ScandAsia Thailand August 2013

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Advice for property buyers in Thailand

2 ScandAsia.Thailand • August 2013

Opinion

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.

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Daily news and features here:www.scandasia.com

There is a growing debate about the future of expats in Asia with an increasing number of observers taking the view that time is running out implying that expats will not be much use here anymore.

To my mind this is an all too rigorist almost mechanical view of current trends. Admittedly the costs of expats combined with the rising performance level and competence of Asians living here or coming back from the U.S. or Europe makes the traditional expat enjoying extremely lavish treatment and high salaries dying specie. But this is far from the same as saying that the expat does not have a future in Asia. Only it will be another and different expat having adapted to new circumstances.

The plain fact, visible in all statistics about education in Asia, tells that an increasing number of Asian graduates from universities, technical universities, and business schools enter the job market including segments hitherto reserved for expats. The statistics and various surveys also shows that not all of them, actually a share much under half depending on which country we look at, has an education comparable with the standard set by Western universities and finds it difficult to be employed by Western multinationals operating in Asia.

So the crux is whether the buoyant Asian market calling for higher production, bigger consumption and investment needing more qualified people will outweigh the number of qualified Asians bidding for jobs in Western multinational companies. Add to this the trend that many Asian companies are now entering Western markets. We see the contours of Asian companies transforming themselves into big multinational companies competing with Western multinationals and consequently entering the American and European market – a process that obviously opens job opportunities for expats, maybe not in a Western company doing business in Asia, but for an Asian company doing business in the U.S. or Europe.

These tendencies or trends will generate job opportunities in Asia. But it also follows that the job opportunities will be different and no expat can expect conditions offered say ten or fifteen years ago.

Wages, holidays, school allowances, and insurance will gradually be brought in line with what an Asian employee costs. The difference between an expat and an Asian in costs will reflect the difference in performance and competence and there is no doubt that Asian graduates are catching up albeit there may still be some way to go.

The Western expat must hone skills to perform in other kinds of jobs and increasingly spot opportunities for job openings in Asian multinationals looking at penetrating Western markets.

Adapt and accept wages and working conditions to be more Asian in the future. If so there is definitely a future for expats in Asia.

The future of expats in Asia

Joergen Oerstroem MoellerVisiting Senior Research Fellow, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore.Adjunct Professor Singapore Management University & Copenhagen Business School. Author of: • HOWASIACANSHAPETHEWORLD, from the era of plenty to the era of scarcities, 2011• PoliticalEconomyinaGlobalizedWorld,2009.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED BY SCANDINAVIAN SOCIETY


Coming Events

2013 Hua Hin Golf FestivalDate: August and September 2013Location: Hua Hin

Once again, the Hua Hin Golf Festival will be held in August and September! This year, golf lovers can enjoy a special green fee at THB 999 per round at participating golf courses; Royal Hua Hin, Palm Hills, Imperial Lake View, Springfield Royal, Majestic Creek, The Eagle Milford, Sea Pine, Sawang Resort and Kaeng Krachan Country Club. The annual event is organised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s offices in Phetchaburi and PrachuapKhiri Khan, in cooperation with the Phetchaburi-PrachuapKhiri Khan Golf Course Association. The aim is to support tourism and promote the region while giving a boost to businesses during the low season.For more information, visit www.huahingolffestival.com

Chalood’s Mural PaintingRetrospective Art ExhibitionDate: Now until 18 August 2013Location: Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, Main Gallery 9th Floor

Professor Chalood Nimsamuer is a national artist who has created fine arts for five decades. The retrospective exhibition of Professor Chalood presents his works from the past fifty years to present. The art exhibition also features his latest collection “Mural Paintings”.Formoreinformation,contact022146630-8ext.501orvisitwww.bacc.or.th

Swedish crayfish party fun at IKEA BangnaDate: 16 August 2013, 7.30pm – 9.30pm Location: IKEA Bangna

To celebrate Swedish roots, IKEA Bangna is holding the first Swedish Crayfish Party on Friday August 16. To enhance the happy vibe, the IKEA Restaurant will be decked out with party tables, chairs, many decorations, party hats. Besides delicious fresh crayfish flown in from Sweden, guests can also enjoy a big buffet of Swedish dishes including Meatball, Pasta with tomato sauce, Salmon roll, Fresh salad, Soup, Crisp bread, Soft roll with lingonberry jam and Swedish cakes. Party ticket is THB 500 per adult and THB 250 for IKEA Family (permanent card holders only). For children aged between four and 12, it’s THB 100 per ticket. And it’s free of charge for children under four.Tickets are pre-sold at IKEA Restaurant from August 1 onwards.Formoreinformation,call+662-708-7999ext.7301

The Platters live in Bangkok 2013Date: 18 August 2013Location: Thailand Cultural Center

Presented by Singha Corporation, The Platters will return to Bangkok to perform on August 18. Formed in Los Angeles in 1953, The Platters were one of the most successful groups in Rock n’ Roll history. Over the years the Platters albums have sold over 100 million copies and are still generating royalties for songs written nearly sixty years ago. Among their smashing hits are Only You, The Great Pretender, Magic Touch, and Smoke Gets in Your Eyes. For more information, www.thaiticketmajor.com

Sonic Bang 2013 Music Festival Date: 24 August 2013, midday to midnight Location: Impact Arena, Muang Thong Thani, Halls 1-4

