ScandAsia Thailand -December 2015

DEC 2015

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Coming Events

Norwegian Christmas Dinner Where: Rembrandt Hotel, Sukhumvit 18 When: 15 December 18:30 - 21:00 in ates 15 celebr SWEA a.fi

a.dk

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Your FREE ScandAsia Magazine in Thailand ScandAsia is the only magazine that covers all the Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish residents in Thailand.

The Thai-Norwegian Chamber of Commerce invites to Norwegian Christmas Dinner. Bring your spouse, friends, and colleagues for an informal Christmas in a cosy evening and relaxing atmosphere. Find the Christmas spirit in Bangkok with traditional Norwegian Christmas food and drinks.

This is an unique opportunity for the Chamber members and friends to meet informally and build a network for future professional and social use. Sign up to secretary@norcham.com

Christmas Eve with Svenska Kyrkan Where: 11, Convent Road, Silom, Bangkok When: 24 December, 13:00 onwards Merry Christmas!

Everyone are more than welcome to join a “Julafton” (=Christmas Eve) with Svenska Kyrkan in Bangkok. On Julafton 24 December 2015 from 1pm there will be a Scandinavian Christmas service in Christ Churh. The Christmas gospel will be recited in our different languages and we will sing all the famous psalms. After the service Scandinavian Society Siam invites for wine and food from Mammas Kök.

You are all warm-heartedly welcome to join!

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 Assistant Editor: Joakim Persson Joakim@scandmedia.com Advertising : Finn Balslev finn@scandmedia.com Joakim Persson Joakim@scandmedia.com Piyanan Kalikanon piyanan@scandmedia.com Nattapat Maesang nattapat@scandmedia.com Graphic Designer : Peerapol Meesuwan Peerapol@scandmedia.com Printing : Inthanon Interprint Co., Ltd.

Daily news and features here: www.scandasia.com

News

Swe actor Kjell Bergqvist is Santa Claus for good cause Swedish actor Kjell Bergqvist, who owns a second home in Thailand and also have godchildren there is acting as Santa Claus for a good cause in 2015.

In a series of films Kjell Bergqvist reflects over hia own feelings about the holiday shopping season and the “Christmas gift”.

“A sponsorship, for instance, is a gift to be enjoyed for years, especially if one spenda a bit of time writing letters. While it helps, it is useful for us to be reminded of what it looks like for children around the world,” he thinks.

In Plan International Sweden’s gift shop one can buy gifts that will last a lifetime. And and one can buy last-minute and print the gift certificates to give away oneself.

“I think many people want to give something meaningful. That is where I hope we at Plan International can bring a new dimension to this through our gift shop. Our programmes empower children and their families lift themselves out of poverty, providing skills that will last a lifetime, says Michelle Warren, project manager.

“They say it is scientifically proven that by giving away something the donor gets even happier than receiver. I think that’s interesting,” continues Kjell Bergqvist.

“Right now I have godchildren in Thailand and in Haiti, and my daughters have a godchild in Paraguay. There are many children in distress.”

News Brief

Ikea is coming to Phuket

A

The Thai-Danish Christmas Blast

W

hen the temperature reaches over 30 degrees in Thailand, the song “do they know it’s Christmas time at all?” gets a new meaning.

But for the Danes in Bangkok, on Friday 27 November, the answer was a clear “Yes, we do!”

More than 200 Danes gathered this day for a traditional Danish Christmas Lunch in the garden of the Danish Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand. The annual event by Danish-Thai Chamber of Commerce awakens the Christmas spirit with live music, Christmas games, loads of Danish Christmas delicacies and not to forget; Aalborg Akvavit!

A Danish Christmas Lunch is all about spending time with loved ones and eating, drinking and having fun. This Christmas Lunch was no excuse, and beside the hot weather, the summer outfits and the fact that a Christmas Lunch was held outdoor, it was almost like being in Denmark.

Especially because of the food; the enormous Christmas buffet contained no less than 33 dishes, with everything from homemade

liverpaté, smoked salmon, tartelets, “karrysild”, roasted pork, and ris a la mande. This is one of the only events hosted in Thailand where the table not offers plain rice.

During the day a Christmas quiz began, and each table was handed a paper of 13 questions, and had to clear their mind off Akvavit and focus on the game.

Unfortunately, athough the watchdog of the game, Asbjorn O. kept an eye on people’s smartphones it has still not been confirmed if the winning table really knew all the answers by themselves or had called uncle Google fro help.

The many sponsors of this event had donated huge prizes for the Christmas Lottery. Lucky Danes won luxury hotel stays, a weekend getaway, beautiful china from Royal Copenhagen and even a table set among many other lovely gifts!

For the rest of the guests, the Christmas Lunch was a present itself. Both Thais and Danes had a blast, and regardless of the tropical surroundings, the Danish Christmas spirit was born on 27 November 2015.

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6 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2015

t the end of November IKEA open a pickup and order shop in Phuket which allows customers to shop online or at a “real” Ikea store and then later pick up their products closer to home.

The concept has been tested in Canada, where there are already four IKEA pickup and order points.The shop in Phuket is the first in Asia.

Pickup and order points allow Ikea to expand very quickly into new markets that have been identified as having a huge potential. It is also a response to the fact that there are about three times as many people who visit the website of IKEA than who actually visits a store.

The one-storey building of IKEA Pick Up, an area of 2000 sq.m. and parking of 2,400 sq.m. is located on Bypass Road next door to Central Festival Phuket, Big C, Tesco Lotus.

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News Brief

Historical EAC walk in downtown Bangkok

By Gregers Moller

O

n Sunday 1 November 2015, with Poul Weber as special guide, Scandinavian Society Siam held a well-vistied walk through the old EAC legacy in Bangkok.

Poul Weber first gave an overview and told an ultra-short version of the whole story about the rise and fall of The East Asiatic Company, which was actually founded in Bangkok.

The walk visited the old EAC Headquarters and passed by the old house where it is believed that H.N. Andersen – the founder of the company – lived, today a Chinese restaurant, owned by the Oriental Hotel.

Before arriving at the derelict EAC building itself, the tour also stopped by the Catholic Church and Assumption Commercial College.

