ScandAsia Thailand - June 2016 by Scandinavian Publishing Co., Ltd.

JUN 2016

Finnish boat with “wow factor” arrives to Thailand ScandAsia.dk

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Coming Events

EABC Thailand: Joint Chambers Chiang Mai Networking Event Where: Horizon Village & Resort, Chiang Mai When: Friday 10 June, 18:30 - 21:00

Networ king in Nor th Thailand. European Association for Business and Commerce (EABC) in Thailand invites to a Joint European Chambers Chiang Mai Networking. The event is sponsored by East-West Seed and Horizon Village & Resort, where it also takes place. There will be coctail, dinner, drinks, beer and wine. 600 baht for EABC members, and 900 baht for non-members, inclusive of cocktail dinner, drinks, beer & wine. Cash payment at the door.

Danish Embassy in Bangkok: Screening of “A War” Where: Central Embassy Shopping Mall When: Monday 13 June, 19:00 - 22:25

Enjoy an exclusive evening at EMB ASSY DIPLOMATIC SCREENS at Central Embassy Shopping Mall with great cinematic art in company of other film lovers. Not only will you have the chance to watch an Academy Award Nominee film on big screen in a luxur y cinema setting, you will also be able to par ticipate in a lucky draw with various valued sponsors, while enjoying refreshments before the film starts. Film synopsis: Company commander Claus M. Pedersen (Pilou Asbæk) and his men are stationed in an Afghan province. Meanwhile back in Denmark

Claus’ wife Maria (Tuva Novotny) is trying to hold everyday life together with a husband at war and three children missing their father. During a routine mission, the soldiers are caught in heavy crossfire and in order to save his men, Claus makes a decision that has grave consequences for him – and his family back home. 19.00: Reception 20.30-22.25 Screening of “A War” Registration: Nanna Rong Bentsen – narnbe@ um.dk

ith boat w Finnishow factor” “w nd a il a h to T arrives a.se

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ScandAsi

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- , Fax: +66 2 943 7169 E-mail: news@scandasia.com Editor-in-Chief : Gregers A.W. Møller gregers@scandmedia.com Managing Editor: Joakim Persson Joakim@scandmedia.com Journalist: Frederik Guy Hoff Sonne

Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce Thailand: Forum 2016 Where: Eastin Grand Hotel, Sathorn Bangkok, near BTS Surasak When: Tuesday 28 June,13:30 - 17:30 JFCCT recognises its 40th year in 2016. The JFCCT Forum will cover key policies with a broad focus on the services sector, which is recognised as a growth engine and the key enabler for an innovation-led economy. Baht 500 for members and supporters, baht

1,000 for non-members, baht 250 net for graduate/ post graduate students and press, free of charge for government employees. For more information and online registration, please visit http://www.jfcct.org/ jfcct-forum-2016/

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 Brief

New book on Thailand from Bertil Lintner

he Swedes’ favourite destination Thailand is heading towards a critical stage. This is stated in a press release from the Swedish publisher Historiska Media on a new book from Bertil Lintner depicting the Thai history in a competent and vivid way. Thailand is one of the Swedes absolute favourite destinations. A warm climate, cheap accommodation, good food and exotic experiences attract them to visit the kingdom in Southeast Asia. Nevertheless, the country is misunderstood and reporting from there is sporadic, and in many cases misleading. The present Thailand with Bangkok as the capital was established in the late 1700s. Its history is multifaceted and the country has survived many testing times; colonial powers rampage, two world wars, communist revolt in the 60s and 70s and no less than eighteen failed military coups since in 1932. Today, the country is something of an economic miracle. But there is no lack of challenges. The country is politically divided and faces the accession of a new monarch. The rapid economic development causes the traditional structures to be on the verge of collapse, to be replaced by more modern power constellations and values. Bertil Lintner depicts the history of Thauiland in a competent and vivid way. The journalist and author Bertil Lintner has lived in Thailand since 1979. Between 1995 and 2014 he was the Swedish Dagbladet’s Asia Correspondent. He has previously written a number of books on Asia, including Burma’s history (2014). His new book is the first in Swedish covering the entire Thai history. Historiska Media’s main characteristic is the release of popular historical literature and historical novels and detective stories. Among our authors are well-known names such as Antony Beevor, Anna Lihammer, Bengt Liljegren and Maria Gustavsdotter.

Student Kulrada Kiatkulthorn becomes Global Swede for Thailand

ulrada Kiatkulthorn, a Thai student in the master’s program in logistics and Innovation Management at the University of Gävle, has been appointed as ‘Global Swede’. At ceremony on 18 May, she received a diploma and a gift from the Economic Development and Innovation Minister Mikael Damberg. Kulrada Kiatkulthorn, who calls herself Tea is aiming at her degree in the Master’s program in logistics and innovation management. She has distinguished herself as an ambitious student with good grades and is perceived as both positive and cheerful by teachers and peers. Criteria for becoming Global Swede are that the international student has excelled in the field of innovation and entrepreneurship during the studies and that he/she is at the end of the training. As Global Swede Kulrada Kiatkulthorn will be a representative for Sweden in their homeland and act as an ambassador for Sweden and higher education. “Tea both has clear links to Sweden, a positive attitude and personal drive, as well as excellent academic study results. In summary, it is difficult to imagine anyone who would be more suitable to be appointed to Global Swede.” said Erik Olsson, Specialist on Internationalization. - Such an ambassador means a lot in making Sweden and the University of Gävle known abroad.

