ScandAsia Thailand - October 2016

OCT 2016

Choosing a Preschool BUSINESS

PEOPLE

COMMUNITY

LIFESTYLE

Sweden - Southeast Asia Business Summit

New Finnish Ambassador Satu Suikkari-Kleven

Danish Ambassador Uffe Wolffhechel welcomed

Lifestyle Asia celebrates 10 years

OCT 20

16

Coming Events

DTCC Networking Event Bangkok Where: Admiral's Pub & Restaurant, Soi 24 Sukhumvit Road When: Thu 20 October, 18:30 - 21:00 ing Chooschool s e r P a ESS BUSIN heast - Sout Sweden ess Asia Busin Summit

PEOPLE

sh New Finni or Satu Ambassadleven Suikkari-K

UNITY COMM or Ambassad Danish ffhechel Uffe Wol d welcome

Danish Thai Chamber of Commerce invites to their monthly networking event in Bangkok. The event will be held at the Admiral’s Pub & Restaurant at Sukhumvit Soi 24 from 6.30 to 9pm. It is free for members of the Danish Thai Chamber of Commerce to attend the event, and the fee for nonmembers is 400 THB.

YLE LIFEST Asia Lifestyle celebrates s 10 year

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

EABC Speech Dinner: Governor of the Bank of Thailand Where: Le Grand Ballroom at Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit When: Monday 17 October, 18:00 - 20:30 The European Association for Business and Commerce (EABC) invites everyone to an exclusive speech dinner by their keynote speaker Dr. Veerathai Santiprabhob, the Governor of the Bank of Thailand.

The price for attending the event is 2,200 THB per person for EABC members, chambers’ members and embassies, and 2,700 THB for non-members. This includes western course dinner, wine, beer and soft drinks.

E-mail: news@scandasia.com Editor-in-Chief : Gregers A.W. Møller gregers@scandmedia.com Managing Editor: Joakim Persson Joakim@scandmedia.com

Sweden Sustainable Manufacturing delegation

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

Where: Bangkok, Metalex When: 21 - 24 November 2016

Printing : Inthanon Interprint Co., Ltd.

Welcome to join the Business Delegation to Thailand and Vietnam 21–24 November 2016 with purpose to promote Swedish manufacturing equipment, tools and services to support the vision for Asean to become a global manufacturing hub

Daily news and features here: www.scandasia.com

The delegation is a follow up to the successful manufacturing delegation in 2015 to Thailand with representatives from Sandvik, Ovako, FlexLink and NordLock.

The program in Thailand will be performed in conjunction with the Metalex* fair visited by 7 0 , 0 0 0 m a nu f a c t u r i n g industrialists. Historically the Southeast Asia hub for production within automotive, Thailand produced 1.9 million 4 wheelers and about 2 million motorcycles in 2015. For Automotive, there are around 600 companies within tier 1 and 1700 companies within tier 2 and 3. Now,Thailand is about to take the next step, into more advanced production in the aerospace field.

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October 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 3

October 2016

ScandAsia Community 21. Roaring Crayfish Party 2016 52. Cajutan: new Swedish restaurant opens 53. Swedish Film Festival launch

12 Mrs. Satu Suikkari-Kleven Finland’s new Ambassador to Thailand

22 How do you pick the perfect school for your children

14

ScandAsia Business

21

Mr. Riku Mäkelä

Riku Mäkelä represents Team Finland in Southeast Asia

6. Thai-Finnish Chamber of Commerce AGM

New Board select for TFCC, followed by event welcoming the new Ambassador

52

7. New Danish Ambassador to Thailand, Mr. Uffe Wolffhechel

The Danish-Thai Chamber of Commerce welcomed the Danish Ambassar at a networking

8. Sweden-Southeast Asia Business Summit Read all about the inaugural Swe-SEA Business summit, attended by Team Sweden Thailand

One-Stop Shop for all your editing, design, printing and digital printing needs

16 Mr. Richard Nilsson

Lifestyle Asia, started in Hong Kong by three young Swedes, celebrates 10 years.

Story from A to Z.

What we provide...

Publication

Brochures, Leaflets, Annual Reports, Calendars & Cards, Planners, etc...

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Marketing Materials Roll-ups, Banners, CDs, Flags, etc...

Please contact

211 Soi Prasert - Manukitch 29,, Cho Chorakaebua, rakae Ladprao, Bangkok 10230, Thailand Tel:: +66 2943 7166-8 Fax T Tel Fax:: +66 2943 7169 website: www.scandmedia.com E-mail: patcharee.scandmedia@gmail.com, suchaya.scandmedia@gmail.com

4 ScandAsia.Thailand • October 2016

October 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 5

Business

Thai-Finnish Chamber of Commerce AGM welcomes new ambassador

O

n Tuesday 13 September 2016 the Thai-Finnish Chamber of Commerce (TFCC) held its Annual General Meeting at Rembrandt Hotel in Bangkok, followed by a networking where Finland’s newly arrived new Ambassador, H.E Satu Suikkari-Kleven, was welcomed. The turnout for the networking was strong consisting in Finns, representatives of other Chambers of Commerce as well as JFCCT. As a result of the AGM Executive Director Karri Kivela reports that all country managers of the largest Finnish companies operating in Thailand are now in the TFCC Board.

TFCC works as the first contact for Finnish companies interested in Thailand’s various markets.

In his annual repor t its President Mr Pornpracha Wattanakijsiri looked to the future: “After the election and with a working democratic system we can be a full-fledged player within ASEAN and enjoy trust and co-operation with the rest of the world. There is still a lot to do for Thailand but the road map is clear and we all hope that the future will be better and Thailand has learned from the mistakes of the past.”

“I have represented TFCC in the Joint Foreign Chamber of Commerce and JFCCT has reached many concrete results improving the economic conditions in Thailand and the Chambers’ voices have been heard when working with the Thai Government,” he continued.

I pivotal year for Finland is also around the corner: “Next year is important as Finland will celebrate its 100 years of Independence and

6 ScandAsia.Thailand • October 2016

TFCC will be 25 years. TFCC will do its best to capitalize on this special year. We will release a Special Anniversary Issue in December 2016 and 5000 copies of this will be distributed to Finland, Thailand and to South East Asia. This publication will market Finland and Thailand and it also includes our member directory. The anniversary event plan for Team Finland for Thailand 2017 will be presented later and the magnitude of these events will depend on the funds available.”

For Thai-Finnish Chamber of Commerce the last 10 months has been a period of growth.

“Measured by memberships we have grown from 54 members to 86 members. This makes us the second biggest Finnish Chamber or Finnish Business Council in Asia right after Finnish Business Council in Shanghai. We are the only Finnish Chamber or Finnish Business Council in South East Asia with its own office and a professional staff, working full time for the Chamber.”

“TFCC par ticipated in a Team Finland meeting in Singapore on April 2016. Present were all Finnish Embassies, Finnish Business Councils and Finpro representatives from South East Asia. TFCC has also started active partnership with Finland Chamber of Commerce in Helsinki and this cooperation gives TFCC a direct communication channel to the 19 regional Chambers of Commerce in Finland and to all of their corporate members. I am glad to hear that Finland Chamber of Commerce considers TFCC as a model Finncham organization and TFCC operational model will be used also when discussing the new roles of Finnish Chambers

abroad in improving Finnish exports.”

The President pointed to challenges for the coming year, where TFCC concentrates in quality not quantity in our operations.

“We work according to the duties outlined in the Chamber objectives. A mere presence is not enough and we have star ted concrete cooperation with our Finnish and international members and partners by visiting their companies, presented business ideas, introduced them to our networks and to member companies and taken part in many business meetings. Our members will present the results of these projects later.”

“Like all of the 31 other foreign Chambers in Thailand we also have to plan carefully where we plan to get the rest of the income from, as professional staff is not free. It is our aim to get the additional income when working according to our Chamber objectives and not start working as a publishing company or a mere event-organizing company,” said Pornpracha Wattanakijsiri.

Following the AGM the networking par ty took over the proceedings and Ambassador-inwaiting, Satu Suikkari-Kleven got her first chance to address the local Finnish and expat community in Thailand. The Ambassador also introduced her embassy team.

TFCC’s new sponsor par tner, insurance company Thaivivat, also got a chance to say a few words, before the guests got to munch on fingerfood, excellent wine, beer, and of course Finnish vodka cocktails through the pleasant evening, at Da Vinci, Italian Restaurant at Rembrandt Hotel Bangkok.

Business

DTCC introduced new Danish Ambassador to Thailand

N

ew Danish Ambassador to Thailand, Mr. Uffe Wolffhechel was the main attraction when members and friends of Danish Thai Chamber of Commerce got together at Admiral’s Pub and Restaurant in Bangkok on Thursday 22 September 2016.

The Ambassador was introduced by President Thomas Nyborg who was welcoming Uffe Wolffhechel on behalf of the many members who had showed up also to kick off a new season of the Danish Thai Chamber of Commerce.

“I hope I will be able to meet all of you here tonight but I am sure I will not be able to remember your names. It is hard enough with all the people at the Embassy,” Uffe Wolffhechel joked in his speech where he said he looked forward to a few good years together as the Danish Ambassador.

Peter Sand, the new Deputy Head of Mission and Commercial Counsellor was also introduced as the head of one of the two main activities of the embassy “the forward looking activity”. The other main activity was the Consular service, assisting Danes with various practical issues and helping specifically if Danish citizens got into trouble with the authorities during their stay in Thailand, the Ambassador explained.

October 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 7

Business

Mikael Damberg, Sweden’s Minister of Enterprise & Innovation:

“Immense opportunities for trade with Southeast Asia.”

T

here are great oppor tunities that the Sweden-Southeast Asia Business Summit, held for the very first time on 21-22 September in Singapore, can contribute to increased trade/ business and learning insights from one another.

Mr Håkan Jevrell, Ambassador of Sweden to Singapore; Mrs Ylva Berg, CEO, Business Sweden – the Swedish Trade and Invest Council; and Mr Jan Djerf, President, Swedish Business Association of Singapore all gave their opening remarks in this spirit, pointing SEA as a huge, potential growth market for Swedish businesses.

“Here at the summit I think we might share a common passion and that is for Swedish companies to expand in SEA and Singaporean companies to invest more in Sweden. At Business 8 ScandAsia.Thailand • October 2016

Sweden we do whatever it takes to open up global markets for Swedish businesses,” Said Ylva Berg.

In attendance was also Sweden’s Minister of Enterprise & Innovation Mikael Damberg, who in this opening speech pointed to the around 600 Swedish companies across business sectors ranging from service to manufacturing and retail that are already present in Southeast Asia and inventing tomorrow’s world.

“The oppor tunities for trade between Sweden and Southeast Asia are immense. With a rapidly growing middle class and a population of 650 million people, the growth of the region is one of the highest in the world. Southeast Asia has the third largest labour force, and it’s the fourth largest exporter in the world. The

countries in the region plan to make significant investments in infrastructure in the near future, opening up interesting business opportunities,” said Minister Damberg and continued: “Not only is Southeast Asia described as a growth market, it is also critical part of world’s trade today.”

“The purpose of the Sweden – Southeast Asia Business Summit is to provide a platform for Swedish businesses to get insights into the potential that the markets of Southeast Asia have to offer and to identify synergies between companies and across markets.”

“In order to tackle major challenges of our time we need to promote even more of innovation.”

The minister pointed to a few examples of Swedish innovations that have made a difference.

Sweden’s prosperity is built on innovative and successful export companies that time and again have managed to renew and reorganise production and products to keep pace with changing markets

The Innovation Union Scoreboard 2016, an index published by the European Commission, ranks Sweden as the leading countr y for innovation among EU member states. The reasons for this include a historic tradition of inventors, a social environment that encourages creativity, a commitment to gender equality and a strong belief in the individual. Close collaboration between research institutes and the private and public sectors is another key factor, setting the foundation for Swedish global companies.

“Sweden’s prosperity is built on innovative and successful export companies that time and again have managed to renew and reorganise production and products to keep pace with changing markets” “Continued success, however, require that our

existing companies keep adopting, with continued investment. Our continued ability to change and adapt is crucial and therefore the Swedish government earlier in the year launched the Smart industry strategy,” announced the minister.

“The capacity for innovation that the employees and companies in the industrial sector and the industry-related services possess still forms the bedrock of Sweden’s prosperity. This may seem obvious. But for too long, the Swedish industrial sector has been treated as a historical remnant on the path towards the post-industrial service society. And this has come at a cost.

When the full impact of the financial crisis hit the economy, there was a lack of desire to mitigate the consequences and many jobs were lost in Sweden. There was significantly more resolute

action in many of the countries with which we compete,” he previously has said about the strategy.

“The Swedish industrial sector is faced with challenges. Digitalisation is pushing the industrial sector’s already high rate of transformation even further, paving the way for new business models and making others redundant. For small companies in particular, it is an enormous challenge to keep up with the pace of technological development.”

