Thai-Danish Trade News - November 2003 by Scandinavian Publishing Co., Ltd.

4D D E S I G N

www.skand iaban k.ch

SkandiaBank Switzerland

ThaFDanish Trade News is published and distributed lo selected Thai and Scandinavian business executives and ofticials with an interest in Thai-Danish relations by Danish-Thai Chamber of Commerce, Foyal Danish Embassy and Scand-Media Corp., Ltd.

Danish-Ihai Ghamber of Gommerce

Tom Sorensen Presldenl

1402/2141h Fl , Glas Haus

'l Sukhumvit 25 Road, North Klongloey, Wattana, Bangkok'l0110 Tel : (66) 0 2661 7762 Fax: (66) 0 2661 7764-5 E-mail: contact@ dancham orth

Danish-Thai Chamber of Commerce

President Mr. Tom Sorensen

I/ob: +66 (0) 19175828 E-mail: president@dancham orth

Legal Advisor lvir Santhapal Periera 'lllleke & Gibbins International Ltd Tel : +66 (0) 226377oo Fax: +66 (0) 22637710 E-mail: santhapat@tillekeandgibbins

com

EC Delegation assisting the business community

lleasurer Mr Soren Presmann Presmann (Thailand) Co, Ltd 2962 1152 Tel : +66 (0) 2962'1151 E-mail: soren@presmann.co th Fax; +66 (0)

Foreign Ghambers'

Thailand is among the twenty biggest exporters in the world and the EU is its third largest market. In 2002 Thai exporls to the EU valued over 12 billion Euro and consisted largely of manufactured items such as electrical appliances, computer parts, motor vehicles and parts, garments and value-added agro{ood products and agricultural commodities.

toordinating Gommittee Mr, Peter Emil Romhild Beili Jucker Public co., Ltd Tel: +66 (0) 2367 1111 Fax +66 (0) 2367 1000 E-mail: bjc@berlijuckerco th

Members lvlr Henrik Friis DISA (Thailand) Ltd Tel : +66 (0) 27143989 Fax: +66 (0) 271439a3

Media Gommittee Mr Jorgen lb Hedes (Committee Chairperson) Sun Paratech Co , Ltd 1010-8 Fax: +66 (0) 35221019 E-mail; floorings@access inet co th

Tel-: +66 (0) 3522

Mn Allan Jensen APV (Thailand) Ltd Tel : +66 (0) 2367 5341-6 Fax: +66 (0) 2367 5019 E-mail: ajensen@apuco uk

l\4r Bent Bjorlin Hansen XponCard Internalional (Thailand) Ltd Tel,: +66 (0) 2636 7890 Fax: +66 (0) 2636 6699 E-mail: beh@th xponcard com

Events Gommittee Mr Prasansak Suwanpotipra (Committee Chairperson) Danfoss (Thailand) Co, Ltd Tel : +66 (0) 2379 9800 Fax: +66 (0) 2379 9801 E-mail: prasansak@ danfos,com

l\ilr Vitoon Lefort VL Intertrade Co., Ltd. Tel : (66) 0 254'1 6043-7 Fax (66) 0 254'1 5786 E-mail: vitoon @ likeitcollection com

l'/r Kristian Strand Nokia (Thailand) Ltd Tel: +66 (0) 26427020 Fax: +66 (0) 22488259 E-mail; kristian,strand

nokia com

With overall expons accounting for more than 65% of the gross domestic production Thailand is facing the challenges of globalisation. Now that China has become a member of WTO the Thai producers can no longer compete only on prices, they must upgrade production methods away f rom being suppliers of basic commodities towards more value-added goods. Today's businesses must also follow developments and regulatory trends in major export markets just to meet requirements emerging from more demanding safety and health conscious consumers Not following the EC regulations can become very costly. Last year was difficult for Thai exporters of poultry and shrimps based products. Their exports to the EU sank nearly B0% or about 120 million Euro. The EC customs laboratories found cancer causing veterinary drugs, notably nitrofurans, from food products originating from Thailand. These substances were broadly used in production but there was not sufficient knowledge that nitrofurans had long been banned in foodstuffs for human consumption in the European Union, US, Canada, Japan and even in Thailand. The lesson is that the Thai industry could have avoided the whole affair, and the substantial loss in export revenues, had it not used the banned veterinary drugs in the first place, parlicularly as there were legal substitutes available in the market. The necessary requirement for surviving in today's export business is that you must know what is allowed and what is not allowed and therefore awareness of the necessary regulations is so important. To assist Thai exporters the Delegation of the European Commission in Thailand has announced

the opening of a Business Information section headed by Trade Advisor Pekka Penttila. The new Business Information section will proactively manage the flow of information on EU market con-

ditions to local businesses through seminars and direct mailings. lt expects to receive most regulatory requests from Thai exporters battling with EC market access requirements, but it is also prepared to help the European business community to lobby for its market access objectives in Thailand. lf you are interested to learn more, please contact Pckkrr Pcrrttila on email Pekka. PENTTI LA @ cec.eu. int.

Tom Sorensen

President president Royal Danish Embassy Commercial Section, 1 0 Soi Attakarn Prasit Sathorn Tai, Bangkok 1 0500 Tharland Tel i (66) 0 2343 1 00 Fd: (66) 0 221 3 1 752 Ms Tine Hylleberg Commercial Counsellor 1

Graphic Produc{ion & Marketing Scand-Media Corp Ltd 4141-42Moo3, RamintraSoi 14, Bangkok 10230 Tel : (66) 0 2943 7166-8 Fax: (66) 0 2943 7169 E-mail: scandmedra @)scandmedra cor n

EDITORIAL PHOTOS BY

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Established in 1998, KIS has quietly grown into what many people consider "Bangkok's Best Kept Secret." Conveniently Iocated inside the gated and guarded Kesinee Ville Community, parents are discovering KIS is ideal for families seeking an academically challenging, international curriculum. As one of the first fully-authorized IB World Schools in Thailand, KIS currently offers the IBO's Primary Years Programme (PYP) for Our secondary school children in Pre-Kindergarten - Grade expansion began in August 2003 and will provide the Middle Years Programme (MYP) for Grades 6-10, eventually leading to the IB

Diploma in Grades 11-12. In addition to high academic standards, each programme places strong emphasize on the ideals

of international understanding and responsible citizenship,

in the hopes that IB students will become critical and compassionate thinkers, life long learners and informed participants in the world around them.

Wa ittr,tla tlotr lo cturtt' nnL[ lennt tttort nbout K]5.

999/124

Kesirree Ville Pracha-Utit Rd (near Meng-lai lunction) Huay-Kw.rng, Bangkok 10320 pllone: 0-2274-3444 E-mail: info@kis.ac.th

{

For more information contactthe Dental

Centre, BNH Hospital on (02) 632-0550 ext. 1129, 113(l

BNH HOSPITAL (Bongkok Nursing Home Hospitoll 9/l

Convent Rd., Silom, Bongkok 10500

Tel. (02) 632-0550 Fox. (02) 632-0579 www.BNHhospitol.com E-moil : info@bnh.co.th

Prominent Thai in Denmark supports alumni initiative eter Sontidech, vice chairman of DanishThai Association in

Peter Sontidech m,et his wife

Marianne in 1974. When visiting Bangkok the couple always stay at the Royal Orchid Sheraton.

Denmark and probably the most

respected Thai living in Denmark, fully supports the alumni

intiative of the Danish-Thai

pany where you could work with computers was lBM. So I started working with them in 1969 im-

Chamber of Commerce.

"l think it's a brilliant idea," said Peter Sontidech when he

mediately after I graduated from

was briefed about the plans during a visit in November.

DTH." Peter Sontidech's active role

Few Thai's have received

in the Thai society in Denmark staded in the late 70's when he established the Sawasdi Thai

two educations in Denmark like Peter Sontidech. First, he graduated in 1962 as a lieutenant in

Denmark association together

the Royal Danish Navy. Later,

with a handful of other Thais living in Denmark. At the time, the only other alternative for the Thai community was to join the ThaiDanish Association which was primarily set up for former Danish expatriates in Thailand to

when he was back in Thailand, he was offered a Danish government scholarship to study at the Danish Engineering University, DTH, from where he graduated in 1969. As a navy officer, he has served both in the Danish navy and in the Thai navy. And as a businessman based in Denmark

meet after they had returned home to share their memories and interest in Thailand. "ln Sawasdi Thai-Denmark we took a more active role to be

for the past thirty year he has likewise consistently built on his links to both Thailand and Denmark. In recent years he has

a meeting point for all the

living in Denmark. We cel-

been a business advisor for among others Naval Team Denmark and Volund, helping them in establishing good high-level

connections relevant to their businesses in Thailand.

