AUG 2014
Danish chef
joins rank of Thai cuisine innovators ScandAsia.dk
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Coming Events
Young Professionals Networking Event Date: Thursday, 14 August 2014, 18:30-20:30 pm at Harlem Shakers (Thonglor8)
Cover Photo: Benjarong Restaurant, Dusit Thani Group.
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 Manukitch 29 Prasert Manukitch 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 Managing Editor: Thana Poopat thana@scandmedia.com Advertising : Finn Balslev finn@scandmedia.com Piyanan Kalikanon piyanan@scandmedia.com Nattapat Maesang nattapat@scandmedia.com Graphic Designer : Peerapol Meesuwan Peerapol@scandmedia.com Printing : Siamprint Co., Ltd.
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If you are “Young” and “Young at Heart”, The Danish-Thai Chamber of Commerce together with its partnering chambers cordially invite you to Young Professionals Networking Event. As DTCC will arrange the monthly networking event under the theme “Young Professionals”, this networking event provides an opportunity for business people in the entrepreneurial startups to network with experienced business people.To learn and retrieve valuable lessons about doing business in Thailand. Cost: 250 Baht for members and 500 Baht for non-members Get one free beer and free-flow finger foods and special drink promotion for 50 Baht/drink for two special cocktails for ladies from Harlem Shakers! ** Limited seats, first come first serve Should you have any questions or further inquiries please do not hesitate to contact Ms.Pichamon Srikunasai(Project Coordinator) by email at contact@dancham.or.th or call 02-354-5220
News Brief
EU downgrades relations, suspends cooperation with Thailand
Norwegian adds direct Copenhagen-Bangkok route
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tatement issued by Foreign Affairss Council in Luxembourg on 23 June 2014 “1.The European Union and Thailand are bound together by strong and longstanding ties, ranging from trade, tourism, investments and culture, to people to people contacts. 2. It was therefore with extreme concern that the Council has followed recent developments in Thailand. It called on the military leadership to restore, as a matter of urgency, the legitimate democratic process and the Constitution, through credible and inclusive elections. The Council also called on all parties to exercise the utmost restraint. Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms must be upheld. Furthermore the Council urged military authorities to free all political detainees, to refrain from any further arrests for political reasons and to remove censorship. 3. The military leadership’s recent announcement falls short of the credible roadmap for a return to constitutional rule which the situation requires. Fully functioning democratic institutions must be brought back to ensure the protection and welfare of all citizens. 4. Against this background, the EU is forced to reconsider its engagement. Official visits to and from Thailand have been suspended; the EU and its Member States will not sign the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with Thailand, until a democratically elected government is in place. Other agreements will, as appropriate, be affected. EU Member States have already begun to review their military cooperation with Thailand. 5. Only an early and credible roadmap for a return to constitutional rule and the holding of credible and inclusive elections will allow for the EU’s continued support.The Council decided that the EU will keep its relations with Thailand under review and will consider further possible measures, depending on circumstances.”
4 ScandAsia.Thailand • August 2014
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orwegian continues to expand is longhaul operation by launching a new route between Copenhagen and Bangkok. Norwegian launches yet another long-haul route. On 30th October, Norwegian-passengers can fly non-stop between Copenhagen and Bangkok. The new route will operate twice a week and ticket sales start today. Norwegian already offers direct routes between Bangkok and Oslo and Stockholm. The new long-haul route is part of Norwegian’s global strategy:
“For too long, the long-haul market has been dominated by high fares and restricted flexibility. We believe that everyone should afford to fly, also long-haul,” says Norwegian’s CEO Bjørn Kjos. In 2013 Norwegian commenced its long-haul operation by becoming the only low-cost carrier to offer flights between Europe and the US. Norwegian will have a fleet of 17 Dreamliners, whereof seven are currently in service and one more will be delivered in 2014. The company is planning to expand its long-haul fleet with even more 787 Dreamliners.
Finland enhances protection for Thai berry pickers
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sian berry pickers recruited to roam in the forests in Finland are getting more public assistance now against exploitation by berry buyers, after the media gave attention to the plight of some Thai pickers last year. Each picker now gets a background brochure when receiving visa at a Finnish diplomatic mission. Senior government councilor Olli Sorainen from the Finnish Ministry of Employment and Economy told Xinhua that a civil servant has been placed at the disposal of berry pickers for assistance in the main picking area. However, the crucial problem remains as to whether foreign pickers should be regarded as being employed in Finland or as entrepreneurs.