Left empty the building is todady owned by one of Thailands’s richest men, Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi, and it risks to soon be deteriorated beyond the point where it can be restored.

Next stop was the protestant cemetery, which is accessible from Charoenkrung Soi 72/5, to visit some of the many Danish and a few Swedish and Norwegian graves there. Claus Gundersen, who has been involved in the renovation of a number of graves together with the founder of the SSS Heritage Section Flemming Winther Nielsen, shared his insights. The cemetery was established in 1853 as a gift from King Mongkut (Rama IV) to the protestant community in Bangkok. The 8 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2015

grave of Peter Andersen, who was H.N.partner in Andersen & Co. – the forerunner to East Asiatic Company, was pointed out. Peter Andersen died of a kidney disease in 1894, only 39 years old.

Gregers Moller presented the grave of the most prominent Swede from those days, Viktor Virgin, with an instrumental role in Thailan’s development. He was an engineer from Charmers Technical University who built the huge amount of canals that you will pass over when you drive north east out of Bangkok from Rangsit to Nakorn Nayok. Viktor Virgin became the highest decorated Swede ever in Thailand, given first the title of nobleman, then finally the highest title any foreigner can obtain: Phra Yantravidya Varyindra – possibly meaning “great master” or “great teacher”. These canals are still crucial to the rice production several times per year in the area and has played a role in Thailand becoming the largest rice exporter in the world.

Next stop was the the temple Wat Rajsingkorn, immediately before we reached Asiatique – the old EAC warehousing area and the adjacent Wat Phya Krai sawmill, which was where Poul Weber worked himself when he first arrived Bangkok. The warehouse buildings are still intact and contain hundreds of small shops selling antiques, gifts, interior decor items, food and other items that make the area popular to visit for tourists as well as local Bangkokians.

Finally, the restaurant Joe Louis, located in one

of EAC’s old bachelor messes, was visited, where Poul Weber told us lively anecdotes about his life as a young Dane working with EAC. Those attending learnt about a 5-ton gold Buddha which was for a century cleverly hidden from the Burmese at the Wat Phya Krai temple.

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News Brief

Danish National Team in the World Deaf Futsal Cup in Bangkok Text: Maria Andreasdottir Photos: Dennis Thern

W

hen you play futsal without air condition in Thailand, well, it can be a little hot,” 12 Danish ladies agree.

The Thai humidity seems to be a mere trifle in the pursuit of a World Championship, because besides being professional athletes, all these ladies have another thing in common: they are all deaf.

Together these women makes the Danish Women’s National Deaf Football Team, and they arrived in Bangkok on 15 November 2015 to participate in the World Deaf Futsal Cup 2015. (The main difference

between futsal and football are that futsal is played indoor and on a field the same size as a handball court).

The ladies and the rest of their team consist of total 25 people, and they have all contributed to go far in the World Deaf Futsal Cup 2015.

It was proved when they won their first match against England on 21 November 2015.

“We were determined to win this match! It was a huge success to beat England!” futsal player Sarah Lind ‘says’ – in sign language .

Unfortunately, they lost 3-8 to Iran on Sunday. It means they can

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not achieve the first prize, but on Tuesday they will meet Norway to fight for a 9 or 13th rank in World Championship.

“We won over Norway last year to the Final Cup in Europe, but that does not mean we will relax for this match. We need to win this game to still remain in the top 10”, says futsal player Nana Søltoft.

The ladies have already been practicing intensely. Eating right, getting enough sleep, exercising regularly and having sports massage are important elements to maintain when you are qualified for a World Championship. It also means they have not had time to explore the hosting country of the World Cup yet. For some of the players this is their very first visit to Thailand.

“We look forward to experience Bangkok after we finish the last match.

Our training takes all of our time, and so far our only “sightseeing” has been 2 hours shopping in one of the big malls. But we are not here on holiday, we are here for a Danish victory,” explains teamplayer Britt Nøhr.

Futsal requires more training than football for these ladies.

“Futsal is far more complicated for deaf people than what regular football is. The field is smaller, and everything goes faster. We have to concentrate on both our translator, the ball and our other teammates”.

Facing the challenge of futsal has only given good results to the Danish ladies, and for them playing futsal and football together are much more than just a sport.

For 16-year old Emma Tietze the football team gives her freedom to “be deaf ”.

“My hearing is considered to be deaf, even if I can hear a little.

In school I’m wearing a hearing aid, but together with my team on the football field I don’t have to. It feels good to feel ”even” and that way get a little of both worlds”.

“Even if the age difference

ranges from 16 to 41, we make an amazing teamwork, both as players on the field, and friends in private life.

We have a strong cohesion and help suppor t each other,” futsal player Christina Hausgaard says.

They are also supported on their more than 600 fans on Facebook, who have been following them online and in real life for the World Cup. The ladies have daily posted news and videos, and beside the serious sportsnews they also have time to post “Dagens bommer t” (=Slip of the day).

“Being deaf can sometimes be a challenge. One of our slips was when a group of the teamplayers and the coaches should take the elevator. We all live on different floors and therefore had to press on different buttons inside the elevator. When I asked ‘Where do you live?’ in sign language, the answer was “In Denmark!”, laughs Christina Hausgaard.

On Monday 23 November the Danish ambassador Mikael Hemniti Winther invited the ladies for buffet dinner at the Danish Embassy in Bangkok, where they were shown a little piece of Denmark in Thailand.

In return he was taught sentences in sign language and the bubbling energy from a Danish sportsteam.

The ladies were delighted with the invitation, and they were all given the last support before their final match against Norway. Even if wine and beer was served for the evening, the Danish ladies only touched the soft drinks.

“When you train for World Cup, you have to say no to a lot of things.

Back home you have to skip nights on the town, because you have to focus on your exercise and to stay in your best condition”.

With that being said, all the Danish ladies agreed that they would cheer in champagne when they hopefully got in the top 10 in the World Deaf Futsal Cup 2015.