“The Government’s strategy for new industrialisation is to strengthen companies’ capacity for change and competitiveness. It is an important stage of the effort to benefit from the window of opportunity for new industrialisation that is now open to Sweden. Rapidly rising wage costs and problems with the environment, quality and long lead times in the former low-cost countries in Asia have made Swedish production of goods and ser vices more competitive. At the same time, automation and digitalisation are bringing with them new oppor tunities for profitable and sustainable production in a completely new guise – connected, more automated and knowledge-intensive. Sweden now has the upper hand and it is high time that the industrial sector was prioritised.”

At the summit’s Gala Dinner of the summit that Mikael Damberg co-hosted with Mrs Ylva Berg, the minister emphasised that Southeast Asia offers huge opportunities and that it is also about creating better lives for people living in this region.

“I think we can do good things at the same time as we create better opportunities for people.

That’s why I find that this meeting is so important and fruitful. It is the first time we have this kind of meeting in this region. It is also the starting point. This is actually the first phase of an intense period of time when Sweden will have a lot of efforts into this region. I know there will be lots of MUs and letter of intents signed this year with Southeast Asian states: energy, transport within Indonesia; followed by life sciences with Vietnam.”

Sharing his initial assessment of the summit he said: “And I am totally convinced, after hearing of the advances, of investment, of creating the smart cities and nations in this region, that there are huge possibilities to work together, both on finding new partnerships but also finding new business opportunities.”

“The export strategy puts an emphasis on emerging markets. We have to be stronger where the growth rate exists and where exciting things happen. And I see that Sweden now puts an extra effort on being here, seeing it and also understanding what needs to be done and I hope that this conference is a starting point. I know that several of my colleagues in the government will travel to this region in near time,” Mikael Damberg continued and mentioned upcoming delegations.

“This is altogether a strategic choice for Sweden, to be more present here, to actually work with long-term relations, to build confidence for the future. I hope that you have found new partners and new associates during these meetings,” said the minister as he concluded the summit’s first day with a Swedish toast.

October 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 9

Business

Marcus Wallenberg: potential to do more in Southeast Asia

T

he first ever Sweden-Southeast Asia Business Summit contained a number of prominent business representatives, not least Mr Marcus Wallenberg, Chairman of the Board, SEB, SAAB Group & Foundation Asset Management, and who has personal long experience of visiting and doing business in Southeast Asia. Mr Wallenberg is also a Board Member of Temasek Holdings in Singapore since 2008.

Mr Wallenberg’s keynote speech presided the ‘Economic and Political Outlook on Southeast Asia’ session, where he opened with the question: ’Why are we here?’

He said that Sweden’s businesses have been very successful in other regions in the world, and that Sweden is moving away from moving a lot of business onto global stage.

“Here in Asean region demographics are moving in such as way that we know that markets will develop substantially. From Sweden we have not done enough in the Asian region. I have come to that insight. I have been travelling her since the mid 1980s, and Sweden, as nation, is not doing enough. We are not living up tot the potential.”

Looking back he said that many Swedish companies arrived to Southeast Asia after the second world war and that there was been a lot of R&D and substantial investment in production here.

“But I think this is only the start, we have much more potential to increase the capacity

out here.”

“I think globalization still has great potential but it is about doing things differently. Going forward I think technological development and movement of science will develop globally in a different way.”

Marcus Wallenberg anticipates focusing on new scientific areas and new science going forward.

“We are now looking into a number of possibilities in the research and development side, within life sciences and forestry, as examples.”

“We come from a country of very strong innovation skills. As a Swede to my fellow Swedes, thinking about this region: I think we are sometimes a bit hesitant to put our weight forward. Products don’t sell by themselves,” he told the government and business representatives.

“Out here we have to be very astute in being strong in the markets, and be very active, and invest in this region in order to success. And we have to have established presence here, with production etc. and we must to have long-term commitment. In my humble opinion Asians want to see that kind of commitment.”

“This summit is an excellent star t,” he continued.

“While China previously grabbed all our attention, now with slow growth there we could do even more here for the long term. This is the time!”

Team Sweden Thailand at SEA business summit

L

ed by H.E. Ambassador Mr Staffan Herrström, Team Sweden in Thailand is represented at the inaugural SwedenSoutheast Asia Business Summit, held during 21 – 22 September 2016.

In addition to the Ambassador, Minister Counsellor Deputy Head of Mission Ms Charlotta Schlyter as well as Trade Comissioner Ms Vivianne Gillman (Business Sweden) represent the Embassy of Sweden in Bangkok.The Thai-Swedish of Commerce is represented by President Mr Jan Eriksson and Vice President Lars Svensson.

Jan Eriksson told ScandAsia in the afternoon of the first session-packed day that the summit had so far delivered above his expectation, and he had set that bar relatively low. The overall sentiment was that the summit and its programme was very worthwhile.

The sessions for the first day of the summit included: ‘Economic and Political Outlook on Southeast Asia’, ‘Looking ahead: Southeast Asia in 2020 – key factors for business to consider’ and ‘Success stories – perspectives from the ground’ (with Swedish companies share their experience of doing business in Southeast Asia).

The first day ended with a Gala Dinner hosted

by Mikael Damberg, Minister for Enterprise and Innovation and Mrs. Ylva Berg, CEO of Business Sweden.

10 ScandAsia.Thailand • October 2016

Team Sweden is an umbrella made up of public authorities, government agencies and companies that all work to promote 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. Team Sweden in Southeast Asia stands ready to help businesses discover and explore business opportunities in the region.

Business

Swedish SEA business summit: Ambassador announces continuation

D

ay 2 of the Sweden-Southeast Asia Business Summit continued with a highly insightful session on CSR, followed by more ‘Success stories – perspectives from the ground’, where the Swedish companies Axis Communications, Spotify and Volvo Trucks South East Asia shared their experience of doing business in the region.

And as the Sweden-Southeast Asia Business Summit came to an end at lunchtime on 22 September Sweden’s Ambassador to Singapore and head of the organising team for the inaugural event, H.E Håkan Jevrell, put forward the question to the audience and received a resounding ‘yes’ in response: Would you like to see this event taking place again?

Upon that immediately positive response the Ambassador disclosed that there would indeed be a continuation. That was already clear based on strong interest from other Swedish Embassies and Team Sweden representatives in the region.

Mr Jevrell told the well-attended summit that the several embassies were already battling between each other to become the next hosing Southeast Asian capital.

“It’s ver y positive to see that there is a strong interest from the business community to see a follow-up event. The Sweden–Southeast Asia Business Summit provided an excellent opportunity to get insights from industry peers and policy experts and to meet with potential par tner,” Håkan Jevrell replied to ScandAsia concerning the importance of the participants’ feedback for a continuation of the summit concept.

“Everyone within Team Sweden is very happy with the outcome of the summit, and there

is a positive attitude towards the future. The Sweden–Southeast Asia Business Summit 2016 exceeded its aim to attract business leaders and decision makers from Sweden and the region,” he continued.

“Taking on an event of this size is a significant commitment, but there are still several interested parties.”

When closing the summit the ambassador said that the next summit’s location and dates would be announced within only a few weeks from now.

“Team Sweden has shown to be a success, and any follow-up will certainly be within that framework,” he commented in terms of who will be organising the event onwards.

All par ticipating companies and other stakeholders will be asked to give their input following the inaugural event: “In a few days, each and every delegate and par ticipant will get a follow-up email including feedback opportunities.”

The ambassador personally gave his initial evaluation as follows: “I’m extremely happy with the outcome. My team has together with the other players within Team Sweden done a tremendous job and one must bear in mind that very few people have done most of the work.

No external organiser or event firm has been involved. I’m also very proud of the outcome when it comes to media. It’s rare to see such Swedish media presence at an event far away from home, and the coverage in Singapore has also breached all expectations. A big thank you to my staff, Team Sweden, all the volunteers, and to my wife Catharina who’s been running the press department pro bono.”

“When talking about the future, I believe

most see it as a biannual event but let’s see what the business community wishes.”

The summit featured key political and business representatives from Sweden and Southeast Asia, including Mr Mikael Damberg, Minister for Enterprise and Innovation, Sweden; Mr Lim Hng Kiang, Minister for Trade and Industry, Singapore; Mrs Ylva Berg, CEO, Business Sweden – the Swedish Trade and Invest Council; Mr Marcus Wallenberg, Chairman of the Board, SEB; Mr Magnus Böcker, Executive Chairman of Blibros and former CEO of Singapore Exchange; Mr Piyush Gupta, Chief Executive Officer and Director of DBS Group and many more.

October 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 11

Business She also explains that one of the reasons why she wanted this career is that she wants to experience different environments of different countries.

Satu Suikkari-Kleven has always been very curious. And it is exactly this curiosity that has brought her and her family to Thailand. That is why she applied for the job as the new Finnish Ambassador to Thailand in the first place.

So why Thailand? The new Finnish ambassador and her husband had for a long time wanted to move to Asia because they believe that there is so much happening and that it is a very dynamic country.

She explains that they chose Thailand, both because of the nation itself with nature and culture for the family to explore, but they also thought it would be good for their daughter. By moving to Thailand, their daughter would now not only have the opportunity to meet new friends from Thailand, but from all over the world, since Thailand is such a multinational country.

“This has already proven to be true,” says Satu Suikkari-Kleven.

As a working environment, she believes that Thailand has a lot of opportunities to promote Finland and Finnish knowledge and products, both politically, culturally and from the trade promotion side.

Goals as an ambassador

New Finnish Ambassador to Thailand

By Maria Jønsson

S

ince the beginning of September, Mrs. Satu Suikkari-Kleven has been living in Bangkok with her husband and their 8-year-old daughter. At the presidential session on Friday 8 April 2016, the President of the Republic of Finland appointed Satu Suikkari-Kleven as the new Finnish Ambassador to Thailand. This posting, the new ambassador took up in early September.

Satu Suikkari-Kleven grew up in a city completely different from Bangkok. Besides being the capital of Finland, there are not many similarities between Helsinki and the capital of Thailand.

12 ScandAsia.Thailand • October 2016

“Bangkok is a much bigger and more international city than Helsinki, and there is much more space and nature in the capital of Finland,” she says and explains that you can feel like you are in the countryside five kilometres from the city centre in Helsinki. She also explains that she will have to get used to the climate and the traffic here.

“Bangkok is a fascinating city with a lot to offer in its rich culture and history. Also the modern day Bangkok is like an adventure with something new around every corner,” she says.The fascination for everything innovative and colourful is something the two cities share.

The overall objective for an ambassador is always to tighten the cooperation between the two countries. In more concrete terms, Satu SuikkariKleven wants to see for instance Finnish exports to increase to Thailand, and to further increase knowledge about Finland as a country.

“I think we have a lot of experiences in Finland that have been very useful in the shaping of the society, so this is something I would really like to promote and make known in Thailand as the previous ambassadors have done,” says Mrs. Suikkari-Kleven.

During this autumn, she will set the more detailed goals for her years as the Ambassador to Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia. She explains that education is one thing that the Finnish Embassy has been focusing on in the past years, and that this is something that she wants to continue with. She believes that there are a lot of issues relating to the Nordic welfare system, and she wants to promote the strength in this kind of system.

Clean technology and health technology are also areas of interest to the new ambassador.

“Finland has a lot to offer within this, and I think that Thailand has a good demand for these kinds of technology,” she says. She explains that these things are something that she has already talked a lot about with the Finnish Chamber of Commerce, Finpro and also Thai businesses and Thai authority people as well to try to see where the matches would be best, and then focus on these areas.

Next year, Finland will celebrate its 100 years of independence. This occasion Satu SuikkariKleven will use as her first big opportunity to tell about her goals as the Ambassador to Thailand, to promote Finland and to increase the cooperation with Thailand.

Business Little, but appreciated, leisure Being the Finnish Ambassador to Thailand takes up a lot of time, so Satu Suikkari-Kleven has not had much time outside the Finnish Embassy. The free time she does have is in the weekends, and she cherishes these moments very much.

“I have not really had any free time yet! Other than the weekends. I spend it with my family, and until now, we have been discovering Bangkok. I am sure that for the first month, we will discover the city, go see different buildings, culture and different monuments – to discover Thai food and discover the nature. This is the most relaxing free time at the moment,” she says.

Time with the family is something Satu Suikkari-Kleven treasures a lot. Besides living with her husband and their daughter, the family has also invited her nephew to stay with them as an au pair during their first months in Thailand.

“I am the happiest when I am with my family. It can be anything, really. Playing Uno in the weekend or playing with my daughter outside,” she says and explains that she also loves doing yoga and reading, but that there has not been time for any of that yet.

“I cannot find enough minutes in my life to read everything about Thailand that I would love to – I have lots of books about Thailand,” the ambassador says with lights in her eyes seeming excited to start reading.

