ScandAsia Thailand - August 2016

AUG 2016

Sebastian Solasachinda going strong and having a SO creative hotel career ScandAsia.dk

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A c o m munit y event for Bangk ok’s i n te r n a tional res ident s .

E xp l o re all t he pos s ibilit ies fo r a fu n and healt hy lifes t yle.

Shuttle bus is available from Nana BTS station exit 1.

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Sep temb er 10 th , 9 am to 5 p m 21 s t fl oor Conference Center, Bumrungrad Cl i ni c Bui l di ng

16 AUG 20

News Brief

Sweden’s new Asia strategy confirmed

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n 22 June Sweden adopted its new strategy for regional development cooperation in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia and the Pacific Region for the period 2016–2021.

Regional development cooperation in Asia and the Pacific Region will focus on strengthening

regional actors and states to take greater responsibility concerning the environment and climate, human rights, democracy and gender equality. The focus is to be on cross-border challenges, where solutions can best be sought in regional cooperation.

“We focus regional development assistance in Asia and the Pacific Region to the places in the region facing the greatest challenges – in the human rights area and with regard to the effects of climate change and environmental damage,” says Minister for International Development Cooperation and Climate Isabella Lövin.

Asia and the Pacific Region will be hardest hit by climate change. The effects are particularly evident for small island states in the Pacific Ocean.

“We now have the opportunity to contribute to strengthened regional cooperation on adaptation, renewable energy and other matters.”

The new regional strategy amounts to SEK 300 million per year. In total, the strategy encompasses SEK 1800 million for the strategy period.

Swedish ambassador visits Khon Kaen, Isan

da sachin an Sola having Sebastistrong andtel career going eative ho a SO cr a.fi

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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.

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

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he Swedish Ambassador in Bangkok, Staffan Herrström, paid a visit to the Nor theastern province of Khon Kaen, Thailand on 7-8 July 2016.

The Ambassador met with farmers from Baan Na Ngam village, who would travel to Sweden later in the month for a 10-week employment in the berry-picking industry. The purpose of the meeting was primarily to learn about their living and working conditions in Sweden and also to offer them an opportunity to raise any concern.

Then the ambassador held an informal dialogue with staff of the Legal Center for Human Rights to learn about their views on the political and human rights situation in the Northeast.

He also paid a courtesy call on the Governor of Khon Kaen, Mr. Gumtorn Thavornstit, with whom he discussed possibilities to fur ther strengthen the Thai-Swedish relations, not least related to business opportunities for Swedish companies. The strong people-to-people ties between the two countries were noted with appreciation. The ambassador also shared with

the Governor his views on the impor tance of ensuring freedom of expression, the role that men need to play in eliminating violence against women and the link between business and human rights.

He also joined diplomats from Canada and the UK to share their countries’ experiences at a public forum on the theme freedom of expression. Speaking of the Swedish experiences star ting with the first Freedom of the Press Act 250 years ago, Ambassador Herrström stressed that freedom of the press is not based on Swedish or European but on global norms and a core element of a democratic society. He described the Swedish principle of public access to official documents and how it is implemented - and that right to information and freedom of the press are some of the best tools to fight corruption, nepotism, and mismanagement of public resources.

Sorces: Ambassador Staffan Herrström, Swedish Embassy in Bangkok

Managing Editor: Joakim Persson Joakim@scandmedia.com Journalist: Frederik Guy Hoff Sonne 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

Scandinavian Business Seating highlights HAG Capisco

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s people are returning from their annual leave, Scandinavian Business Seating (SBS) – a designer and producer of Scandinavian designed office chairs – highlights the extraordinary HAG Capisco chair from Norway, intended both for the home and work environment.

Today’s workplace and advanced technology, forces us to sit for countless hours every day. Those who care about the health of their employees and families and want to prevent future back issues from sitting, you should explore the HAG Capisco chair!

“The original HAG Capisco chair is a design classic that has been around for the last 32 years. As the largest office chair manufacturer in Europe, the HAG Capisco chair is still today the best- selling chair under SB Seating, which is based on its unique design and comfort that makes it a leader amongst chairs worldwide,” says Henrik Meltesen, Regional Sales Manager SEA, SB Seating.

“Comfort comes from movement and variation, which HAG chairs inspire, better than any other chair in the market, together with exceptional posture. In addition, the HAG Capisco enables the user to work at all heights and positions, which makes it the ideal chair to use at height adjustable workstation.”

“On multiple occasions employees at companies that use our chairs, contact us to purchase a chair to maintain the same level of comfort when sitting at home “ adds Henrik.

The HAG Capisco chair was designed by the pioneering designer and artist Peter Opsvik in 1984 and is known for both its exceptional comfort and as a design classic. As the only chair in the market, that allows you to sit at all heights, which makes it extremely versatile and fit for all type of purposes and people.The chair is now available in Asia at SB Seating - Making the world a better place to sit!

Swedish mobile remittance service picks Thailand for launch

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asdaq Stockholm-listed Seamless’s mobile SEQR payment solution has announced in early July that it is launches its international remittance ser vice, where transfers from Sweden directly to India and Thailand will be the first deployment of the service. Seqr users can now make international money transfers – or “remittances” – to nonSeqr users.

Seqr customers can already transfer money to one another across the 16 countries where Seqr is available.The new service enables customers to transfer money outside of these countries.

“Demand for international transfers is constantly growing as the movement of people becomes increasingly global. India, one of Seqr’s launch corridors, received 12% of the total remitted volume globally so it makes perfect sense for Seqr to start here, offering a convenient solution to the Swedish market that is considerably cheaper than traditional remittance services,” says Peter Fredell, CEO of Seamless, adding: “Following the launch of India and Thailand we intend to 4 ScandAsia.Thailand • August 2016

rapidly expand the number of countries to which Seqr’s customers can transfer money.”

For a promotional period, international remittances via the solution will initially be free of charge.