Born on 28 February 1939 on the Thonburi side of the Chao

Phraya river, Pracha "Pete/'

Sontidech grew up in the shadow of the Japanese occupation of Thailand. As a 16 year old young man he entered the Thai Naval Academy and as he was a bright student he quickly advanced to be number one in

his class. This earned him a scholarship at a naval academy abroad. "Actually I was in line for going to Mineapolis in the States. But Prince Galavanadis Diskul, who was at that time Thai military attach6 in Denmark, intervened and selected me to study

ebrated the King's Birthday, we

between Thailand and the Danish Naval Academy, and Prince Galavanadis Diskul was himself a graduate from the Danish Naval Academy," he adds. In August 1957 Peter Sontidech arrived Denmark, a country he knew nothing about and which it had taken him two days of travelling from Bangkok to reach. Here, he was to follow up on this proud '150 year old tradition. "l was met in the airport by Prince Galavanadis and for the next eight months I was accommodated with a Danish family with children as a fast way to learn the Danish culture while at

mates as a Lieutenant. For the next one and a half year, Peter Sontidech sailed in the waters off Greenland and the Faroe lslands - just about as far away and as cold as you can imagine from Thailand. "But I really loved it. lt was great," Peter Sontidech recalls. In 1964, Peter Sontidech returned to Thaland to serve in the Royal Thai Navy among others as trainer for new navy cadets in active duty. Two years later, he moved back to Denmark on a Danish government grant to further his studies at the Danish Technical

the same time studying the Dan-

ated in 1969. "Since then I have in differ-

ish language."

University, DTH where he gradu-

in Denmark instead," Peter

Then Peter Sontidech was

ent set-ups and companies been

ready to stad from the bottom in

Sontidech recalls. "There is a 150 year old historical tradition for close links

the Danish Navy and after four years he graduated October 1962 together with his class-

working with computers," Peter Sontidech exolains. "At this early stage of the computer industry the only com-

in-

creasing number of Thai people

had Loy Kratong night, etc. A big project which has become a major success was establishing one Thai temple in Stenlsse and another one in Copenhagen," Peter Sontidech recalls.

The temples were established during the 80's where the Thai community was very active.

Later, the Sawasdi Thai Denmark became less active, and Peter Sontidech changed to work within the existing Danish-

Thai Association to bridge the two communities of former Danes living in Thailand and current Thais living in Denmark. Among the activities is a col-

lection of funds every year in suppoft of the Sataban Saeng Sawang Foundation for mentally and physically handicapped children in Thailand. This year, the association collected 3200 US dollars, which Peter Sontidech

and Marianne in November handed over to the foundation. Gregers Maller

New Hydrophysio Spa Pool at Sataban Saeng Sawang anish Ambassador Mr. Ulrik Helweg-Larsen together with Dr. Sem Pringpoungkao on October 16 officially inaugurated a HydroPhysical Therapy Pool (Hydrophysio Spa Pool) at the Sataban Saeng Sawang Foundation. Af-

collects every year a donation for the school.

When established in 1979, Sataban Saeng Sawang was the first school to offer programmes

for children with a range of handicaps from deaf-blind to emotionally disturbed children.

terwards, the Ambassador to-

Two hundred and thirty

getherwith his wife, Mrs. Cristina and guests were given a guided tour around the facilities of the handicap foundation.

handicapped children are at present attending the school which is dedicated to helping the children to learn that their handi-

Sataban Saeng Sawang

cap status does not prevent

Foundation is linked to Denmark

at the foundation. As the Foundation receives no support from the government it is dependent

sen, H.E. Fugl-Svendsen and

them from participating in many normal life activities. The teaching varies from the ability to draw and paint, simple computer exercises, using Lego

Peter Sontidech.

toys to create objects, and in

send their children to the school. The construction of the new Hydrophysio Spa pool was approved about one year ago by

through invaluable private commitment and support f rom promi-

nent Danes like Aks Ammund-

In recent year changing boards of the Danish Women's Network - formerly known as Margrethe klubben - haved likewise supported the institution and the Danish-Thai Association

particular, physical therapy to increase their mobility.

Several of the children have reached the ability to attend a normal school programme following several years of training

on charity support as well as lim-

ited payment by parents who

the Ambassador and DanishThai Chamber of Commerce. Photlarin Suparuit

Hydrotherapy has been re co gnized

for thousands of

years in Europe. Some of the benefits of Hy dro - P hy sio Therapy are that it strengthens the muscles, mobilize joints. relieves pain, and promotes relaxation. The

effect of turbulence and buoyancy combinedwith warm water also helps reduce pain and muscle spasm.

Tom Sorensen in new job om Sorensen, President

Working with Grant Thornton,

of Thai-Danish Chamber

Tbm Sorensen has joined a corporation ces in more than 585 locations in I I 0 countries, providing

with

of Commerce, has been

appointed Executive Recruitment Director of Grant Thornton

Thailand. Tom Sorensen, who

accountancy, tax and business advice.

last month turned 50, started his

new job on November 1 this year. Mr. Tom Sorensen has been

living in Thailand twice. He headed Scandinavian Airlines

operations in Thailand from 1 988 to 1991 and during that period, Mr. Tom Sorensen was also

buy a beach hotel with no more

and business advice. The group last year billed some $1.84 billion in fees.

Chairman of the Scandinavian Society Siam for two years before going back to Denmark for a job at SAS. From Denmark, Mr. Sorensen moved to Jakarta, Indonesia for two years, then moved back to Denmark and

than 20 rooms when I'm 55.

then came back to Thailand in 2000 to take up the position of Managing Director at DFDS

Things didn't work out like that and eventually he parted

dustrial Estate and employs

from the company.

Transport Thailand. When Mr. Sorensen came to DFDS, he had a dream that; "l will work in this companyfor nine

Working with Grant Thorn-

ners and directors. The firm is one of the leading international

years, save up some money ano

Then, I will walk around between my palm trees in a sarong and kick the sand with my bare feet. lf there are guests at the hotel, its ok, and if they're not, it's also ok".

ton, Tom Sorensen has joined a

corporation with offices in more than 585 locations in 110 countries, providing accountancy, tax

In Thailand, Grant Thonton was established in 1991. Today it is located in the premier business district of Bangkok and in Rayong's Eastern Seaboard Insome 100 staff including 12paft-

professional service firms to companies and managers in Thailand. Gregers Ma/ler

,, The new R Cinema bed is an attractive economical

alternative to the plasma screen,

ensive

Watch video in bed Love to watch video in bed? Then you should see, what

beamed up on the big screen. This is an attractive economical

DTCC member company Aviva d6cor has to offer! Aviva decor's new RUF Cinema bed has a scleen hidden in the foot section of the bed, which can be erected by remote control. In the head section of the bed there is a video projector,

alternative to the expensive

rom where ordinary

programmes or videos are

plasma screen. Aviva decor represents also

market," says Aviva d6cor. RUF-Cinema is only one of almost a hundred of beds offered by RUF Betten. All RUF beds are made to order, with a

the Danish top brand Bang &

variety of headboards, bed-

Olufsen in Thailand. "Since this new multimedia bed is very new in the market, not just in Thailand but all over the world, we're sure that there will be a good response from the

spreadg, throw-over covers, mattresses, head and foot adjustmente and fabrlce to choose from. Prlcee vary accordlng to the typ6s and f€atureo chosen by the customers.

Going rryith us rrrearrs it gets there E

Having our own offices around the world gives us the abitity to deliver services quickly,

! .9

accurately and eff icientLy. At Maersk Logistics, we know that it's the market that drives your business, which drives ours. Considering the size

of our network, our gtobat offices cover Africa, Asia,

Australia, North and South America, the

Middle East and Europe, inctuding Eastern Europe - we're certainly able to deUver And what does

that give you? The kind of confidence that comes with knowing that wherever you

are,

we are.

MAERSK LOEISTItrS *. o.,,il.},'.. MaerskLogistca(Ihailand)Ltd .6thFl,BangnaTowerB,2/3Moo14,Bangna'IradKm Phone: (662) 752 92A0

6s,8angplee,samliprakarnl0540,Thailand

. Fu: (662) 312 0390,312 0s7s-6 .

f,ail: rhalogmkt@maersk logisrics com

Jorgen Ib Hedes (middle) thanked on behalf of the Danish Thai Charnber of Cammerce lohn ller (Ieft) and Jon Clarke (right) for an interesting evening.

Security evening at chamber networki ng "This is how open, you

f\ void the APEC metII ing areasif youcan." , lMr. John Muller, President - Marketing of the

" computer security expert Jon Clarke of MPA

are,

Limited told the Danish chqmber members, showing examples of information gathered by " a simple hack".

Danish security comPanY, MPA Limited, warned 25 members of Danish Thai Chamber of Commerce gathered for a securitY

briefing Thursday 16 October

before the APEC meeting of Heads of State in Bangkok during the following week. Luckily, nothing hapPened, though.

The security evening took place as an extended regular monthly Networking Evening which are held every third Thursday of the month at the Admral's Pub & Restaurant in Sukhumvit soi 18 in Bangkok.

MPA Limited is one of the oldest and most Professional of Thailand's security comPanies, providing personal protection as well as property protection and a range of other protection services for some of the leading

companies, public institutions and individuals in Thailand.