Leading up to the position as an ambassador Before she became the Finnish Ambassador to Thailand, Satu Suikkari-Kleven has worked in a lot of different places.

She entered the Finnish foreign service in 1998. Before coming to Bangkok, she worked at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs as the Director for Public international law unit. She has previously worked at the Finnish Embassy in Oslo and the Permanent Mission of Finland to the UN in New York.

Fur thermore, the new ambassador has worked at the Office of the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights in Strasbourg and at the headquarters of UN Refugee Agency UNHCR in Geneva and its office in Afghanistan.

Satu Suikkari-Kleven sees her posting as the Finnish Ambassador to Thailand to be her biggest professional achievement so far.

“I think it is a great privilege to have the oppor tunity to be an ambassador in such an interesting country, and I am extremely happy to have been given the chance of doing it, even though I know it is not always going to be easy,” Mrs. Suikkari-Kleven says.

Migrant rights defender sentenced to prison

By Maria Jønsson

O

n 20 September 2016, Andy Hall, British migrant rights defender, was found guilty in a criminal defamation and computer crimes act charges case brought against him by Natural Fruit Company Ltd. This happened because of a report for Finnwatch, a Finnish civil society organisation, in which Andy Hall wrote about serious human rights violations taking place at Natural Fruit’s pineapple processing plant in Thailand. Bangkok South Criminal Court has sentenced Andy Hall to four, reduced to three, years in prison and ordered him to pay a fine of 150,000 baht.

In addition to the two criminal cases, Natural Fruit has also filed two civil claims for damages against Andy Hall for a total of 400 million baht.

These cases have been put on hold until the current criminal cases have been concluded.

“This is a sad day for freedom of expression in Thailand. We fear that many other human rights defenders and victims of company abuse will be scared to silence by this ruling,” Sonja Vartiala, Executive Director of Finnwatch, says in a press release.

Natural Fruit’s pineapple juice concentrate

has been used to make juice sold in Finland. Andy Hall interviewed Natural Fruit workers for the repor t that Finnwatch published in 2013. The report showed that violations against human and labour rights had taken place at the company’s pineapple processing plant in the Prachuap Khiri Khan province of Thailand.

The report contained analysed interviews with migrant workers from Myanmar. In this process, Andy Hall had only coordinated the field research and, with help from others, conducted the worker interviews for the report.

According to Sonja Var tiala, Finnwatch is shocked by the verdict. She explains that the report was authored and published by them and therefore, they take the full responsibility for it.

“Andy has been made a scapegoat in order to stifle other voices that speak out legitimately in support of migrant worker rights,” Sonja Vartiala adds.

Char ges made against Andy Hall in September and October 2014 and in September 2015 were dismissed due to legal irregularities in the investigation progress, but Natural Fruit along with the Thai Attorney General appealed the rulings.

October 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 13

Business

Riku Mäkelä

is Team Finland’s extra resource for SEA Photos and text by: Joakim Persson

A

sia can now benefit from an extra resource thanks to enhanced efficiency and coordination within the ‘Team Finland’ umbrella, where one of six persons spread out globally is placed in Singapore, And this resource is a Finn with relevant knowledge within the right fields of experience, namely Mr Riku Mäkelä, Trade and Innovation Affairs Counsellor at Embassy of Finland in Singapore.

14 ScandAsia.Thailand • October 2016

The Team Finland concept was established some 3-4 years ago as a network model for connecting all public ser vices in Finland. It targets companies in order to assist them in internationalization, and also to targeted foreign companies interested in investing into Finland.

Third, it should boost the Finnish brand abroad for travel and other services.

Another important objective is to identify and seize the new opportunities arising globally.

The Finnish government has allocated extra

funding to the concept, and its recent objective is to take Team Finland activities systematically to the next level and beyond.

Improved Coordination “We have looked for different ways of optimizing the resources and impact of the public support mechanisms and public services that we provide in Finland for innovators and for companies, and especially for companies looking for international business growth,” comments Riku.

“In Finland, like any other countr y there are within all sectors several agencies and government-funded activities doing similar things and it is a matter of maximising the impact of those activities by better coordination.”

In a previous position where he reported only to Tekes (Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation) in Silicon Valley, Riku experienced first-hand the lack of information sharing and synchronisation.

“There wasn’t much info flow between my work and other ministries and agencies in Finland. Since back then we have devised lots of mechanism for maximising the information flows and joint coordination and planning for different kind of services we see that Finnish companies or foreign investors might need.”

Finland is looking for ways to do things more efficiently.

New posts in hotspots “One of the big things that we have initiated in 2016 is the new posts with specialists in foreign trade and innovation placed in six hotspots that we didn’t cover well enough earlier. So actually we didn’t have anybody looking after these trade connections or FDI or innovation connections between Singapore and Finland and actually Southeast Asia and Finland and also connecting to Europe. That role had been missing in many places and Singapore is the only additional post we added for Asia,” he explains further.

It is a pilot until the end of 2018 to test how good this will work. Riku sits in an embassy, employed by MFA, but is dedicated to specific directions and purposes and suppor ted by three different organisations. He is part of three different teams.

“Singapore is a great way to connect to investment flows, start-ups, growth companies, businesses in the region, and to connect them to Finland and the wider Europe,” he thinks.

Riku’s region is primarily Southeast Asia but relating to investments linked to Singapore also includes China and India. He is however only one extra person at a small embassy, and will focus on a limited number of priority areas at any time.

“We are very careful in our strategy where to put our focus and so on.”

Main areas of attention The Counsellor lists the main areas for now as being: - Singapore ICT Smar t Nation, especially healthcare and education-related, digital services and solutions.

- Vietnam: “Finland is moving from official development aid-focused collaboration with Vietnam over forty years towards multiple kinds

of partnerships in all sectors. Within a few years we will finish our last big bilateral development aid projects and programmes. Mainly we are looking for bilateral and multilateral business collaborations, within innovation, education etc.

Tekes (Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation) currently running one special programme for emerging countries is one example. I am supporting their BEAM programme from here.”

- Third big focus area in 2016 is start-ups and investments. “One great activity in that sector is the Slush event in Singapore. That is the biggest effort so far between the Nordics and Singapore and SEA/Finland – Singapore within the start-up scene.”

The Team Finland network is a par tner of Slush, and in that capacity co-organised the ‘Connecting Globalizers and Localizers’ matchmaking event. It aimed to connect growth stage companies looking to scale their solution globally (Globalizers) and serial entrepreneurs or intrapreneurs (Localizers) looking to adopt existing innovative solutions from another region to start a new business venture within their local and regional markets in SEA countries.

The event adopted an alternative approach towards internationalization. By providing leading start-ups a platform to showcase their solutions.

Bottom up approach It turns out that Riku has a lot to say regarding start-ups within the areas of focus. He himself has background as an entrepreneur in the IT sector, before he landed his “dream job” at Tekes (which is all about innovation, business growth, turning ideas into businesses).

“When Vietnam star ts doing something it happens fast,” he says when talking about its potential and the tipping point that is not yet there in terms of regulations and handling of foreign companies. “I was working there with start-ups for the last two years prior to Singapore.

When we star ted suppor ting incubators and accelerators there we started to educate trainers for start-ups while not much was happening.Then we saw that it looked like an eco system for startups started to develop fast. Two years later there is almost too much happening.”

“The most impor tant things happen through grassroots so that’s bottom up, and regulatory things and policies have to happen top down. But things star t to happen thanks to bottom up. That is for example why we did everything we could through local grassroots organisations, just like in Finland; the biggest boost I claim for the Finnish star t-up scene to evolve would not have happened without it was the Slush, the first star t-up event in Finland, which is entirely organized by entrepreneurs, volunteers, students and so on. And it also

accelerated the knowledge in the Finnish government and public sector for the need to suppor t bottom-up approaches.”

“In Vietnam, there are plenty of really smart and passionate people and that’s number one for start-ups to succeed and we found plenty of them, which tells that there will be lots of successes coming.”

For the start-up scene he thinks the tipping point in Vietnam will come no later than next year, while for foreign business in general it will take longer.

“One of the factors in reaching that tipping point is the FTA with the EU. That will give a boost.”

“A large number of Finnish companies have been looking actively towards Vietnam and a number are active already, with more than 100 are doing business in Vietnam but only a minority of them with own operations. There is lots of potential; the question is how to tap into that.”

Clean-tech, energy and telecom (with different types of applications for mobile world) sector players from Finland are actively looking towards Vietnam, Riku has noted.

Team Finland ready to link He also finds Singapore’s start-up scene promising: “There are hundreds of start-ups in incubators and accelerators and so on in Singapore now and it will be highly interesting to follow and also connect Finnish and also Nordic start-ups and investors to the scene here and back to Finland and beyond.”

Riku and the Finnish embassy’s task are to link Finnish companies, innovators and organisations to Southeast Asia, especially Singapore, and to link Singaporean/SEA companies, potential investors and travel business developers to Finland.

“If anyone in Finland or in the Nordics, or in SEA, is interested in this breech between SEA and Singapore and Finland and through Finland to the EU we are happy to help. So we are a good first contact point; my task is to connect directly.”

He is also confident that this pilot project will grow into an established format.

“We believe we’ll continue and also expand these kinds of posts and mechanisms. We’ll see how it goes and it depends who will be in government, with the current one being highly proactive for international business support and investment to Finland.”

October 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 15

Business

Richard Nilsson

The Lifestyle Asia journey: ten years and still evolving Text and photos (except portraits): Joakim Persson

W

hen learning all about how Lifestyle Asia came into being and grew into the recognised online platform for luxurious lifestyle it is today one can only nod in approval to how true their tagline ‘Pioneering the online luxury space’ is.

Hearing their story, told by co-founder and Singapore-based Richard Nilsson, also gives perspective on the incredible internet and digital media development since then, when luxur y brands, as in one example, still stuck to the position that they “would never go online”, when the three Swedes started out.

This business case also describes the sort of challenges, oppor tunities and many pitfalls when building a business in Asia; in this case the establishing of company with regional operations within media B2C consumer marketing.

This September LifestyleAsia.com, after months of work on a makeover, launched its redesigned, much sleeker and very stylish website.

This also coincides with celebrating ten years in business for the Swedish trio who have steadfastly navigated takeover offers, constant cash flow

16 ScandAsia.Thailand • October 2016

difficulties, growing without major investors, bad advice, and the consequences of believing in themselves – and in others.

Richard today describes their concept as Asia’s premier online luxury and lifestyle magazine with a focus on curating original content in both old and new luxury. It’s for mobile savvy individuals whom seek out the latest trends an information with a par ticular interest in luxury - watches, jewellery, cars, fashion, wine & dine, travel, beauty and events across Asia’s lifestyle destinations.

Stureplan, Stockholm as template But we have to go back in time to October 2005, eleven years ago, and Stockholm, Sweden, where this media firm within upscale lifestyle has its origins.There, the trio of young inner city Swedes, Christopher Lindvall and Sebastian Svensson in addition to Richard had already grown tired of the duck pond (satirical comparison of an all-toosmall country and its elite to a pond of quacking ducks), the inner circle of faces that are always the same and conversations that are quite superficial.

But Stockholm also gave some inspiration for the adventure to come, in the form of the website

and magazine stureplan.se (among others) and the trio’s common interest in lifestyle and luxury in general.

“We used to patronize the clubs and were interested in fashion and all that and followed those web sites.”

“We used to sit on the weekends and follow up on the previous night’s events but also talk about how tired we were about life around Stureplan and about what we could do; perhaps start something somewhere else, and felt it would be fun to explore the world.”

Coincidentally, Christopher had a friend over in Hong Kong who had enticed him with what a fantastic market there was over in the Far East and that as Asia’s New York Hong Kong lacked a good platform for English readers about what one can do, shopping, where to travel in the region, clubs etc.

Settling down in Hong Kong After contemplating this idea the trio decided to visit Hong Kong for the first time on a discovery trip.

“We walked around there in t-shir ts in

December, feeling free, in what seemed like a really cool city and thought it was fantastic, with palm trees and all. There was a buzz, very hectic and people everywhere.You had ten Louis Vuitton boutiques, and so many nightclubs and restaurants. And you could walk into 7 Eleven at 3 am and buy a bottle of vodka,” recalls Richard.

“We met Christopher’s friend and people within nightlife and fashion, hotels etc. and presented our idea of a digital lifestyle magazine.

And the response from those we met – partly from within the sector and people in the bar who seemed to be in the know (wearing the right type of clothes, was knowledgeable) was so good that in February 2006 we moved to Hong Kong!”

They came there with no business plan and a few screen dumps a friend working at one of the Stockholm-based websites had provided them with as a favour. And so, without a website, they set out building the boat and trying to sell their concept.