Seqr enables anybody with a smartphone to pay in stores, at restaurants, in parking lots and online, to transfer money at no charge, store receipts digitally, connect loyalty programs, and receive offers and promotions directly through one mobile app. The user simply uses the Seqr app to scan a QR code at the check-out and enters a PIN code to approve payment. Fast, safe and convenient. Seqr is also NFC compatible.

The proprietary technology makes it possible for merchants to half the transaction fees charged by traditional credit-card companies. It is developed by Seamless, one of the world’s leading suppliers of payment systems for mobile phones. Founded in 2001 and active in 26 countries, Seamless handles more than 3.7 billion transactions every year through 575,000 active sales outlets.

August 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 5

News Brief

Dancham Board members tight-lipped on resignation

By Gregers Møller

C

ar sten Car lstedt’s resignation as Executive Director of Dancham (DanishThai Chamber of Commerce) remains a mystery even after Dancham’s regular networking meeting on Thursday 21 July at Admiral’s Pub / Checkin.

The networking was well visited considering that July is the main summer holiday month for the Scandinavians. Many had come hoping to hear what went down prior to the unfortunate resignation of Executive Director Carsten Carlstedt, but none of the three board members attending the event, Supareak Charlie Chomchan, Michael Andersen and Simon Scheibel, shed any light on the matter.

Carsten Carlstedt himself thanked the members, his staff and the board for two interesting years.

“I would like to send a big thank you for almost two very exciting years to all the members,” he said.

6 ScandAsia.Thailand • August 2016

“Thank you to the staff of DTCC for a good corporation during my time. In particular Pam – thank you for getting on board on DTCC staff last year. You really succeeded to raise the service to a unique level. I like your always loyal and hardworking approach to your job – not to mentioned your good sense of humor and smile, that can change the most critical world situation to a scenario with good solutions. You are not only a good employee but also a good friend.”

He went on to thank the president Thomas Nyborg, adding that he believed the newly elected board had the potential to provide the chamber with a very strong team.

“A special thanks go to Stig Vagt-Andersen for often helping with relevant articles to the media and Michael Andersen for his many positive inputs in helping the office striving to reach our goals.

Together these two guys represent many years of good experience as Danes that have been operating successfully in Thailand for decades.

Also big thanks to K. Santhapat for his always professional advice in helping the Chamber and its members with legal advice.”

“On the media matters, the board has experienced members like Sune regarding IT and Sophie that are expert in handling social platforms not to mentioned the successful business woman Savija who has lots of experiences in handling chamber and business matters..

Carsten Carlstedt also thanked the very new board members Torben Nybo Jensen, Jesper RiisAntonsen, and the treasurer of the board Simon Scheibel.

“Last but not least a very special thank you goes to one particular member of the board, Khun Charlie. Big thanks to you Charlie for always being available to answer questions or discuss DTCC matters.”

Returning to the issue of his resignation, he

only revealed that his resignation was not due to an offer for a new job, that was too good to resist.

He is still considering what to do next.

“Many people have asked me about what I am going to do in the future. And my answer at this moment is that I have to find out first,” he said.

While looking for this next opportunity, he was going back to help the charity organisation, Periamma, for which he was initially the country director when he was recruited to be the ED of Dancham.

“I have never mentioned this relationship during my time as an ED at DTCC,” Carsten Carlstedt added.

“Periamma is supporting poor children at the district of Surin Thailand. We are trying to support single parents families so that the mother (typical) can effort to keep the children to finish education in the Thai primary school before the single parent (typical) mother has to “hand over” her children to the labor market.”

Education is the prerequisite for development, he explained.

“The skills to read and write, combined with good learning methods, are fundamental preconditions to develop people and the society.

You need them to understand where and who to vote for in the future elections.”

Interested members were encouraged to contact him, he said.

“We are not talking about millions. Even a small transaction from a sponsor can make a huge different like one of the schools that last year got a new water pump.”

As for the resignation, the question still lingers: Why did the Board fail to retain its Executive Director?

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August 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 7

Take a Bite Out of the Big Mango!

Bangkok welcomes hundreds of visitors and new residents every day, all undoubtedly hoping to get the most out of living in this unique and exciting city. When trying to make living in Bangkok an enjoyable endeavor, it’s important to keep in mind that Bangkok is an international city with residents from all corners of the world, many of whom have developed systems and services to help support many of Bangkok’s expat residents. One of the most common threads in the life of an expat is the uncertainty of living in a new place, where the customs and languages may be drastically different from anything you know back home. The question of where to go for what, and whom to seek out for what service, become very daunting tasks. This is why the annual Living in Bangkok event is held at Bumrungrad International Hospital, now in its 18th year. Our goal is to help Bangkok’s many expats and their families connect with the services that will make it easier to carve out meaningful and fulfilling lives within this new culture. This event attracts many major organizations and groups from the Bangkok community to one location, making it that much easier to find the right support without having to run around town collecting information.

Create Healthy Routines It goes without saying that a healthy lifestyle is one of the most important things in life, if not the most important. Our lifestyles dictate what will happen to us in the future, whether we will enjoy aging healthy or face the possibility of aging with conditions that might have been prevented with a healthier lifestyle. The things we do every day, especially the habits we form that directly affect our well-being, are some of the most important decisions we’ll ever make. One of the things that people find challenging upon moving to a new place is maintaining the routines they have built for a healthy lifestyle. This catchy phrase of “healthy lifestyle” is of course made up of several steps and a series of choices that we make every day. In addition to eating well and getting plenty of exercise, choices like where to live, how to commute to work, what hours to work, also have an effect on our overall health, especially in the long run.

So, knowing that our daily choices have an impact on our health, it’s important to carve out routines that add up to positive gains.

Bangkok Living Done Right New residents will quickly learn that Bangkok is a city that lends itself very well to an active lifestyle. The city attracts people from all over the world, therefore the most exciting fitness trends and new diets always arrive on the scene. Of course, it’s also possible to start by making small changes such as going for a walk in one of Bangkok’s parks, or going for a bicycle ride around the city’s bike paths or walking trails. If you’re not sure where to even begin, just browse around the many exhibits that are available at this year’s Living in Bangkok event, all of which are a great start to starting off on your healthy journey, or reclaiming your old routines to get back on track.