"The surveillance Phase is

the best chance to detect any planned attacks," Mr. Muller explained. This was true for attacks on individuals as well as for terrorist attacks. During the surveil-

can use your email address to locate your server and when I know your server I can log on and see all your mails on that

physical conditions of the area. Mr. Muller's briefing followed a briefing in computer securitY, in which MPA expert Jon Clarke proved to the stunned Danish chamber members how he had gained access to several of the

server and much more," he explained.

wireless LAN comPuter networks set up by GITS for the Thai government for use during the APEC meeting. Driving down a stretch of

Sukhumvit Road in Bangkok with a car equipped for electronic surveillance, theY had even been lucky to Pass a wireless LAN just as one Person - a general manager of a hotel - had logged himself on to the network and there on the screen was his login name and password. Jon Clarke had also run an email sampling routine on the

website of the Danish Thai

lance the attackers had to be

Chamber of Commerce httP:ii www.dancham.or.th and in 25

near the olace where the attack was planned to take place and in most cases both visuallY and electronically survey the regular

seconds collected 93 emails. "Your email address is more importantto me as a hackerthan your website URL. Not just for

movements of people and the

spamming you, but because

"Nothing is secure, just difficult," was the overall message. Firewalls are not much of a protection, he said. Once the password and username has been obtained for one Person, the entire system lies oPen. Afew things could, however, be done by companies to avoid calling in hackers. One measure was to Prohibit

anyone on the network to swap files on the internet like downloading music and using Yahoo

and Microsoft Messenger Programs.

These programs use Port 1214, he explained "and that is like stretching up your arm in a crowd shouting "l am here, come

and hack mel" Gregers Ma//er

Scanproducts and Grundfos at House & Garden Fair Grundfos'booth where the powerful pumps were demonstrated. Some o.f Scanproduct's many uniquely design products.

Two DTCC members, Scanproducts Co., Ltd. and Grundfos (Thailand) Ltd., both participated at the House & Garden Fair 2003 at BITEC - Bangkok

InternationalTrade & Exibition Center. ouse & Garden Fair is a fair that is all about de sign, architecture, garden, house, leisure, and related subjects. The fair was held on

28th of October to 2nd of November. The fair has previously been

organized at the Queen Sirikit Convention Centre, but was this year moved because of the increasing number of visitors. Among the many participating companies, two Danish com-

panies were

there:

Scandoroducts and Grundfos. Scanproducts Co.. Ltd. is a company that imports and markets classic and contemporary Scandinavian designed products with an original idea and of high standards. The company's booth was set up in the catego-

ries of furniture,

lamps, kitchenware, home decoration and applied afi.

Grundfos (Thailand) Ltd., one of the worlds leading pump manufacturer introduced their home pumps and demonstrations were also available for consumers to see how oowerful the warer pumps are. Photlann Suparuit

Trai ning key to success he Dumex brand has for a long time been established as high-quality infant and child nutrition products in Thailand, Malaysia and more recently in the Philippines, India, Indo-China and East, West, and Central China. At present it is a leading brand in infant and child nutrition. Especially here in Thailand,

One of Dumex' competitive

advantages is its human resource management explains Gerard Geraets,

Managing Director of Dumex and Morten S. Knudsen, Regional Financial Controller.

Dumex has experienced increased brand awareness and a rapid growth in market share.

One of the reasons for Dumex'success in Thailand is its successful integration and training of the Thai employees. "ln order for Dumex to keep this competitive edge, we need to be innovative and in order to be innovative we need to inte-

grate our skilled workers throughout the organization,"

says Gerard Geraets, Managing Director of Dumex. "Thus, we try to optimize the

communication and relations between specialists in different departments in orderto increase

on training." One of the imporlant objectives for Dumex is to avoid a dis-

tance between Thai

and

Farangs, thus encouraging new Thai colleagues "to speak up". This is something that needs to

be encouraged perhaps be-

l, as a Dane, felt that it was right,"

says Morten Knudsen, who has already been in Thailand fortwo and a half years. "lt's a good place for networking, and we receive impor-

According to Dumex' Regional Financial Controller, Morten S. Knudsen, the company is now experiencing a new

generation of Thai business people who speak up, which is crucial for their our.

We actually use 6% of pay rolls

Morten

Knudsen continues. "Dumex joined the Chamber because EAC is a Danish company, and in particular because

servative Thai schooling system.

corporate synergies. Through

our employees to understand " the bigger picture" of Dumex.

highest sales ever in the second

quarter of 2003,

cause of the very rigid and con-

teambuilding and cross-functional assignments, we try to get

performance looks very positive

for Dumex, which achieved the

Nutrition is now

- and has

been for some while - the biggest business unit in EAC. The

EAC had a very high diversification of business units and products, which was mainly caused by joint ventures with Danish companies wanting to

benefit from EAC's historical network and experience in Asia.

After 1995, EAC encouraged more of a business focused strategy. ln other words, the group focus more on its core competences. which meant that

many activities/joint ventures were divested. Instead four busi-

tant news updates from the chamber and through the website and magazine," he

ness groups were established

adds.

Services).

(Nutrition, Industrial Ingredients, Foods and Moving & Relocation

EAC was established in

Janus Koisen

Thailand in 1884. Before 1995.

Designer moves to town 36-year-old creative de

signer from Copenhagen in Denmark, Claus Boman, has recently joined the Danish ThaiChamber

of Commerce as an individual member, which he expects would help him establish a better business network enabling him to improve relevant job op-

portunities within the Danish community in Thailand.

Claus has through the last nine years run his. own design studio, Claus Boman Design,

where he has soecialized in graphic and interior design. Everything was running successful for Claus Boman Design in Denmark, but Claus felt that

he needed new inspiration and

shopping complex.

challenges. Having looked for new pastures in New York and Singapore, Claus surprisingly ended his search in Bangkok, where he had no contacts or

In the Orbit projects Claus has been considered as the "

friends in advance. In the beginning he worked with office furnishing for DWP Cityspace and since in an Australian architect company, Orbit. "lt has been some tough and

stressful months, where I have worked 70-90 hours per week," Claus says. "Designing consists of 20 percent creativeness and 80 percent practical work." Claus has especially worked on SF Strike Bowl on the seventh floor of Mah Boon Krono

European inspiration", thus dis-

cussing and working together with Thai designers on an every-

day basis. This has been a challenge! Primarily the Thai design/con-

struction mentality, where you

barriers simply by communicating through universal drawings. Today the 28-lane bowling centre project has been already

been completed and opened since October this year, language and cultural barriers has been overcome and Claus has established an important Thai business network.

find drawings for every single

Being finished with the

detail, has been a big change. "ln Denmark you find overall drawings," Claus says. Another challenge has been the language barrier as many of

project and looking for new opportunities, Claus also felt that he could benefit from the knowledge and experience made by

his more specialized Thai col-

been/are experiencing the same situation as him. Janus Koftsen

leagues were not so familiar with

everyday technical English skills. Claus solved the language

DTCC members who have

Jesper VibeHansen to Taipei

BOI reveals new initiatives to the Chamber President IoI

Jesper Vibe-Hansen, former Commercial Attache at the

Royal Danish Embassy in Bangkok and before that sec-

tor expert for agriculture at the embassy in Kuala Lumpur, has been appointed

Commercial Officer at the Danish Trade Organization's Taipei Office in Taiwan.

Jesper Vibe-Hansen, who has special expertise within agriculture and food products, will join the newly

appointed Director of the

requests and applications from

Ia-

European companies. Similar desks are planned for China, Japan and USA. lt was mentioned that the Prime Minister has high hopes for a large in-

lneral Somphong Wanapha announced that BOI reached its

2003 target already alter

The Secretary General ex-

The zoning which deter-

crease in FDls following the successful hosting of APEC.

pects an impressive index 150 atthe end ofthe year. Focus areas will now be the agro industry, printing and publishing, lT related entertainment, health care and SPA for long staying visitors, lT professionals, training and education.

mines the level of benefits will start to have less impoftance. lt is already now possible to see

Show to Scandinavia during the f irst half of 2004 - a project which

some Zone 3 benefits being

will involve the Danish-Thai

available inaZone2.

Chamber of Commerce.

months of this year.

BOI is planning a Road-

BOI is in the process of setting up a European Desk which will be responsible for handling

Taipei Office, Flemming Aggergaard, who comes from a job as head of Invest in Denmark. Gregers Maller

Danisco expands with xanthan gum Danisco enters into a joint venture with one of the largest xanthan gum suppliers in China, the Henan Tianguan group. Xanthan is used in the food industry as a stabilising

agent in salad dressing, sauces, beverages, mayonnaise, ketchup, bakery products and dairy desserts. The joint venture will be

named Danisco Tianguan (Nanyang) Co., Ltd. gives Danisco 80 per cent of the shares in the xanthan production of the Chinese company. With the joint venture, the plant will target the international food markets. "Xanthan gum is a new product in Danisco's product

portfolio. As part of our growth strategy, we will be able to produce high quality xanthan and sell it at competi-

tive prices to both internal and external'customers," says Alf Duch-Pedersen, CEO at Danisco.

Danish Jail House Hua Hin Text and photos: Bjarne Wildau

ail House, reads the sign. Denmark shouts the building. Next to the entrance there is one Danish flag and on first floor two more big Danish flags waving in the Hua Hin sea breeze, attracting attention to this latest Danish restaurant in the Royal Thai seaside reson.

Jail House is run by the former factory worker, window polisher and music lover Kurt Andersen who grew up in Aarhus but then moved to Skive in

the Northwest of Denmark where he lived for more than 20 year until the turning point in his life when he went on a two week

vacation to Thailand tooether with a friend.