December 2015 • ScandAsia.Thailand 11

SWEA Bangkok celebrates 15 years anniversary

Text: Agneta de Bekassy Photos: Daniel Herron

O

n Saturday the 21st of November, SWEA (Swedish Women Educational Association) Bangkok, turned 15 years old or young and 74 members, guests and sponsors were gathering together for a Gala evening at the elegant Pacific City Club.

Agneta, Katarina and Sara had been appointed the party committee and also greeted the guests as they entered. Sara was the evening’s toastmaster and she managed to get everybody’s attention.

The evening started with Prosecco or beer in the lobby and library, where you also could follow a presentation displaying what SWEA had been up to during the last 15 years, made by our SWEA Monica Nilsson.

Beautiful piano music, performed by another SWEA member, Truedi Carlesson, accompanied us up to the dining room, decorated with the SWEA flag and flowers in yellow and blue.

During the starter, SWEA Bangkok’s president Maria Mellblom, greeted the guests and wished all an enjoyable evening.

Among the guests were our new ambassador H.E. Mr.Staffan Herrström with spouse Karin, Eric Hallin, GM at Rembrandt Hotel, Khun. Nutthanit Towan from Surecell Medical Co.Ltd with her Swiss boyfriend Marc, Mare and Christer Persson from Scandinavian Village, just to mention a few.

12 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2015

The lucky draw was successful and the prizes ver y attractive. Our SWEA Annika Jonasson won the main prize, a one year membership for 2 persons, donated by Marcel Jacquat, GM at Pacific City Club. Eric Hallin walked home with an exclusive beauty basket from Oriflame, Karin Jansson received a voucher for a beauty treatment donated by Samitivej Hospital and four lucky winners received vouchers from the beauty clinic DERMASTER on Ekamai. Katarina Svensson was happy to receive a SPA treatment from Six Senses, also just to mention a few.

After a delicious dinner, created by chef de cuisine Steve, the guests enjoyed coffee or tea downstairs and in the meantime Bangkok’s best live band got ready to play in the bar. BIG BOY BAND, a favorite among us SWEOR. For this special occasion, they were very elegant in black tie and they rocked it. The dance floor was well visited and I think the staff at Pacific was surprised to see us staying late. Usually parties end quite early in Thailand, but we Swedes are Vikings and know how to celebrate.

The evening ended with a potatoes/leak soup before we, happy and satisfied returned to our homes.

A night to remember! A huge THANK YOU to all our sponsors and to SWEA’s board.

December 2015 • ScandAsia.Thailand 13

14 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2015

Kim Bohman builds an acting career in Asia

By Maria Andreasdottir

I

n 2014 Kim Bohman made a radical change in his life.

“I want to move to Thailand and make a career as an actor and a model”, the 27-year old Thai-Swedish decided.

Kim was serious about this; he did not see a future living in Sweden, sold his apartment in Gothenburg, left family and friends and signed up for a Thai language class in Bangkok. Only carrying a suitcase of 23 kilo-grams and a heart full of dreams he arrived in Bangkok on 3 November 2014.

“It has always been a dream to actually live and work in Thailand,” he tells ScandAsia.

Half/half look He is born and raised in Gothenburg in Sweden and is the son of a Thai-Chinese mother and a Swedish father. Every year the family traveled to Thailand to visit family and friends. His SwedishThai look was always complimented when he visited the Land of smiles.

“My little sister and I were always told we looked beautiful because of our ‘’half/half ’’ look.

Thai people said ‘’you can be a superstar in Thailand!”

Since he was 20 years old he wanted to actually be a superstar in the East.

“Acting fascinated me. I have always loved being spontaneous and challenging myself. But I was not strong enough to leave the country at the age of 20 I was too young,” he recalls.

Combining career and love It took five years, many serious considerations and one certain girl before Kim pulled himself together and start chasing his dream. He had continued to visit Thailand every year, and in the beginning of 2014 he fell in love with a Russian girl on a holiday in Phuket. But it was more than a holiday fling, and after two months away from each other they tried to figure out how they could live together. If Kim wanted to stay in Russia he had to marry her and vice verca. Kim still wanted to pursue an acting and model career, and

suddenly a solution came to his mind.

“I had the perfect idea! We could move to Thailand and live in Bangkok together.”

They were both more than ready to let go of their comfortable yet trivial lives in their respective countries.

“At that time I had everything you want for a happy life in Sweden. I had an amazing apartment in Gothenburg, a lot of friends near me and a good job as an IT technician. But I was bored. I was ready to go. My best friend encouraged me to follow my heart, and at that time I felt ready for a new adventure and a whole new chapter in my life,” says.

For a whole year he prepared his moving out of his home country. He knew a career in a foreign country had it’s requirements. He felt it was very important to learn to speak the language.

“It’s really embarrassing to admit that after so many holidays in Thailand and being raised by a Thai mother the only thing I could say in Thai was ‘sawasdee krap’. I signed up for a Thai language school that offered flex classes, which means I schedule my classes myself by booking them online. I needed flexible study hours so I could go to last-minute castings”.

Kim keeping his words In November 2015 it has been 12 months since Kim left Sweden. Back then he promised to focus 100% on an acting and a modeling career.

“Before I left my home in Sweden I told myself: ‘Kim, you will go all in.’ I was ready to work my butt off by staying in shape, eating healthy, drop alcohol, go to as many castings as possible, build up a network and just absorb all impressions and new knowledge. I wanted every day to be busy,” Kim tells.

He was determined. His mind was strong, even though he had little experience. He remember his very first audition.

“I was so nervous. I was literary shaking in front of the camera, my body was not in control.

I had no idea how to present myself neither what I had to do for a casting,” Kim smiles.

Luckily, his girlfriend is a make up ar tist and already had a wide network in the modeland acting industry. She knew many talented photographers, and they met with Kim and helped him build up his portfolio. He might be attractive and suits perfectly into the criteria of beauty in Asia, but he knew that a physical appearance is not everything. After a lot of photo shoots he eventually began to feel comfortable and relaxed in front of a camera lens, and his self confidence grew. So did his career.

“My first TV commercial was for Dairy Queen in January 2015.”