Never a Boring Day Bangkok is a lot of things, but boring is not one of them. This city has everything going on, sometimes all at once. The smart 8 ScandAsia.Thailand • August 2016

resident knows that in the midst of the chaos is a finely tuned machine of a city, with a rhyme and reason for nearly everything. And what’s left as a result is a city of variety, with many choices for everything.

The neighborhoods of Bangkok are a testament to this variety, with the riverside offering a glimpse into slow life while the crowds of Silom and Sukhumvit vibrate with the city’s frenetic pulse. Take advantage of this variety, and carve out a lifestyle that is balanced between the right amount of work and play. You can build new routines around your schedule, or shift your schedule to better suit your routines.

Perhaps some morning yoga to get the day started right, or an evening run to cap off a productive day. Better yet, join a spin class at one of Bangkok’s many state of the art fitness centers, or challenge yourself by joining a CrossFit or Bootcamp class.

There’s plenty more, and this city is teeming with places and opportunities in which to experience it all.

Get Out There and Have Some Fun! This concrete jungle sure is congested, and it is often too hot and too loud to seem like an inviting place for some fun in the sun.

However, look beyond the congested streets and venture out into the natural respites that are peppered around the city.

Public parks are aplenty, and community fitness is a favorite pastime of many people here, including the local community. Nearly every day, people gather at the city parks for free, community-led aerobics classes or team sports like basketball while others walk, run, or ride their bikes around the

park and surrounding area. We are social creatures, and that’s why social connection platforms like Facebook and Meetup are so popular, especially among expats who are trying to find their new friends or build new social circles in their new city. These platforms are of course a great way to find others in your new city who may be interested in perhaps taking the same cooking classes, or going for a workout together.

The city’s many fitness centers and recreational clubs are represented at this year’s Living in Bangkok event, ready to answer your questions eager to help provide you with some inspiration.

Explore the Possibilities Living healthy in Bangkok is not a lofty goal, even if you’re not accustomed to the high temperature or may have trouble feeling confident among strangers. Take this opportunity to explore the many available alternatives to the traditional gym setting, or join a group that engages in your favorite sport. Of course, food is an important part of life, and especially so when living in Thailand. Bangkok is home to many culinary pioneers, and some of the best and healthiest food is within easy reach. For even more of a social activity, take a healthy cooking class and make some friends while learning a valuable new skill to add to your healthy lifestyle.

All of this and more are readily available at this year’s Living in Bangkok event, and it’s a great way to start getting active and build a social life centered on activities that could add quality years to your life.

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Open Hours:10:00 AM to 10:00 PM August 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 9

Sebastian Solasachinda going strong and having a SO creative hotel career He is moving up and being part of key conceptualisation projects, as well as branding and marketing exercises, working within AccorHotels – one of the largest and most vibrant international hospitality groups. He is in the business of hotels – the environment he got to visit in Thailand as a child; looking with wide eyes and excitement at all the attention one receives as patron in a luxury hotel, a spell-binding experience that has been instilled with him since then.

Photos ands story: Joakim Persson 10 ScandAsia.Thailand • August 2016

H

is name is Sebastian Solasachinda, from a small rural town in Sweden called Flen, the son of a Swedish father and a Thai mother, who has had his fair share of both his parent’s culture, while growing up and studying.

Sebastian speaks to ScandAsia about his choices in life so far, where he has with success staked on a career with the hotel industry over one as TV host and model.

It’s lunchtime on a Saturday at SO Sofitel Hua Hin, a resort situated in northern Cha-Am that was re-branded in early 2016. Based in Bangkok, Sebastian is the Cluster Director of Marketing and Communications overseeing no less than three hotels, all belonging to different brands - Sofitel Luang Prabang, 3 Nagas Luang Prabang MGallery

by Sofitel, and SO Sofitel Hua Hin. It’s the day when the hotel hosts its monthly SO beach party; free for all and open to outside guests. Hotel pool parties are almost the norm in Bangkok these days, but when SO Sofitel Bangkok initiated the concept five years ago, where Sebastian then worked, it was the first hotel to do so.

“No hotel was doing it back then, and now it’s packed every time. Other hotels are following the trend that was set as well.”

Sebastian and the team are now taking this trend to Hua Hin. “We’re starting this trend in Hua Hin and will keep doing it, with beach parties at Beach Society [their bar and restaurant beach and poolside].

Since renovation and re-branding we have added more of a vibe and much more colour to it. It matches the concept of the hotel as well to have beach parties – our guests are looking to have fun by our private beach. We are shaking up Hua Hin and Cha-Am, providing a venue for beachgoers to dance on the sand and socialize.”

And this does not exclude any age group young at heart rules here, though the beach party mainly turns out to be a draw for the youngsters, in terms of guests coming with complimentary hotel shuttles from Hua Hin or weekenders from Bangkok.

SO Sofitel Hua Hin will also serve its guests with a beach club concept that includes DJ entertainment every Friday and Saturday.

“It will be a place where to listen to music, wine and dine. There are many things that we are still adjusting, as we have just launched. And here the majority of our customers are Thai, which is the opposite of in Bangkok, where we mostly have international guests. So here we have to navigate how to adapt the concept to speak to the Thai audience. We try different things and adjust along the way.”

One must be really creative to come up with new things, as the customers are so used to overwhelming information coming from so many places these days that it all seem the same at the end of the day,

SO different

“One must be really creative to come up with new things, as the customers are so used to overwhelming information coming from so many places these days that it all seem the same at the end of the day,” Sebastian comments in general on the challenges for hotels in terms of reaching out in the vast sea of information that potential guests are bombarded with daily. “How you stand out is important and what’s good with the SO Sofitel brand is that we have no strict rules forcing us to do this and that. We brainstorm on ideas to be different and out-of-the-box – because we are SO.” SO Sofitel is not to be seen in the same way as the Sofitel brand as such, which is more elegant and refined. On the contrary SO Sofitel is a rebellious lifestyle brand bursting with energy.