Finnish Vappu celebrated in Bangkok

he Thai-Finnish Chamber of Commerce thanked the hosts and hostesses (Raimo, Tuovi, Tiina and the boys) for another nice ‘Vappu’ celebration, held in Bangkok at the Ambassadors residence on Sunday afternoon 1 May. “Vappu in Thailand is nothing without Sauna and swimming pool. Great thanks to Voitto for his salmon, rye bread and Karelian pies!!! Naturally TFCC Vappu par ty is not complete without 4 ScandAsia.Thailand • June 2016

Finlandia Vodka and the always pretty Finlandia girls!! Thanks also to our Ambassador for using her Residence!” Voitto Virtanen from Scandic Smoked Salmon Company prepared the Vappu food and the guests were able also to buy and bring home traditional Finnish delicacies. Source: Thai-Finnish Chamber of Commerce

June 2016 â&#x20AC;¢ ScandAsia.Thailand 5

News Brief

New Spica Siam Husqvarna Thailand headquarters inaugurated By Joakim Persson

n 27 April Sweden’s Ambassador to Thailand His Excellency Staffan Her r ström, along with Managing Director Jan Eriksson and brand representatives, including Glenn Watman, Regional Director Asean Husqvarna, inaugurated the new Bangkok office and warehouse facilities for Spica Siam / Husqvarna. Many Swedes from the expat community in Thailand, as well as other VIPs also attended the ceremony, which included speeches by H.E. the Ambassador as well as Managing Director Jan Eriksson. The new premises – conveniently located on On Nuch road near express ways and the Bangkok ring road – prepares Spica Siam / Husqvarna well for further expansion and solves previous issues in terms of having a streamlined operation, the guests learned from Mr Eriksson. “We’ve moved out of previous facilities, could not handle logistics in any efficient way.” Jan Eriksson continued to explain about their growth plan. “Aside Husqvarna we have Gardena (a Germany company but owned by Husqvarna as an extension) and we are exclusive importer for greenworks tools; supplier of environmentally efficient products. Furthermore we also operate our own Thai brand ‘Khunsuke’. Khunsuke sells engines, generators, water pumps and sprayers for the agricultural sector. “We had a rush to get this office, and moved in early - which was good in order to get ready in time for today. The incentive in getting everything ready was that the Swedish Ambassador was coming here to officiate the opening, and he 6 ScandAsia.Thailand • June 2016

could not possibly be let down by something. So that has been a good driving force,” Jan related and told that the distribution now works exceptionally well, with things closed to 98 per cent ready. He especially thanked his colleague, General Manager Surakom Thongthaen Na Ayuthaya for having done a fantastic job for the company: “Surakom has been the greatest contribution to the level of professionalism we have created here. He is really a valued asset in this operation.” “Spica is synonymous with Husqvarna, as you can see from the business signing. I myself spent 35 years as an executive for Volvo Cars and that experience taught me how important branding is for value and building a business,” said Jan and continued: “Spica will always have Husqvarna first in mind and build branding for its long-term prosperity. We cannot offer the best for the cheapest; in Thailand the cheapest is often the customer’s choice. But the strength for the brand is so important for our future. If we can build desire for Husqvarna we can grow our business much more.” Considerable amount of investment has gone in to building these facilities to Husqvarna standards to facilitate for further expansion. Sales has so far increased, year on year, with 50 per cent in 2016, but that growth was not enough, according to Mr Eriksson. “We must grow much faster and we have all the plans for doing that.” Their countrywide network of 350 dealers will play a relatively small part of the expansion, where the “new kid on the block” is expansion

from modern trade, such as online sales of delivery. “We will have several outlets online, including our distribution and online sales. It’s the way that the business is going in the future; we can see it clearly in Europe and U.S and so on, where people buy online. That helps us with the advantage of the efficiency of distribution as well. So our warehouse is prepared for this new way of doing business.” H. E. Staffan Herrström was impressed to hear about the 50 per cent increase in sales and surprised that Jan Eriksson required higher growth than that. The Ambassador furthermore thought that the premises were well planned and flawless and could not image what two remaining per cent could be. He also noted the Swedish look and feel, in the blue and yellow colours. “Swedish industrial history is synonymous with flagship brands such as Husqvarna,” the Ambassador also reflected. He also praised Jan Eriksson, being the very first Swede in the Thai community that he had come across since arriving to the mission Thailand last year. Jan, he portrayed, was a businessman with stature, possessing a vast network and long experience, and being involved as President of the Thai-Swedish Chamber of Commerce and on the Board of EABC. Jan had been of great help to the Ambassador when arriving to Thailand. After the speeches the ribbon cutting followed and then a tour of the premises before the guests were served cocktails (canapes) and drinks for lunch.

News Brief

Swedish ‘The Smile Bar’ expands to Bangkok

he Smile Bar is an exclusive dental whitening treatment center that offers first class service in a modern environment. Following a successful launch in the summer of 2015 in Hong Kong, the time has now come for the concept – which includes Brilliant Smiles’ re:fresh treatment – to expand to Bangkok, Thailand. Following its successful introduction in Hong Kong,The Smile Bar has now taken its next step into the Asian market by launching its first treatment center in the heart of Bangkok on 23 April 2016. The center is located in a three story townhouse building in Siam Square where three services are seamlessly offered, dental treatment, whitening treat and on the top floor massage treatment. You can even have a foot massage while you are having your whitening treatment of your teeth – “The VIP treatment”. “Thai consumers care much about their looks and value good

service and a welcoming interior,” says Sirinar t Sukkrajang, General Manager of The Smile Bar in Thailand. “That is why I believe The Smile Bar is the answer to their needs. We offer a competitive service here in Bangkok, the products we use are safe and effective and our prices are reasonable.” The Smile Bar, “your teeth whitening par tner in Bangkok”, is open daily from 10-22. Kindly visit their website for more information: www.the-smile-bar.co.th Brilliant Smile is a Swedish Trademar k. The company was founded in Gothenburg Sweden in 2003. It builds it reputation on offering quality products to treat discoloration of teeth, providing white teeth without damaging the enamel. The Smile Bar is using Mynewsdesk, which ScandAsia’s publisher ScandMedia represents in Thailand, to inform customers and media.