Today, one year later, he has been attending more than 300 castings. His model CV consists of jobs for huge fashion brands like Emporio & Armani, Jimmy Choo and Emden Bag, and he has been starring in TV Commercials for international names like MG Car and Kapal Api Coffee. His first big and best-paid job so far was a TV Commercial for Emina Cosmetic on 28 August 2015.

“It was absolutely an amazing experience!

The Emina Cosmetic-job consisted of a 4 days photoshoot in the capital Jakarta in Indonesia.The budget was 200,000 Baht.”

His acting skills are improving, his Thai is getting better and his name is becoming well-known in the industry. He kept his promise to himself to become an actor and model in Thailand. In addition, he manages to combine love and career, where he and his girlfriend works together as a team and keep themselves busy everyday.

However, he is still eager to continue the game. He still thinks he has much to learn.

“To be an actor and a model is an ever developing study. My journey has just begun, and I want to keep fighting.”

December 2015 • ScandAsia.Thailand 15

From Randers to Ubon:

hooked on photography via Thailand photo workshop

By Maria Andreasdottir

U

sually when 32-year old Michael Johansen travels from Denmark to Thailand it equals family visits and lazy days on the beach. On November 2015 he travelled to Ubon in Northeastern Thailand for an absolute different purpose than meetings with relatives and swimming in turqouise-blue water. This time, it was to attend a photographer work shop by one of Asis’s most acknowledged photographer and Michael Johansens huge inspiration, Manny Librodo from the Philippines.

“As soon as Manny Librodo published a date for a workshop, I took the chance and bought a last minute ticket to Thailand”, Michael says.

He literary went a long way for his dream.

The Thai-born baker lives in Randers in Denmark, but recently his heart has been beating harder for photography than kneading dough.

“I love to create something. Photography is my flow. I can sit for hours and edit a picture to make it perfect. And I don’t mind to travel far away for a good location for shooting pictures”, Michael tells.

16 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2015

So he did the weekend of 6-9 November 2015. Photographers (both beginners, amateurs and semi-professionals) gathered for a rewarding experience in the name of photography in Ubon.

Manny Librodo had teamed up with professional personalities of designer Sam Sethi, make up artist Swanti Suwannee Sethi and four models. Michael Johansen, who only had attended workshops of amateur or secondary standard, was amazed.

“It was absolutely an unbelievable experience.

I actually got to work and meet with top professional people from the photographer profession, shoot beautiful models in the amazing landscape of Ubon, and learn so many new techniques. It was all worth it.”

Dur ing the wor kshop weekend the par ticipants would shoot photos on different locations in the Sam Phan Bok landscape, and after each photoshoot they were having instructive courses how to edit the photos in photoshop by photographer Manny Librodo.

“I don’t think I could get similar lessons in Denmark. I had already researched for a long time for workshops in Denmark, but no workshop

caught my interest. Here I had the chance to get tuition from my favorite photographer. I am very happy I took this opportunity”, he says.

The only thing Michael Johansen was not happy about, was the fact he had not attended one of these kinds of workshops before.

“At my age you can begin to feel a little under pressure due to what you want to do with your life. I wish I had listened to my heart when I was younger and star ted doing photography way earlier”, he reveals.

A dream in the oven He studied engineering in Denmark “because there was a lot of money in it”, but he felt bored about this subject and instead learned to become a baker. He was born in Thailand, but grow up in Denmark. His family visited Southeast Asia every year, and Michael Johansen became very fond of taking holiday pictures. He saved up and replaced his digital camera with a SLR camera.

This was coincidentally noticed by a group of photographers while he was taking photos in Bangkok.

“They asked if I would join them for a photoshoot, and after that I was already hooked.

They made me realise that this is what I wanted in life. Not engineering, not baking, but taking photos”, he says. “I was worried it might be too late to start a new career.”

But on the photographer workshop in Ubon, Michael Johansen was confirmed that it’s never too late to start working on your dream.

“Manny Librodo was not only teaching me to capture and edit photos, he also was a personal coach to me on the workshop. He told me he began his career as a photographer in his 40’s.

He told me I should not worry about age at all”, Michael smiles.

Ather this workshop Michael soon returned to Denmark again, this time with an even eager mind to focus on photography.

“I now know this is what I want. I will begin to establish a photographer career in Denmark, and I hope I can have more chances to attend workshops abroad to get more experience.”

The ultimate goal is to follow in Manny Librodo’s footsteps and wor k both as a

photographer and hosting workshops.

“It’s not that Denmark or other places in Europe don’t have beautiful locations, and in the future I would love to organise trips and workshops outside studios and in nature and pass on my knowledge to upcoming photographers who are at the same level as I am now.”

It’s not sure if Michael also will provide his future students with home baked goods, but one thing is sure: Michael has found his dream, and he will continue to pursue it until he can make a living of it.

December 2015 • ScandAsia.Thailand 17

Agneta’s World Photographer: Daniel Herron

Face L

et me first take you to Face. Many of you might have been to restaurant Face, located on Sukhumvit, soi 38 ThongLoh. Face is kind of an oasis in the busy city.

It’s in fact, three cuisines below the same roof; Thai, Indian and Japanese. Face doesn’t only exist in Bangkok, but also in Djakarta, Beijing and Shanghai. 12 years ago, it opened the doors in Bangkok. Here, it is meant that you should connect with your company “face to face”. It is a meeting area where people can relax while enjoying a great Asian meal or just a drink in the bar or why not, a genuine Thai massage. The house is an authentic Thai house or you can also say, several houses, with lots of wood. All material was brought in from the neighbor countries and is authentic. Here you have so called “casual dining”.

The restaurant opens at 11.00 am until 02.30 pm 18 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2015

Dear readers.

I can hardly believe this is the last column for year 2015. Where has the time gone? It has been a great pleasure letting you be part of “my world” and I hope you might have discovered something you didn’t know before about Bangkok and all it has to offer. I have discovered lots of new corners in the city and I’m finding new places almost every day.

In this issue, I have focused on four different restaurants, all-unique in their own way.

for lunch and again at 06.00 pm until midnight for dinner.

