________________________

Mobile:

___________________

Address:

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

Email:

__________________________________________________

Deadline for submitting your solution is 15 December 2012 50 ScandAsia.Thailand • November 2012

Directions: Trim the meat free of tendons fat and season well with salt and pepper.

Melt the butter in a casserole and brown the roast on all sides until golden and caramelized. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions.

When the onions begin to brown add water, carrots and bay leaves.

Cock the roast at low heat for approximately three hours until it’s very tender. Add more water during cooking if necessary.

Transfer the roast to a cutting board and cover with foil. Strain the jus through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl and return back to the casserole. Blend the carrots and onions from the strainer in the jus and thicken with cornstarch.

Slice the roast and serve it with boiled potatoes, steamed carrots, pickled gherkins, lingonberry jam and currant jelly.

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