Since then, life has never been the same. Neither for Kurt Andersen, nor for the thirty years younger girl Yen, whom he met in Bangkok and instantly fell in love with.

Kurt Andersen is a completely self made man. He didn't

even complete the compulsory seven years of schooling as a child, but left three month early to work as a messenger at the

Danish newspaper JyllandPosten.

When he was old enough, he later applied to be a machin-

ist at AMC in Aabyhoj outside Aarhus. In his spare time he heloed his brother clean windows. The latter turned out to be

quite a lucrative business, so when his skill education was completed, he went full time into window cleaning.

Ten years and a divorce later, he moved to Skive to run

his brothers gasoline station.

Four years later, he left to take up a job at MR Doors in Skive and here he stayed on for the next 16 years. This was where Kuft Andersen was in his life, when he and his friend booked a vacation to Thailand. "l had never been outside Europe so experiencing Thailand was fantastic," Kurt Andersen recalls. "The tour was olanned with one week in Bangkok and one week in Hua Hin. I met Yen in Bangkok and she came with us to Hua Hin where we had a wonderful time together." Back in Skive Kurt worked on getting his dream girl to Denmark, and two month later she arrived on a three month tourist visa. "She enjoyed life in Denmark. We sailed in my boat, helped each other keep the garden and the house and had a great time. In a way it was a test on our relationship. Yen was

His plan was to open a bar together with his friend from the first visit. But when he arrived and they opened up a place together, the partnership lasted only three months. Kurt Andersen had found a place of his own and sold his share in the first bar to his friend. "lt was a wooden house with a good atmosphere. We called it "Jail House" and we played a

However, a few month later he stopped by a former supplier down by the harbour in Hua Hin

who showed him a building nearby for rent. lt was too far

Kurt Andersen decided to change his track when a Thai lawyer managed to cheat him

from the down town bar district of Hua Hin to replicate the Jail House bar concept. But it could be a good location for a real restaurant, he thought. Today, the family rents all four floors of the building. On the ground floor the restaurant and kitchen has been established. The vast music selection has moved with Kurt and some of the CD's are placed in a shelf for the guests own choice. The food is Danish and the decoration is Danish and Kurt and Yen enjoy running the place

out of the renting contract for the

immensely.

great selection of music and had 10 to 15 girls working in the bar. It went fine, we had many guests

thirty years younger than me and I was anxious to see if the rela-

tionship could survive everyday life in Denmark. Yen was granted an extension of her visa for another three months and stafied preparing for a life in Denmark, but at that time Kurt was already making other plans for a life together in Thailand. His house, his boat, the car, an apartment in Spain which he and his siblings had inherited f rom their father, every thing was sold. Eight months after his first group tour visit to Thailand, Kurt Andersen arrived back in the Kingdom to start up his new life together with Yen in Hua Hin.

nice ambience we had created."

not least other Danes on va-

cation - who appreciated the

house and later offered him to

Each day starts early in the

rent the house again from ... the

morning with offering Danish

lawyer himself! "l declined," Kurt says dryly.

breakfast rolls which Kurt picks up from a German baker in town

ln the mean time he and Yen had

become the proud parents of a little daughter, Ploy Rikke. She

was two years old and Kurt

who had been busy building up Jail House - thought it was a nice opportunity to spent some more

time with her.

at seven o'clock. They are served with Danish yellow cheese and Danish red salami and real brewed coffee. Lunch and dinner is similady Danish through and through.

In the evening Yen is

charge of the late night atmo-

BAGSV,flRD KOSTSKOLE OG GYMNASIUM

I enjoy life here so much,"

Kurt Andersen whose life with Yen started as e rotnance during a vacation to Thailand. Tbday, they rwn the says

Indbyder til

Jail House together on the harboar in Haa Hin.

gode

lareir og mange

nye kammeratskaber

i et trygt og inspirerende miljO tat pi bide hovedstadens rige kulturliv og den dejlige nordsjallandske natur.

Vi tilbyder . dansk grundskole med afsluttende 9. og 10. klasses pr6ver, . dansk studentereksamen, . Intemationa.l Baccalaureate (I.B.) i samarbejde med C.I.S.

Right: Little Rikke - called Plo;- in Thai - on Daddl:'s knee on his big motorcycle.

Vi optager kostelever

alle klassetrin fra 6. klasse

til

og med 3.g.

N.B. Vores to kokke er medlemmer af EURO-TOQUES! Ring, fax eller bespg vores hjemmeside www.bagkost.dk

Vi glader

til

at hgre fra den store verden og sender gerne

vores materiale, ligesom du og din familie altid er velkomne

sphere and the service until they close up around midnight. "l enjoy life here so much. We have had time to travel a bit

and Yen and I have been driving around the countryside thou-

sands of kilometers on my big motorcycle. lt is such a beautiful country," Kun says. But he has made the inter-

esting observation, that life in

as long as possible." Kurt was her best customer, but he has never bought any-

the money she managed to overcharge me before I found

only three days, when a Canadian long time resident told me that the more he learned about

out," he says. As a foreigner, he also has

the Thais the less he understood

of the Thais'Just like the Danes probably feel they have the right

them. I didn't understand what

over foreigners back in Denmark," he adds. When asked whose side his wife Yen is on

tion of a good supplier of raw material forthe restaurant on the

makes me very upset, but that's how it is. I have no illusions that

local market. When he had

I can change the attitude of a

found the quality and the service he appreciated, he made a deal with her. He oromised her a good price which he did not want

whole population."

she would just ensure him the same good quality of raw materials he needed every day. "After a few months I suddenly noticed she had billed me for more than she had delivered. I don't know for how long she

had done so. When I complained, she just smiled and paid back the overcharged money for

that day. lt was no error. lt was just an attempt to cheat me for

Helle Thune

rektor e-mail: bk@bagkost.dk www.bagkost.dk

Aldershvilevej 1 38, 2880 Bagsverd, tlf. +45 44 98 00 65, fax +45 44 98 03 22

to live with the self righteousness

he meant at the time, but today I certainly do. I don't think I will ever learn to completely understand the Thais and it becomes obviously more and more difficult over time just as the Canadian oredicted." Pressed for a few examoles. Kurt mentions his careful selec-

to negotiate everyday if

Med venlig hilsen

Everyday, when he goes shopping, he makes sure that she sees him walk by her stall to buy with somebody else. "But I am not sure she has learned the lesson she should have learn from the incident. She is probably just happy with

"l had been in Thailand for

fremtiden......

thing from her since that day.

Thailand does not get any easier as the years go by.

til

rundvisning og en samtale om dine lnsker og dromme om

when there is a conflict - his side or the side of her fellow countrymen, the reply comes within a

split second. "She will always be on their

side. Every time it happens

Still, he has no plans of leav-

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By Gregers Mo//er

o build a subway in a city like Bangkok which is

flooded several days per year, doesn't seem like such a brilliant idea. But here it is. Three years after Bangkok got its Sky Train, which worms its way on the second floorthrough the city, another train will soon worm its way two floors below the street level.

And no, it won't be flooded.

Apart from the tunnel system being watertight itself, all entrances are raised well above the highest level of flooding ever measured in Bangkok. You will

always have to go up stairs about 1,30 meters before you can go down stairs into the Tube.

The Danish businessmen in Thailand were on Wednesday 1 October 2003 treated to a Dreview of the imoressive construction project which in its entirety

is the largest project ever

Thailand. The guided tour was organized by the Danish Thai Chamber of Commerce and 25 members had taken up the of-

The subway is owned by Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTS). The first 20 kilometres of the project which has cost 96 billion baht has been

divided into a Northern and a Southern stretch and financed

fer.

mainly on Japanese credits.

After a briefing at the central control building near Thailand's National Cultural Centre at the Rama 9 Road intersection with Rachadapisek Road, members

The Danish-British engineering company Arup has been involved in the construction of the

were taken down the nearby sta-

tion to see the shopping centre three floors below and finally the

olatform where the tracks run four floors below street level. After the showing, members could get back into their cars and while stuck in the afternoon traf-

Northern stretch. Arup's assignment has been to drill the two mostly parallel running tunnels with a diameter of 6 meters each and for 10 kilometres, to construct the nine subway stations on their part of the line and a parking building with a capacity of 2000 cars.

A multi-national team of

fic dream of how many more

more than 100 Arup engineers

hours in the office or with their

and architects has been involved in the project since the contract

families the new subway will give them when it opens nextAugust.

The operating company BMCL has conducted a study which estimates'that the public benefit of the project is around

378 billion Thai Baht. That amount includes retrieved working hours wasted in the traffic today and saved energy.

was signed in 1996. The team has been responsible for align-

ment, geotechnics, civil and structural design, tunnel ventila-

tion, electrical, mechanical and public health systems, fire detec-

tion and prevention, and co-ordination with other design contractors.