After being fooled on paying way too expensive rent for a really shabby apar tment they got assistance to find a better, however unfurnished one, that they equipped with three

We had managed to convince one of the coolest nightclubs to give us their Friday for free for our important launch. A Filipino working at Disney who took us under his wings, had made sure to put us in contact with and invited what was supposedly the coolest people in Hong Kong.

October 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 17

Business

None of the customers complained that there was no website; few understood anyway, as it was so new then. And to get an online connection in the nightclub was a challenge. So the development has been incredible. And looking back at the fact we were sending faxes to request meetings… if you say that to people today…!

18 ScandAsia.Thailand • October 2016

mattresses, minimal work desks, a phone line each – and a fax machine.

They had to send media kits to potential customers via fax. Nobody answered anyway and email was out of the question back then.

Also, still being very early days in Hong Kong, it turned out to be very difficult to get customers to spend advertising on online banners.

“Only those that could sell something via clicks did it, but it was very difficult with the luxury brands – where we had planned to make money.”

Bite the bullet Then it was the small matter of building the website, where the Swedes’ naivety was put test.

Their Hong Kong friend had recommended a company in India as the right guys for the job: this company was the “most professional he had ever met through his other daily job”.

“We said O.K. We had gathered some money but had very small resources and kept our spending very low.That website effort cost us SEK 200 000 which we paid in instalments. It was expensive back then, and very few could build sites. Today when we build a state-of-the-art site we might pay SEK 300 000 and then get a fantastic website. The problem was what we never got a final product that we could launch. We felt that this might not work.”

Even though their Hong Kong contact persisted that it would all materialise at the end it didn’t. With the launch planned for July 2006 only three weeks away the Indians confessed – and demanded more money to continue.

The Swedes then had to bite the bullet and find another solution – which was to replicate a site from Sweden for their own brand Lifestyle, at a cost of another SEK 100 000.

They had no choice than to hold the launch event without a website, for which they had managed to get Svedka Vodka, Sony Ericsson, Lufthansa and the Swedish clothing company J. Lindeberg (who dressed them up to look proper).

“We had managed to convince one of the

coolest nightclubs to give us their Friday for free for our important launch. A Filipino working at Disney who took us under his wings, had made sure to put us in contact with and invited what was supposedly the coolest people in Hong Kong.”

“None of the customers complained that there was no website; few understood anyway, as it was so new then. And to get an online connection in the nightclub was a challenge.

So the development has been incredible. And looking back at the fact we were sending faxes to request meetings… if you say that to people today…!”

State of the art website In contrast, Richard describes the new 2016 website as state-of-the ar t, were things have come a long way: “we made an entirely new site and added completely new banner formats to turn our advertisers really excited.”

“We are first in Asia with many new things.

And every time we have launched a new site it’s been like that. Even newspapers here are far behind on user friendliness and how one should present articles. Step one is to continue making a much more smartphone friendly website, as most consumers will primarily be using larger smart phones. We have about 50 per cent today on desktops/laptops, so still quite high, but mobile will gradually increase to up to 80 per cent and desktop users will turn very low,” he comments and concludes that it is incredibly important that the website works seamlessly on all different devices and browsers.

They are also advancing in terms of marketing and e-commerce: “We have a completely new fashion spread, a ‘look book’ they call it, where we believe that a lot of the shopping will happen onwards. We will par tner with e-commerce companies where we function as a shop window and a drop-shipping model for e-commerce where they manage the delivery of product and we only take commission. We will do the same with restaurant bookings etc. So the plan is really

that Lifestyle will be a one-stop shop with the vision that everything you can read about on Lifestyle Asia should be able to be purchased via a click.”

First investor But rewind to 2006, where the adventure started for real when they bumped into a Swedish “investment underdog”, Anders Lönnqvist.

They strived on, had a variety of customers, such as energy drinks, produced a Hong Kong version of a Swedish print magazine, and meanwhile Mr Lönnqvist needed some concierge sort of assistance from the Lifestyle Swedes. He also got curious about their business, asked for a business plan (which did not exist but they now came up with one), and it paid off. In 2007 their first 1 million Hong Kong dollars was landed, and with Servisen Investment Management as their first investor they could set up a real office, employ a writer etc.

Meanwhile, they realised they needed to focus and drop the many side projects that were coming in for good.

Also, they had many website issues, but luckily managed to get an old friend within IT from Sweden to come over, who also fell in love with Hong Kong, and started building a much better website.

As V.I.Ps on the dining and nightclub scene the Swedes could for that reason be mistaken for being spoiled brats who had arrived from Sweden enjoying the good life with daddy’s money, which was exactly what people within the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, that they had joined, believed.

“Fooling around and going to clubs, yes we did that too and we probably gave such an impression, but the J. Lindeberg suites etc. we had been given for free to wear, and all the tables at the clubs were all barter deals, while in reality we took out about SEK 3000 a month in salary and lived sparsely together. But what was good with that was that we learned the value of money.”

They were also running out of money again and went to their investors. Meanwhile, the owners of prominent print media group contacted them, being interested in buying up Lifestyle and having the Swedes facilitating their new online concept.

“They had released a new magazine, and somehow found our images online from their event and said that this was what they must do to within digital.”

What then followed was that the Swedes started negotiations without the knowledge of their existing main investors.

“We were young and naïve and thought we knew everything, though we clearly didn’t.”

The deal was ruined when they brought along their surprise last-minute adviser, a banker, asking for HK 36 million, when they had already negotiated for the take-over sum to be HK 20 million.

“This was recognition that we were on the right path, that this might eventually take off in Asia, even though we felt that Asia and Hong Kong that are in the forefront when it comes to Asia embracing trends from the west, might never work anyway. It has always been at the back of our minds that we might never be able to convince the luxury brands, as it has been so incredibly challenging to convince them.”

Their main investor scolded them for their secret negotiations – after all this was his expertise, buying and growing and selling companies!

Hong Kong remains a problem Lifestyle then got another HK four million dollars from their investors and decided to expand out of their problems.

“We had not really landed Hong Kong financially, and aimed to expand in Singapore, believing that everything that works in Hong Kong must also work in Singapore, and there was a big brother syndrome. This is before the casinos and what you are seeing in Singapore today.”

Richard moved to Singapore to take up the

helm and before long they had opened up also in Thailand – with the trio now in three different cities.

“The problem was that the three musketeers were now spread out and we had not really established Hong Kong. And the saying is: you can never expand yourself out of existing problems or a market that does not work. But we believed in economy of scale and other things.”

Sure as fate the global recession then struck towards the end of 2008.

“We were lucky then we had collected the new investment, and we have always been very careful, almost stupidly careful. So instead of staking fully, we have used the funds sparsely in order to survive a little longer. And that is just pushing the problems ahead of you. But we couldn’t really go for it either as there were no advertisers back then,” Richard evaluates.

Meanwhile, they had also taken some more bad advice. Their new investor in Singapore, who had bought shares from their existing investors, and who facilitated setting up Lifestyle there, advised them a supposedly “perfect partner” also for Thailand.

“Young and stupid we travelled up to meet this person who turned out to be a real con man who had bluffed around in Asia. But there was not much online assisting any due diligence back then.

He became a co-owner with 45 per cent in the Thai company.”

In the end the Swedes, when confronting their new co-owner and receiving threats from him, decided that the only solution was to buy him out.

The overall situation made them decide to all move back to Hong Kong, get rid of staff and drive the markets remotely as much as possible.

But having found the love of his life in Singapore, Richard was soon back there, though with a ban on spending money.

“I manged to build up Singapore from 2009 to where we are today, and things got better and better and we turned a profit in 2010 and October 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 19

Business

also increased revenue with 200 per cent so we grew exponentially and the market started to come back, with the fashion company Burberry as customer.”

Some Nor thern European brands, such as Burberry being from the U.K. where there were more IT culture, understood the value of the online world better and had started early with e-commerce. (Today 60 per cent of their customers are the luxury fashion brands.)

Since then it has been something of a rollercoaster ride for Lifestyle, with 2011 down, up again in 2012, but still with liquidity problem: “It’s a very difficult business to be in here. There are no ways to get customers to pay, no collection companies enforcing payment. We’ve had a lot of hassle, going to the pawnshop with watches at occasions in order to be able to pay our staff salaries. We have done all sorts of things.”

In the past four years they have earned money and Richard anticipates that for 2016 there will be some dividend for their shareholders.

More luxury and style Only in the last three years the market has really turned ripe for Lifestyle and since then they 20 ScandAsia.Thailand • October 2016

began rebranding themselves to be more luxury and less lifestyle in 2013, going for Swatch group (owner of Omega, Blancpain, Breguet, Calvin Klein), Chanel and Louis Vitton and those type of customers.

“And when you want to aim for those and seeing how much they spend on print magazines, and reaching very few readers, sooner or later they will wake up and move advertising from glossy print to online and that is where we have to capitalise on our first mover advantage.”

Since then a lot more effort has gone into own content, and especially ‘style’, produced by own style editors that were recruited in 2015 to take things further in this direction by producing own fashion spreads etc.

“We’ve had to produce much more content within this segment so brands feel that Lifestyle is a product they must be in as they cover our segment but also that they have the right readers; those who are luxury customers.”

Anticipating new owners “We expanded to Kuala Lumpur in 2011 and ran it from Singapore. And that went quite well there as we had no costs.We had some freelance writer

and I went up by bus doing sales and did business development.”

However Richard regrets setting up local companies in Malaysia in Thailand, due to high operational costs and lots of red tape there.

“All those having luxury print magazines have approached, wanting to buy us, but it has been on the wrong terms. But maybe we will not be independent forever. It took ten years to build a good company – that’s what it takes, they say.”

And Richard feels that they have not landed yet; still there are many things that can be done to extend the journey.

“There is incredible potential. When I meet the customers many know us within the industry.

But there is a lot more we could do.”

He still frequently meets people who have never heard of Lifestyle Asia.

“Then I feel disappointment. It’s a failure when someone who has been here relatively long and who seems to like what we write about are not familiar with us. But when we tell people within our business sector that we have spent 10 years and USD 1 million only and taken it to where it is today they say: ‘Wow, fantastic!’”

Community

Crayfish Party:

Full Power

By Gregers Møller Photos: Claus Gundersen

T

he Crayfish Par ty of Scandinavian Society Siam roared on full power on Saturday 24 September 2016 at Rembrandt Hotel in Bangkok with SSS Chairman Lars Andersson as a fantastic MC and entertainer. Lars’ voice was raspy and sexy from a cold which made the drinking songs sound even more authentic. From start to finish – or at least until this reporter went down – he was on top of things, walking the tables, leading in songs, conducting the lottery.

Eventually, he was relieved by the band Unicorn, and after one song this great all-girls band got the dance floor filled up with rocking and swinging Scandinavians.

There were close to 140 participants in the party and all had been carefully placed around the 14 tables in the Ball Room of the Rembrandt Hotel, where the par ty has been hosted as long as most guests can remember. Exceptions would be Poul Weber and Kristian Boe who

were highlighted as probably the members, who had participated in most Crayfish Parties over the year.

Initial confusion regarding what beverage was included in the price and what was available only with coupons subsided as beer star ted flowing freely. Until then, the guests had to make do with water and snaps, which seemed to work out quite well, too, at the ratio 1 crayfish to 1 glass of snaps.

For the not-so-enthusiastic crayfish lovers, there was this year plenty of bread, cheese, quiche to feast on.

According to a quick assessment by the Treasurer and Photographer of the night, Claus Gundersen, it even seems that the evening made a nice profit for the SSS. What else can you ask for. Job well done, SSS! See you next year!

October 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 21

Preschool Theme

Choosing a Preschool

Choosing a preschool when moving from Europe to Thailand has become increasingly difficult for parents. There are more and more institutions established all the time, and each institution has its own unique philosophy and attributes. Comparing what they offer with the needs of your child is no simple task.

I

f you are looking for a preschool for your child, the first question is if it should be a local preschool or an international preschool?

In most countries in Asia, a local preschool is an option - although certainly a more challenging option for your child. If you child is mixed European - Asian this may, however, not be so frightening a prospect. And mostly it will have an economic silver lining as local private preschools are less costly compared to international preschools.

However, physical punishment has not been abolished in the Thai school systems, so take this into consideration. Ask each preschool, that you visit, how they administer physical punishment and if you are not comfortable with the answer, go to the next on your list or ask if they can make an exception for your child.

Most European families prefer the international option combined with some form of mother tongue playgroup or preschool class.

Location and approach Location near the home is mostly the top priority.

Next you need to find out which of the basically two different approaches, the preschools on your shortlist believes in. One approach is play-based - the other is academical.

In a play-based program, children choose activities based on their current interests. The term “play-based” is often interchanged with “child-centered,” which could be used to describe the majority of available preschool programs. The play-based classroom is broken up into sections, such as a home or kitchen, science area, water table, reading nook, space with blocks and other toys, or other areas. Teachers encourage the kids to play, facilitating social skills along the way.