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August 2014 • ScandAsia.Thailand 5
News Brief
Saab: ‘Remote Tower’ Concept Gaining Wider Acceptance
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ountries including Sweden, Norway, Ireland, Switzerland, Germany Thailand, Australia and New Zealand have an interest in using “remote towers” to control air traffic, according to Saab, which is already certifying one such facility in Sweden.The company is also competing to provide facilities for three airports in Germany and up to 75 in Norway. At a briefing at the Farnborough Airshow on July 17, Per Ahl, Saab vice president of air traffic management, said the company is seeing increasing acceptance of the remote tower concept, which combines the ATC functions of remote or multiple smaller airports and heliports at one centrally located remote tower center (RTC). Cameras and sensors installed at the airports feed imagery and information to controllers at the RTC, where it is streamed live on LCD displays. A Saab system configuration consists of fixed cameras, pan/tilt/ zoom optical and infrared cameras, a signal light gun to direct pilots and an acoustic sensor. Frequentis of Austria and Nav Canada also supply systems.
Denmark’s Badminton diplomacy to cover China, SE Asia
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he Royal Danish Embassy hosted a friendly badminton tournament with the Danish Badminton Inspiration Team 2014 and Chinese badminton enthusiasts from the Embassy’s social media platforms as well as Beijing Sport University at the Embassy on July 8. The event was held to promote intercultural dialogue through sports as well as to promote the Li-Ning Badminton World Federation World Championships 2014 that will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark from August 25th to 31st, 2014. The Danish Badminton Inspiration Team 2014 is on their tour of visiting badminton clubs, universities and schools in China, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. The team will through workshops, trainings and friendly matches create international relations and inspire other players in the Danish way of playing badminton. 6 ScandAsia.Thailand • August 2014
Danish Embassy presents Thailand’s rights of criminal suspects in Euro-languages
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he Danish Embassy presents the ‘Handbook of Accused’s Rights’, in which the rights of those accused of a criminal offense in Thailand have been translated into 20 different European languages. The book, which will be disseminated to Thai police stations, is the result of close cooperation between EU Member States represented in Thailand. The Danish Embassy is glad to present the “Handbook of the Accused’s Rights”. The handbook, which is finalised under the Danish EU-Presidency, contains a translation into 20 different European languages of the rights of persons, who are accused of a criminal offense in Thailand. The handbook will be sent out to all police stations in Thailand, border immigration offices, and other authorities that deal with foreigners in conflict with the law in Thailand and it is a result of excellent cooperation between the EU Member States and the Kingdom of Thailand.
News Brief
Visa overstayers told to clean up their act
M
arc Spiegel, President of Thai-Finnish Chamber of Commerce, in a recent message to Chamber members, said the ongoing crackdown on the misuse of tourist and education visas by the Immigration Bureau indicated that the Thai authorities were determined to root out the longstanding problem. He said the Chamber had received “The Acknowledgement of Penalties for a Visa Overstay” (see photo) from the Immigration Bureau earlier this month. “We strongly urge anyone living
and/or working in Thailand without the proper Visas and/or Work Permits to rectify their situation immediately as the consequences are extremely severe and you may find yourself banned for life from entering Thailand again,” Spiegel said. “We also understand that Education Visa students who have been living here for years without actually studying will also be targeted, as well as Retirement Visas for those that are using them as a means to secure work and stay in Thailand”.
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27/02/2014 14:267 August 2014 • ScandAsia.Thailand
News Brief
32 Myanmar students begin post-graduate study at AIT
Erasmus Mundus Scholarship Awards 2014
Photo credits: Varaporn Premsot
A
group of 32 post-graduate students from Myanmar have begun courses at the Asian Institute of Technology in Bangkok under scholarships from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, AIT said in a news release. The students, the third group from Myanmar to be supported by the scholarship program, began their two-year academic journey at AIT late last month with an orientation program, AIT said in the July 2 news release. Norway was supporting the scholarship program so that the students could contribute towards sustainable development in Myanmar, the Norwegian ambassador to Thailand, Ms Katja Christina Nordgaard, told the students in a message at a ceremony at AIT on June 27. “You are the young generation and the future of your country,” the ambassador said in the message, read on her behalf by Mr Chatri Moonstan, a program officer at the Norwegian embassy in Bangkok. “In return, Norway does not want anything, except that you work very hard,” the ambassador said.
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mbassador Klas Molin attended a reception organized by the European Union for this year’s “Erasmus Mundus Scholarship Awardees 2014” at St Regis Hotel Bangkok on 9 July 2014,. Erasmus Mundus is the EU’s international scholarship program for foreign university students. The opening remarks was made by EU Ambassador Jesús Miguel Sanz who was followed by a representative from the European ASEAN Business Centre. Also attending the ceremony were Erasmus Mundus awardees 2014, former awardees, a number of EU heads of missions as well as representatives of press and other media. Three Thai awardees are going to Uppsala University as par t of the university’s PhD program. In connection with the reception these awardees met with Thai graduates from Uppsala University who shared their experience from living and studying in Sweden. The Embassy took the opportunity to brief the awardees of the support that we can offer. The Swedish Embassy in Bangkok wishes all of students going to Sweden and the rest of the EU good luck with their studies!