The dishes are from north of Thailand; tasty, mid spicy at the Thai restaurant Lana Thai and at the Indian restaurant Hacara, the recipes also come from northern India. In both these 2 restaurants you also can enjoy Japanese food from the Misaki, the smallest restaurant.

The SPA is very romantic and offers Royal Thai massage and Wat Po massage, which is a stronger massage. The Spa is opened from 10.00 am to 08.00 pm.

If you are not in a mood to go out, you can order a nice lunch/dinner at home, as the restaurant has catering. We asked the manager Khun Somchai, if the guests are mostly Thai or foreigners. There is quite a mix of Korean, Japanese and other foreigners. The Thai part of

the restaurant can seat 50 guests, the Indian 70 and the Japanese 15. At the bar, they can seat 50 people.

Every Friday there is entertainment and for coming New Year’s Eve there will be 2 special set menus, one with all three cuisines combined and one where you choose between Thai or Indian. Music and dancing. Early bird booking is recommended. Khun Somchai, the manager and his staff will be happy to greet you.

If I have guests from abroad and want to take them to a beautiful Thai restaurant, I’ll book Face, as I have never been disappointed, neither have my guests.

Lounge

L

ast but not least, I have to tell and show you to the “VOGUE Lounge”. This modern restaurant and bar is located close to The “House of Sathorn” and represents a completely different style. This place has a roof top restaurant/bar outside and believe it or not, with air condition among the tables. The restaurant inside have the walls covered with fashion photos by famous

N

photographers. The general manager is French and he is very proud of this elegant place. It’s a most cool and sophisticated environment, trendy might be the right word. Here you can enjoy music by DJ’s, taste the small, delicate tapas dishes and look upon the sky and the silhouette of Bangkok. The bar provides you with cocktails, wines and champagne.

One floor below Vogue Lounge, you have

another Michelin star restaurant, but that’s another story.

Maybe you choose to celebrate the New Year at one of these restaurants, if so, enjoy, have the ball, stay healthy and be ready to meet again in 2016. Happy New Year!

of Sathorn

ow it’s time to leave the Sukhumvit area and take you on the BTS to Sathorn, the Chong Nonsi station.

This area has long been known as more calm and with fewer restaurants, but that has changed dramatically during the last few years.

First we go to “The House of Sathorn”. This huge house, in the warm yellow and green colors, was built 126 years ago in a colonial style and was earlier the Russian embassy and residence.

It’s surrounded by skyscrapers and soon to come, the very tall and modern Ritz Carlton Hotel rising

behind. Today you will find “The Dining Room”, “The Bar”, “The Courtyard” and “Upstairs” in this building.

The “Dining Room” is a signature restaurant presenting dishes that are inspired by Chef Fatih’s travel experiences across Asia. The restaurant features Thai-inspired handcrafted tapestries as a backdrop. The open kitchen, along the long wooden counter, enticing diners to sit and interact with the chef in a most comfortable approach.

Both lunch and dinner are served. Lunch 12.00 noon to 02.30 pm and dinner 06.00 pm to 10.30 pm daily.

You can enjoy a wild Challans duck breast from France, slowly cooked in duck fat, then grilled on a charcoal grill. This delicatessen is served with a pomegranate sauce, accompanied with fermented onions or a Foi-gras, wrapped in an organic beetroot from Chang-Mai, served with a toasted Brioche, a dish Chef Fatih discovered during an amazing Christmas dinner in Hong Kong. These are just 2, among many dishes to mention.

“The Bar” can effortless accommodate a dayto-night scene. Enjoy a high tea or cocktails with tempting bites. Seasonal crafted cocktails inspired by local herbs and spices will surprise your senses.

There is also a nice collection of champagnes and wines.

“The Courtyard” is the heart of “The House”.

Here you can escape from the hecticness of Sathorn. The cuisine is hinged on local seasonal and sustainable ingredients in a sophisticated way.

The Afternoon tea is presented in a way that is completely new to Bangkok and that you might never have seen. Live music entertainment during the evenings.

There are also several private function rooms upstairs, all in a different design.

I could probably write a book about this amazing place that opened only a few months ago, but at last, I have to mention that Chef Fatih Tutak was born in Istanbul, where he got inspired by his mother’s home cooking. He has joined Turkey’s culinary school at Bolu Mengen. After several years in Turkey, working for luxury hotels and restaurants, he moved abroad. Chef Fatih came to Bangkok and “The House of Sathorn”, after having created a unique dining experience at “The Bellbrock Hong Kong” recognized by the Hong Kong-Macau Michelin Guide 2015. He has also worked at the world-known restaurant “NOMA” in Copenhagen and 3 Michelin stars restaurant “Nihonryon Ryugin” in Tokyo.

This unique place is well worth to visit and also the relatively new, modern “Hotel W” that belongs to the same concept.

December 2015 • ScandAsia.Thailand 19

& Condoms

C

abbages & Condoms located at Sukhumvit soi 12 is indeed one of the most unique restaurants in Bangkok, perhaps in the world, and popular among both local and foreign clients.

This restaurant was conceptualized in part to promote better understanding and acceptance of family planning and to generate income to support various development activities of the Population and Community development Association and is a nonprofit organization. The restaurant has a lovely garden that can seat 40-50 people, a bar and indoor restaurant. What makes it so special is that all the decorations, from lamps to flowers on the tables, are all made of … condoms! There is a bride and groom, she in a white condom dress and he in a black condom suit, a Father Christmas who’s outfit is made of red condoms, what else’s, greeting you by arrival. When you leave, you just pick a few condoms instead of the more common bonbons.

Good to know is that the profit, after expenses, goes 100% to charity. There are 17 C & C restaurants all over the country and also some resorts. The food is local style. Opening hours 11.00 am until 11.00 pm, last order at 10.30 pm.

You can also visit the handcraft shop. There are more than 1000 items on display, all produced by villagers from rural areas of Thailand.

This is the place to take your youngsters when the time has come to talk about “flowers and bees” and to introduce them to Durex, the condoms producer and donator of all the condoms. Here you are, for sure, 100 % safe!