June 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 7

News Brief

Aritco lifts on the way up By Gregers Møller

he private lift brand Aritco from Sweden showed its smart and affordable lifts at the Architect Expo 2016 in Muang Thong Thani in April this year. While the lifts go both up and down, the sale of Aritco in Thailand has been going only up. Today, over 200 of the fancy lifts have been installed both in private homes and companies all over Thailand. Behind the success in Thailand is the Swedish businessman Rafique Ahmed and his Thai business partner Tana Sripongtanakul. Both were present on the stand at the exhibition where ScandAsia took the lift with them up to the second floor to see a display of a variety of innovative ways to make use of the lifts. The models were all entries in a prize competition, which Aritco had organized among young architects. The challenge was to create the best scale model of an application and the creativity was fascinating. In this writer’s view, the ones that showed the widest market were the most interesting. An example was a simple model showing how fitting a lift to the outside of an existing townhouse building would be the cheapest way to add well over a million Baht in extra value to this kind of property anywhere in Bangkok. The lifts are different from the giant elevators that you find in department stores and hotels with counterweights and thick cables pulling the carriage up and down. Aritco lifts has a simple screw as the central mechanism and the whole lift fits inside the walls of the lift. That is partly why these lifts are also more safe for homes where children go up and down on their own in the lift or when a bit senile elderly people are the users. From a design point of view, the lifts are also very different from their big brothers. This piece of furniture fits in your home like a wardrobe. According to Rafique Ahmed and Khun Tana, many of the Aritco lifts in Thailand are installed to extend the comfor table stay of the aging

8 ScandAsia.Thailand • June 2016

owners of the house on their own proper ty, but also many young people install a lift for the convenience. “If you have bought a house at 20 mill, adding a lift at an extra million makes a lot of sense,” says Rafique Ahmed. All Aritco lifts are made in Sweden with simplicity as the guiding design principle. The simplicity is reflected also in the simple way it is installed. All is contained within the walls of the lift. Not only in Thailand are the lifts on the way up. Worldwide there are more than 30,000 Aritco lifts installed in over 30 countries. In Asia, the lifts are also sold in Malaysia, India, Indonesia, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. For more information please visit us on www. aritco.com and www.aritcohomelifts.com

Rafique Ahmed

Tana Sripongtanakul

News Brief

World Championship in Thai Boxing held in Sweden

Thailand representatives meet Swedish Royalties

n early May Representatives of Thailand’s National Legislative Assembly had a royal audience with Their Majesties the King and Queen of Sweden during a trip to Malaysia. On Wednesday 4 May, Pol. Gen. Chatchawal Suksomjit, along with a group of NLA members, joined a royal dinner reception arranged in honour of Their Majesties King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, who hosted their Child Global Forum on South East Asia. The Thai delegation also had the oppor tunity to receive a royal audience with Their Majesties, during which Pol.

Gen. Chatchawal presented a token of remembrance and offered best wishes on behalf of Thailand for His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf ’s 70th birthday anniversary. The forum, which took place on 5 May in Kuala Lumpur brought together government and business leaders and academia and representatives from civil society from various countries to discuss the issue of children’s rights in the ASEAN region. Source: National News Bureau & Public Relations Photo source: Independent news network

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he biggest sports event in Sweden this year was held on 18 - 28 May – the Championship in Thai boxing. Jönköping and Kinnarps Arena was the hosting city, with 70 nations attending. At the inauguration ceremonies and cultural elements from Thailand were presented, performances with smaller and bigger kids from the Cultural school in Jönköping and participation by Thailand’s Viceminister for Sport and Tourism. IFMA World Championship in thai boxing is one of the biggest martial arts events in the world with thousands of competitors, delegates, officials and leaders. This was the first time the Championship is being held in Europe.

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Finnish boat with

“wow factor” arrives to Thailand “A boat that has it all; searing performance, a fantastic hull, brilliant deck spaces, somewhere to sleep and looks to die for.” By Joakim Persson

ver ten years have passed since Phuket-based Derani Yachts’ inception, operated by sea captain and boating devotee Håkan Lange from Sweden. Now in 2016 this international boat brand dealership also brings attention to Scandinavia; in the form of the arrival to Thai waters of the European boating market’s hottest new brand - Axopar. As this Finnish brand’s first dealer in Asia, Derani Yachts in January debuted the distinct 28foot Axopar (awarded “Motor Boat of The Year 2016” in the category Sportsboats and RIBs in the 2016 Motor Boat Awards) at the PIMEX boat show on Phuket. Not only is it Europe’s fastest growing shipyard, but this brand also represents a both affordable and exciting boating opportunity. “Axopar comes at a good price in relation to quality, offers unique driving characteristics, and is a bit daring in style,” Håkan evaluates. Its new 37 foot motorboat, in various combinations, also debuted at Dusseldorf in January this year, with no less than 270 Axopar 28 boats (their first product launched two years ago), built up until PIMEX. “That’s a very large quantity of boats for a new brand, especially on today’s market where the economy is still restrained. But they have launched a good product with a very economical hull with regards to fuel consumption in relation to the size and the horsepower that is required to move the boat forward, at an incredibly attractive price,” Håkan continues. 10 ScandAsia.Thailand • June 2016

At the world’s ultimate boat show in Cannes one can come across finds such as Axopar, as it is where all brands and shipyards who are serious players exhibit. Håkan’s ability to spot something that dares to be different and that can add value also to the boating scene here was instrumental for the new partnership. Though, Axopar has certainly caught the attention also of many other boat lovers and dealerships worldwide. Hence, this new Finnish success also proves that one can succeed by standing out from the rest. “Unfortunately the boat business is a very conservative and traditional sector, where people just follow the masses and the mainstream product on the market. I have felt in the last years that there is nothing to buy at PIMEX under 10 million baht and that Derani Yachts could get some extra exposure by having something that offers value for money; simple systems, with no need for having a captain on board, and that one person can easily manage; with reasonable delivery time; and not too expensive to keep it in a marina.” This could also be an add-on to a larger boat that one might keep in another marina outside Thailand. As an entry boat Axopar can also open up new horizons when a client may want to upgrade his boating in the future. At the most recent Phuket International Marine Exhibition, PIMEX the Axopar 28 was showcased for the first time in Asia and the boat drew an incredible interest and the week following the boat show was full of sea trial.