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8 ScandAsia.Thailand • August 2014
News Brief
First Scandigan meetup in Bangkok
T
he first Meetup in the Scandigan group took place on Thursday 24 August at The Admiral’s Pub & Restaurant in Sukhumvit Soi 24 in Bangkok with about a dozen Scandinavians and other good people participating. The organizer Michael Jacobsen explained the simple concept of the get-together. “It is purely a social initiative for Scandinavian people to get together regularly or whenever someone in the group suggests it,” Michael Jacobsen said. He moved to Bangkok a year and a half ago
after having lived many years in Chiangmai. Michael Jacobsen added that his initiative is meant simply as supplementary to the existing networking events organized by other Scandinavian organisations, not a competitor. “I hope members of the Chambers and Scandinavian Society and the rest will join us next time. They are most welcome to join in and invite their members to come. We are an open group!” Michael Jacobsen emphasized.
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August 2014 • ScandAsia.Thailand 9
Danish chef By Thana Poopat
The road to Thai cuisine Chefdom for 39-year-old Morten Boejstrup Nielsen was not strewn with rose petals. Having completed training at a Copenhagen culinary school, Nielsen, originally from Nordjylland, went through the usual daily grind, earning hardwon progress in his career. Then he began dabbling with Thai cuisine, or, to be more precise – a tiny fraction of it way back in the late 1990s. 10 ScandAsia.Thailand • August 2014
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joins rank of Thai cuisine innovators as apprentice and learning from the best native Thai cooks from the humblest street-side foodstalls to celebrated eateries to some of the most obscure regional Thai restaurants,” Nielsen said. He decided early on upon arriving in Thailand that immersing himself in the local culinary tradition and all its regional varieties was the only way to learn how to cook Thai.That means leaving the comfort zone of Western European food tradition. “My first encounter with stir-fried frog was interesting, I have only eaten frog the French way, legs only, and was quite surprised when chewing into bones, skin and whatnots from the frog,” he said. “It goes without saying that I had never eaten bugs or crawling insects, I simply could not compare them to anything or find any reference in the range of my taste sensations while I was eating it.” Apparently, his culinary adventure made a lasting impression, so Nielsen decided to get a tattoo that says ‘fascinated with food’ in Thai text on one forearm in addition to the Polynesian one on the other. By the time his savings ran out, he has mastered and been putting finishing touches to his vast
repertoire of Thai cooking techniques. He needed to start looking for a job again.That’s when an opportunity opened up when Henrik Yde Andersen launched Kiin Kiin molecular Thai cuisine restaurant in Copenhagen in 2007. Nielsen became the head chef at Kiin Kiin. In 2010, Nielsen spearheaded the opening of Srabua by Kiin Kiin restaurant in Bangkok to offer the Danish restaurant’s brand of modern Thai cuisine to Thailand. Nielsen’s journey in Thai cuisine has come full circle. Nielsen met his future Thai wife, Puntira, in 2011 and got married two years later. The happy couple is now expecting the arrival of a baby in August or September this year. To Nielsen, life in Thailand is both personally fulfilling and professional rewarding. Like most expat Danes, he occasionally finds himself longing for Danish rye bread and cold cuts. As the new Dusit International Group Chef of Thai Cuisine, his first mission is to update the Thailand-based hotel chain’s Benjarong Royal Thai cuisine restaurants from its deep, classic roots to give it a modern-contemporary reinterpretation.
Photo: Benjarong Restaurant, Dusit Thani Group.
t that time,Thai was a mere subset of the so-called ‘Asian twist’ in the fusion food movement as Nielsen recalled. It didn’t take much for a Fusion chef to churn out their culinary creations and label them as ‘Thai-style’ or ‘Thai’ish’. All it took was to add a bit of galangal or kaffir lime juice to, say, the ubiquitous French Bearnaise sauce. Fast forward to the turn of the millennium when Thai has gone mainstream in virtually all cosmopolitan cities around the world and the cuisine firmly established as one of the most popular. That’s how far the Thai cuisine has come and that, in a sense, also applies to Morten Boejstrup Nielsen’s rise in the hierarchy of western practitioners of traditional Thai cuisine. The first time Nielsen got to experiment with Thai elements in Western cuisine was in a fusion kitchen in Copenhagen in 2003. The idea of manipulating a complex interplay of rich flavours of Thai so intrigued Nielsen that he jumped at the first opportunity to work for the legendary David Thompson of Nahm Thai Restaurant in London in 2004. After six months of learning all he could from the Thai cuisine heavyweight, Nielsen decided to travel to gain first-hand experience in the Thai cooking tradition at its source. In 2005, he packed up and went to Thailand with a tentative plan to spend 6 months in quest of knowledge of Thai cuisine. “That planned six months dragged on to two years that took me to all corners ofThailand, working
The timing couldn’t have been better. His expertise in combining modern techniques with traditional flavour profiles to produce contemporary dishes that are distinctively Thai at heart is assured. The Thai cuisine as a global phenomenon has been so well-established that it’s now okay to move away from authentic Thai to give it a moderncontemporary twist. “Benjarong Restaurant in Bangkok is older than I am. I find it a privilege and am thankful they give me this chance to revamp the restaurant’s Thai cuisine concept.” Nielsen was quick to add that “We’re not creating something totally new. Nothing is new about Thai food. Infused with so much tradition and pride, Thai cuisine will remain what it has always been and it should.” Textures and flavours are something one should not change, he stressed. “But some people will have their own ways of making Thai food, their own interpretations of Thai food.They will enjoy new contemporary Thai coming up in Thai food scenes. At the same time, there’ll always be Thai food that stays true to its roots.” August 2014 • ScandAsia.Thailand 11
Life
Moving to Asia as a couple, if you want your relationship to survive you have to adapt to the new realities around you and make sure that you are still aware of each others needs. It sounds pretty simple but it has been key to a Danish couple’s happy life in Laos.