The academic programs are “teacherdirected,” “teacher-managed.” In these classrooms, teachers lead the children in a more structured way, planning the activities, then guiding the children in doing them. This design is aimed at 22 ScandAsia.Thailand • October 2016

preparing kids for the primary school setting.

For the most part, classroom time is devoted to learning letters and sounds, distinguishing shapes and colors, telling time, and other skills.

While play-based approaches may work for most types of children, any quality preschool program can set the foundation for the transition to kindergarten and beyond. What matters is that your child is learning from adults who engage and stimulate intellectual curiosity while imparting social skills.

Watch your child!

Never mind how diligent you do your homework you will never be able to foresee if your child will thrive at the selected preschool.

It is therefore important that you make a habit of spending more time than you used to at home talking to your child about how their day was. What they did in class, and what they did outside. Let them tell about their friends. Listen.

All may initially sound fine and uncomplicated, but that may just be a honeymoon period. This is the most important step of them all. If your child develops in any way you find disturbing or starts showing signs of discomfor t going to school, what then?

Pulling your child out This is the disaster scenario: What if you picked the wrong preschool for your child? Is it better to leave the child and help him or her cope with the issues, or should you pull the child right away and switch to another preschool?

Some child psychologists advise parents in the first instance to let the child stay. If they learn that their parents eagerly help them ‘flee’ anxietyprovoking situations, it confirms to the child that the world outside the home is indeed meant to be feared.

The challenge is from the beginning to make the right choice of preschool that best suits the

individual needs of your child. The risk is that these needs may not be obvious until after they have started in the preschool or that unforeseen issues arise.

The preschools willingness to discuss the problem is essential. A school’s lack of understanding and suppor t will increase the problem, leaving you to deal with a distressed child who is being largely ignored by the staff. In this case, you should of course move your child to another school.

It is not ‘giving up’, it is the acceptance of an unworkable situation. Fighting on in the old preschool may work, but simply changing to a new preschool may in the end be the best thing that you could ever do for your child.

October 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 23

24 ScandAsia.Thailand • October 2016

Please visit our website to register for an Open House event, or contact our Admissions team on 02 503 7222 ext. 1129

Visit our website: www.harrowschool.ac.th

October 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 25

Preschool Theme

Singapore International School of Bangkok (SISB) The Unique SISB Curriculum in English, Chinese & Thai Languages Independent Award Centre Licence to conduct The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Scheme, the world’s leading achievement award programme. SISB has established itself as a trusted brand for quality education in Thailand and continues to grow as an organisation dedicated to providing world-class education.

SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BANGKOK OPENS NEW SISB CAMPUS IN CHIANGMAI

F

ounded in 2001, SISB has four campuses in Thailand, which adopt the Singapore and UK curricula as the foundation for teaching and learning. Singapore International School of Bangkok is the first Singapore International School established in Thailand which pioneered the Singapore education curriculum. All four campuses provide a standardised curriculum and consistently deliver high-quality education that many have come to trust of SISB. Through a broad-based and unique multi-lingual curriculum, SISB provides a safe, nur turing and yet challenging learning environment and opportunities to foster students as lifelong learners and future leaders. With more than 1,600 students of over 30 nationalities, and strong teaching and support staff from over 20 countries, the SISB community is inspired by a 26 ScandAsia.Thailand • October 2016

global outlook and enriched by cultural diversity.

SISB Pracha Uthit is the first International School in Thailand which was formally appointed by the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) in 2006 as the official examination centre for the Singapore International Primary School Examination (iPSLE). The school is also an approved centre cer tified by Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) to conduct the IGCSE, AS and A Levels examinations. Other than being a SAT® test centre, SISB is also certified by the Ministry of Education of China as a Hanban centre to conduct Chinese proficiency tests for students. SISB is fully accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the New England Association of Schools & Colleges (NEASC), an esteemed recognition for quality international schools worldwide. SISB also holds the Basic

SISB Chiangmai is the first Singapore International School to be launched in Nor thern Thailand.

The new campus spans 5-rai with a capacity for up to 750 students from ages 2 to 12 years old (Nursery-Kindergarten to Primary Level). SISB Chiangmai will offer the unique SISB curriculum in English, Chinese and Thai and its facilities will include a swimming pool, indoor multi-purpose hall, canteen, library, music room, science lab, arts & crafts room, computer lab and hard cour t, with full completion expected by Academic Year 2016 - 2017.

SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BANGKOK OPENS NEW SECONDARY SCHOOL COMPLEX IN PRACHA UTHIT The new Secondar y School Complex spans 9.5-rai (built-up area 26,600 sqm), which is the largest investment of the SISB Group to date.

The complex is an extension to the current SISB Pracha Uthit campus and it will house a dedicated Secondary section which will cater for up to 800 more students, a Sports Complex with extensive facilities including a swimming pool, a 450-seat Performing Arts Centre and a Boarding School which can accommodate up to 400 students, with full completion expected by Academic Year 2016-2017.

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BANGKOK

A Trusted Name for Quality Education Nursery - Kindergarten | Primary | Secondary | Sixth Form | Boarding School Established in 2001 as the first Singapore International School in Thailand pioneering the Singapore education curriculum, SISB currently has four campuses in Thailand, which adopt the Singapore and UK curricula as the foundation for teaching and learning. Dedicated to providing quality education, the professional team of SISB educators ensure that the school sets a consistent level of education excellence. Singapore International School of Bangkok offers an effective multicultural learning environment and shapes students into lifelong learners and future leaders. All SISB campuses feature well-equipped classrooms, library, computer laboratory, music room, swimming pool, gymnasium and playgrounds to provide a stimulating learning environment for early childhood students.

Our Unique Curriculum

sisb.ac.th

• Renowned for a child-centered approach in the early years • Hands-on lessons to cultivate independence • Engagement & discovery of senses • Encourage creativity through materials and activities • Group and project based work to introduce and develop critical thinking skills • English, Chinese and Thai languages taught across all levels • Mathematics and sciences taught by qualified teachers at an exceptionally high level • Graduating into renowned Singapore and British curriculums in SISB Pracha Uthit campus for higher levels

SISB PRACHA UTHIT

SISB CHIANGMAI

SISB EKKAMAI

SISB SUVARNABHUMI

498/11 Soi Ramkhamhaeng 39 (Tepleela 1), Wangthonglang, Wangthonglang, Bangkok 10310 Thailand Tel: +66 (0)2 158 9191 email: info@sisb.ac.th

10 Hussadhisawee Road, Tambon Sripoom, Amphoe Muang, Chiangmai 50200 Thailand Tel: +66 (0)52 088 535 | +66 (0)90 892 3888 email: info.chiangmai@sisb.ac.th

154 Soi Ekkamai 14, Sukhumvit 63, Klongton Nua, Wattana, Bangkok 10110 Thailand Tel: +66 (0)2 714 4099 email: info.ekkamai@sisb.ac.th

4/5 Moo 5, Namdaeng - Bangplee Road, Bangkaew, Bangplee, Samutprakarn 10540 Thailand Tel: +66 (0)2 710 2211 email: info.suvarnabhumi@sisb.ac.th

Preschool Theme

The UK’s leading co-educational school opens in Bangkok

T

he much-anticipated opening of Brighton College Bangkok PrePrep was an enormous success, a tremendously happy occasion and the start of something very special.

The children, after all, are the founding pupils and the first ones to make their steps, small steps in many cases, on a truly exciting journey. This was the opening of the Pre-Prep, with the Prep and Senior Schools opening in September 2017. Our first pupils, aged between 2 and 9, have all joined a school intent on becoming pre-eminent in the South East Asian region, a school that will not settle for anything less than excellence. Brighton College is already something of a hallmark, a brand that parents can trust. In this regard, Bangkok is continuing to shine the torch for British education

28 ScandAsia.Thailand • October 2016

in its third international school and must build on the auspicious successes of its three sister schools, all of whom have outstanding reputations and have achieved exceptional results.

Indeed, the results are brilliant and last year 39 pupils received offers from Oxford and Cambridge. Furthermore, 79% scored an A or A* at A-level and these results are coupled with the 92% A* or A at GCSE. In fact, Brighton College is currently the leading co-educational school in the United Kingdom, and whilst its academic results often steal the headlines, there is so much more to a Brighton College education, and it would be myopic to judge Brighton merely on its results. It is actually the provision of pastoral care that really distinguishes Brighton College from its competitors. The children’s happiness is

the prerequisite to all our academic successes and this wellbeing is at the centre of all we do at Brighton. Our most impor tant quest is to ensure that ever y child is exceptionally well known. The pastoral system runs through our allencompassing House System, where pupils forge great friendships with children of all ages. All are supported by their House Parents who look out for their every need.

Our teachers, of whom a large proportion have worked in leading independent schools in the UK, have the luxury of teaching small classes, allowing for a forensic focus and attention to detail. As such, they are able to individualise their planning and teaching to the requirements of every pupil, and, in turn, this means that every achievement is noticed and celebrated.

Our Pre-Prep team offers a friendly, safe and nurturing environment that provides every child the individual attention they deserve, along with the suppor tive challenge that ensures all our pupils thrive.

This all happens within an iconic, state-of-theart campus which includes many unique features, including the Learning Resource Centre (LRC), a dedicated space where the boundaries of learning are extended.The LRC connects facilities such as the Library with personal study spaces, classrooms with additional research resources and science labs, with areas where children can experience ‘hands-on’ learning. This gives pupils access to educational opportunities which cannot be found in more traditional classroom environments.

On leaving Brighton, we hope not just to have helped facilitate entry to the world’s leading universities and professions, we hope to have played a helping hand in creating outstanding ambassadors for tomorrow’s world.

BRIGHTON COLLEGE BANGKOK

Enabling Pupils To Reach For The Stars in the school ‘everyone is talking about’.

Tatler UK

To book a visit, please contact our Admissions Team. +66 (0)2 136 7898 admissions@brightoncollegebangkok.com brightoncollegebangkok.com @BrightonBangkok Krungthep Kreetha 15/1, Srinakarin-Rama 9, Bangkok

Preschool Theme

PREParing Active Learners

Learning through Play

By Raveena Sirinarang Communications and Development Supervisor

Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage at Bangkok Prep are active learners as they create their own challenges, develop their independence skills and find ways to solve problems. We recognise that children have unique learning needs as they are all at different stages of development. The positive relationships with teachers and the role of our ‘enabling environment’ are crucial in the learning and development of the child.

Q: How does the Foundation Stage environment enhance children’s learning and development?

A: The Foundation Stage at Bangkok Prep offers engaging and beautiful indoor and outdoor learning areas. The Nurser y and Reception classrooms are designed to create a stimulating and nurturing learning environment, promoting that intrinsic desire for our young children to learn through exploration and play. Our outdoor area offers an especially natural and creative space where the children are able to engage and learn outside. We aim to provide the best learning opportunities through our provision of high quality resources that challenge and promote children to interact and engage with each other, the curriculum and the world.

Q: How is ‘learning through play’ constructed and delivered?

A: This is delivered through planned and open ended themes in response to the children’s learning needs and interests. Child-initiated learning experiences are balanced with purposeful and directed adult led activities with the teachers, developing and promoting a positive attitude towards lifelong learning.

Q: Can you describe a typical day at school?

A: The day in Foundation Stage starts at 8am 30 ScandAsia.Thailand • October 2016

and ends at 2pm. Children also participate in a variety of specialist lessons including music, physical education, swimming, Thai Studies and computing.

Q: How do you prepare a child for their transition from the Foundation Stage to the Primary School?

A: At Bangkok Prep, we are fortunate enough to have both our Foundation Stage and Primary School on one site. We star t our transition process early by organising joint activities with Year 1 students and parents such as workshops and assemblies. We create oppor tunities for children in Year 1 to join our Reception classes (aged 5 years old) to talk about the Primary School and share their experiences with the young children.

Q: How are parents included and involved in their child’s education at Bangkok Prep?

A: We believe parents have a vital role to play in the education and development of their children.

Bangkok Prep is founded on par tnership and communication where being open is important, as well as, being a part of the community to which your child belongs. We warmly invite parents to share their child’s learning with the teachers through attending ongoing parent teacher

consultation meetings, participating in our ‘Stay & Play’ sessions and the termly open mornings.

In the classroom, parents actively enhance their child’s education, through guided reading sessions in the library, cooking or creative activities and supporting our school performances. The school also celebrates numerous international and community events.

Bangkok International Preparatory & Secondary School (Bangkok Prep) Sukhumvit 53 (Adjacent BTS Thong Lo) Tel: 02 260 7890 ext 103 Email: admissions.spvr@bkkprep.ac.th

October 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 31

Preschool Theme

Moving to Learn

The Link Between Physical Development and Early Learning

by Bangkok Patana School Foundation Stage From the moment a child is born - and even before - movement is essential for the developing brain. When we move messages travel through the nerves to the brain and when these impulses jump the gap between nerves, ‘neural growth factors’ are released. These cause the nerve endings to grow and sprout, creating strong and well organised neural pathways which enable children to ‘make sense’ of information and learn effectively at school.