Since the PIMEX show until today, we have delivered a Axopar 28 Cabin and an Axopar 28 TT both with single Mercury Verado 300 and between September and December this year, yet another 6 Axopars will be delivered to its owners. FIVE ( 5 ) Axopar 37 with a variety of hull and engine colours and configurations of model, cabins, suntop T-top will be blasting around Phuket very soon and yet one more stoch Axopar 28. Paying homage to Scandinavia is a key ingredient benefiting the attraction of Axopar. “It’s a very modern hull, and there are many small practical details typical for Scandinavian boat manufacturing and design. Things are to be found in the right place, the height is correct, it’s easy to clean, and with each space having a multi-purpose; be it sunbathing or having lunch or sleeping in the cabin,” according to Håkan. This premium brand strives to redefine and enhance people’s boating experience by bringing new thinking with solid design derived from years of experience. The team behind Axopor Boats , Jan-Erik Viitala and Sakari Mattila had already enjoyed acclaimed success with the two previous boat brands Aquador and XO Boats, which they have designed, developed and launched to the European market. But they wanted, and succeeded in accomplishing something different and even better, with a focus on future boating needs and the changing boating behaviour. Today’s boat enthusiasts are all different and use their boats in different ways. Furthermore, the modern boat

buyer is aware and wants a boat that has it all – from design, character and attitude to fuel efficiency and smart solutions, according to the founders. The solution for that was as simple as brilliant; they chose to personalize the boat by developing a revolutionary hull which then formed the basis for five different boat models. The resulting Axopar takes a big step into the future as a boat that is lighter, more fuel efficient and more affordable than ever before. “We set to challenge ourselves to come up with something totally different, something that is instantly recognizable on the water, fresh in design combined with safety, ease of use and versatility,” the Finnish brand adds to its fuel efficiency and affordability. “We incorporate modular design to combine the advantages of our amazing hull with the freedom of customization to answer to today’s customers’ needs and demands - Finnish boat design at its best.” “There is nothing that compares, if you are looking for a V-formed hull. It costs hundreds of thousands Euro for a similar boat, with an inboard instead of outboard engine. They have just hit the right notes,” says Håkan, as he joins praising for the multiple award-winning boat. “I’d say it’s a good all-round boat, and with five different combinations. Depending on if it’s the 24,28 or 37 foot we are talking various combinations of cabins, or T-top, plus there will be air-conditioning in the Axopar 37 boats.” Footnote: Håkan Lange can be reached at: +66 (0) 818930272, hakan@derani-yachts.com June 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 11

Andreas Andersson, chef de at the Swedish Residence B By Agneta de Bekassy

ndreas Ander sson is a young Swedish chef in quite an unusual job in Bangkok. As Chef de Cuisine at the Swedish Ambassador’s residence in Bangkok he prepares the meals for all the many representative events held at the home of H.E. Ambassador Staffan and Mrs. Herrström. After a wonderful private dinner at the Swedish residence, guests had the pleasure to be introduced to Andreas Andersson, Chef de Cuisine at the residence of Swedish Ambassador to Thailand, Mr. and Mrs. Herrström. Andreas is from Skåne, something you hear immediately, as he speaks a marked dialect. One has to concentrate and listen carefully to understand what he’s saying, unless being from the same area of Sweden oneself. Andreas was brought up in Helsingborg, a beautiful, medium sized town, in the south of Sweden. In 2004 he graduated from college. Instead of going to university, Andreas started to work at a golf restaurant “Söderåsen’s Golfklubb” 12 ScandAsia.Thailand • June 2016

and after a while he took a big step and moved to Gran Canaria, Spain. He worked as an “a la carte chef ” for a season at St. Augustin, a popular destination for Swedes (belonging to the Swedish Ving travel group). After a while in sunny Spain, he decided to go back to Sweden; to Skåne and a fish restaurant named “Svanshalls krog” (translated Swanneck’s Inn). At this place he stayed for three years before moving on to a four-year stint with Marina Plaza. Had Andreas dreamt, as a young boy, of becoming a chef? He shook his head and said: “Not really”. He spoke about his passion for cookies and how started baking them at home: “If I wanted cookies, I had to make them myself.” From baking the step to cooking isn’t that far. In Helsingborg, one of his friends was planning to open a restaurant and Andreas had the oppor tunity to help him build the restaurant from the ground up – in Anders’ own words a “great experience”. The restaurant was named “Pithers” and offered a kind of fine dining but with

some sport elements. Here at Pithers, Andreas got his first real chef job and stayed for two years. After this experience, he moved a bit north up to Båstad, a Swedish destination known for its international tennis tournament and during its summer high season a place is teeming with life. Again, Andreas helped a friend who opened his own restaurant and through him got in touch with the Hotel Chain Elite. He suddenly found himself at Hotel Elite Ideon. This place focused on Asian business dinners and Andreas became familiar with Asian tastes and dishes. “Here I learned a lot from many great chefs” Andreas recalled. “They were very creative and had kind of odd ways to cook. Maybe we could call it a fusion between Scandinavian and Asian food.” During one year Andreas worked hard and tried to pick up as many ideas and knowledge as he could. “There I got the idea of maybe making a trip to Thailand and explore this part of the world.”