upside down By Morten Krogsholm
12 ScandAsia.Thailand • August 2014
W
hen you choose to pursue a career outside your home country, most people wonder what impact it will have on their relationship. Often it is only one of the two in the couple who has a working assignment while the spouse must adjust to a new way of life. Danish couple Mads and Kristine Brinks knew that their relationship would be challenged by moving to Asia and the heavy changes that come with it, but felt up for the challenge.
A lot of news It is two different lives with completely different experiences and it is all about learning to accept but also recognizing the life of one’s partner and the discourse that him or her may have. Life in Southeast Asia is in every way very different from life in Scandinavia or most other countries in the world. For Mads and Kristine Brinks it was a challenge they were excited to take on. Mads Brinks was put in charge of Carlsberg’s partnership with the local brewery Beer Lao and he is one of the few foreigners in Laos who works in the commercial sector. “At times it is as if my family and I get treated like royalty, which I am not always comfortable with because I am a very modest man. We have arrived at restaurants on numerous occasions, which were packed to the limit except for one table strangely enough being cleared for my family.” Of course it was appreciated, Mads adds, but
that it did not suit his personality. He knew that someone most likely had been kicked out of the restaurant to make room for him. For Kristine Brinks it has also been a turnaround experience. Stepping back into a very traditional housewife role, she experienced the new culture in other ways than her husband.The Laotians focus on wealth, status and hierarchy in general is an ongoing theme in her life, too. “They will want to know how much everything costs. My purse, my car, my shirt, you name it. If it is new, they will ask to the price, which can be a bit uncomfortable at times. They are also very curious people and if I have misplaced something, the community around the house will know where it is... and I mean, exactly where it is.” Kristine said these were a few things she had to get used to upon arriving and settling in Laos.
Quick adaptation The new culture, new circumstances and new scenarios require adaptation. Being adaptable and quickly knowing how to handle this transition is the key to Mads’ and Kristine’s happiness in their new life. At home Kristine emphasizes to the staff that she is the boss. In the process she witnesses her helpers trying to boss each other around. “Our former nanny basically harassed the maid until she quit.There is also a completely other tolerance for what is acceptable to say to one another, than what we are used to. Our former nanny would ask our maid how she had gotten so fat and tell
her that it was unbelievable that she was married when her ironing was so terrible. Not a scenario I would like to repeat. This is why I always make it completely clear to all new employees that I am the only boss in the house,” Kristine said. Initially she was unaware of the internal struggle with the employees as a result of the communication barrier and was not aware of this before the maid had already quit. Having help around the house is a first for Kristine. Though it is nice, it has also forced her to give up some of her privacy. Having already mentioned the curiosity that exists among the people of Laos when it comes to the location of her things, she is also quite aware that some staff will have read every piece of paper or mail in the house. However Kristine explains that, “this is just something you get used to. When you are living here, you need to accept it, because you cannot change it.” For Mads Brinks, things he believes to be completely normal seem extremely foreign to the Laotians “If I have made an agreement with Kristine to pick up the kids from school, then that is what I am going to do. This is a concept that my colleagues don’t understand. Even when I’ve talked about being home for my kids’ or wife’s birthday, they have found it very peculiar. These seemingly normal and natural routines are not as important in the Laotians everyday life,” Mads said. When ScandAsia interviewed Mads and Kristine August 2014 • ScandAsia.Thailand 13
In the beginning I spent my day at home waiting for Mads to return. And when he did I expected him to give me his full attention
an airplane had just crashed with many high-ranking Laos officials on board a few days before. Mads had attended the funeral of these officials, not because he knew them, but because it was expected of him. “My position requires me to attend nearly every event. Of course I show up and pay respect, but it is also surreal being there. Not knowing the deceased or being unable to understand the ceremony was quite the experience. However, it is part of the job and my life here. I have learned to accept it,” Mads said.