The southern line running from the control building to Hua Lampong, Bangkok's Central train station, is about the same length and has nine more subway stations.

danger associated with fire

actually more serious. Especially the smoke from a fire could be fatal if very powerful ventilation

systems had not been installed

throughout the tunnel system

In geotechnical circles,

and the stations. All stationer are

Bangkok soil is famous for being very flat and uniform. The first layer from the surface to

also equipped with smoke sensors and firefighting equipment

about 15 m down is soft clay. Then follows a stiff clay layer of about 15 to 25 m. Arup avoided digging tunnels in the soft clay, and ran about 90% of the tunnels through the stiff clay about 21 m from the surface. The digging has been conducted from shafts which have in most cases been dug where later the stations or ventilation facilities were going to be constructed. Most of the structure and the stations are located below some of Bangkok's most

and detailed evacuation olang have been made which would quickly bring the people up on the ground surface in case any-

thing should happen - whether an accident or an act of terror, The stations have all escalators as well as regular staire and lifts, ticket selling offices, and automatic access gates to the train escalators down to the train platforms. Most platforms have parallel tracks. Only a few places where the space between foundations of existing building leave very limited space

busy streets so an important consideration has been to dis-

has it been necessary to build the north and the south going

rupt the traffic flow on the surface as little as possible during the construction.

The platforms are 150

platforms on top of each other, - 200 meters long with glass walls and

While most Bangkokians are

automatic doors between the

worried about the possibility of the system being flooded, the

platform and the tracks. The trains will depart every

l l The inauguration of the first electricity driven Mass Rapid Transit system established by the Danes in the 1890's.

Denmark pioneered Bangkok's first MRTA n 1889, a peculiar Dane

brought electricity to Bangkok

Mr. Aage Westenholz ar-

for household and industry

rived Bangkok, a city he was to out his distinct mark on

consumption, but that is an-

I I I

for decades to come.

was the orominent Dane Admiral Richelieu. Over the next few years Mr. Westenholz built and operated a tramway system of 6 kilometres. To pull the carriages he used 300 ponies! ln 1892 the ooeration was

was closed and the racks dismantled in 1969.

the director of Bangkok Tram-

way Company, a British com-

- 6 minutes depending on the time of the day and the speed between stations will be 35 kilometres. Several of the stations have been equipped with shopping

Road and the north-south going Ratchadapisek Road. To the nofth from this intersection, the line follows Ratcha-

malls halfway down to the racks. Among the exceptions is the station under the central train station Hua Lampong where a museum for the history of the railway in Thailand will be built. lt all stafied out gloriously around the turn of the century during the reign of King Chulalongkorn with Danes and Danish technology in

where it turns west and follows Lad Prao to Phaholyothin Road then turns south down to Chatu-

tl il

the forefront. But in modern times the state railway of Thailand has been allow to sink into a corrupt state of neglect where instead busses, coaches, pri-

vate cars and domestic air routes had been given higher priority. Altogether, the projected lines of the subway comprise 80 kilometers of railroad lines. The f irst 20 kilometres about to be ready for inauguration is the "blue line ini-

dapisek, passes by Suthisarn Road up to Lad Prao Road

This Danish managed lramway system continued to operate in Bangkok until well after World War ll. Unfortunately, consecutive Thai management neglected the system instead of building on and expanding the brilliantly pioneered Danish operation. The

Mr. Westenholz became

other story.

pany whose first chairman

last section of the tram system

transformed into a Danish-

Twenty years later, in 1 989

chak weekendmarket where

owned company and Mr. Wes-

there is an interchange with the

tenholz travelled to the United States to study electric power.

panded the tramway and in 1894 inaugurated an electric

the obvious benefit to the society of a Mass Rapid Transit System in Bangkok was finally realized and plans for establishing the current MRTA had to be drawn up from scralch

tramway system in Bangkok ten years before a similar sys-

existing system.

Sky Train. Further west it passes by the

main coach station serving the Nor1h, West and South of Thailand until it reaches and ends at the regulartrain station Bangsue from where passengers may change to the rundown diesel trans of the SRT which connects the Thai capital with the Malaysia border near Penang. To the south from the Rama 9 deoot the line follows Rachadaoisek underneath Phetchburi

Road and down to the AsokSukhumvit crossing where the intersection with the Skv Train will be a very busy

When he returned he ex-

instead of expanding on an

tem was to be seen in DenmarK.

By 1901 his tramway network extended 20 kilometers

and his company operated 2,800 carlmiles per day to points as far from the city as

Paknam, today Samutprakarn. Mr. Westenholz also The netywrk w(ts soon all the way out

extende"d,

to Paknam.

tial". lts centre is the control building near the intersection of

the east-west going Rama 9

Cantinued on pg.l9

Danish diesel locomotives made history anish technology, viduals were also in play when the State Railway of Thailand in May 1932 suc-

other major provincial capitals of Thailand. A key person behind the decision to buy the Danish equipment was the then Chief Engi-

cessfully demonstrated the su-

neer of SRT, a Dane called

perior technology of its newly acquired six Danish diesel lo-

H.A.K. Zachariae. Mr. Zachariae had first come to Thailand in

comotives on the long distance route all the way from Bangkok to Singapore and back. Ten years earlier, Thailand had acquired its very first diesel locomotive on a test basis. Even the United States had at

1907 and - like so many other Danes at that time - soon rose to his prominent position within the administration.

that time not even thought of changing their old steam engines to the new technology. Satisfied with the diesel locomotives, Thailand then in 1930

But his job was done. No

ordered the six new. Danish

other country in all of Asia had at that time embraced the new

comoanies and indi-

diesel locomotives for passengertrains and one more espe-

cially designed locomotive for freight trains. When delivered in the autumn of 1931, they were first put to test on the tough and

uphill Bangkok-Chiang-mai railroad. Pleased with their performance, the Danish locomotives were then employed on the rails to and from all the

pulled along the track by a Dan-

an hours stop at the ThaFMa-

ish supplied locomotive and sleeping in the luxurious 1st

laysian border at Padang

Class sleeping carriages build of

While the diesel locomotives where delivered by the

teak wood, which was likewise delivered from Denmark. The trip went smoothly until

shortly before arriving back in Bangkok when the locomotive hit a water butfalo on the track

Besar.

company A/S Frichs, the luxurious sleeping carriages were

delivered by the company Scandia in Banders. These

two companies in

1977

merged into one company,

and had its stairs up to the driver' s cabin slightly bent.

and in 1988, this single com-

The new train initially shorlened the trio down to 32 hours

of Danish railway technology

in 1932 that changed Thailand

and laterJufther cut the trip down

to its present constitutional mon-

to only 26 hours including half

Zachariae, however, personally disagreed with the revolution

pany - combining the ultimate joined the Tert: Gregers Maller

archy. Consequently, he left Thailand at the end of December that year.

Top ofpage: The chassis the railway carciages being lifted down on the quay in Bangkok.

technology and Thailand's neighbours were watching closely. The request for demon-

stration of the new train on the route to Singapore in 1932 came from Malaysia. Of course, Denmark's consul to Thailand was among the prominent passengers on the

very first train. One can only imagine his excitement of being

The luxurious 1s/ C/ass sleeping caniages build of te ak w o odw ere likew i,s e de livere d from D enmark.

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pg.17

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spot. Following Rachadapisek, the line will pass by the Queen

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west and follow Rama 4 pass by Silom Road, Surawongse Road

all the way to Hua Lampong which is the endstation for this initial line.

The next line to be constructed - "blue line extension south" - be 14 kilometres long and continue from Hua Lampong to the Chao Phaya River and in a tunnel connect the west side of the Bangkok metropolis with the east side. The line will end out near the new middle ringroad build by the Norwegian civil engineering company Norconsult. The start on the con-

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96 billion baht invested by MRTA

livered on 15 October 2003 flown in by a huge Russian

in the construction of the sub-

cargo plane from Austria and

way. BMCL's own the trains,

received in Bangkok by among

have constructed the signalling

others Prime Minister Thaksin

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Shinawatra.

ments system the office facilities

BMCL is currently busy re-

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defining the term "soft opening in April 2004" to "test driving in April2004". The big officialopen-

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will notgobackto Denmark, says five Year old Mathilde' "Ontv for Christmas..." she adds bYsecond thought. Mathilde is the eldest daughter of Rikke and Soren Simonsen. TheY are voluntary teachers at a sPorls college in Suohanburi and he is coaching the Thai National Handball Team for young PeoPle under 21 Years the U21 Team. While Mathilde and Sine, her

one year old little sister, like it here, her Parents are not so sure. "We're haPPY to staY in Thai-

land, and the school treats us very well", the couPle said, adding however, that theY miss everyday life, home, friends, and family back in Denmark- There are no other Scandinavians in Suphanburi and theY don't know anybodY in Bangkok theY could go visit. "Communicating with other people is what I miss the most," says Soren Simonsen. "Even at the sPorts college it is difficult to have good conversations because of the general lack of English knowledge," he said.

"You are the first Danish people we have met since we

arrived," the couPle told Robert Kronberg of C&C Travel Co.,

Ltd. and PhotograPher Jan

Mouritsen when theY met on Koh Samet, where the Young Danish familY had gone for a long weekend. The Ports school in SuPhanburi is a boarding school where pupils are staYing for free on

sports scholarshiPs. Rikke is voluntary English teacher, Ssren is the voluntary handball coach

at the college and as a Part of this job, Soren also instructs the U21 in Thailand, i.e. the National Handball Team for PeoPle under 21 years.