e cuisine Bangkok Another friend this time played a role, as they jointly started to make plans for a restaurant in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. Why up in Chiang Mai? The explanation was that his friend’s wife had her roots in Chiang Mai and all necessary contacts. To build a restaurant from nothing needs both good contacts and knowledge and last but not least patience. The two young guys started and it took nine months before they were ready and satisfied with the result. During this time Andreas went back to Sweden between June and September 2015. He met up and worked with several famous chefs. The well-known chain Scandinavian Resort had contacted him to see if he could be interested in a job as Personal Chef at the Player’s tent during NORDEA PGA cup; responsible for the player’s food during a week. That was a real challenge, Andreas remembered. He got to meet players like Henrik Stensson, Tom Murray, Jaidee Thongchai and even Prince Daniel and Erik Hamren, came as guest players.

“I was also lucky to work with Tommy Myllimäki, one of Sweden’s best chefs with a medal from Bocuse D’Or and a title as ‘Chef of the year’.” Soon after that experience, he worked a couple of weeks in Båstad at Scandinavian Resort, which had opened a new Hotel/Resort/SPA in Båstad. There he got to meet star players like Serena Williams, since she often had her meals at the restaurant. Prince Carl Philip and his Sofia were also among the celebrity guests. Andreas was offered a permanent job there, but he had already made up his mind that it was Thailand that stood on his wish list. Andreas explained that Chiang Mai really is a “food place” in Thailand. Lots of vegetables, fruits and berries that we are used to in Scandinavia, can be cultivated there. The climate is different from other parts of Thailand. Here you will find strawberries tasting like they are supposed to taste, lemons that are like lemons etc. The people in Chiang Mai are very price conscious, so food has to be price-worthy and of high quality. All restaurants up in Chiang Mai tend to find their special niche. How about Thai people; do hey like the Swedish food? Andreas smiled: “Oh yes, they like herring, marinated salmon and, of course, the famous meat balls”. The Swedes had no Thai food at all on their menu, however some American food. So how did Andreas end up at the Swedish residence in Bangkok? Well, what could have been the reason? Yes, you are right, a woman of course! Four years ago Andreas met a lady named Ammi and during the time he and his friend started the restaurant in Chiang Mai, he called her and asked for help and advice. As you understand Ammi lives in Bangkok and after a year in northern Thailand, Andreas was ready for a move to Bangkok and Ammi. As he was looking for a suitable job he saw an ad in Bangkok Post and on Facebook that the Swedish ambassador and his spouse were looking for a chef for their residence. Andreas took the chance and applied. He wasn’t the only one, but the best for this job. “Here I get to speak Swedish and concentrate on Swedish food,” Andreas said happily. Karin also smiled and said she was so happy having Andreas stirring in the pans. They seemed to communicate both with words and gestures.

Both have a genuine interest in food and the way to present the food. “You do eat with both mouth and eyes,” Karin said and one could only agree. Together they discuss menus and Andreas gets the chance to be really creative. They focus on organic food as much as possible; healthy and tasty seems to be their motto, and to always try to find the very best suppliers. The first big dinner at the residence for Andreas was on 1 April 2016; a dinner party to say fare well to the British ambassador Mr. Marc Kent. 27 guests and a 5-course set dinner. “This must have been a huge challenge for Andreas,” Karin thought. “Our kitchen is far too small, but he made it and it was a great success.” And what was the menu for the night? “To star t with we had a soup made of Jerusalem ar tichoke with parsnip chips and prosciutto (Italian ham). Then scallops with cauliflower foam, followed by a low tempered cooked salmon with Buttermilk, Brussel cabbage and Red cabbage”. Scallops, as it turned out, is one of Karin’s favourite food. “We had an American filet with a red wine sauce and pickled pumpkins and as dessert, honey and thymine pears. A pink mini donut was the garnish on the cake,” Karin added. Andreas has more or less “free hands” when it comes to cooking and preparing; whish is something he appreciates. For the future there will be more new cooking tools in the kitchen to make cooking easier. A machine called “Sous vide” is the next on the wishing list. It’s a kind of vacuum machine, in which one can cook both meat and other things, preserving the natural and original taste of the food Andreas explained. Andreas is also interested in so called slow cooking, a method that we used much more back in the old days. As for what catches Andreas creative interest for the moment he replied: “I love the herb Thymine and I want to create something maybe as a combination of Thymine, Juniper and apples and there is a Japanese juice called Yuzu that I want to make a dish with. Oh, I have so many ideas.” As a chef at Karin and Staffan’s home, Andreas will undoubtedly have plenty of opportunities to create the most delicious dishes as they have at least two events weekly, if not more. June 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 13

Dancham AGM asked for members’ input By Joakim Persson

he 2016 edition of the Danish-Thai Chamber of Commerce’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) broke new ground twofold. The AGM changed venue from the traditional premises of the Danish Embassy in Bangkok to nearby Dusit Hotel near Lumpini, but more interestingly also tried out a new “format” where the actual AGM took place as the last thing of the evening’s programme, on Wednesday 27 April 2016. This year the meeting started with a 90-minute forum discussion about how the members can all make better use of their chamber to address the most pressing and urgent challenges the members are facing. The Danish-Thai Chamber of Commerce includes 120 corporate members who are mostly specialised ser vice providers, manufacturers or star t-ups. Add to this the 20+ individuals members, many who work in Thai companies, who should also not be underestimated in terms of possessing experience and insights, said DTCC President Thomas Nyborg. The attending members were divided into seven groups that discussed the four different topics, which were: - How can we use our chamber to communicate and network better to facilitate business for 14 ScandAsia.Thailand • June 2016

members, as well as between members? - How can we use the chamber to address our biggest challenges in areas of admin and policy advocacy? - How can we use the chamber to support causes that are important to our members? - What should our chamber do to remain relevant going forward? What works well / not so well at the moment? Each group was given time to brainstorm and then discuss the challenges and ideas for consideration. The ‘communications’ group, to mention one, came up with prioritized suggestions such as: To push for B2B member promotions via video etc., promoted in newsletter and on social media; reinstalling the member magazine; introduce a web board that facilitate through the website members’ needs for certain products or partners; initiate an international business network where one representative from each business area and chamber of commerce join smaller groups to share challenges; and map all services and insights from members and communicate these across the board. The forum was wrapped up by each group representative reading out their suggestion highlights to the meeting.