New social reality Mads and Kristine Brinks were both on the same page when it came to moving away from Denmark and Mads taking the job in Laos. Although they were mentally prepared it didn’t change the fact that Mads wife, Kristine, was giving up the normal working and social life she had in Denmark. “In the beginning I spent my day at home waiting for Mads to return. And when he did I expected him to give me his full attention,” Kristine said. This was not always the case. As she was adapting to her new reality, so was her husband. Both having to take in a lot of new impressions every day and getting comfortable in their new life was demanding for both. When looking back on the beginning, Mads can certainly relate to what Kristine said. “I knew that she expected me to be there 100 percent when I got home. She was in need of a social life and someone to talk to. I wanted to give her what she needed, but I had my social needs met at work from my colleagues. However, the interaction with my colleagues was vastly different from an office in Denmark. Nevertheless, I had a social life. It required a lot of effort from Kristine and myself to work on that. I was tired when I got home from work, but at the same time I wanted to be there for my children and fulfill Kristine’s needs for my presence as well,” Mads explained. 14 ScandAsia.Thailand • August 2014
It is two different lives with completely different experiences and it is all about learning to accept but also recognizing the life of one’s partner and the discourse that him or her may have. Life in Southeast Asia is in every way very different from life in Scandinavia or most other countries in the world
Being honest with each other and communicating openly has led the couple to find happiness and peace in their new roles. They have grown to totally accept their individual responsibilities and have learned to understand each others desires and/or needs. One of Kristine’s new responsibilities consists of being in complete control of the couple’s social agenda. Kristine explains that, “when it comes to dinners, playdates for the kids or other events in our spare time it is up to me to make it happen. I plan out everything and Mads is completely oblivious to our social life.”
Mads Brinks acknowledges that his wife is in charge of the social aspects of their lives, but that he has tried to be as involved as possible. It is just a result of the life that they are now living, but they are both satisfied with the arrangement. It might sound simple and easy, but both Mads and Kristine Brinks emphasizes that getting used to the new lifestyle while still remaining a couple has its challenges. When a couple is used the typical trades of the Western world, this is not an easy task. With an intense paradigm shift, everyday reality shocks and foreign surroundings life is an adventure for the Brinks.
Finding common grounds Since the beginning of their expat life, the couple has stayed on the same page through the years that have passed. Kristine recently furthered her education by obtaining a business administration degree.This was not a topic for discussion between the two before she enrolled. “Having three kids at a demanding age, I doubted whether or not it was the best idea for Kristine to start on a new education.They both knew it would require a lot of her attention and time. Regardless, she gave up a lot to be there and I could understand her needs to do something rewarding with her life besides being a loving mother and wife,” he said. They are also in agreement that the future may bring new adventures in other countries. “We have not decided on what is next. The only thing we completely agree is that we are going back to Denmark at one point. We will not become full-time expats,” Kristine said. Both have impressive resumes. Mads is working for a major organization like Carlsberg and Kristine has enhanced her education and is continuing to grow intellectually.This couple’s future opportunities seem to be endless, but for now there are staying put in Vientiane, Laos.
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August 2014 • ScandAsia.Thailand 15
16 ScandAsia.Thailand • August 2014
Down and out in
Vientiane
Half-Norwegian, half-American and homeless in a strange land. Out of options and kept in a downwards spiral. Meet Christian Jones. A high-profile Caucasian beggar in Vientiane, Laos. Living from day to day on small handouts from Western travellers. Christian has been trapped in destitution and poverty from which there seems to be no easy way out. By Morten Krogsholm
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espair, frustration, sickness, insom nia followed a stream of bad luck that caught up with Christian Jones - both in in Oslo, in Bangkok and now for the past few years in Laos. Yet, Christian Jones appears to be remarkably positive for a man leading such a precarious existence.
An unbroken string of bad luck Christian Jones was born in 1976 in Bergen, Norway. Before the age of one, his family relocated to his father’s home country, United States. Christian grew up in America and stayed there until 1994, when he returned to Norway. For nearly a decade Christian worked as a chef at Oslo’s airport until 2005, when he and his then-wife decided to move to Thailand in search of new opportunities. But their plan to build a better future quickly unraveled when Christian’s mother-in-law in 2007 became ill and the couple was forced to return to attend to her back in Norway. In 2009 Christian Jones suggested that his wife and his mother-in-law should move back to their abandoned home in Thailand, while he stayed put in Oslo and worked hard to support them financially. Christian took every job he could get and worked over 60 hours a week to keep the whole family together. “One of my jobs was fixing up apartments. The physical stress on my body from this kind of work destroyed my back and left me permanently disabled,” Christian said. As Christian’s body deteriorated, so did his marriage and in 2011 Christian and his wife got divorced. Christian thought the marriage had ended on good terms and was shocked, when he found out that his former wife had sold their property in Thailand and kept all the money to herself. “I was not exactly happy with the situation, but it did not bankrupt me. Fortunately I had some savings on the side, so I just decided on a fresh start in a new place,” he said.