“We are encouraged to be creative, to be playful and make sure our guests are having fun, something out of the ordinary when staying at SO

August 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 11

As a child you get extra attention and when you enter a hotel it looks so big and exciting. And the service, the marble bathrooms, the buffet spread! I was impressed by the whole hotel concept and thought it must be cool to work in a hotel.

And this has followed with me during the years.

Sofitel. One should react: ’Wow, this is different, it’s bordering weird, but I like it’That is what I want people to feel when staying here; you get stunned and shocked for a few seconds but then slowly you start appreciating the design and the story and concept behind it. The room – because it is SO it looks different from an ordinary room. The breakfast spread looks different and playful etc.”

In other words: no cookie-cutter hotel here.

Excited by hotels This difference is precisely what attracted Sebastian to work with the brand in the first place. The determined and self-assured ThaiSwede had come back to Thailand after finalising his hotel education in Switzerland aiming at working for the most trendy hotel brand on the market at that point of time, the then newcomer W, which was about to open a hotel in Bangkok.

Going back to childhood, his interest in working within this sector was born out of visits to luxury hotels in Thailand, where his mother brought him along at an early age. ”As a child you get extra attention and when you enter a hotel it looks so big and exciting. And the service, the marble bathrooms, the buffet spread! I was impressed by the whole hotel concept and thought it must be cool to work in a hotel. And this has followed with me during the years.”

“And I thought: I enjoy doing something for somebody else: put a smile on someone’s face and feel the happiness. Working in the hotel sector could be something for me.”

That was earlier when Sebastian had returned 12 ScandAsia.Thailand • August 2016

to Thailand and tried out modelling for a while, having finished college in Sweden.

“I thought that it was fun but I had to think: should I continue my career within modelling and acting? After six months here I was uncertain. I wanted an education to fall back on – to safeguard myself – so I committed myself to further studies.

And I concluded to study hospitality. Upon returning I’d still have time for modelling, but then I could also always get a job in a hotel.”

So Sebastian went to Switzerland and went to a hotel school on top of a mountain – the Swiss Hotel and Management School in Leysin campus for this BA Honours in Hospitality Management.

The Leysin campus was chosen primarily due to 5 mins walk to the ski-lift, where more hours during weekends were spent snowboarding than actual studies.

And there, he made sure to get to learn all about true luxury service at its absolute top level, the kind of attention he had felt attracted at young age, as he very carefully picked his first internship. He was accepted for the legendary The Ritz London (which opened in Edwardian London in 1906) as room service attendant, where he got to serve even Royalties and other celebrities.

“I studied a lot of about service and The Ritz is known for that. I learned what real service is – which was great. I worked extra in banqueting in order to experience as much as I could, to learn what they did in order to go the extra mile to please the guests.”

In his second apprenticeship he wanted to learn all about the front office and got the

opportunity to work in a small boutique hotel, La Cour Des Augustins, – the new hotel trend at that time – in Geneva, where he could also practice speaking French and learn about reservations to check-in and check-out.

Sebastian tells that he inherited his mother’s talent for languages Sebastian tells that he inherited his mother’s talent for languages (who studied Arts at Chulalongkorn University and is a professional translator living in Sweden). He did his first six years of education in Thailand, before continuing in the town of Flen in Sweden, so he is also fluent in both Swedish and Thai.

“When I studied in Thailand I was a top student in the class on Thai language, which was weird as a half-Thai kid at the time and landed me in a few troubles with the local kids. My Swedish gets a bit rusty at times since I don’t really use it in Thailand, so i takes me around 4-5 days to adjust when I visit home in Sweden,” he says as we converse in Swedish.

The world is my oyster Towards the end of the studies in Switzerland he fell in love with a fellow student from Thailand.

“I thought about my future: I’m a young, the world is my oyster. Now’s the time to follow my heart, take a leap of faith. So I moved back to Thailand to be with her, and arranged for a job before going, through some contacts working at the head office for Sofitel in Bangkok.” A romantic some may say.

Therefore Sebastian got his first hotel job at their corporate office, which was also his first step into marketing.

“I thought it would be of interest to see what’s happening on the marketing side of things as well. I worked there for six months.”

After that stint Sebastian had W hotel in sight.

“I wanted something more fun, more lifestyle and playful and W was so cool when it entered the hotel scene; stretching the boundaries and rules, with quite a bit of outside-the-box kind of thinking.

The SO challenge But AccorHotels had something similar in store for Sebastian.

“I learned about the upcoming SO Sofitel Bangkok – the first one in Asia, and I thought it seemed exciting. And my previous boss knew the upcoming hotel’s general manager so I was inter viewed – and got the job as marketing executive.”

The opening team set about to conceptualise this brand new hotel brand for its Bangkok launch – with much freedom to brainstorm and be creative. Sebastian found himself in a very challenging situation but the kind of task he had wanted.

“It was very intense, but also great fun with this new brand and being able to influence and partake in such a process.”

The branding group of AccorHotels had drawn up guidelines but it was not set in stone how things should be done. How to bring the concept to life in a real hotel setting and make the difference was very much up to the opening team. They planned and executed how to tell the story, how to make people be coming back, and

how to think out of the box.

“Once it opened I felt very proud of what we had achieved from all the hard work put into it.

I was part of building the basis for this hotel, and for the brand as well! So that was very rewarding,” concludes Sebastian.

Learning marketing What was next? “After 2.5 years I felt that, after having been promoted as manager, I felt that everything was in place, all things were working well up to standard.”

He had now entered the hotel scene for real and had the learned the process of being part of a hotel’s opening team and the challenges and special circumstances – and obviously in the So Sofitel Bangkok case even more than that – one comes across during such a process.

At this point Sebastian turned back to modelling for a while including working as TV host but gradually he came to realise that what may seem a fun and quick earning job would not correspond to his goals for the future, coupled with fierce competitors that are younger and more willing to take a pay cut.