At the end of the forum all the ideas were compiled, to form the basis of what the incoming board and chamber office should focus the chamber activities on, also including advocacy efforts. Having listened to the various suggestions, where there were clearly also inter-linking ideas between different groups, Thomas Nyborg concluded that many ideas also resonated what they had already talked about within the chamber’s board. The President said that all proposals would be shared with the incoming board for enhancing B2B connectivity. The new board would use their two first meetings to process the suggestions and come up with a proposal, and to also include some Key Performance Indicators for the activities and steps to be implemented. As a break between the forum and the actual AGM, Danish food and Danish beer was served to the meeting attendants. The AGM elected a few new members to the board of the Chamber. New members on the board are Michael Andersen, L.V. Technology Public Company Limited., Jesper Riis-Antonsen, PANDORA Production Co., Ltd, Sophie Edelgren, Danish Loft Design and Torben Nybo Jensen, Scan Global Logistics Co., Ltd

Swedes touched by the heart of Mechai By Joakim Persson

hu 28 April 2016 was an inspiring night that the Thai-Swedish business community in Bangkok will remember for a long time to come, as the Guest Speaker for the occasion of the Annual General Meeting and Dinner Event of the ThaiSwedish Commerce (TSCC) was the well-known Thai personality Mr Mechai Viravaidya, known for his Cabbages and Condoms restaurants and the Ikea-supported, innovative (Ikano Foundation) Mechai Pattana Bamboo School project. Preceding the dinner and his speech was the Annual General Meeting itself, which presented the Members with a slight net loss and very much a new chapter in the operations of the Chamber. The AGM attendants learned that work on a new strategy had commenced during the previous year, 2015, and an entirely new office team had been appointed, contributing to cutting down on fixed expenses while generating more income for the chamber onwards. The strategy is developed within various working groups involving appointed Board of Governors, and advocacy work continues via EABC and the JFCCT (Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce Thailand) committees, as well as directly with the Thai government and agencies, including Board of Trade, Board of Investment, Thai Trade representatives, as well as ministries. During 2015 TSCC held 25 events, which is less than the average. However TSCC spent considerable on its own rejuvenation of the management and team, and the overall strategy work. Among the events highlights were the 6 June National Day Dinner Party held at Radisson Blu Plaza Bangkok, with 200+ guests attending and starring the Swedish stand-up comedian David Batra; the Swedish Traditional Christmas

Luncheon at St. Regis Hotel; as well as a number of business breakfast meetings and luncheons. TSCC will continue its operation with increased focus on membership benefits driven by coordinated calendar, member benefits, services and board work and member engagement. The new all-Thai TSCC office team is lead by Executive Director Jiaraya Chanchon; where Napavorn Chinprayoon (Miu) is Administrative Officer, Chanunya Silapanuntakul (Kat) is Project Coordinator and Phatra Sedtanranon (Bring) is Project Assistant (as intern). TSCC had also acquired a new accountant and a new auditor was also proposed. In 2015 TSSC saw a slight decrease in members, where corporate members increased while individual members decreased. The Executive Director presented the AGM with the plan for the new membership drive; focusing on member benefits, sponsorship packages and possibilities, and online version of Thai Sweden Review (replacing the printed biannual magazine). TSCC President Jan Eriksson presented the AGM with a forecast of “exponential increase in profit in 2016 compared to the 2015 loss,” with a budgeted profit of baht 250,000. The AGM also elected 5 new members to the Board of Governors. These are: Anette Andersson (Volvo Cars Thailand), Birgitta Leveen Deckmar (Diakrit), Marcus Krusell (Krusell Group), Daniel Lingren (Rapid Asia), and Kamlarp Sirikittiwatn from Volvo Group. Furthermore, Roy Andersson and Thongchai Watanasoponwong were elected as new Advisors. The new Board then re-elected Mr Jan Eriksson as President. Then the highlight of the Thai-Swedish AGM

followed, as it was time for the dinner, with a Swedish-oriented menu by Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit’s magnificent chefs. This consisted in: Gravlax green bouquet, capet, dill crème; Baked barramundi ‘Aqua Paza’ Venetian Style, wilted spinach, scallion mashed potato as main course, followed by Ostkaka Swedish cheese cake, berry ice cream as dessert. And it was, aside the superb food, a very inspiring night where the honourable guest speaker Mechai Viravaidya stroke the right note and touched the guests’ hearts at the core by demonstrating the for Thailand spearheading effor ts and the splendid things achieved as a result, where so much else is left to answer for by Thailand’s own governance. For instance, the former minister and politician Mechai Viravaidya does not hesitate to criticize his country’s failure when it comes to the educational system in Thailand (its poor state highlighted in his speech to the TSCC members). For those who are not familiar with this philanthropist and founder of Mechai Viravaidya Foundation’s background he is most known for his activism and pioneering work in family planning and HIV/AIDS awareness/prevention. He also goes under the nickname of “Mr Condom” as a result of his efforts to promote sexual-safety awareness. Fur thermore he has taken a hands-on improvement of Thailand’s education, in particular to help those who are poor and stateless within the country. In his presentation Mechai showcased the Bamboo School project, what the project is doing to address education shortcomings, and what it has accomplished for those who have benefited so far from this lifelong learning centre for the students and the entire community. The school’s focus on self-improvement and self-sufficiency is adapted to local environment and current technology. It develops the complete individual by focusing on developing the complete individual - instilling individual morality, preserving community tradition, and promoting good citizenship. The school also runs a Village Development Par tnership, which addresses the five vital components of development: community empowerment, income generation, health, education, and environmental promotion. Meachai had brought some students with him to meet the TSCC members and interact. After the speech the dinner guests seemed genuinely moved and President Jan Eriksson was struggling for words as he tried to sum up this immediate appreciation for Mechai’s efforts, praising his goodness and beyond-charity efforts. The conversations then continued late into the night. June 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 15