Hope for a new life shattered Vientiane was the place Christian chose for his new life. After the divorce came through, he moved to Vientiane, got himself an apartment, found himself a new girlfriend and applied for work visa. Everything was going according to plan until one fateful day when Christian’s back began acting up and soon he found himself incapable of moving and from then on everything went downhill. Christian’s life was adrift and he soon became an outlaw for overstaying visa in Laos.The landlady he rented his apartment from got wind of this and decided to use his vulnerability to her advantages. “I did not know that she is married to a police officer and has good connections with the police. She blackmailed me into signing a document that says I owe her 16 million KIP and then she took my passport as security,” Christian said. Being an illegal immigrant in Laos and not having a work visa there was no way for Christian to earn any money and as soon as the money he had saved up ran out, the landlady kicked him out in the gutter. For months Christian and his girlfriend lived in a tent on a deserted field, exposed to the elements. Obviously this was not the ideal living conditions for a person suffering from severe back pain and Christian’s condition got even worse as the days went by. He had to swallow his pride and become a beggar. “I would never have imagined myself doing this, but what else was there for me to do. I need food and shelter and so does my girlfriend, who relies on me,” Christian said. Every day and night he walks the streets ofVientiane begging for money from fellow Westerners. But it is not an easy task. Christian does not look like the average beggar in Asia due to his very Scandinavian look and him being fairly well-groomed for a homeless person. He is not sure if this works to his advantage or otherwise. “I have never done this and I have not had any guidance in ‘The Perfect Way to Beg’, so I have started from scratch and try every day to improve my begging techniques,” Christian said and explained
how he has tried to provide services to people in hope of getting some cash handouts in return. He speaks perfect English and he knows a lot of both Thais and Laotians, who help him in his new found role as an improvised tour guide. “Because of my situation I move around a lot and have stayed in many places, whenever I am able to afford a room for the night. So I offer to help people around town with their chores and get something in return. I do not ask for anything, but of course I have high hopes that they might want to share some of their spare cash with me afterwards,” Christian said and told me of one time when he helped a big group of tourists but in return he got lectured by those ungrateful travellers who told him that he should not behave like a disgusting sleazebag. “I was shocked. I had not asked for anything, I had only offered my help which they accepted and this was what I got. It is fine if people do not want to help me out financially, but there is no point in walking all over a man, who is already flat out on the ground. But that’s life, man,” Christian said. August 2014 • ScandAsia.Thailand 17
I did not know that she is married to a police officer and has good connections with the police. She blackmailed me into signing a document that says I owe her 16 million KIP and then she took my passport as security
situation. His girlfriend, Aun, said the situation actually has negative impact on Christian’s moods. “He almost never sleeps and when he does it is only for a very short while,” she said and Christian explained how he normally only sleeps around two hours a day. “Yes, you can call it insomnia. But it is very difficult to catch some shuteye, when it feels like your mind could explode at any time. I have heavy thoughts running through my mind all the time and I think about what is next all night until dawn and it’s time to go out on the streets and try to make a living for the three of us,” Christian explains
Escape plan
Precarious existence Virtually every event in Christian Jones’ life in the past several years seemed to have been stacked against him, but his face is almost always covered in a smile. “I have lived in Norway and I have lived in America, but nothing really compares with living here. The climate and the people here, well most of them at least, just suit me and though my life is not at its peak right now, I am happy most of the time,” Christian said. Reminiscing on the cold weather and dark days in Norway depresses Christian and he stressed that he does not want to leave this part of Asia. “How lucky are we to be able to walk around in shor ts and t-shir ts in the evening without shivering?” he asked. Christian then showed me where he planned to spend the night. A long walk ended at a guesthouse on the fringe of the city. As we arrived the owner was quick to ask him for the day’s rent. Christian pulled out what he had, which was not enough, some words were exchange in Laotian, and fortunately the owner was kind enough to let Christian spend another night. 18 ScandAsia.Thailand • August 2014
Up the stairs to the fifth floor and Christian knocked on the door. The door was opened and we were greeted by woman who looked worn out in every aspect. The room smelled of cat and not to my surprise a cat crawled out from underneath the bed. Christian immediately lifted the cat from the floor and his entire face lit up. For a good couple of minutes phrases in English, Norwegian,Thai and Laotian flew out of Christian’s mouth in praise of the cat, he then looked at me and told me how he had rescued the cat as a kitten, when it was living on the streets. “I am a big animal lover and even though it is financially draining for a person like me to keep a pet, when you barely can afford food and shelter for yourself, but I love Tulloo and I will not let him go. And of course there are times when he has to go the veterinarian too and that costs money as well,” Christian said while pointing out that fortunately in Laos veterinary fees are much cheaper than in other countries. So I discovered a bit of the secret behind his cheerfulness - a cat. But I still did not buy completely into the idea that Christian is okay with his dire
What sort of future lies ahead for a man who is trapped as an illegal immigrant without a passport or any sort of regular reliable income? A plan to escape keeps popping up in his head. Fully aware that his current situation is not leading anywhere he now finds himself increasingly thinking about running away from it all. And for him there is only one way to escape. Looking over the Mekong River to Thailand he said: “I look over the river every day thinking of how I would cross it and when is the best time to do it. But I have not worked up the courage yet to do it and I do not know if I ever will,” he said before going into detail about how the current would affect him if he tried to swim across to Thailand. Being of both Norwegian and American origins Christian Jones also has dual citizenships, though he has never invoked his Norwegian citizenship. “I have also thought of trying to get a Norwegian passport, but I do not know if it is possible or where to get it. And on top of that my greatest fear is actually to be deported,” he said. It is for certain that at some point his massive debt to his former landlady, his illegal residency in Laos will catch up with Christian and force him into doing something. Christian still holds on to what little hope he has that some really good advice and a helping hand might be just enough to lift him up from his misery.