Then he thought about moving back to Sweden and studying a Masters in Marketing.

But again a Sofitel connection came to influence Sebastian’s next career step.

“Coincidentally I met my previous boss at Sofitel who recommended a special branding agency – the hotel and travel brand consultants QUO, as a way to learn further about marketing and branding. “ Sebastian got a job there and learned to

see the agency side of hospitality marketing and branding – until again Sofitel knocked on his door.

“My previous GM from SO Sofitel Bangkok contacted me wondering if I would like to work with SO Sofitel Hua Hin on the re-branding – he needed someone creative, young and dynamic with knowledge of the SO brand.”

With a new challenge in mind, Sebastian accepted and began as Cluster Director of Marketing and communications in January 2016 but this time overseeing also two hotels in Laos.

“It’s my first job as Director, and all three hotels are rebranding projects that have joined the AccorHotels por tfolio. So I have three different brands to oversee now, and they all have separate identities; SO Sofitel is different from Sofitel as such – being more rebellious and fashion-forward.”

Sofitel Luang Prabang is French-colonial style proeprty, over 100 years old and Unescoprotected. “There it really feels like being part of history.” 3 Nagas MGallery by Sofitel, a charming boutique hotel with history right in the heart of Luang Prabang.

Sebastian is based in Bangkok but visits the properties regularly. As for his own story it is just the beginning and, most certainly, with many exciting things stories to come within the hospitality industry.

August 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 13

Norwegian’s dedicated Thai tour guide

By Joakim Persson

U

nknown gems

Rossukol Phansung, or khun “Rossi”, is taking advantage of having learned the Norwegian culture and language by offering guided tours in Thailand for Norwegians. Having previously lived in Norway for ten years she is fluent in Norwegian, while she also knows everything about history and culture in here home country. She is now reaching out to travel agents in Norway, as well as to Norwegian expats in the region, with her dedicated service.

14 ScandAsia.Thailand • August 2016

She has set up ThaiGuide Norway (www.thaiguid e .no) , offer ing sightseeing and tailor-made guide tours. Rossi’s approach benefits from having a good understanding of what specifically Norwegians will want when vacationing in Thailand. And she also knows and understands the benefit of being able to offer visits also the unknown gems in Thailand, which has not yet been discovered by mass tourism – because with 30 million visitors to the country certain places are no doubt being crowded with tourists most time of the year.

“I started this in Bangkok first and I actually want to promote hidden places that many tourists – groups and individuals – do not really know about, and where they can see the way Thai people really live. Because from what I have seen many tourists go to main tourist attractions in Phuket or Hua Hin. They lie down on the beach but they do not look behind the scenes, how we Thais are.”

The Norway-Thai connection Rossi has invited ScandAsia to meet for coffee at Norasingha Café, situated within the premises of Phraya Thai Palace, which was build in 1909 by King Chulalongkorn Rama 5 and was resident of Queen Saovabha. King Rama 5 was a big fan of European, including neoclassical, architecture, and is seen as the king who modernised Siam into the Thailand it has become today.

“This is a nice spot if tourists want to visit a palace but a different one than the main tourist attractions,” says Rossi. Not even expats would easily find Phraya Thai Palace, situated near Victory Monument, a less touristy area, and among government hospitals and institutes, unless investigating first.

“This palace was not finalised before the King passed away in 1910 and after his death, his wife lived here. And this place has later also been owned by the government and been used as a radio station and also run as hotel. It is still open to visit inside at 13.30 daily, where the palace has kept some rooms furnished as in the Royal days.”

With King Chulalongkorn there is also the interesting connection with Norway, as the king visited Nordkapp (North Cape) back in 1907.

“And there, you have the Thai Museum at the Nor th Cape Hall [opened in 1989 in commemoration of the King’s visit]. It’s ver y interesting when I tell Norwegian visitors about that; they get surprised because they have not seen that museum. I have been there one time.”

Rossi lived in Oslo earlier and when she travelled back to Thailand to visit her family, she saw a lot of Scandinavians and Norwegians and got curious when seeing the tour guides: “What were they telling them about my country? The visitors come to a country where 94 per cent are Buddhists and with 30 000 temples.”

Thailand’s potential Earlier, while still living in Norway Rossi had eventually come to the point where she felt serious doubts about continuing her life there.

She had divorced from her Norwegian husband and was living alone, and gradually felt alienated as a foreigner. In Thailand she had worked in the hotel industry and got work within hospitality also in Norway – but felt that she would never be allowed to climb the career ladder there. On top of that she had become fed up with the Norwegian climate.

“I missed my country and I realised that either I continue living in Norway for another 30 years required to get pension - or I go home.”

Not so many tourists know that we are well educated like that. Because being a tourist guide means to represent Thailand. It’s one of the 39 jobs in Thailand only for Thais.

She felt that she had more ability; combined with the potential she was seeing within Thailand’s growing tourism growing.

The first thing she did was to become a certified tourist guide – which requires a special Bachelor Degree in Thailand. However, as she already had a degree she needed to study only for another year to complete the education for tourist guides.

“Not so many tourists know that we are well educated like that. Because being a tourist guide means to represent Thailand. It’s one of the 39 jobs in Thailand only for Thais.”

Should it occur that for instance a Chinesespeaking licensed tour guide is not available they can use a Thai-English guide. Regardless, the role of the Chinese tour leader is only to translate from Thai or English into Chinese from what the Thai guide tells them, explains Rossi.

Recently she travelled to visit Tourism Authority of Thailand in Scandinavia, as well as tour operators in Norway who may wish to sell guided tours in Bangkok, to let them know that a Norwegian-speaking guide is now available, and highlight that tour leaders cannot guide in Thailand.

Showing Thai way of life “After becoming certified I started working as freelance Norwegian-speaking guide for another company, but only getting season work. Now, with ThaiGuide Norway, I need to find individual clients to come. In one year up to 150 000

Norwegians visit Thailand, so there should be a market for me!”

She believes that many visitors have not even been at even one temple during two weeks of holiday.