Elizabeth Romhild painting porcelain

O

n 24 November Elizabeth Romhild launched her first porcelain exhibition at beautiful Pacific City Club. Most of us know Elizabeth and her colorful art and expressive sculptures and now she has added 20 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2015

some amazing porcelain! Elizabeth started her journey as an artist at the age of 26. She began painting portraits and later on added landscapes and seascapes. She has always focused on the females and her paintings have been/are very colorful and with an erotic touch.

Elizabeth is Danish/Armenian, married to a Dane and has two grown up children. She has a unique and recognizable style, initially with three porcelains series; Piano, La Boheme and Impromptu, which depict her earlier works of women and sensuality.

Since 1988 she has worked in Thailand and has had many exhibitions through the years, also in Denmark.

With her porcelain she gives us a” feeling of art “while dining. You can order her pieces online and choose between Dinner Plates, Deep Plates, Dessert Plates, Show Plates and Coffee Cups & Saucers.

At the exhibition you could admire several laid tables, very inviting, just waiting for the guests to take a seat. At one table Elizabeth had added her daughter’s violin as decoration, at other cherries, as a symbol of seduction.

Elizabeth has also contributed to the upcoming “Elephant Parade “that will start in Bangkok on 1 December. Her elephant is so typical “Elizabeth painted”: colorful and symbolizing the elephant in its tropical surrounding.

At the exhibition evening, many ”hi-so” people, ambassadors and friends showed up and her beloved husband Peter was seen by her side.

This is only the begin of a new Elizabeth journey, just wait and see.

December 2015 • ScandAsia.Thailand 21

Social media usage is very prevalent in our Asian markets. One year ago merely five percent used a mobile phone in Myanmar.

Today that number is more than forty percent, and more than sixty percent of those use the Internet on the phone. That’s a higher percentage than in Thailand.

Telenor’s Asian

journey and future

By Mia Sanberg Svenningsen

T

or Odland is head of corporate communications in Asia for Telenor Group, which is the largest mobile operator in the South East Asia region and one of the top ten operators in the world. He is responsible for building the Telenor brand across large markets such as India, Myanmar, Thailand, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Malaysia.

His role is furthermore to advise the national executive management teams on best practice communications strategy and issues management.

22 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2015

Tor Odland joined the Telenor Group as the Vice President of Group Communications in August 2011, but Telenor’s Asian journey started long before that. Nearly twenty years ago in 1996 the company representatives travelled across Asia and slowly began building the business by launching in Bangladesh – then in Malaysia and Thailand a few years later. Today, Telenor is present in six Asian markets, more than any other international telecom provider.

Now Telenor’s global customer base is more

than 190 million, and the company are on the way to get 200 million people on the Internet by 2017 – most of these being users in Asia. When it comes to building a global footprint in these large and very populous markets, Telenor faces different challenges.

“Operating in Asia can be unpredictable. You have to be prepared for the unexpected at all times. Part of my job is to help our companies be prepared on how to handle a variety of challenges,” Tor Odland explains.

Prior to Telenor, he was a Vice President of Corporate Communications at Opera Software from 2004. He received his Master of Science degree as The London School of Economics and Political Science and his Bachelor’s Degree from The University of South Carolina. He is now based in Singapore, from where he is building the Telenor brand across six different markets.

The branding happens on both a local level and a global level.

“On the one hand, we build our brand locally based on our global standards and policies, , but we also allow each company to do things that make them different. One of the key success factors is to have a customer-focused approach and to be best on value,” Tor Odland explains.

While building the Telenor brand, he works more towards influencing the minds of what he calls “the informed elite” and less towards the minds of the end consumers, which is the responsibility of the local business unit.

“The informed elite are the people who work in the government, international national organisations, human rights groups or in the media for example.The mobile industry is heavily regulated, and therefore it’s in our interest to help governments and large organisations to understand that Telenor is a large, responsible company with a long-term perspective. But ultimately our industry is all about winning the customers – everything is centred on that,” he says.

And it seems that Telenor is doing just that. In 2013 Brand Finance - the leading global brand valuation agency - evaluated the 50 most valuable brands from Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland. Telenor secured the fourth place.

Furthermore, Brand Finance named Telenor as that year’s fastest riser, with a value growth of 55%.

One of the tools Telenor use to build their brand is social media.

Digital media and the internet have without a doubt transformed the telecommunications industry. Telecom companies now operate in an industry where there is a constant competition about who offers the best internet coverage at the best price.

“Previously we made most of our revenue on SMS and voice calls. Now most of the growth comes from data – or the internet services we all constantly use on our phones. We have to figure out how to deliver fast data at the right price. We need to find the right balance,” Tor Odland says.

Providing a ser vice that is so commonly used requires a direct, real-time access to the customers in order to stay one step ahead of the competition. This is why social media is largely used in the telecom industry to talk to the customers and respond to their questions, to update the customers and to promote products or services. According to Tor Odland, it’s becoming an integrated part of the telecom industry.

“Social media usage is very prevalent in our Asian markets. One year ago merely five percent used a mobile phone in Myanmar. Today that number is more than forty percent, and more than sixty percent of those use the Internet on the phone. That’s a higher percentage than in Thailand,” he says.

We don’t know where the world of the Internet is going, so it’s hard to predict five years ahead for sure.

It’s even harder to predict two years into the future.

But I’m sure you will see Telenor developing more of its own services as well as partnering with the existing internet companies. We will take a more prominent position in the internet space.

This rapid development of Internet usage has also led to Telenor seeing the need to educate the consumers in how to behave responsibly on the Internet. They teach, among other things, about online bullying, how to avoid viruses and how to protect your personal data.

“In some of these markets the internet is a new concept, so we try to teach them how to use it responsibly. We also train people to understand, that if you post a picture on the Internet it will be there forever,” Tor Odland says and gives an example of another decision made by the company relating to responsibility.

“We have also implemented a child pornography filter in most of our countries. We don’t like to block stuff on the Internet in general, but when it comes to child pornography it is absolutely our job to contribute to curbing this problem.”

Another aspect that social media has brought to the industry is within the field of customer service. People no longer have to wait in line at their local telecom store for help or to call a customer service agent. If a customer has an issue, he or she can tweet or post a message on Facebook to their service provider and receive an immediate response.