Back in Denmark, Rikke who is 32 and holds a master degree in English - was teacning Danish language to immigrants at a language school' So ren, likewise 32, was finishing his master degree still working on a dissertation about sports psychologY while at the same time part-time handball coach for OtteruP HandballClub.

Handball is what brought Rikke and Soren together in the first place. TheY met as 16 Year old teenagers in the local hand-

ball club and have stayed together ever since.

several years we talked about

going abroad for the exPerience," soren and Rikke exPlain.

"We've been considering Nonrvay, SPain, China, and Thailand. But NoruvaY was too simi-

larto Denmark," Soren exPlains' "Thailand on the other hand seemed to be a good choice as

an eye-oPener io working

abroad while at the same time being a safe country with manY convenient f acilities." Mathilde has her own Priorities: "Here in Thailand, I Prefer Hua Hin," she saYs categoricallY'

"Yeah, because of the nice swimming Pool there, right?" her father adds. Text: Hobert Kronberg Photos: Jan Mouritzen

"WhY Thailand? Well' for

illl

Bangkok Vikings selects management team for new season Next year the Vikings plans to participate in the Vikings Cup in Malaysia in April, play an annual game vs. Laos NationalTeam around mid year, and take part in the Phuket Tournament. candinavian Vikings Bangkok recently had an Annual Meeting on

ship fee should be fixed at

lected.

to be paid as soon as possible

prevrous year. ln2O04, the Vikings plans to participate in the Vikings Cup in Malaysia in April, play an annual game vs. Laos National Team

around mid year, and take part in the Phuket Tournament. During the meeting, Coach Jakob Bergholdt was given a mandate to limit the number of players for any game to maxi-

- en dansk skole

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October 28 at the Admirals Pub and Restaurant where the management team tor 2004 was seThe new management team will comprise of practically the same management team as the

Herlufsholm Kostskole

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Charlotte harlotte Fung Korff arrived in Bangkok this February together with

her husband, Kim Korff, who

been a frequent visitor to Thailand, and she loves Thai culture,

the food, the people, and especially the climate. Along her way

holds a position as Supply Chain

she has also been studying

Manager with the East Asiatic

Tokyo and Shanghai where she

Company. But she is not the ordinary accompanying Danish spouse. The 28 years old Asian look-

first experienced living in Asia and improved her language

ing Charlotte was born and

well as English, Danish, - and

raised in Copenhagen; however, her parents are Hong Kong Chinese. Over the years she has

now a little bit of Thai, too!

With her Asian lctok, many mistake Charlotte KorJJJbr a Chinese Thai.

skills

she soeaks Cantonese

and Mandarin, Japanese,

Before relocating to Thailand, she worked as a research assistant at the Asia Research Center of the Copenhagen Business School, from which she also holds a Bachelor's Degree in Intercultural Management with

an Asian perspective, and a

Bangkok Nursing Home I II

n 1898, on Februarythe 14th,

a small group of expats

tablished Bangkok Nursing

Home. BNH Hosoital. as it is today called, was opened by then British Ambassador to Siam, Mr. George Greville CMG, and was

agement of the hospital and

Initially, the hospital aimed at serving only expatriates in Thai-

brought in by the BGH was a computerized system called Medtrak, which makes the hos-

land, but after receiving a royal

land.

charter from King Rama Vl in 1912. the hosoital extended its services to care also for Thais. Even in those days, the BNH

What was in those days a location somewhat on the out-

hospital was contrary to its name never really just a nurs-

skirts of Bangkok has today become a very convenient location in the heart of Bangkok's Cen-

ing home. lt has always had an operating theater, delivered babies and functioned as a oeneral practicing hospital. In 1991, the BNH Medical Center was formed to establish

at the time one of the first orivate hospitals to operate in Thai-

An early photo oJ'Bangkok Nursing Home which was initially aimed at serving only expatriates in Thailand.

near the Sathorn end of Soi Convent only a short walk from the Sala Daeng Skytrain stop.

tral Business District. Here, BNH is today located on a 2-acre site

Among the innovations

pital more efficient as now all the medicine. cashier's receiDts and records are comouterized. lt also

opened a new Heart Center, a plastic surgery center called the

Preecha Aesthetic Institute, a Gastro-lntestinal (Gl) Clinic, a laser skin treatment to get rid of wrinkles and skin defects, and it is the only hospital offering non-

invasive vascular screening

a new international standard

(AVl) to detect clogged arteries. BNH offers two or three-day

hospital to cope with the increasing demands from the domestic

baby packages with either caesarian or natural birth delivery.

and international rnarket for

The hospital also has a very

more orivate health care. The new directors decided to com-

good psychiatrist and psychiatrist nurse. And recently the hospital introduced Laser Smile in its Dental Center, which uses state-of-

mission a new hosoital and the new-look BNH was comoleted in 1996.

seized uoon it.

However, the 1 997 economic crisis hit hard and the hospital lost many prospective

the-art TCIA (Target Chro-

patients to its major competitors. But in 2001, the Bangkok General Hospital Group saw an opportunity to take over the man-

which can make teeth whiter in just thirty minutes . In February 2004, the hos-

mophore In-phase Accelerated Activation) whitening technology

pital is set to open a new

Master's Degree in International Marketing & Management. Having settled in, Charlotte quickly started looking for a job which eventually led her to Angela Stafford, the Head of BNH Hospital's International Center.

Her duties at the hosoital's International Center are diverse,

merce on November 20th it was of course also Charlotte who in-

troduced all the services the BNH has to offer. Before that event she was oart of the Banyan Tree Vertical Marathon, in which BNH provided the medical support for the panicipants.

Currently, she is preparing for

ranging from acting as the Scan-

another upcoming sporting

dinavian interpreter and coordinator for Scandinavian oatients during their visit to the hospital, to promoting the hospital to the Scandinavian community living and working in Thailand and arranging public relations' events. At the recent "Health Care"

event in Bangkok.

networking evening with the

Bangkok's international society. Scoft Munay

Thai-Danish Chamber of Com-

Stenhus Kostskole er en boglig skole, som Onsker at give eleveme grundhggende kundskaber or ferdigheder, der kan medvirke til at udvikle den enkelte elevs evner og anlag optimalt.

Besides working with the BNH, Charlotte does committee

work with the International Women's Club. She enjoys setting up social activities for the members while experiencing the

invigorating diversity

Stenhus Kostskole tilbyder bl. a.: . data og tysk fra 6. klasse . valgfag og niveaudelte fag 8.-10. klasse herunder fransk og sport & fritid . edb integreret i de enkelte fag efter behov ved brug af intemet . en international 10. klasse . skitu! kanotur, overlevelsestur, Stenhus-Games, arsfest m. m. Bes@g vores hjemmeside: www.stenhus.dk / www.stenhus-kostskole.dk

Stenhus Kostskole, Stenhusvej 20,4300 Holbak Tlf. +45 5943 0269 - Fax. +45 5943 7811 - E-mail: admin@stenhus.dk

Women's Health Center, which will include services like sub-fertility, menopause, endocrinology and female oncology. Being part

of the Bangkok General Hospital Group, which includes Bangkok General, Samitivej, Bangkok

Pattaya and Bangkok Phuket Hospitals, adds other benefits than investment power to purchase the latest medical equipment. For the patients it also means, that whatever BNH doesn't offer one of its sister hospitals is sure to.

specialist their GP can refer them, which many of our patients find reassuring," Angela Stafford adds. The lnternational Center provides seruices in English, German, French, Japanese, Danish, Swedish and Norwegian. lts responsibilities include contacting relatives, assisting with local and overseas insurance companies, organizing medical evacuations and providing moral sup-

port for foreign patients.

Asked to describe her hospital, Angela Stafford, head of the hospital's International Cenrer says: "We provide individual treatment and care with first class seruice in a gentle and refined environment. The hospital is not overbearing and glitzy, it is more like a hospital that Europeans would recognise and be comfortable with. We offer a General Practitioner'Family Doctor' service whereby every time a patient visits the hospital they can see the same doctor which re-

Those international patients tend to come from the US, Australia, Canada, the UK, Germany, France, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and

sults in the doctor knowing all

tients. The latter can enjoy

about them and their family." "lf a patients needs to see a

BNH's 4th floor Roof Garden if they feel cooped up at all.

Denmark. Today, 105 years after its foundation, BNH hospital provides a modern day, state-ofthe-art comprehensive medical service with highly qualified doctors and medical stafl on-site on a 24-hour basis. lt has the capacity to treat 800 outpatients each day and has

private rooms for 225 inpa-

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Lotus Star Holis otus Star Holistic Centre established their business

in Bangkok, February 2003. The centre offers treatments and healing equipment. Lotus Star's treatments have a multiple perspective and can be used to heal a wide range of illnesses, such as: open wounds (mostly diabetics), pain, rheuma-

tism. asthma and as oain relief for cancer. One of the therapies offered is air acupuncture, a negative ion treatment (principles from acupuncture) where the purpose is to restore the energy balance in the body.

a I

Skolen lagger vegt pA gode og tette kontakter mellem elever, lerere og ovrigt per5onale: pi kostafdelingen i form af elevdemokrati, pA skolen bl.a. iform af et tet samarbejde om den enkelte klasse.