“Thai people working near the tourists is one thing, while the real people live in the farm is very different. And many have been here many times and would like to see something else. If someone has never been here never before temples and palaces are places to visit. It depends, but I want visitors to get to understand the way of the Thai people, the Buddhism – the way of life.”

What she had to learn about the most during the studies was Buddha images, temples and the history of Thai architecture.

“It goes very deep into this, such as the Thai people who are experts on Buddha amulets, and that took me aback. Tourists cannot dig that deep down into history.”

She thinks that Buddhism still plays a part in today’s modern society.

At Grand Palace, when visiting Wat Phra Kaew you can still see local Thais, and tourists like to see how we are doing the offerings. You will see the big area where they put the offering and you’ll see a lot of boiled eggs. Thais believe that Emerald Buddha likes to eat egg so we offer that. And of course you still see the spirit house in every home, so we still do offering, even if we don’t go to temples very often anymore. But we still practise what we believe.”

“And I explain that when we celebrate a birthday some of us still go to the temple. And if you are getting married you have to invite the monk or if someone dies we still have the ceremony in the temple, as well as if someone gets ordained. That is when we still visit the temple. And the money tree is also still a strong tradition.”

“I also do tailor-made – sometimes someone came to me and had been here many times already.Then I customise, but it means I also need to know first what you are interested in and where you have been before.”

Rossi’s main base is Bangkok, but she comes from Surat Thani so she wants to open up business also there.

“My focus now is to make routes; a Northern a Southern and one Western, for group tours or individuals, between 3 to 7 days. I do some in the area where I come from but only by request, because in high season I have a lot of guide tours in Bangkok. But I want to go to the south and other places too.”

August 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 15

News Brief

Thailand-Sweden Smart City Collaboration

O

n 16-17 June the Embassy of Sweden in Bangkok and Business Sweden jointly conducted a Thailand-Sweden Smart City Collaboration. Eleven world-leading companies, participants from academia and public representatives from Sweden in the field of energy, transport and safety participated with the purpose of enabling and strengthening knowledge sharing between Sweden and Thailand in order to build sustainable cities for the future.

16 ScandAsia.Thailand • August 2016

On 16 June at Okura Prestige Hotel, over 140 people participated at different seminars and panel discussions, opening remarks was delivered by the Swedish Ambassador in Thailand, H.E. Staffan Herrström. Keynote speakers included the Minister of Science and Technology, H.E. Dr Pichet Durongkaverjoy and Minister of Transport, H.E. Dr. Arkhom Termpittayapaisith. Swedish solutions and innovations were highlighted by all three par ties, as well as the possibilities for fur ther

collaboration between Thailand and Sweden on these crucial themes.

The first day ended with a reception at Okura Hotel hosted by ambassador Herrström. Around 80 people attended and vivid discussions took place on how to develop sustainable and smart city solutions.

On 17 June the delegation visited companies and government agencies on the same themes.

In the morning, ambassador Herrström and members from the delegation visited The Royal Thai Police’s (RTP) Traffic division. Great interest was shown for the the Swedish traffic safety policy ‘vision zero’ and the solutions presented by the Swedish delegation. Visits were also made to i.e. the Metropolitan Electrical Authority (MEA), the Department of Highways (DoH) and the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT).

Overall the delegation contributed to strengthened relations between the two countries and several areas of common interest were explored. It was clear that Sweden and Thailand can learn from each other in creating smarter and more sustainable cities, reported Business Sweden!

Sweden-Southeast Asia Business Summit announced

By Joakim Persson

I

n order o strengthen the Team Sweden efforts and as a platform for engagement, the fir st ever ‘Sweden-Southeast Asia Business Summit’ has been announced. With the view that Southeast Asia is the world’s new growth engine offering, as in the words of Sweden’s ambassador to Singapore, ”fantastic opportunities for Swedish companies to grow in a number of areas”, this summit will take place on 21-22 September in Singapore, held at Parkroyal on Pickering hotel.

During two days company representatives as well as various business associations and official representatives of Business Sweden and the various embassies will gather to share best practices on how to do business in this dynamic par t of the world. All Swedish businesses in Sweden and the Southeast Asia region are invited to attend. The summit is hosted by the Embassy of Sweden in Singapore, Business Sweden and the Swedish Business Association of Singapore (SBAS). ”Southeast Asia is the world’s new growth engine,” Sweden’s ambassador to Singapore, Håkan Jevrell, explains the reasons behind this new initiative. The time is ripe for this event.

Home to more than 650 million people with a rapidly growing middle class, the Southeast Asian region is estimated to grow at an average of 5 –6 percent annually in the coming decade, making it the growth engine of the world. The newly established ASEAN Economic Community is likely to enhance growth further. ”Southeast Asia continues to show strong growth rates despite the slowdown in the world economy. Simultaneously, the interest for the region is growing, as more and more companies come to realize that Asia represents more than just China and India,” says the ambassador. ”There is also a need to increase knowledge about this region of the Swedish decision-makers, both in politics and business. The purpose of the Sweden-Southeast Asia Business Summit, which we hope will become a regular event, is to disseminate information on Southeast Asia and the rapid development taking place here as well as a forum for exchange between Swedish and Southeast Asian business representatives who are active in the region. Sweden-Southeast Asia Business Summit is an initiative run jointly by ’Team Sweden South-East Asia’, which means all the embassies, Business Sweden offices and chambers of commerce in the various countries in the region.”

To be competitive in this evolving global market, it is crucial for any CEO or board member to have a clear understanding of the developments in the region.The Sweden–Southeast Asia Business Summit provides an excellent opportunity to get

Håkan Jevrell insights from industry peers and policy experts and to meet with potential partners.

Sharing of best practices on how to do business in this dynamic part of the world will be a key ingredient. ”I meet many business representatives in my role as ambassador and I often hear that one lacks a forum for experience-sharing and cross-sector dialogue between business representatives. They of course, have a lot to learn from each other.