“I think as an industry we have been on a

journey of increased transparency. And that’s a standard of how we operate. It’s everyone’s responsibility to take care of the customers. I think the industries in Asia are still on that journey.They are certainly interested in being profiled well, but have a different approach to being transparent. I think it’s a bit of a cultural difference,” Tor Odland says.

Telenor’s policy of transparency became visible in a recent incident in Thailand. The consumption of Facebook in the country is huge, and on the 28th of May 2014, Facebook was briefly inaccessible to many users in Thailand.

Tor Odland, told a Norwegian newspaper that DTAC had received instructions from Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) on that very same day to block access to Facebook in Thailand. This led to Telenor being criticised by NBTC’s spokesperson for whistle blowing.

“Let me answer in principle. When the government reaches out to us and makes a request, we follow our established procedures.

And this very often includes being open about such requests. We work systematically with trying to find a balance between the internationally recognized human rights and local regulations and interests,” Tor Odland says when asked to comment on what could be learned from the incident. When asked if anything would be done differently should such a request appear again, he says, that there would be an evaluation of the request, and Telenor would most likely be open about it again.

When it comes to predicting the future and the Internet’s influence on the long-term prospects, nothing is certain.

“We don’t know where the world of the Internet is going, so it’s hard to predict five years ahead for sure. It’s even harder to predict two years into the future. But I’m sure you will see Telenor developing more of its own services as well as partnering with the existing internet companies. We will take a more prominent position in the internet space.”

Telenor has already developed a variety of services for different countries. In some countries they have launched music services and online learning tools and in other countries they have introduced shopping apps. In Asia, Telenor is a major provider of mobile financial services – where customers without a bank account get access to modern financial services such as money transfers and insurance.The company is also partnering with bigger companies such as Google and Facebook to collaborate on providing cutting-edge internet services to the mass markets of Asia.

“We operate in ver y competitive and challenging markets. We have to be able to deliver word class services and also be seen as a positive corporate citizen.That’s very important, as we will often be seen as a foreign company in many of these markets,” Tor Odland concludes.

December 2015 • ScandAsia.Thailand 23

Swedish night shift workers enjoy dream jobs in Thailand Sometimes a problem doesn’t require a visit, but can simply be solved by following some instructions. 60% of all who calls us are able to solve the problem they call for help to. That way we reduce the load for the medical system in Sweden.

By Maria Andreasdottir

‘‘I

t’s like working in heaven!” is what the nurses at MediCall tell when you ask about their job. From an office in the Thai costal city Hua Hin they answer the emergency line and give medical guidance to Sweden during Swedish nighttime.

That way Sweden-based nurses can sleep tight at night, while the Swedish nurses in Thailand take over the night shift during their day.

In 2008 Dr. Birger Rexed and his wife Karina went on holiday in Thailand to begin working on a house-project. They had no idea their holiday was going to be a permanent stay and neither the fact that they were going to make unwanted night work in Sweden turn into a dream come true in Hua Hin. A casual conversation with their mutual friend, Andreas Winqvist, the CEO of Swedish MedHelp, told the couple about an increasing problem in Sweden; the working situation was not good for Swedish nurses. The work hours were a big issue, and the nurses found the night time working uncomfortable and even a reason to quit their job. Birger and Karina Rexed saw an opportunity to take advantage of the time difference of 6 hours between Sweden and Thailand and that way make life easier. Both ways. “Why not move some of them here?”, they asked themselves.“We can take the Swedish night shift to Thailand, and they can keep their daytime in Sweden”.

Dr. Birger Rexed admits his love of taking up

24 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2015

a challenge.

“I said: let’s do this!” he smiles and looks at his wife. “Yes, let’s start it!” she replied.

The communication company MediCall was born.

Their house project which was meant for their “winter house” was now being built as the new MediCall office for future Swedish staff.

Life made simple Birger being a medical doctor and Karina a senior CEO and both life-enjoyers, they wanted to make the best working place. They came up with a business idea which says life should be simple.

Moving to another country for work should be easy too.

“Future employees only need to bring toothbrush and swimwear when they leave Sweden,” says Dr. Birger Rexed. Karina Rexed agrees.

“We are so lucky. Our idea is to make the nurses feel they’re in Paradise,” she says. MediCall provides everything for their staff:They pay for the air-ticket to Thailand, offer free housing and food, and they even serve each nurse with a weekly house cleaning done by a maid. On top of that, they are paid 16.000 SEK a month. The nurses only have to focus on work – and after work, they only have to focus on having a good time.

“It’s like holiday everyday,” Karina Rexed says.

When finishing their shift the nurses can go to the

nearby beach and relax, while their colleagues on the other side of the world begin their morning shift.

Today, MediCall also take the calls in the night hours in Thai time. They get compensated for two hours for each night time working. It means the nurses can work 32 hours a week.They work three days and have four days for off.

MediCall reduces the load of medical system in Sweden When a Swede calls the healthcare hotline “1177” their call will likely be answered by a nurse in Thailand. Every region in Sweden has their own way to handle medical advice service or “on-call GP”, and the biggest regions Stockholm, Sörmland, and Värmland use private companies for giving their citizens medical counseling. MedHelp is the biggest private medical advice service company in Europe, and MediCall is their subcontractor.Today they produce 25% of MedHelps total production, or in other words: during weekends every second call ends up in Hua Hin. “In the nights we take care of 60% of all calls to MedHelp,” says Dr. Birger Rexed.

MediCall gives Swedish people advice to handle a situation where medical knowledge is needed.

“Sometimes a problem doesn’t require a visit, but can simply be solved by following some instructions. 60% of all who calls us are able to

solve the problem they call for help to. That way we reduce the load for the medical system in Sweden,” Dr. Birger Rexed says.

Swedes should not worry about where their calls end up – the quality is exactly the same.

Medicall requires formally qualified nurses with minimum 5 years of working experience. They have a recruitment service who calls references and check up on CV’s. Furthermore, they always make sure of having extra nurses.

“Our company is meant to consist of 40 nurses, but we make sure we are 42,” CEO Karina Rexed says.