W

hen a child is bor n, its early movements are ver y basic, as the young brain is underdeveloped. Connections between the brain stem, where physical movement is controlled and the cortex (the domain of higher functioning) are weak. At this stage primitive reflexes dominate, such as the ‘Palmer’ or ‘Infant Grasp Reflex’, wherein a light touch to the palm of the hand will cause the fingers to close and grasp. As pathways grow from the base of the brain to the cortex, these primitive reflexes are replaced by more sophisticated reflexes called postural reflexes.These allow more sophisticated control of movement. Frequent, rich and varied oppor tunities for movement are essential for successful passage through these stages of physical and neurological development.

Missing any particular stage may mean problems at a later date.

Children need lots of movement and sensory experiences. Movement helps: • the brain to grow and make new pathways • integrate the primitive reflexes • develop postural (balance) reflexes • develop and integrate the senses • develop bodily awareness,laterality, directionality and perceptual motor functions • develop the vestibular system - balance, coordination, sensory-motor integration and attention 32 ScandAsia.Thailand • October 2016

• the left and right hemispheres of the brain to work together In simple terms, children need to roll, crawl, walk, run, skip, slide, spin, swing, hop, tumble, climb, hang, dance, throw, catch, ride, swim, do gym, wheelbarrow, rough and tumble, wrestle, squeeze, twirl and be bear-hugged! Children need to get messy. Their hands and feet need to be in the sand, play-dough, gloop, mud, shaving foam and bubbles. Children need to avoid inactivity or spending lots of time in front of TV and computer screens.

Robyn Cox from New Zealand uses the analogy of a ‘bucket’ to illustrate this. Imagine a young child’s brain as this ‘bucket’, which is full of holes as it is not fully formed yet. The lowest holes, at the very bottom of the bucket, link to the gross physical and motor skills; while those further up link to the higher cognitive skills associated with learning. At the highest point are the external influences such as school, teaching methods, resources, parenting and diet. It is vitally important that all of the lower holes in the bucket are ‘plugged’ first, so that children have developed neurologically before beginning formal learning.

Only adequate physical experiences will ensure that this happens, allowing the bucket to ‘fill’ with learning and knowledge. If a child has insufficient movement experiences, then these holes remain unplugged and all ‘learning’ just empties straight out through the bottom of the bucket! No matter

how good the teaching, parenting and resources, learning cannot be retained.

Often, when children are struggling at school, we look to the influences at the higher levels of the bucket. However, the causes of learning difficulties may lie deep inside and could be linked to problems with neural pathways. Movement is the key to developing these neural pathways. In Australia, Barbara Pheloung has developed a set of simple, specially designed floor exercises to support children with learning difficulties. She has found that in many cases, completion of these exercises over a period of time can improve brain integration and readiness to learn. Practicing and mastering these movements helped many of these children catch up academically with their peers.

Movement and play are often intrinsically linked and should go hand in hand. Children need access to a wide range of physical activities throughout the day to support the development of both fine and gross motor skills. Whilst children are moving, learning and having fun, the ‘buckets’ are being filled in the process!

Further information can be found at: www.movingsmart.co.nz www.movetolearn.com.au www.patana.ac.th/primary-foundation.asp

October 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 33

5

GREAT REASONS PARENTS CHOOSE ST. ANDREWS

Best of International and British Learning Our rigorous English National Curriculum prepares students for success in the IGCSE and International Baccalaureate Diploma

playgrounds, indoor sports halls, and swimming pools.

Sukhumvit 107 is proud to expand its facilities with a 200-seat professional theatre, FIFA-sized football stadium, NBA-sized

Programme. Green Valley’s Class of 2016 achieved a 100%

basketball arena and Interactive Innovation Centre.

pass rate in the IB Diploma, with one student achieving a perfect

No. 1 in Academics

score, 1 of only 146 students worldwide to do so.

Early Childhood Excellence A focus on Early Years means our youngest learners receive the best start to their formal learning journey with specialist maths,

All our schools are accredited by the Centre for British Teaching (CfBT) Education Trust, with Sathorn and Green Valley achieving an exceptional “Gold” rating - the highest level of accreditation awarded by CfBT.

literacy, PE, art and music lessons.

Inspiring & Dedicated Teachers

Outstanding Facilities

Experienced, passionate and highly qualified teachers recognize

Students across all our campuses enjoy spacious classrooms, extensive library facilities, modern ICT suites, outdoor

and nurture individual talents and passions, inspiring all our students to achieve their full potential.

With 4 world-class schools in Thailand – St. Andrews Dusit, Sukhumvit 107, Sathorn and Green Valley – we offer your child a world of opportunity in education.

4 Convenient Locations Dusit Campus

Sukhumvit 107

Sathorn

Green Valley

Ages 2 - 11 253/1 Sawankhaloke Road, Dusit, Bangkok 10300

Ages 2 - 18 7 Sukhumvit 107 Road, Bangna, Bangkok 10260

Ages 2 - 11 9 Sathorn Soi 4, North Sathorn, Bangrak, Bangkok 10500

Ages 2 - 18 Moo 7, Banchang-Makham Koo Road, Banchang, Rayong 21130

Tel: +66 (0) 2668 6231 E: dusit@standrews-schools.com W: www.standrewsdusit.com

Tel: +66 (0) 2393 3883 E: sukhumvit@standrews-schools.com W: www.standrewssukhumvit.com

Tel: +66 (0) 2632 1995 E: sathorn@standrews-schools.com W: www.standrewssathorn.com

Tel: +66 (0) 3803 0701 E: greenvalley@standrews-schools.com W: www.standrewsgreenvalley.com

St. Andrews International School Dusit• Sukhumvit 107 • Sathorn • Green Valley

Book your personal tour www.standrews-schools.com

Preschool Theme

At-Home Educational Activities for Toddlers

R

esearch shows that in order to learn and grow, children need time, space and freedom to explore and make meaning of their surroundings. This sort of purposeful play is at the core of the Early Years curriculum at St. Andrews International School, enabling children to gain confidence, independence and a sense of natural inquiry.

Indoor play is inevitable for your little ones, so to help keep rainy or hot afternoons fun and engaging for them, here are five at-home activities for pre-schoolers as recommended by the Early Years experts at St. Andrews International School.

These activities are not only fun and engaging, but also facilitate important life skills like creative thinking, language, and fine and gross motor skill development.

• Shape sorting (cognitive skills): Who knew sor ting the laundr y could improve math abilities? Let your toddler organise the sock drawer or practise matching pairs of shoes, thinking about size, counting, and sorting by colour. Ask questions like “Are there more blue socks than red? Let’s count!” or “Are the yellow shoes larger than the brown shoes?”

• Obstacle Olympics (movement): For t building is an all-time classic rainy day activity, now take it up a notch by creating obstacle courses with chairs, tape lines, cushions, tables and more so your little one can practice going over, under and into spaces, along with balancing, hopping, crawling, and other large muscle movements. Consider playing your kiddo’s favorite tunes to make this activity even more energizing!

36 ScandAsia.Thailand • October 2016

• Mirror me (understanding emotions): Frustration is a big part of toddler life. It’s a good opportunity for labelling emotions, however, so that your child can learn to react appropriately and properly acknowledge their frustrations. Try using mirrors to make faces and then labelling the emotions (“Show me your angry face. Good job, you look really mad!”), then talk about how to appropriately work through them.

• Everyday object exploration (sensory play): Letting your child play with everyday household objects over store-bought toys allows room for creativity and imagination.

Young learners love discovering unusual shapes and textures. All sor ts of safe, inexpensive play materials can be recycled from objects lying around the house – try

pipe cleaners, buttons, scrap ends, cotton bits, fabric pieces and plastic caps.

• Playdough fun (fine motor skills): Sculpting and handling playdough allows toddlers to develop fine motor muscles(used to control the hands, fingers and thumbs), which all help with drawing, writing and all sorts of other activities essential to preparing children for the classroom.

To find out more about the impor tance of purposeful play and interactive learning, visit St. Andrews International School’s Dusit and Sathorn campuses for children aged 2 to 11 years old.Visit their websites at www.standrewssathorn.com and www.standrewsdusit.com or contact them at +66 (0) 2632 1995 for Sathorn and +66 (0) 2668 6231 for Dusit.

Preschooling for Scandinavians in Thailand 101

Preschool Theme

By Maria Jønsson

T

hailand attracts a lot of Scandinavian tourists, visitors and residents. The reasons are obvious: The climate, the beautiful scenery of Thailand’s mainland and the islands with bounty beaches, the low price level, business oppor tunities and the smiling and welcoming Thai people. Of course, the Scandinavian children need somewhere to be while their parents are at work and therefore, many Scandinavian children attend preschools all over Thailand – but where do they go?

The Swedish children Swedes are the only Scandinavians who have established themselves so good in Thailand that they have opened several Swedish schools, some of which have preschools attached to them. You

can find Swedish preschools in Hua Hin, Huay Yang, Pattaya and on Koh Lanta.

Sanuk Sanuk – Svenska skolan Thailand on Koh Lanta opened in 2004 and is the first Swedish school abroad in Thailand. In 2011, they opened a school in Huay Yang, and in 2012, their third school opened in Hua Hin. On their website, Sanuk writes that they want to make it possible for families with children to take a break from the daily grind in Sweden but still have access to high quality education in Thailand. At their preschool, they offer educational activities with learning through playing. In daily operations, they work with the children’s Swedish language development. They play with the language doing chants, rhymes and singing songs. They work with mathematics and

science in a concrete way by taking it into their daily lives.

On the preschool of Sanuk, Swedish, Norwegian and Finnish-Swedish children are welcome, and children from these nationalities attend the preschool together.

“Sanuk is a Swedish preschool and school, but every year we also have a few Norwegian children attending our preschool,” Tina Ståhle, who is the principal of Sanuk on Koh Lanta, says. She explains that they do not have any Danish or Finnish children because of the language differences.

The teachers at the Sanuk preschool are Swedish, but if many children with the same native language are to enter the preschool at the same time, Sanuk will make groups with trained teachers from each country.

October 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 37

Preschool Theme QSS The Swedish elementary school on Phuket, QSS, also has an associated preschool attached to it.This preschool is aimed at children in the age of 2-5 years, and the team consist of trained preschool teachers and additional staff if necessary.

On their website, QSS writes that their preschool aims to offer a pedagogical activity where playing is in focus.They want to create an environment where ever y child feels joy, stimulation and inspiration and is given wide scope for pleasurable learning.

This preschool is open between November and March since the demand is minimal the rest of the year, and especially in September and October where there typically only will be one child.

QSS accepts 13 2-5-year-old children to their preschool at the same time. They also have the oppor tunity to take in other nationalities provided that the child understands English. But, according to operations manager at QSS, Birgitta Green, it is mostly Swedish and ThaiSwedish children that attend the preschool, and to her, it seems like it will be that way again this year.

“In the current state of our knowledge, Thai-Swedish and Swedish children are the only nationalities who have applied to start out preschool in November, but right now we cannot say since the applications for the preschool usually come around the beginning of the school year,” Birgitta Green says.

The Danish children Mai Ellegaard, Thailand representative for Danes Worldwide, believes that there are three main factors that come into play when Danish expats have to choose a preschool for their children. According to her, they first of all look for something convenient and international. But also the school system of the preschool determines the choice.

“Danes do not want their children to start reading at the age of 3, since we are used to the Danish system where playing is a bigger part of the learning,” she says and explains that the IB system is popular due to its similarity with the Danish preschool system.

Mai Ellegaard explains that there are Danish children at the preschools of NIST, ISB and Patana, but other than that the preschool choices are very wide spread throughout the country, and the most important factor is the location of the school combined with where the family lives.

In connection with the testing of a Danish language playgroup project, Danes Worldwide did a survey on which preschools Danish parents chose for their children. This emphasised that it really is different from family to family, but it also showed that there was potential and demand for Danish education for children in Thailand.

So since the beginning of the summer of 2016, Danes Worldwide along with the Danish 38 ScandAsia.Thailand • October 2016

Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Embassy of Denmark to Thailand have had a Danish language playgroup every Saturday at NIST International School. Here, both Danish children and partDanish children in the ages between 3-5 years can learn and practice their Danish while living in Thailand which Mai Ellegaard believes is very crucial for the children’s possible future in Denmark.

“It is very important to be able to speak Danish if you have to go back to Denmark after your stay in Thailand,” says Mai Ellegaard.

The Finnish children Jyrki Markkanen, who is the Pastor to Finns in Thailand and father of two, agrees with Mai Ellegaard when it comes to the importance of the school’s location. According to him, there is not really a pattern to which preschools Finnish parents choose for their children. His impression is like Mai Ellegaard’s that it depends on where the families live.