Via the summit Swedish companies will have the opportunity to share their experiences. Alongside a range of inspirational speakers and panels there will be plenty of time for discussion and networking,” replies Håkan Jevrell.

“We have chosen a broad focus for this first Sweden-Southeast Asia Business Summit, not least because of the amazing breadth that Swedish companies in the region represents. In Singapore alone there are 250 Swedish companies presents, many with regional headquarters, and ranging from small niche consulting firms to banks and manufacturing companies.”

Around 600 Swedish companies across business sector s ranging from ser vice to manufacturing and retail are present in Southeast Asia.

The summit will feature key political and business representatives from Sweden, including Mr Mikael Damberg, Minister for Enterprise and Innovation; Mrs. Ylva Berg, CEO, Business Sweden – the Swedish Trade and Invest Council; Mr Marcus Wallenberg, Chairman of the Board, SEB, SAAB Group & Foundation Asset Management; Mr. Magnus Böcker, Executive Chairman of Blibros and former CEO of Singapore Exchange and many more.

For outreach the ambassador explains that this initiative is run jointly by ‘Team Sweden SouthEast Asia’, which means all the embassies, Business Sweden offices and chambers of commerce located in region’s various countries in the region.

“We all have an important role to play in reaching out to businesses with presence there and ensure good attendance.We are very pleased with the strong interest we’ve seen by businesses to participate as partners. Our main sponsors are Carl Bennet AB, Ericsson, SAAB, Scania, SEB and Volvo. Singapore Airlines is the official airline of the event. Other sponsors are Alfa Laval, Billerud Korsnäs, IKEA, Nordea, SKF and Spotify.”

Team Sweden promotes Swedish exports abroad. At home, Team Sweden is led by the Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation. Abroad, a local Team Sweden led by the Swedish Ambassador will assist companies around the world. Through Team Sweden the Swedish Government can provide coordinated and effective export support to Swedish companies that want to set up operations abroad, making entry into the export market clear and simple.

The export support includes advisory services, financing, marketing and the long-term promotion of Sweden.

Summit info at: www.sweden-sea.com.

August 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 17

Sweden’s ambassador presents Cambodia business opportunities

By Joakim Persson

T

he Swedish-Thai business community was given a rare opportunity to get a heads up on the investment climate in Cambodia, courtesy of departing Ambassador of Sweden to Cambodia, Ms Anna Maj Hultgård.

The special seminar : ‘Doing Business i Cambodia: Oppor tunities & Challenges’ was hosted by and held at the Embassy of Sweden, Bangkok on 23 May, including among others members of the Thai-Swedish Chamber of Commerce.

Ambassador of Sweden to Bangkok, Mr Staffan Herrström introduced the seminar and said that we all have an interest to expand the trade in the region, which is being done in various ways.

“We have the Sweden-Southeast Asia Business Summit coming up in Singapore we have jointly been initiating in the region. Then, with business presence in Bangkok it is obviously natural to come here and discuss Cambodia as a business destination,” said Ambassador Herrström.

With ‘Cambodia – Rebranding’ as a headline Ambassador Anna Maj Hultgård began her presentation by saying that she wished to give a balanced and up-to-date image of Cambodia in substance and perception.

“We have a big aid programme, but I saw how much Cambodia had pogressed, and the connections we have and tremendous access to 18 ScandAsia.Thailand • August 2016

ministers etc., and thought we should do more on the business and trade side.”

Aid will soon be phased out, with some donor countries having already left the country, informed the ambassador and continued: “The image of Cambodia is about war, the Khmer Rouge, which is part of its modern history. But for us living there and seeing the tremendous growth, I saw a mismatch about the image of this country.”

“It’s a very open country. What happens in Cambodia is out there. All UN organisations are there, reporting openly. I highlight this as a positive aspect; even the smallest abuses taking places is all reported, and in English language media mostly.

All Human Rights bodies are there, being very critical and very active. We have to take that into account. That in a way also contributes to one image, that is at least partly true, but sometimes give an unbalance and unfair image.”

Some chambers of commerce surveys show a perception that may not be the updated one, she said.

“The image works a bit against, but it is not really corresponding to what is there today.”

Then she pointed to some indicators for the country: the hospitality industry has been booming in Angkor Wat, but also moving on to the coast; shopping centres, being new in a commercial context - there are in total twenty new to come on to the market; and that Cambodia has a very young and vibrant generation.

“The youth is one of the great potentials of Cambodia. The demographics data continues to accommodate economic transformation; with strong increase in the available work force.”

“I think there is great potential, but also point to some challengers that can be overcome.”

Looking at macroeconomics, the ambassador pointed to that the country ranks among the most rapidly growing economies in the world with a growth at about 7 per cent per year.

And there are reduced poverty and income disparities, where poverty has fallen from 50% in 2004 to 18% today.

“In some aspects Cambodia is where Thailand was 15 years ago, but Cambodia can also leapfrog on many aspects. Its technology sector is huge!”

Garments and construction sector are the main engines of growth and remain resilient despite global slowdown.

Manufacturing, constr uction, assembly, agribusiness and food processing are others.

“Labour standards in general are in-between compared to the region. Cambodia is somewhere in the middle. There are other issues, such as

transport to and from the factories.”

The seminar attendants put forward plenty of questions and one of those concerned Cambodia’s corporate social responsibility reputation.

In response the ambassador said that the Swedish embassy is working very actively with companies on CSR and hat Swedish companies should be able operate in difficult markets as well.

“Every factory is being monitored by the International Labour Organisation.”

The ambassador described the countr y’s government as business-friendly.

“The investment schemes are very liberal.

Ease of doing business ranking is moving up.

Mostly there are too few rules and you might lose out a bit on unpredictability.”

“It takes a bit too long still to set up a company,” the ambassador thought.

There is sometimes no legislation, such as for the construction sector, though the country is aware of that being an issue.

The new Industrial Policy has clearly expressed what needs to be in place in Cambodia concerning infrastructure, connectivity, productivity, and skills & SMEs. “Part of the government’s plan and what we also see asneeded is to move up the value chain and having the capability to do the processing, and to move up to the higher end in the garment sector.”