Agneta’s World Photographer: Daniel Herron

Phuket, a piece of paradise

nd of April, I decided I had to escape the hot and noisy Bangkok for a few days. I wanted to breath some clean air, see the palm trees swing and feel a light breeze and sand between my toes. I haven’t really seen much of Thailand; even if I’ve been here quite a while now, I much too seldom get out of Bangkok. I decided to take a trip to Phuket. Many years ago, after a cruise from Singapore through the Straits of Malacca, the end destination was Phuket. Don’t remember much, so I was very curious to see what Phuket has to offer. I booked a flight with Nok Air, which also was the first time and went from the old airpor t Don Muang. After what was a short and smooth flight we landed already after 50 minutes. The airport on Phuket was not as lovely as the one on Koh Samui where you immediately get holiday feelings. I took a taxi and asked the driver to take me to Patong Beach, where I would stay at the Holiday Inn Resor t, as I had heard the 16 ScandAsia.Thailand • June 2016

hotel have five restaurants, among them a steak house that is ranked as number one in Phuket by Trip Adviser. Just thinking about a tender steak makes my mouth water. I know, there are many around me who will say; “it’s not healthy to eat red meat, especially not bloody, like I love it and the poor animals…”Yes, I apologize, but have to say, I love it and need it once in a while. Holiday Inn Resor t at Patong was much bigger than I had expected, located just a stone’sthrow from the beach. I got a very nice, suppose deluxe room and was warmly welcomed by the polite and friendly staff. From my room, I was overlooking part of the busy street and par t of one of the beautiful pools. An exotic purple orchid, a greeting card from the GM and a bottle of red wine waited for me, what more can you ask for? Unpacking was quickly done as I didn’t bring much. I decided to go and explore the ground. I discovered not less than 5 different restaurants, Terazzo, Seabreeze café, The Bar, Sam’s steaks & Grill and Charm Thai Restaurant.

I was surprised to see how much this hotel has focused on children. It must be a dream destination for families with young kids. There was, of course, a Kid’s pool and a Toddler’s pool, a big playground and a playgroup where you can leave your kids during daytime and where they will be looked after by efficient staff. If you travel on vacation with young kids, you learn to appreciate such things. If you need a babysitter during evenings, the hotel is happy to provide, but on your own cost. The daytime care is for free. On my little tour, I passed several beautiful pools. You can also rent a villa with more privacy, your own small pool connected to a bigger one and your private relaxing and dining area, very luxurious. What I really appreciated in my room was the floor: no dirty and ugly carpet, just shiny tiles. When you think about what can be hidden in an old carpet covering the room, well… I’d rather not think about that, but I’ve always been a bit cramped. The pool I decided to use was nicely decorated with elephants

was picked up by my friend Katarina, whose Beach wear collection I’ve already featured in ScandAsia. She took me to the well-known hotel Amanpuri. The way to go there was beautiful. I liked the hilly way along the sea. Amanpuri, I have to admit, is just very posh and elegant. It’s located up on a hill and the hotel is built in the typical, classic Thai style. It’s very calm, no children running around, people walk slowly, and the place has something almost religious about it. Supposedly the guests were down by the beautiful beach, where another eternity pool and restaurant are located, since it was so silent. Katarina and I met up with another Swedish girlfriend, and sat down for lunch. As we had not seen each other for quite a while, we had plenty to talk and gossip about. We ordered a salad each, ashamed to talk about the price, but they tasted and looked fantastic and it was absolutely no problem for the three of us to empty two bottles of ice-chilled Pinot Grigio wine. We were only six persons at the restaurant, but I think we sounded like a whole school class and we were laughing loud, which gave us some eye glances from the

waitresses.This place was not meant for laughing loud and a bit tipsy women. We sat for more than 4 hours and enjoyed the food and wine and the magnificent view. What a wonderful day. Ever ything nice comes to an end. I was taken back to Holiday Inn and went for a late swim. In the evening I just needed something light, so decided to tr y out the Charm Thai Restaurant. I am normally not so keen on Thai food, but I ordered minced pork with chili and basil and it was presented in such a nice way and I must say, it was one of the best Thai dishes I’ve had. A walk around a bit in the area followed, looking at tourists having their tattoos done. It seemed like every second shop was a tattoo shop! Went to bed and had another good night’s sleep and woke up for my last day, but that’s another story. If you haven’t been to Phuket before I can just say: Go for it! Are you looking for the non-plus ultra and want completely calmness, then you chose Amanpuri? If you want a bit of everything and want your kids being part of it, next destination is Holiday Inn Patong. You wont go wrong.