“Most Finnish parents decide for them selves where to put their children,” Jyrki Markkanen says and explains that the reason for this can be that the Finnish community in Thailand is not very large and therefore, their influence on each other’s choices is minimal.

However, since 1997, Finnish parents have organised a language playgroup at the Finnish school Bansku where their children can practice their Finnish while living in Thailand.

Bangkok’s Finnish School Bansku is a language and culture education focused on school which is intended to Finnish children or children with Finnish ancestry from the age of 3 years.

Their goal is to maintain and develop their students’ Finnish language skills by providing them with the Finnish language basics, inspirational learning activities, as well as the opportunity to have a fun time together with other children interested in the Finnish language.

“It has been very helpful to us,” says the Finnish Pastor, both of whose children have attended the playgroup. Now, they both speak Finnish fluently and one of them has moved to Finland.

This language playgroup meets every Monday at NIST International School from 16.45 to 18.

The Norwegian children According to the Norwegian Seaman’s Church in Pattaya, some Norwegian children attend the preschool at Burapha English Programme School, BEST. According to their website, this school aims to educate their students to be bilingual in Thai and English and to understand and appreciate the cultures behind these languages. They strive to play a leading role in imparting knowledge and nur turing good citizens and to provide their students with a healthy and balanced understanding of the skills they believe they will need to lead a successful and fulfilling life.

According to Tina Ståhle, the principal of the Swedish preschool Sanuk on Koh Lanta, some Norwegian parents also choose Sanuk’s Swedish preschool for their children. She explains that they have had Norwegian children attending their preschool before who have been very satisfied and who have come back.

Preschool Theme

A small haven for Danish children to learn

By Maria Jønsson

‘‘H

alløjsa, allesammen!” A smiling, little Danish boy has just entered the café at NIST International School in Bangkok. He is here for a language playgroup, and soon, he will walk down through the schoolyard past the playground into the room behind the glass doors at the end.

Behind the glass doors, he will find an oasis of learning for Danish children.

Since May 2016, Danish parents in Bangkok along with Danes Worldwide have organised a language playgroup for Danish and part Danish children at NIST International School in Bangkok.

Here, the children can meet Danish peers, learn new words and enjoy speaking Danish with other children. Mai Ellegaard, Danes Worldwide’s representative in Thailand, believes that this is very crucial for the children’s possible future in Denmark.

“It is very impor tant to be able to speak Danish if the children have to go back to Denmark

after their stay in Thailand,” she says.

Both parents and volunteers are the ones teaching the children every Saturday at NIST. Asbjørn Krøll is both a parent and a volunteer at the playgroup, and he believes that it is important to create a foundation for the children through playing.

“It ought to be through playing that the children feel inspired to learn Danish,” he says explaining that, especially being overseas, it is important with a playful foundation with other Danish children so they won’t feel alone.

For the parents, the most important thing is not only practicing the children’s language, but also improving their social skills. Many of the Danish parents want their children to go to the playgroup for them to be able to exist in different cultures and slide into the Danish society one day, if that is what they want.

Klaus Støve, father of two girls in the playgroup, believes that the Danish values are important and that this is something that the playgroup also can

help teach the children.

“When you are this far from Denmark, it can be hard maintaining the Danish values. My children only meet them through me and when my parents are visiting,” he says and explains that he believes this is important for the children to have different opportunities in the future.

Mai Ellegaard also has two boys, one of whom is in the language playgroup. She is also doing this to keep all possibilities open for her son.

“I do not want to slam any doors in front of him. If one day, he for instance wants to study something in Denmark, he must have the opportunity to do just that,” she says, explaining that she would feel really bad being the one standing in the way of her son’s dreams.

The Danish language playgroup takes place every Saturday from 10.15-11.15 for 3-4 yearolds and from 11.30-12.30 for 4-5 year-old children, and everyone can attend as long as they are a member of Danes Worldwide.

October 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 39

Preschool Theme

Creation Success How the IB programmes develop and promote student creativity

W

hen our children are young their play impresses us. We mar vel as they begin to interact with the world around them and we understand the skills and thinking that are being developed as they pick up, explore and test out objects. We recognise that their play is actually active ‘research into the world’ and that as children play they are adding to their reper toire of knowledge and skills. Many of us will defend the importance of play in early childhood but may quietly wonder when the ‘playing will stop’ and ‘real school’ will begin as our children become older. Yet when we think about successful individuals throughout history, from Confucius to Da Vinci and even Steve Jobs, the ability to play with ideas is clearly a habit of effective people. Entrepreneurialism, design thinking and creativity are newly important skill 40 ScandAsia.Thailand • October 2016

sets and the IB programmes support students to move from ‘play’ to ‘intellectually playfulness’ When children play they are most often creating. For example block play usually involves creating communities and in imaginative roleplay children create characters and stories. The role of the arts in PYP and MYP build on this to provide opportunities for students learn to think and behave as artists, learn specific techniques and through the ar ts learn communication, perspective and creativity. At their highest levels, IB Diploma music, visual ar t and theatre ar ts both teach and demonstrate to universities and employers that a student can think creatively, challenge boundaries and explore possibilities.

Closely connected to the arts is design thinking.

Although Design begins as a specific subject in the MYP, students in the PYP are consistently exposed to the design process through units of inquiry, personal ‘passion’ projects and most

recently through experiences in the elementary ‘Maker Space’.

Creativity can become a habit of it is stimulated enough. The psychologist/educator Edward Bloom created a model of thinking that we often use at NIST to think about learning in the classroom. The next time you see your child engaged with something they love to do, ask what level of thinking they are applying. The chances are that they will be working at the top two levels. For example as students engage actively in a sport they will be evaluating their performance and trying to create new, more successful ones. When they spend time on a piece of ar twork they will be applying their knowledge, evaluating the success and refining what they do to create a finished piece. The aim through units or projects throughout the programmes is to activate thinking at these highest levels.

Most of us will have had an education where we were rewarded for being ‘consumers’. We were provided with information from our teachers and when asked to give it back, in the form of a test or exam, we did. In the IB programmes the aim is to provide learning experiences where creating is a ‘standard’ and this is done in particular through learning which has a project focus. As students move from PYP through the MYP to the Diploma the projects move from a student centred focus to a focus on real world issues and increasingly require the specialist knowledge of a subject or subjects to complete. Most often projects have a real life context and assessments but they also relate closely to the knowledge, skills and mindsets of scientists, composers, coaches, artists and those in the ‘real world’. So as students inquire into important ideas they also develop critical skills and habits of mind. And as students mature,

their projects become more sophisticated and increasingly like those of real life professionals or academics.

The impor tance of individual choice and the ability to pursue projects around passions and interests is stressed throughout the IB programmes. What begins as play in the early years of the Primary Years Programme ends up being ‘intellectual playfulness’ in the IB Diploma. In addition to the personal inquiries built into many units across the early years and elementary school, there are also specific opportunities for students to identify questions, problems or passions and pursue their own individual or collaborative projects including the PYP Exhibition, Year 7 and 8 Action week projects, the new Community Project in Year 9, the Year 11 Personal Project and the Year 13 Extended Essay.

Our Ear ly year s students will leave

school in 2030 and will be well prepared by the oppor tunities provide by the three IB programmes. Sir Ken Robinson is a leading thinker on creativity and education, has authored several books on the topic, and millions of people watch his talks. His words summarise the power of an IB education: “The IB strikes me as a really powerful example of how to raise standards and encourage people to dig deep into their personal resources with international verification but also in a way that encourages personal creativity, self-sufficiency, and initiative in a way that a lot of the other standardized systems simply do not.”

By Julian Edwards Head of Learning at NIST International School

October 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 41

Preschool Theme

Come And Play With Us!

Y

oung children learn best through playing, and at KIS they have plenty of opportunities to do so.The Early Years Centre at KIS, with both indoor and outdoor play areas, provides a spacious, safe and fun environment for children to play and learn. During the school day there are times for free play and for set activities which together help children develop their knowledge and skills.

The playgrounds and fields at KIS give children space to run around, climb, swing, ride tricycles and play games with their friends. Staying active is an important part of a healthy and balanced lifestyle, something we hope children will learn from a young age.

But in addition to providing physical benefits, children also learn knowledge and skills through play. By playing with different materials (water, stones) for example, children will learn to understand the differences between solids and liquids. Sorting different shapes or making patterns provide early logic and math understanding. Children love to dress up or imagine scenarios, and nurturing their imagination supports creativity, not just in the arts, but also in problem solving. Playing also helps develop skills, such as communication skills, social skills, investigation skills and motor skills, all of which are important foundations for learning and for life!

KIS is a full IB World School and children in our Early Years learn through the IB Primary Years Programme. The approach to teaching and learning is play based and hands on. Playing is a wonderful and powerful way of learning that allows children to explore, discover, hypothesise, predict, problem solve, construct and document their deepening understandings of the world in which they live. Most of all though, your child will have fun learning at KIS! For more information contact us at admissions@kis.ac.th or visit www.kis.ac.th Linda Belonje KIS International School 44 ScandAsia.Thailand • October 2016

October 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 45

46 ScandAsia.Thailand • October 2016

Preschool Theme

Where Design meets Learning

T

he landscape of education has changed substantially over the last few decades, par ticularly within international education. Gone are the days when all you saw were textbooks, rows of desks and chair s, and blackboards within four bare walls. Today we know that the best learning takes place when students are inspired, engaged, and feeling secure and fulfilled. We know that rote learning is not a successful way to prepare students for the world we live in, but rather that children should

construct their own understanding through inquiry, exploration and hands-on experiences and should be able to apply their learning to real life situations. Classrooms today should also be shifting to facilitate this type of learning, providing opportunities for experiential learning, for collaboration and for inquiry.The ideal learning space will now be purpose-designed, flexible and innovative. This is the research and knowledge that drove the development and design of the Prekindergarten and Kindergarten learning space at International School Bangkok (ISB). It was developed based on how children learn and in line with current pedagogy, in order to instill in children the curiosity and confidence to explore, to question, to create, and to communicate.

The space consists of large, open-door classrooms around a central Piazza learning area.

The Piazza has been designed to provide the early childhood students and teachers with an environment that fully supports and encourages collaboration and relationship building with peers.

The space is also designed to ensure children feel safe and secure, while allowing for exploration and creative play beyond the classrooms.

The Piazza is fully-equipped with a childsize kitchen for cooking classes; with modular storage and countertops for construction work and creative play; with a range of wall surfaces supporting multiple art practices and displays, and with a large, ceiling mounted, retractable screen with projector, allowing for learners and teachers to view presentations and online

learning resources together. It is also equipped with child bathrooms which are contained within this secure environment. With this set up, children can visit the bathroom at any time, helping them to become more independent, which is an important part of early childhood development.

The open-door approach of the classrooms also improves collaborative learning opportunities and relationships. The Prekindergarten room is unique in that it brings two classes together into one large, fully-equipped shared space. “I love this model. It is great for collaboration,” commented Ms Zoe Trodden, one of ISB’s Prekindergarten teachers, “It allows students to practice their collaborative and socializing skills in a natural way.

It also makes it possible for multiple projects to happen simultaneously in one space, which helps us to keep students engaged and interested.”

ISB also provided the infrastructure to enable learning to move seamlessly into an outdoor deck equipped with gardening tools and garden beds, with art easels, play areas and many other elements to keep learning fun but constructive.

Kindergarten also has access to an agri-garden, where students can learn through experience, growing and caring for their own plants.

Young children thrive in a safe and nurturing environment that offers a balance of structure and freedom. It allows children the opportunity to explore and feel safe in taking risks, while connecting what is possible to the real world.The synergy of space and learning is the foundation for this environment.

“Young children thrive in a safe and nurturing environment that offers a balance of structure and freedom.”

48 ScandAsia.Thailand • October 2016

October 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 49

Agneta’s World Photographer: Daniel Herron

A visit to Sathorn/Silom

This time the photographer and I have moved to the Sathorn, an area that area was earlier a relatively calm area with mostly banks, embassies and offices, but that has all changed during the last years.

Whisgars

N Choo

W

e decided to pay a visit to famous Maggie Choo, not to be mixed up with another well-known Choo, Jimmy Choo, famous for his shoes. This club, I think, is quite unique! It’s located next to Hotel Novotel on Silom Road.

To get into Maggie Choo, you have to walk down a steep stairway and enter the first relatively dark room, which is in fact is a noodle shop with jade-colored tiles, sculpted wood and Chinese umbrellas.You easily imagine finding yourself in New York during the time when the movie Cabaret was under production or somewhere in Shanghai or Hong Kong.

When you have passed this first room, you enter the bar. It’s also a dark room with leather couches and swings carrying Chinese-looking ladies dressed in beautiful cheongsams. Above the bar is a huge cage where some of the Chinese women are crawling around. Heavy steel doors, oil paintings of sailing ships and busts of Queen Victoria meet you. After 9 pm a band is playing Dixie music that reminds of New Orleans. It’s a very special atmosphere.