As for the Asean Economic Community, Anna Maj Hultgård said that they are all positive towards this in Cambodia.

“I do believe that Cambodia will benefit, as it is about openness and having to be competitive.

They are too small to be protectionists.”

Reasons to invest there she highlighted: competitive labour force; preferential market access to EU and the U.S; its geographic location: in the heart of SEA; low taxes; and the quality of life.

Cambodia has “extremely liberal investment rules”. Only on land there are restrictions but foreigners can own factories and buildings. Land lease can be up to 99 years long. There are also no limitations on bringing in foreign workers. Also repatriation of profits is not restricted.

As for challenges these are: corruption; weak institutions and implementation, high energy costs, infrastructure still being under development, skills gap, and a deteriorating political context.

Tensions are expected to increase in the run up to the elections in 2017 and 2018, with polarisation in politics and society.

มุมภาษาไทย l mum pha:să: thai l Thai Corner

Royal Thai

By Klavs Johansen (thai@snakthai.dk)

E

ven seasoned foreign speakers of Thai may feel lost when Thai television channels air their nightly repor ts of the activities of the royal family.

The reason is that the Thai language contains a class of words reserved exclusively for use with royals. It is called คำ�ราชาศัพท์ / kham ra:cha: sàp / ~ rajasap or royal words. Many of these words carry little or no resemblance to words of similar meaning in everyday Thai. This separate class of words hails from the traditional cult of royalty and reflects the divine status of the king. The cult came to prominence during the time when Ayutthaya was the capital of Thailand and, as the use of royal words illustrates, the tradition is still strong to this day. The notion of deva-raja, god-king, came to Thailand from India via the ancient Khmer kingdom, centered in today’s Cambodia. Thus, the rajasap are of Khmer or Indian origin. Thai children learn the most important rajasap in school, read any fairy tale in Thai and you are bound to meet rajasap whenever kings, queens, princes or princesses are involved. Most learners of Thai will at some stage feel, if not a need, then, out of curiosity, a desire to know some of these words. Hence, we shall this month go through a small selection of them. Meanwhile, the Thai language novice may just relax, note the existence of rajasap for later enjoyment, and practice the colloquial Thai equivalents which we shall also list together with the rajasap in the following.

In everyday Thai, we know พระ / phrá› / to mean monk. However, when used as a prefix the word takes on a more general meaning of something or someone holy, worthy of respect

and worship. Thus, we find it as a prefix of many rajasap. The common term when referring to the King of Thailand is ในหลวง / nai lŭang /, while a more formal word is พระเจ้าอยู่หัว / phrá› jâo yù: hŭa / ~ the Lord above our heads. A general term for king is ราชา / ra:cha: / ~ raja, which may be used in fairy tales or as informal reference to kings of other countries, e.g. ราชานอร์เวย์ / ra:cha: nor:we: / ~ the King of Norway. In addition to the terms mentioned here, numerous more exist for the word ‘king’, however we shall try to keep it simple. The same goes for the other members of a royal family:

สมเด็จพระราชินี / sŏmdèt phrá› ra:chíni: / ~ HM the Queen, or the informal term, ราชินี / ra:chíni: /~ a queen. มกุ ฎ ราชกุ ม าร / mákùt râ:tchákùma:n / ~ crown prince, which, for instance, is the title

of Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and part of the official name of Thailand’s Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn: สมเด็จพระบรมโอรสาธิราช เจ้า

ฟ้ามหาวชิราลงกรณ สยามมกุฎราชกุมาร / sŏmdèt phrá› bor:romma o:rótsă:thírâ:t jâo fá: máhă: wáchíra:longkor:n sàyă:m mákùt râ:tchákùma:n /. Try to listen for that next time you watch the royal news!The female counterpart is มกุฎ ราชกุมารี / mákùt rà:tchákùma:ri: / ~ crown princess, as used with Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden. Then, beyond the titles, we have: พระราชโอรส / phrá› râ:tchá› o:rót / ~ prince (son of a king), and

พระราชธิ ด า / phrá› râ:tchá› thída: / ~

princess (daughter of a king), while the colloquial terms are เจ้าชาย / jâo cha:i / ~ prince and เจ้าหญิง / jâo yĭng / ~ princess, respectively.

But the rajasap are not limited to persons and

titles. Also royal bodily parts are named differently from common Thai, for example: พระศรีษะ / phrá› sĭ: sà› / ~ (royal) head, against colloquial หัว / hŭa / ~ head, พระเนตร / phrá› nê:t / ~ (royal) eye, colloquial ตา / ta: /, and we get น้ำ�ตา / ná:m ta: / ~ tears and น้ำ�พระเนตร / ná:m phrá› nê:t / ~ royal tears, and in the same way พระหัตถ์ / phrá› hàt / ~ (royal) hand, against มือ / mue: / give us ฝีมือ / fĭ: mue: / ~ craftsmanship and ฝีพระหัตถ์ / fĭ: phrá› hàt / ~ royal craftsmanship.

Similarly, special words are reserved for royal actions, e.g.: เสด็จ / sàdèt / ~ to go (somewhere), colloquial ไป / pai /, and เสวย / sàwŏe:i / is the royal equivalent of กิน / kin / ~ to eat and as such you may find the former in the name of more than one restaurant in Thailand.

The prefix ทรง / song / is often used to indicate royal action, we have for instance: พระราชดำ�ริ / phrá› râ:tchádamrí› / ~ (royal) thought, corresponding to ความคิด / khwa:m khít /, and we get ทรงพระราชดำ�ริ / song phrá› râ:tchádamrí› / ~ to think (done by a royal), or ทรงมี / song mi: / ~ to have, which is the royal form of มี /mi: /.

Time is up and, in ending, it should be emphasized that this has been but a glimpse into an intricate world with a highly elaborate system to enforce rank and position through language and titles. It is not meant to be easy.

See you same place next time or at the Thai Language Corner on Facebook.

August 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 19