They always make sure to have extra backup for everything.

“We are very secured. When your work is about providing help for people in need you always have to make sure of everything works.

We have five direct internet lines to Sweden to make sure to always have connection to overseas,” she adds.

Why not do permanent holiday for work?

When the company was established it consisted of nine nurses from MedHelp.

“We were happily surprised. We did not think there would be so many applicants when we started searching for new staff,” CEO Karina Rexed says.

MediCall was a success. They had to create a

recruitment service to get an overview. Today, 42 nurses work for them in Hua Hin. They start working on a 6-month contract.

After, it’s up to the nurses themselves and MediCall what happens next. It’s not unusual the nurses decide to extend their work in Thailand.

“Nine decided to stay here forever,” Karina Rexed tells.

The nurses consist of many types: families, “nurse couples” where both are working in MediCall, some are single and some rejects retirement and want to make the best out of their golden years. Regardless of their background, age and gender, the nurses become more like a family than just work colleagues.

“We see how these people bond with each other. They organize tours in their spare time, arrange events and take good care of each other.

After the first four months they actually start to get a little depressed when realizing their 6-month stay soon is over. Most of them want to extend their contract,” she says.

While night time working in Sweden is a reason to quit, it’s becoming a reason to stay in Thailand. MediCall is growing, and so are the ideas of staying permanently in Hua Hin for work. Even if the contract does not include Swedish holidays, the nurses don’t mind.

“When we finish work, we have holiday. So actually, we have holiday everyday here”, the nurses say.

December 2015 • ScandAsia.Thailand 25

มุมภาษาไทย l mum pha:să: thai l Thai Language Corner

Money Talk

By Klavs Johansen (thai@snakthai.dk)

T

his month’s column marks the second anniversar y of the Thai Language Corner and we take the opportunity to refer new readers to the December 2013 issue of ScandAsia Thailand in which we lay down the transcription system used in the column ever since. Past issues of the magazine are available online from scandasia. com. We also reiterate that readers’ comments, suggestions or questions are most welcome using the email above. This way, you can help set the topics to be discussed at the Thai Language Corner.

Warming up for Christmas, it may be appropriate to go through some useful words and phrases related to economy, both micro and macro. It goes by many names and we shall be talking about: เศรษฐกิจ / sè:tthàkìt / ~ economy, เงิน / ngoen / ~ money, and การเงิน / ka:n ngoen / ~ finance.

Hence, be forewarned that this month’s column will be heavy on vocabulary and some may find the subject rather dry. As in previous columns, though, we will build up phrases and you may benefit from speaking the Thai parts out aloud with a Thai friend. This should help turning it all into good fun.

In Thailand, money are counted in บาท / bà:t / ~ Baht.You obviously know that, but, if you are a beginner, you may want to note the low tone of the word, the distinctive long vowel /a:/ and the final /t/ which is ending in the throat almost before being pronounced and without any blow of air at all. Possibly the single most common word in Thai, 26 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2015

it pays to pronounce it correctly.

We all have expenses: ค่า / khâ: / ~ cost, value, ใช้ / chái / ~ to use, spend, จ่าย / jà:i / ~ to pay, ค่าใช้จ่าย / khâ: chái jà:i / ~ expenses.

To cover these we need: ได้ / dâ:i / ~ to receive, รายได้ / ra:i dâ:i / ~ income, มีรายได้ / mi: ra:i dâ:i / ~ to have income, เงินเดือน / ngoen duean / ~ (monthly) salary, กำ�ไร / kamrai / ~ profit.

Or: สินเชื่อ / sĭn chûea / ~ credit, กู้ / kû: / ~ to borrow (money at interest), หนี้ / nî: / ~ debt, เป็นหนี้ / pen nî: / ~ to be in debt, จำ�นำ� / jam nam / ~ to pawn, โรงรับจำ�นำ� / ro:ng ráp jam nam / ~ a pawnshop.

Look for the sign, still a notable par t of the Thai urban landscape in every provincial town and older quarters of Bangkok, like for instance Banglamphu or Yaowarat.

The following may be sounder ways to help cover your expenses in the longer term: ใช้หนี้ / chái nî: / ~ to pay back debt, ต่อราคา / tòr: ra:kha: / ~ to bargain, ลด / lót / ~ to reduce, ลดราคา / lót ra:kha: /~ to discount, ประหยัด / pràyàt / ~ to save cost, economize, ออมสิน / or:m sĭn / ~ to save money (put money by), กระปุกออมสิน / kràpùk or:m sĭn / ~ piggy bank, ดอกเบี้ย / dòr:k bîa / ~ interests.

Larger expenses may be eased by hire purchase:

ผ่อน / phòr:n / ~ to pay by installments, ผ่อนยาว / phòr:n ya:o / ~ to pay by installments over a long period,

เงินดาวน์ / ngoen da:o / ~ down payment, งวด / ngûat / ~ installment.

Finally, investing in stocks could be another way to fund your expenses, if you are bold enough.

The Thai colloquial expression may say it all: เล่น / lên / ~ to play, หุ้น / hûn / ~ stocks, เล่นหุ้น / lên hûn / ~ to trade stocks.

To invest is ลงทุน / long thun / and by doing this you expose yourself to the world economy เศรษฐกิจโลก / sè:tthàkìt lô:k / which could be ตกต่ำ� / tòk tàm / ~ declining or เติบโต / tòe:p to: / ~ growing.

Under all circumstances, you have to adjust your expenses to your own economy, whether you are รวย / ruai / ~ rich, or จน / jon / ~ poor, or somewhere in between: มีพอกินพอใช้ / mi: phor: kin phor: chái / ~ to have enough to eat and enough to spend.

Let’s end on an optimistic note: ขอให้ ... / khŏr: hâi ... / ~ I wish you ... ขอให้รวย / khŏr: hâi ruai / ~ may you be rich, ขอให้ถูกหวย / khŏr: hâi thù:k hŭai / ~ may you win the lottery!

สุ ข สั น ต์ วั น คริ ส มาสต์ น ะครั บ / sùksăn wan khrítsàmâ:t ná› khráp / ~ Merry Christmas!

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