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August 2014 • ScandAsia.Thailand 19
Nordic Bar
Syndicate Scandinavians conjure up signature cocktails and teaches classics at Ku DĂŠ Ta, Bangkok By Joakim Persson
20 ScandAsia.Thailand • August 2014
A
company named Nordic Bar Syndicate in connection to the recently opened mega dining and entertainment complex Ku Dé Ta in Bangkok caught our attention. Not surprisingly it turns out to be Scandinavian: a Danish bar consultancy and catering firm having been awarded their biggest task to date in training all the bar staff and setting up the seven concept bars, with drink menus. The Swede Knut Randhem, who has worked for the Danish bar consultancy firm since 2009, and been on site in Bangkok from the start for the task along with the founder Gromit Eduardsen, explains how this assignment came about and their specialty making them needed as far away as in Asia. The cocktail trend has in recent years made good inroads also in the traditional whisky-soda territory that is Thailand and with the high ambitions that Ku Dé Ta has to present world class, the right kind of expertise is needed to get it right. Nordic Bar Syndicate, with excellent reputation gained from its defining involvement within the Danish/Scandinavian bar scene, was picked to carefully craft the entire drink experience and ensure its impeccable delivery to the savvy guests. There is also a connection in that the corporate F&B manager of Ku Dé Ta, Michael Farquhar, is Danish and has experience from back in Copenhagen where he knows Gromit Eduardsen who has been very successful with bars and projects at Hotel Skt. Petri, Hotel Fox and the internationally recognised cocktail bar 1105. “They started discussing back and forth and how they could help each other out. And Michael was familiar with what Nordic Bar Syndicate had done in the past,” Knut Randhem explains. “It’s basically a consulting and catering company for the bar industry. So within consultancy we go in and train the staff within bars and make the menu.
We create the bar concept for our clients and if it’s required we have one guy staying, working for a longer period of time than just a training period.” Ku Dé Ta Bangkok is such a case, and their first outside Europe, aside being a huge undertaking (65 bar staff to start out with.) “From the beginning Gromi and I were here. The biggest part with our involvement in Ku Dé Ta was actually prior to the opening when we did two months of really intensive staff training.“ “With all the floor staff we have for the operations I was standing in front of 110 people, which was very challenging, especially to keep the energy up at the same time for that many people.” “The response we got from the training was very good.The staff are knowledgeable; they know a lot about drinks.The message somehow got through.” “We actually teach the staff how do we set up the bar and how it works; getting them a little bit involved in what it takes to make a successful bar, and not only on paper, but in reality. It’s not just about the physical part making the drinks behind the bar – it’s the full package.” In addition they ran a test lab in the evenings and made drinks for testing, to eventually come up with 48 unique signature drinks designed to fit both Bangkok’s climate and Ku Dé Ta’s uncompromising quality standards. The cocktail menus also include the crème de la crème of international classics, ending up with a total of 150 drinks. “Most of them are classic drinks because I personally believe in classic cocktails as the way forward – they’re classic for a reason and are here to stay. An Old Fashioned is an Old Fashioned, and a Margarita is a Margarita – if you make them well they’re fantastic drinks both of them.” “Of course a venue should have something special to the venue, but I’m pushing very hard for my staff to know the classic drinks. If you see
Knut Randhem
movement in Europe, America, and some parts of Asia this is the trend cocktails are turning – we’re going back to the drinks that were consumed in the start of the 1900’s. So we have the classic Daiquiri, not the strawberry stuff, and nicely shaken with fresh lime. We do nice martinis, many Bourbon drinks etc. – this is the way the world the trend of cocktails is going right now and Thailand will get there eventually as well even if progress may be a little slower.” Knut, an educated chef, sees himself as a bartender - and a consultant. “I never found working in the kitchen as particularly fun. So I ended up behind the bar instead, where I get the interaction with people and I can still produce something for them, thus I get the combination that I like.” Coming to Asia for the first time posed a challenge for Knut and he had to do a fair bit of research. “They way you need to teach here is very different from back home where I am used to being quite direct. Here you have to be very repetitive all the time. I wasn’t really prepared for that from the start, but I feel the result came out very well. I can see how we make progress every day so I know I’m doing something right at least.” “It’s a little bit different culture here but it’s a very healthy experience for me as well to do something new.” His months in Bangkok have been a great appetizer that gets a continuation. Knut will move on to develop the bar concept in similar fashion at the sister venue in Singapore, but will keep an eye on things in Bangkok as well and continue with regular training there. As for Bangkok, it’s a city he has fallen in love with already.