If you come during weekends, the place is crowded. We decided to try it during a weeknight and that was perfect; not too many people, just enough to make it cozy. If you want to order some bubbles, the price range from 2,000 Bht, a glass of wine is about 300 bht and a beer like e.g. Beer Lao Dark or Asahi costs 165 bht.

From the noodle shop you can order a “Bamee noo deang” (egg noodles topped with pork) or a “Bamee na ped” (rice topped with grilled duck) and some more basic dishes and everything to reasonable cost. This is a place everybody must see. I just loved it and will, for sure, go back soon.

50 ScandAsia.Thailand • October 2016

ot far from Maggie Choo you will find Whisgars, in fact this place is located below Hotel Holiday Inn Silom, where we ended up due to a heavy rain and thunder. This place is kind of an English Pub. Here you will find more than 200 single malt whiskies and even old gin. The bar/pub opened up in 2014 and it’s one of three of this kind, the other two are located on Sukhumvit soi 23 and Ploenchit. I had to ask the manager which whisky he thinks is the most popular and without hesitating he said Scottish Highland.

Daniel and I were offered a 16-year-old whisky named Lagavulin that tasted delicious and had a taste of oak smoke which I like.

We also wanted to know who the regular customers are and got to know that it’s mostly people working in the area who come for an “after work shot” and of course, guests from Holiday Inn. You can, if you are a cigar lover, take a step into the right temporized cigar room and choose between the finest Cuban cigars or Nicaraguans.

The price range starts at 480 baht, the average cigar you have to pay around a 1,000 baht and you pay up to 2,000 baht for the non plus ultra cigars.

You can also become a club member and get your own locker where you place your bottle/bottles. One-year membership will cost you 20,000 baht and as a member you receive 10 % discount on all products. Today there are around 120 members.

Minus 13 Ice Lounge & Vodka Bar

I

f you feel warm and exhausted after many hard-working hours and want to chill a bit, you are most welcome to visit the Minus 13 Ice Lounge & Vodka Bar and you can rest on a tuk tuk made of ice. Also the complete bar is carved in ice. Outside faked fur jackets are hanging for you to use inside. In the ice bar, vodka is recommended.

There is a wide range of vodkas, but one of the most popular is Absolut Vodka of Sweden.

If you want to arrange a small private event, upstairs’ Bell room enables this: very cozy and perfect for a nice gathering together with friends.

Last but not least, you can also play billiards.

Bangkok Hotel G

T

hen, hopped on a colorful tuk tuk and rode over to Pullman Bangkok Hotel G, also located on Silom Road. This hotel offers a variety of restaurants.

Scarlett Wine Bar & Restaurant, located on the 37th floor, is a chic restaurant offering magnificent views of the Bangkok skyline, fantastic wines, tasty tapas dishes, imported cold cuts and, last but not least, an enormous variety of cheese – all at reasonable prices.

This is the perfect place to spend a relaxing evening with friends or a romantic outing with your loved one. Scarlett’s has become a ver y popular meeting place for young executives and wine lovers. You can sit inside at the big bar, at a table or outside on the 120-sqm terrace.

If you feel like a real hamburger, you should pay a visit to the 25 Degrees Restaurant. This restaurant/bar is named for the precise temperature difference between a raw and a well-done burger. It’s not at all a traditional hamburger bar, it’s a bar with funky music and a cool “bordello-meetsburger bar,” it also offers seating on a small terrace.

If you would have a taste for Asian or Western food, you can choose the Mistral restaurant, located on the second floor. It’s an all-day dining restaurant and this place brings you a new take on dining with its monthly offerings to excite your palate.

In the lobby area Playground is situated.This restaurant/ bar reinterprets the ‘speak-easy’ concept from the 21st century with décor that suggests a hide-away and features elegantly bricked walls and several ‘objects d’art’.

For hotel guests staying in the executive rooms or suites, there is the Executive Lounge at their disposal. This hotel offers a wide range of choices, well worth visiting.

October 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 51

Community

Opening of Swedish restaurant in Bangkok

By Maria Jønsson

W

alking down Sukhumvit Soi 18 in Bangkok, you will find a small open building. To enter, you must cross a little wooden gangway with rope as handles.

Once you have crossed it, you will go on board a little Swedish restaurant with a warm atmosphere and welcoming staff. The restaurant is called Restaurant Cajutan, and it has been there since the beginning of September 2016.

On Saturday 10 September 2016, blue and yellow balloons were hanging outside the little, Swedish restaurant. They were hanging there because Cajutan held their grand opening in Bangkok that night. Zdeni and Björn Claesson, the owners of Cajutan, had invited everyone to celebrate the opening of their new restaurant with welcoming drinks and a buffet of traditional Swedish food.The manager of Cajutan in Bangkok,

52 ScandAsia.Thailand • October 2016

Patrich Andersson, explains that the opening of the restaurant actually happened because of the need of a bigger kitchen for the production of foods for the Cajutan food shop.

“But once the owners had bought the building, they thought; now that we have extra space, why not open another restaurant? And so, they did,” says Patrich Andersson.

So from now on, inside the little orange building with the blue and yellow sign, you will find a restaurant and food shop with traditional Swedish foods of all kinds.

Cajutan is the first Swedish restaurant in Bangkok. Patrich Andersson believes that the Swedes living in the Thai capital have been missing such a restaurant. He explains that they have been quite busy since their opening in early September.

“Since the opening, we have had a lot of

Swedish guests everyday – Danish, as well,” Mr. Andersson says.

The people behind Cajutan opened their first restaurant in 2003 in Grebbestad on the West Coast of Sweden. The First Cajutan in Thailand opened in Hua Hin in 2008 at Soi 88/1, next to Market Village.

In both the Cajutan restaurants, as well as the food shop, the people behind Cajutan care about everything being made from scratch. That is why, on the opening night of Cajutan in Bangkok, they served different kinds of Swedish delicacies, such as meatballs and the Swedish sausage, falukorv, and they were all made by themselves.

Community

Opening of the Swedish Film Festival in Bangkok

By Maria Jønsson

O

n Wednesday 7 September 2016, the Swedish Film Festival in Bangkok was kicked off with an opening ceremony.

The celebration was held at SF World Cinema in Central World from 6 to 8pm, before the Swedish movie, Viskan Miracles, was shown on the big screen.

The festival was opened with welcoming cocktails and a variety of both Swedish and Thai inspired finger foods. After everyone had arrived, H.E. Mr. Staffan Herrström, the Ambassador to Sweden in Thailand, gave his opening remarks.

He believes that a festival like this can lead to economic and cultural relationships between the two countries.

“This is a great way of strengthening the bonds between Thailand and Sweden,” Mr. Herrström said during his speech.

A lot of different people were invited to join the opening of the film festival, and both the new Danish and the new Finnish ambassador to Thailand showed up. Also the director of Viskan Miracles, John Olsson, and Hanna Asp, one of the actresses from The Circle, which is also shown during the festival, made their appearance at the opening ceremony.

Hanna Asp only flew in for the opening of the Swedish Film Festival, so she only had three days in Bangkok. Her three days has been spent relaxing and enjoying the Thai capital and its culture by getting Thai massage and eating Pad Thai.

“I love Thailand, Thai people are so friendly, and I love Thai food,” she said and explained that she has visited Thailand several times and that it is just a matter of time before she will be filming in Thailand.

2016 is the fifth consecutive year of the Swedish Film Festival in Bangkok. The festival ranges over a lot of different movie genres, all the way from drama to fantasy and thriller.

Staffan Herrström said that there is something for everyone so that all kinds of movie lovers can choose what they want to watch.

“There is a broad variety of choices, and this also gives Thai movie lovers the opportunity to see Swedish movies,” said the Ambassador.

The Swedish Film Festival continues until 11 September 2016, and movies like ‘We Are the Best’, ‘Underdog’ and the documentary about the Swedish author Astrid Lindgren, ‘Astrid’, are shown during the festival. All in all, seven movies are displayed.

October 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 53

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

Making a Pattern of It

By Klavs Johansen (thai@snakthai.dk)

A

t the Thai Language Corner on Facebook, we post a new Thai WORD OF THE DAY several times a week. But just to be sure, practicing vocabular y word-byword is not going to help you acquire a language very efficiently. The WORD OF THE DAY is just to keep the pot boiling, thinking that a single word a day will not hur t anyone. This wordby-word approach is in line with how I know traditional language teaching from school, i.e. you practice the vocabulary, often in conjunction with reading a text, listening to a tape, even watching a movie, and then you are taught the rules of putting the words together, i.e. the grammar, and then, when asked questions about the story, you try to dig up the words and use the grammar. I recall the process as desperate, star ting with translating the question into mother tongue, then constructing an answer in mother tongue, and then translating the answer from mother tongue, tr ying to remember vocabulary and putting the words together in the right order according to grammar rules.

As you got better at it, normally after years, you might to some extend be able to skip the translation back and for th, however still had to struggle with vocabulary and grammar. This way, I was exposed to English, German and French in school, and to this day, of the three languages, English is the only one I can use with any comfort and most of it, I picked up after graduation. I had some pretty good teachers in school though, and I quickly ascribed my lack of progress to lack of talent. Only much later, did I start to blame it partly on the method, though it must be admitted that the method didn’t prevent more talented students from making much better progress.

On this background, it was a major eyeopener when I star ted to learn Thai using the AUA course books, devised by Dr. J. Mar vin 54 ScandAsia.Thailand • October 2016

Brown. The books, originally from the sixties and still in use at many universities today, apply a structural approach in contrast to the traditional approach described above. Instead of starting out with useful words and grammar like most text books, the AUA course books largely consist of exercises by which the sounds and patterns of the language are drilled over and over again to near perfection. “Burned into the brain” was the expression used by Dr. Brown. No tedious grammar rules to diver t your attention from actually understanding and speaking the language, no classroom stuttering, trying to make up and translate the answers to the teacher’s questions or – even worse – listening to fellow students doing the same.

Rather, hours of language laboratory, listening to the tapes, speaking out loud in repetition and varying patterns by expansion and substitution, going back listening to yourself and the native Thai on tape, and then over again to improve speed and pronunciation. It was like going to the gym, working out, no thinking, no rules.

And it paid off. Here I was, arguably without any language talent, exercising a completely foreign language and I began to understand and speak sentences, which varied over known patterns, and thus had correct grammar, and this with acceptable pronunciation, including the important tones. Moreover, I wasn’t even in Thailand most of the time, just in a language lab in Copenhagen.

The keywords of my Thai language progress were patterns and repetition. I star ted to look at the language in patterns, whole phrases with a complete meaning, and not as individual words which had to be put together in the right order. The patterns just had to be varied, using substitution and expansion. Just a few examples:

Substitution ชอบดูหนังไหม / chôr:p du: năng mái / ~ do you like watching movies?

ไม่ชอบ ชอบอ่านหนังสือ / mâi chôr:p, chôr:p à:n năngsŭe: / ~ no, I don’t, I like reading books. ชอบอ่านหนังสือไหม / chôr:p à:n năng sŭe: mái / ~ do you like reading books? ไม่ชอบ ชอบเล่นตะกร้อ / mâi chôr:p, chôr:p lên tàkrôr: / ~ no, I don’t, I like playing kick volleyball. ชอบเล่นตะกร้อไหม / chôr:p lên tàkrôr: mái / ~ do

you like playing kick volleyball?

ไม่ชอบ ชอบว่ายน้ำ� / mâi chôr:p, chôr:p wâ:i ná:m / ~ no, I don’t, I like swimming.

2) Expansion เอาดินสอมา / ao dinsŏr: ma: / ~ bring the pencil, เอาดินสอมาให้ / ao dinsŏr: ma: hâi / ~ bring (me)

the pencil,

เอาดินสอมาให้เขา / ao dinsŏr: ma: hâi kháo / ~

bring him the pencil,

เอาดินสอมาให้เขาหน่อย / ao dinsŏr: ma: hâi kháo nòri / ~ please bring him the pencil.

Simply put – and failing to adequately credit some wonderful teachers, who provided the framework, as well as some very encouraging Thais – this is how I learned my Thai. Thanks to the structural approach of Dr. Brown.

Alas, Dr. Brown in his later years renounced the structural approach, instead arguing a socalled natural approach. Today, it is known as Automatic Language Growth (ALG) and proponents claim it is a more efficient and lasting way of learning a language, and comparable to the way we learn our first language as infants by listening and not talking at all for a long time.

These thoughts are highly fascinating and we may take up ALG again in a later column. For the time being, my recommendation goes to patterns and repetition as a way that will take you far towards fluent command of the Thai language. Do make a pattern of it and see you here in the next issue or at the Thai Language Corner on Facebook!

October 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 55