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spouting water and a waterfall, big urns with plants and pomegranate trees all around. Of course, there was also a bar in the pool, serving the most lovely fruit drinks, beer or whatever you wished for. It was awfully hot and even the water kept a too high temperature. After a relaxing afternoon, I was invited for dinner at the Sam’s Steak & Grill restaurant. This restaurant is a classic, sober place with a tasteful decoration and comfortable leather chairs. The wine cellar was offering a selection of both wines from the “new world”and classic French wines. While having a look at the menu, you were served a complimentary small bite to increase your appetite. As I mentioned, I’m a big meat lover, so I went for the Tournedos, but started off with avocado and crab salad. If you don’t fancy meat, there was also a big choice of sea food. What I really find nice is when the dishes are prepared next to your table and that’s what the ser vants did here. It’s quite rare nowadays, which is a pity. The meat was tender and tasty

and I had way too much. As most people I also try to cut down on red meat, but on and off it’s just too good. I am no dessert lover and so isn’t my company, so we decided to go for an Irish coffee to finish of the dinner. Irish coffee has always been a favorite and the best I’ve ever had was at a small place in Denmark, where I learned how important it is to add the cream the right way. The whipped cream shall be run slowly on the backside of the spoon into the glass. It’s also important to get the right amount of whisky, as the whisky shouldn’t take over. The procedure of making the Irish coffee was also done before our eyes, such a nice procedure and it was done to perfection! I can ver y well understand that this Grill has been chosen the number one in Phuket. After a delightful evening it was time to hit the bed. Even with full moon, I slept like a baby (stupid expression, by the way, as babies normally don’t sleep through the nights). Day number two in paradise. I

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June 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 17

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

Thai Tones Revisited By Klavs Johansen (thai@snakthai.dk)

or a Westerner learning Thai, the most notable part of the pronunciation of the language is the tones. Every syllable of Thai is pronounced with one of five tones and it is important to understand that this tone is just as significant for the meaning of the syllable as is the consonant and vowel sounds. This makes Thai a tonal language, like for instance Chinese and Vietnamese, and contrasting with European languages where only consonant and vowel sounds carr y the meaning of the words. That is not to say that we do not use or know tones in the European languages. We surely do and thus the use of tones in Thai should not deter us from learning the language. However, rather than tones producing a totally different word as in Thai, European languages use tones to twist the message of the same word, or the expression in which it is part, without losing the underlying meaning. Sounds complicated? Let’s take some examples. The following sets of Thai words each consist of words with identical consonant and vowel sounds, yet completely different meanings:

นา / na: / ~ rice field, pronounced with a neutral tone, also called mid tone, หน้า / nâ: / ~ face, pronounced with a falling tone, น้า / ná: / ~ uncle, pronounced with a high tone, หนา / nă: / ~ to be thick, pronounced with a rising tone. ใหม่ / mài / ~ to be new, low tone, ไม่ / mâi / ~ no, falling tone, มั๊ย / mái / ~ ? [the Thai word is used to pose a

New readers should note the diacritic marks used to indicate the tones in our transcription. If we, to illustrate the existence of tones in a European language, use these marks on the English word ‘No’, we still have the same word, however with a twisted meaning: / no / ~ no with mid tone can be considered just a plain ‘no’, / nò / ~ no with low tone is an expected ‘no’ for example used when being asked something for the tenth time and just as some would use the negative ‘nope!’, / nô: / ~ no with falling tone as in ‘oh no!’, expressing regret that something happened, / nó / ~ no? with high tone as a response of surprise and disbelief, and, finally, / nŏ: / ~ no with rising tone, which may imply hesitation. Having thus seen that Westerners are in no way strangers to tones, the trick is to use the tones the Thai way, as a constant carrying the meaning of a word, and not the European way, as a variable only twisting the meaning of the same word. In Thai the twisting must be avoided as, in fact, this will totally change the meaning of the word! To do this, most Western speakers of Thai, from beginner to expert, will occasionally feel the need to tune the instrument, so to speak, that is, practicing the tones. Practicing the following words with a Thai near you will help you tune in: Mid tone:

question], high tone, ไหม / măi / ~ silk, rising tone.

คน / khon / ~ person, human, ไทย / thai / ~ to be Thai, ตาม / ta:m / ~ to follow, along, มี / mi: / ~ to have, แดง / dae:ng / ~ red.

ปา / pa: / ~ to throw, mid, ป่า / pà: / ~ jungle, low, ป้า / pâ: / ~ auntie, falling, ป๋า / pă: / ~ papa, rising.

หนึ่ง / nùeng / ~ one, บาท / bà:t / ~ Baht, สั่ง / sàng / ~ to order,

18 ScandAsia.Thailand • June 2016

Low tone:

อิ่ม / ìm / ~ to be full (from eating), ถูก / thù:k / ~ to be cheap. Falling tone:

ใช่ / châi / ~ yes, ข้าว / khâ:o / ~ rice, ขึ้น / khûen / ~ to ascend, แก้ว / kâe:o / ~ glass, ห้อง / hôrng / ~ a room, High tone:

น้ำ� / ná:m / ~ water, ร้อย / rór:i / ~ hundred, ลด / lót / ~ to reduce, นัด / nát / ~ to make appointment, เล็ก / lék / ~ small.

Rising tone:

หรือ / rŭe: / ~ or, สอง / sŏr:ng / ~ two, ถาม / thă:m / ~ to ask, หวี / wĭ: / ~ a comb, to comb, เขียน / khĭang / ~ to write. And then, all of them one more time.

Now, if you are not already having fun, then look at the initial examples with / mai / and maybe you recall the tongue twister from a previous column:

ไหมใหม่ไหม้มั๊ย / măi mài mâi mái / ~ does

new silk burn?

ไหมใหม่ไม่ไหม้ / măi mài mâi mâi / ~ (no,)

new silk doesn’t burn.

This month, focus has been on the tones, however, I hope you got some useful words as well. See you same place next month, or anytime in between at the Thai Language Corner on Facebook, where we offer the opportunity to ask questions or just take in the WORD OF THE DAY.

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