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tion when it comes to natural

Z, 24

s-amt.dk .dk

Kbstskolen ved bro og

eabra nternational Movers & Logistics is specialized in international as well as domestic relocation I

informal.

Lotus Star Holistic Centre joined the Danish-Thai Chamber

Trans International. The company also completes the group' s activities in the field of relocation services.

There are already quite a

completely integrated moving company Seabra International provides professional export

number of national and international players in the Thai moving industry, but Seabra has their strong point. "For our part, we are a totally integrated shipping, moving and logistics company. Everything is

packing and shipping of per-

in-house. This gives us a unique orofile and we can make sure of a wider range and quality of ser-

vices provided," says Bjarke

2001. lt is the most recent member of the Sealite Grouo and is supported by three sister companies - Sealite Shipping, Sea-

Jansen, Seabra's Danish Corporate Account Manager. "We focus on providing a very personalized service to our customer. We call it 'For people on the move'. We do our best to

lite Shipping Agency and Seabra

take the headaches and the

Seabra was established in

balt

nice and well-visited clinic, which is situated in their home, where the atmosphere is pleasant and

and local office moves. As a

residential and office moves, customs clearance, transportation, document storage, general warehousing and relocation services such as: home search, school search and general orientation.

,E-mail:

medicine. Today they have created a

Seabra Internati{ Movers & Logistl

sonal effects, household goods,

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ness Mission Asia Co. Ltd., which lead to a resignation and the decision to start up her own holistic centre for natural treatment together with her mother, who is also a physiotherapist. This kind of treatment is also much more carried out in Thailand, as for example in Denmark, because of a relaxed and

Charlotte Weber, Managing

grew up in Bangkok. Charlotte's father, Poul Weber, came to Thailand 40 years ago and later persuaded her mother. Vicki. to come and live in Thailand.

:=)

ment. Later she began treating her colleagues at the stable, who, as the horses, gave positive feed back. Meanwhile, Charlotte was tired of her office work at Busi-

Director of Lotus Star, has an extensive knowledge of Thai

culture and language as she

Nyborg Gymnasium er en moderne kostskole. Her bor du i dejlige omgivelser midt i Danmark samtidig med, at du tager en dansk studenter- eller hf-eksamen eller den internationale studentereksamen, I nternational Baccalaureate (lB).

In the beginning, Charlotte gave her horses healing treat-

ic Centre Vicki Weber on 19 June 2003 demonstrated the Lotus Stqr air acupuncture equipment at a networking evening in DTCC. Tom

SAMITIVEJ HOSPITALS

Tasugruraofi6rea

Sorensen

volunteered to lend his back to the treatment.

Happiness Begins with , ,, ,.

rt. .tt,!;

of Commerce because

theY

highly prioritized networking with other Danish companies. TheY

also find it important to interact

Lotus Star also finds the knowledge exchange between Danish companies to be verY beneficial and relevant in rela-

with the Danish communitY. Moreover, the centre's target group stresses on business

tion with "doing business in Thai-

people, especially in the Scandinavian community.

imoonant.

land". In that context theY find the monthly legal updates very

h,s

M lwwiaa Menitks ad a P{anolizd suKUMvrHosprAL tr rre orD qwtiq ot s.dice ttot .il oht, ane tan p@pk.wtu i rt srumver ,;;,;;;:;;;;_;;;;i^,,i,i ,"i *.0*o *^ *"'iitcs rcdt! ere abail lou heatth and wdtb.kE '^tt( i,i"ubia ^. i'Bab! Fnehdtt H6pild'. We afet o br.Nl.ediry t dinry vdie thrcuEh o 'HaI LiM' tu 'DroP hl \ cl6es d our Binh U^n ilan tu. sPrial rainiry I aM *iilt to slppon hote wtu ch@il to tue t,ntud ard wdrer bintu.

conJodable

www,samitivej.co.th Janus Kortsen

49, Klonglan Nua, Vadhana, Bangkok 10110 Te : +66 ( srinakarin Foaa, suanluanq, Banskok lo2so'Tel: +66 (o) soi bem Kel, Jerm JomPn Road, Srtacha, chonbun 201 1 0 'Te : +66 (o

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cs Co., Ltd. worries out of moving. We free our customer's time and leave them with energy to deal with other matters for examPle to adjustto new surroundings, new cultures and challenges." Bjarke Jansen holds a master degree in civil engineering

(architecture & design) from Aalborg University in Denmark. During the last two years of his

master's study, he focused on urban development, international relations and the squatter problem in the develoPing countries. lt was his master's thesis about squatter problem in Thailand that that brought him here in the first place. He later moved to Bangkok more than a year ago to start a career and stay with his wife. He

Seabra for about six months.

By becoming a member of the Danish-Thai Chamber of Commerce, Bjarke Jansen would like to take part in the networking and social events with the Scandinavian business community. "The chamber networking is a very good forum to meet and create new business relations as well as friendships," he says. Bjarke Jansen recommends

customers to check out the www.sealitegroup.com.

He can be reached dailY through Seabra's customer service line 02 697 4848, his mo-

bile 07 044 1501 or e-mail bj

seabramovers.co.th Janus Koftsen

has now been working with

ABB President & Country Manager Mr. Jonny Axelsson (left) welcomes

Privy Councilor H.E.

Air

Vice

Marshal Kamthon Sindhavananda and Swedish Ambassador to Thailand H.E. Jan

Nordlander

ABB celebrates 90 years in Thailand ABB, the leader in power and

guests and was followed by a

it was during the 90 years that

automation technologies has

speech by Mr. Jonny Axelsson, President & Country Manager of ABB. On this special occasion, H.E. Air Vice Marshal Kamthon

ABB was awarded with ISO

Sindhavananda gave a short speech congratulating ABB on their 90 years of success and after the offcial opening of the ceremony, guests were toured

and industry customers with

celebrated its 90 years of association with Thailand industrial

development on the 20th November at ABB Thailand's head office where over 80 guests participated in this special occasion.

Special guests who also attended ABB's 90th Anniversary were H.E. Jan Nordlander, H.E.

Air Vice Marshal

around ABB's exhibition. Since the first motor delivery

Mongkon Ampornpisit.

to Siam Cement in 1913 and has during the 90 years established

Kamthon Sindhavananda and General

9001, ISO 9002 and ISO 14001 certificates. Today, ABB provides utility products, services and solutions for power transmission and distribution as well as products, systems, software and seryices for the automation and optimization of industrial, commercial and utility operations.

For further information on

At the celebration, a VDO

manufacturing center, work-

ABB LIMITED, visit: http:/i

oresentation of "ABB 90th Anni-

shops, seruice centers and ABB Training Center in Thailand. And

www.abb.com

versary" was presented to

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www.avis.dk

A4VrS .,eT)-

lratder'

Mermaid Maritime to upgrade lT network Mermaid Maritime Ltd. in Laem Chabang has awarded a major network upgrade with an ongoing maintenance contract to Responsive lT Solutions Ltd. The contract, worth about Bt3

million, includes new'state-ofthe-art' workstations and server hardware for the entire corporation, the latest in internet security, and anti-virus protection. Among various other lT enhancements, Mermaid Maritime will also host it's own mail seruer from now on, in order to improve on internal and external communication.

"Mermaid Maritime is the top

ranking maritime service provider here in Thailand. They recognize the fact that the quality of your lT environment is in direct relationship to the quality of your company's efficiency output," says Hans Schonbaumsfeld, Director of ResDonsive lT Solutions. "We are proud to have Mermaid Maritime Ltd. as a new member of our customer family, especially now that we open our branch office atthe Eastern Seaboard in Sri Racha," he adds.

Responsive lT expands to Eastern Seaboard

Sitr.. ih incaptiotr id 1572.3 Nob.l P.ize Rionerr, S trlr. Midlt.r!. rod l5 1ritr..r h.v. sadurred from Rr.ror Schoot itr Etrslrtrd ArHsro!lntcmidooilSchoolBtuBkok,*edmlogiv.lourcbildrheiamehighqlrlirycdlcardoasordkringDihed,lMhi Wcpro!'de:oid.nric,tshDdsd rd. Fsk, ild reach rhe wc A - lcv.h as Ham* s.h@l itr Eqtmd ftr cuhcdm t held iD hich.$ Egrd by uniyduiti.s in Bil{n bd tuDu$out rbe woild, and w. dc pmud lo tly rbar our cla$ of2002 havc soo. oo td nany pr.nigious dvemrh.s. bdudbs Oxford, rnpcrut Colt.F bodotr td Tho Lo0don Scbool ortcondmics lMow lDrm.lioMl Scbool Bngtok i Dow !.c.pud8 applicrdoos for rhe yee2003/4 rorsod.ots ased l - tB wis sobc 0tsoulb lastAsi,k fincn educilroMl h.ilities a.,d.nic sbI Hadop hrem'rioo,l schoot wilt gir.yourcbit&€n rte r.ry beil po$ibt. duc*ioD of .du.iliooil cxcelLn.e, use l[e

Responsive lT Solutions Ltd. has recently opened its Eastern Seaboard branch office in

tions from lT Service Providers,"

Amphur Sri Racha, Chonburi

sive lT Solutions.