August 2014 • ScandAsia.Thailand 21
มุมภาษาไทย
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mum pha:să: thai
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Thai Language Corner
Intensifying your Thai By Klavs Johansen (thai@maprao.dk)
S
peaking and understanding some colloquial Thai is not only an indication that you have reached a certain command of the language, but also highly useful in everyday life. As an example of colloquial Thai, we will this month look at the use of intensifiers which is much more common in Thai than in English or the Scandinavian languages. By intensifiers, we mean special words without independent meaning, but used together with adjectives (small, large, beautiful, black etc.), thereby making them stronger, that is intensifying them, often adding a certain rhythm and exclamatory quality to the expression. To the foreigner, the Thai intensifiers tend to sound funny in a nice way. Since this type of intensifiers are not common in English, we are in many cases left with a translation using words like ‘extremely’ or ‘very’, or we may find a fixed expression, normally with some independent descriptive word preceding the adjective. Let’s look at some examples and, to make it easier, we will list the adjective alone just before the intensified version. An example, which could be said to have an English equivalent, is:
เล็ก / lék / ~ small, เล็กกระจิดริด / lék kràjìtrít / ~ very small, tiny,
where the colloquial English equivalent would be ’itsy-bitsy’, though this is used entirely without the adjective (small).
Other examples, some of which may be translated into fixed English expressions are:
ขาว / khă:o / ~ white, ขาวจั๊วะ / khă:o júa’ / ~ chalky white. เหลือง / lŭeang / ~ yellow, เหลืองอ๋อย / lŭeang ŏri / ~ bright yellow. ร้อน / rór:n / ~ hot, ร้อนจี๋ / rór:n jĭ: / ~ burning hot. ชัด / chát / ~ clear (as of speech), ชัดแจ๋ว / chát jăeo / ~ very clear. สวย / sŭai / ~ beautiful, สวยเช้ง / sŭai chéng / ~ absolutely gorgeous. เหมือนกัน / mŭean kan / ~ the same, identical, เหมือนกันเปะ / mŭean kan pé’ / ~ exactly the same, the spitting image.
บ้า / bâ: / ~ crazy, บ้าชะมัด / bâ: chámát / ~ totally crazy. 22 ScandAsia.Thailand • August 2014
เงียบ / ngîap / ~ silent เงียบกริบ / ngîap krìp / ~ dead silent. We note again that the Thai intensifiers are words without independent meaning. We also note that the intensifiers normally are unique to the adjective which they serve to intensify. A few of them may, however, be used to intensify more than one adjective and we get for example:
ดำ� / dam / ~ black, ดำ�ปี๋ / dam pĭ: / ~ pitch black, and เค็ม / khem / ~ salty, เค็มปี๋ / khem pĭ: / ~ very salty, or เย็น / yen / ~ cool, เย็นเจี๊ยบ / yen jíap / ~ icy-cold, and หวาน / wă:n / ~ sweet, หวานเจี๊ยบ / wă:n jíap / ~ sugar sweet. The other way around, an adjective may in some cases be intensified by more than one intensifier, such as:
แดง / dae:ng / ~ red, แดงแป๊ด / dae:ng páe:t / ~ แดงแจ๋ / dae:ng jăe:
/ ~ bright red , or แข็ง / khăeng / ~ hard, แข็งปึ๊ก / khăeng póek / ~ แข็งโป๊ก / khăeng pók / ~ hard as stone, firm, solid.
Finally, we should note that – while sounding funny and adding positively to your command of the language – using the intensifiers, and thus making your statements stronger, may cost you credibility or, when used with negative adjectives, even result in resentment. But that may be said to be a risk shared by any language. Do not exaggerate! P.s. Remember that you can use the email placed at the top to send us questions and suggestions for Thai language topics to be covered here at the Thai Language Corner.
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