Province.

Responsive lT Solutions was incorporated in Thailand in the year 2000. The oblective of the company is to provide a "onebusiness-partner concept" to the corporate computer user.

The branch office was estab-

lished as a result of the growth

of the compan's long-term, stable customers who are based in the Eastern Seaboard area. The new branch will also be instrumental in growing Respon-

sive lT Solutions' service caoabilities with additional engineering and sales resources. "To us, the most attractive aspect of the Eastern Seaboard is the sophistication of the needs

of corporations in this area and their high standards of expecta-

says Hans Schonbaumsfeld, Managing Director of Respon-

'od

na 150 rai campw near Bongkok Internationol Airpon opens in Septembq 2003 For more inlomation call : +66(0) 2672 0l23, or visit our website at w.horrowschool ac-th Our

ROW

The company's internal resources consist of certified engineers and lT specialists, supporting a wide knowledge-base in network integration, hardware & software preventive maintenance, and user training. For further details, visit: http:/ /www. responsiveit.com/

Monthly lT News to DTCC members Responsive lT Solutions has entered an agreement with the Danish-Thai Chamber of Commerce to provide all members with good timely advice on all computer related matters. The advice will be digtributed to members in a newsletter which will be mailed out every month together with the existing legal newsletter from the law firm Dej Udom & Associates.

Responsive lT recently ex-

panded its staff with Mr. Karin Weswongsatip who will be Senior lT Maintenance Engineer. Khun Karin brings with him extensive experience in the network environment including Ex-

change Server, Facys Fax Server, and Intranet on llS 5.0. He is a certified MCSE & MCSA engineer by Microsoft, and has been in charge of several servers with up to 200 workstations in his previous employments.

Stable Lodge celebrated 11 years ore than 200 Danish, Swedish, Norwegian and Thai birthdaY guests joined the festivities on Saturday 11 October celebrating

the Danish Bangkok restaurant Stable Lodge's 11 year birthdaY. The day was this year moved one week forward because of theAPEC meeting which willseriously complicate navigating in Bangkok's inner city center. To the tunes of the beautiful

band from Check Inn 99, all the guests enjoyed the Stable's delicious pool side B.B.Q which was this night offered for the symbolic amount of 11 baht Per guest-children half price(!). Not

a seat was empty

neither

around the pool, nor inside the restaurant - and latecomers had to wait at the bar until earlY birds had left the party. At around nine o'clock, Erik Winther led the traditional birthday song. The cake was then presented and the single candle was blown out by Steffen and

Nim Ingemans's daughter, Pailin. Third co-owner, Jorgen

Lundbak was of course also

The B.B.Q at the Stable is always a treat - and thenfor 1I Baht! Below the busy staff around the grill.

ErikWinther led the HaPPY Birthdcry-birthday song. First in English, then in the Danish version "I dag er del Staldens .fPdselsdag". Steffen Ingemann (left)

greetedAnne ier

who had

just had an operation in her rightfoot. Jim ier arrived afew minutes later. The girls from Check Inn 99 entertained again this Year.

present. Gregers Ma/ler

Pailin, daughter of Steffin andNim, blew out the

birth

cake candle

for the sake ofthe photographer...

twice

the farewell reception 19th May 2000, held at the Oriental Hotel, Monica Holmgren re ceived praise and acknowledgement for her performance and contribution to the three S c andinav ian C hamb e rs. Here she receives a gift from N o rw e g ian Tov e Bj e rkan.

Monica Holmgren In 1994, Monica Holmgren suc c ee de d Birgitta Ludtke as the Executive Director

onica Holmgren, our beloved friend

Vicki

and I are grateful for having had the opportunity of

of the three Scqndinavian Chambers of Commerce in Thailand. She held this position until her retirement in May 2000.

knowing Monica for a long time, namely since the mid seventies when she and Lennart arrived Bangkok.

39 Sukhumvit Road, Soi 8, Bangkok, Thailand. Tel: +66 (0) 2653 0017 Fax: +66 (O)22535125

Monica was a dedicated perE-mail: hotel @stablelodge.com

son, be that to her family, her

www.stablelodge.com

friends or her job. Monica was also a keen rider

and her love and care for animals was exceptional, we were glad to know that Oscar, her dog,

over as Executive Director in

Monica was diagnosed with

was at her side to the last.

1994 and left in 2000 on her return to Sweden. lt was not an

breast cancer in 1 999. She took this with her usual aplomb and won the battle, only later to succumb to a different form of cancer. Monica took the breast cancer cause to her heart and she

Monica had a fantastic sense of humour, and it was a pleasure to be with her, because she was always cheerful and positive, even in adversity. Monica's life centred around her family and her home - she was fiercely protective of both and would do anything to protect them. lt was great fun to visit

the Holmgrens and

enjoy

Monica's legendary cooking, backed up by Lennart's entertainment. Monica did a fantastic job for the three Scandinavian Chambers of Commerce - she took

easy job, first of all the chambers were fairly new, secondly money was short and thirdly it was a difficult balancing act with

several bosses and different styles and cultures to contend with, but Monica managed it all

was one of the three founders of the Bangkok Breast Cancer Support Group, which is still a

with bravour and when we needed a favour from hotels, caterers, the Board of Trade,

very active group, assisting

etc., she twisted arms left, right and centre and always managed to achieve what was needed in the best interest of the chambers. Reliability was Monica's hallmark.

Monica was a real friend and colleague as well, we will all miss

women with breast cancer with guidance and help.

Itr,:

u sPecrauze -sound Decause you co

B-K Medical (Thaitand) Ltd. KOOm ZbUJ,

tbtn

Ftoor,

.Jasmine International Tower, 200 Moo4, Chaengwattana Road,

Pakkret, Nonthaburi

120,Thailand

Tel.: (+66 2) 962 7071 Fax: (+66 2) 962 7075

her.

Poul Weber

Hotel Kata Center Inn Den Danske Kro - The Danish Inn Rooms with air-con. from

300 Baht.

126Tatna Road, Kata Centeq Phuket 831 00 Thailand. Tel: +66 7633 0873 Fax: +66 7633 0631 E-mail: info@kata-center-inn.com

Thai Wine Tasting The Danish-Thai Ghamber of Commerce organized a Wine Tasting & Thai Dinner on Thursday 18 September at the Admiral's Pub and Restaurant for the Monthly Networking. By Pholl'arn Suparuit

A Wine Tasting & Thai Dinner was organized by Danish-Thai

Chamber of Commerce on Thursday 18 September at 6:30 p.m at the Admiral's Pub & Restaurant for the Monthly Networking where over 50 chamber members and guests participated. After a casual welcoming by chamber president Mr. Tom

Sorensen, the attention was turned over to Mr. Stig VagtAndersen, Director of Ben Adisti who gave a small presentation on Thai wines. The oicture of

Mr,

Sti g Vagt - Ande r s en,

Director of Ben Adisti (right), shares opinions about wines with Mr. Veravat Cholvanich,

Chairman of Wang Nam Khieo Winery

Thai wine development was further enhanced by Mr. Veravat Cholvanich, Chairman of Wang Nam Khieo Winery who recalled

ments on the five glasses of wine before the identities of the presented wines were revealed to everybody.

the milestones of his winery

The wines tasted in the

since the establishment and how

evening comprised of four Thai wines and a South African wine, namely Peak Eagle, Shala One, Chateau Des Brumes, Khoa Yai and KWV Shiraz. After the tasting and casual, enjoyable discussions on wines among guests and speakers, a

his wine production stafied to gain the acceptance from wine experts and consumers. Each guest was then given five glasses of different wines. The labels of each wine were concealed in order to let each participant appreciate the wines solely by their real characteristics, not by the vineyards and

delicious Thai dinner was served

with Thai wines, which con-

producers. A couple of the

firmed that the drink of Western origin also goes well with Thai

guests were chosen to give com-

food. Also worth mentioning is Admiral's homemade vanilla ice

cream with chilli

grape

sorbet,

which was served to everybody at the event too.

BECOME A MEMBER OF THE DANISH-THAI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. Contact Name:

Mail or fax the coupon to:

Company name:

Danish-Thai Chamber of Commerce 14021214th Fl., Glas Haus 1 Sukhumvit 25 Road, North Klongtoey, Wattana, Bangkok 101 10 Tel.: (66) 0 2661 7762

Address:

Fax:

Fax: (66) 0 2661 1764-5 Fill in this coupon to

receive

further information and a full application form for membership

E-mail contact@dancham.or.th

"You do" Behind every investment are the hopes and dreams of an individual. We never lose sight of this at Jyske Bank Private Banking. You can tell by the look in the eyes of our personal advisers. All our advisers take a genuine interest in each of their clients. They take the time to understand the unique concerns and goals of each investor. We offer a comprehensive range of investments such as international securities and mu-

tual fund units in addition to investment loans and deposit accounts. Your personal adviser at |yske Bank Private Banking will work with the utmost discretion and provide objective advice on your investment strategy. Discover

a personalised approach to banking that is as unique as you are. Contact me on telephone: +4173687357 or email: kraushaar@jyskebank.ch and let us schedule a meeting for my next visit to Thailand.

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