Sonic Bang 2013 presents the ultimate international music festival experience, featuring 30 artists including top Western, Asian and Thai on 6 stages covering more than 3000 square metres from midday to midnight on August 24. There will be many fun activities in air-conditioned halls. The artist lineup includes Jason Mraz, Pitbull, Owl City, Placebo, Pet Shop Boys, Ash, Scandal, Miyavi, Epik High, Slot Machine, Buddha Bless, Flure, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Jam Project, Love me Butch, Sheppard and many more. Formoreinformation,visitwww.sonicbang.net

August 2013 • ScandAsia.Thailand 7

First Scandinavian business fair and party in PattayaPast Events

ByWachirapornJanrutPhotosbyDisrapornYatprom

On July 13, the first Scandinavian business fair and summer party was held at Baan Norway on Thapraya Road Soi 15 near Jomtien. The event was not as big as the organiser, Tom Stenshavn from

VIP-Reiser, had expected as there were altogether less than 10 Scandinavian businesses present at the fair. The participating companies were New Nordic, Scandic Property, Thailand –idag and a few local restaurants with Scandina-vian food on the menu. A few Scandinavian businesses from Bangkok such as Food Academy Bangkok (FAB) and ScandAsia also attended the event. The afternoon race was cancelled as there were not enough partici-pants. Nevertheless, about 60 participants turned up for the evening party at Baan Norway. Tickets (1,500 baht each) were available for sale on the door. Tom said that proceeds from the event would go to a foster home and a center for disabled Thais. “This is the first time we have organised this. The Scandinavian com-munity in Pattaya is big. There are over 1,000 Scandinavians living here but there has been no event like this before. We want to connect Scandinavians and it’s also a good opportunity for businesses to present themselves to the community,” said Tom. “However, tickets for the next event will cost 1,000 baht per participant and 2,000 baht for each company wanting to have a stand there,” he added. The party started at 7pm with a buffet featuring a few Thai and West-ern dishes such as grilled whole pig and spicy sauce, chicken with cashew nuts, fried rice, roast chicken, fish, salad and spaghetti Bolognese. Soft drinks, beers and wine were also available for sale. Tasty desserts could be found at FAB’s stand, presenting cinnamon rolls, cakes and cookies for participants to buy. The highlight of the evening was the live band playing rock music. The bassist of the band used to play with the renowned Danish singer Kim Larsen. Later in the evening, Tom took to the stage to inform of the next event which will be held on December 21. Most of the participants left the party by 9pm.


Past Events

Swedish Midsummer celebration at IKEA Bangna

To celebrate the Swedish Midsummer, IKEA Bangna offered a free flower headband workshop to participating guests at G Floor

from 10am to 7pm on Saturday June 22. Many Thais participated in the workshop where they learned to make wreaths of ‘krans’ and wore them on their heads. They enjoyed themselves while learning about the Swedish Midsummer celebration tradition there. Midsummer is the celebration of the summer solstice and arguably Sweden’s best loved holiday. The celebration, which takes place when the weather is at its finest in Sweden, is an ancient practice that has many rituals closely associated with the hope for a good harvest in autumn. Swedes dance, sing and often begin Midsummer Eve by picking flowers to make wreaths. Then they wear these wreaths of krans on their heads during Midsummer days.

Final SSS Golf tournament for the season

On June 8, the final SSS Golf tournament for the season was held. It was well at-tended and the weather was perfect for

a great day on the golf course. The highlight of the day must be Hakan Nylander’s hole in one on the back nine - of course giving him one of the closest to the pin prizes. In addition to the tournament results - the year end MVP and other champions were crowned. Erik Dahlstrom took home the MVP for 2012-2013 season and Sverre Haug took the putting honours. Marko Unhola won the A group and the B group was won by Mikael Olsson There was a meeting held by the golf committee the week after and the golf schedule was tentatively set for the 2013-2014 season. It will be posted during the month of August at www.zabaigolf.com

ByChristerHolmvall

Telenor and Thailand celebrate longstanding affiliationPast Events

On June 21, Telenor celebrated its 16 years of existence in Thailand with a reception and cultural event at its Norwegian headquarters in Fornebu, west of Oslo.

The Norwegian telecoms giant Telenor first started expanding into Asia via Thailand 16 years ago. Telenor’s chief executive Jon Fredrik Baksaas confirmed that its regional headquarters in Bangkok is an Asian hub and gateway of sorts. “This is the very core of Telenor,” Baksaas told guests who included diplomats, government officials, politicians and business executives, “and it took us to Thailand.” Baksaas, who served as co-host with Thailand’s ambassador to Norway, Theerakun Niyom, noted that mobile phones were “hardly visible” in Thailand or elsewhere when “persistent” Telenor executives foresaw that mobile communications “would be something for everyone, not just the elite.” The Thai mobile company in which Telenor now holds a major stake, DTAC, now has nearly 27 million customers (more than five times Norway’s total population) and, Baksaas said, “has become the biggest mobile concern in the Telenor group.” “When I first met Fredrik, I told him Telenor is doing a good job in connecting people in Thailand,” Ambassador Niyom said in his opening remarks at the midday reception. “But there are so many ways to connect people, also through culture.” The ambassador then introduced the renowned Sbun-nga Chiang Mai Performance Troupe, recognized for its folk and contemporary dances, music and costumes. Thai foods prepared by the chef at the Thai embassy in Oslo were available for guests to sample.


News Brief

2014 IKEA Catalogue to be launched in Thailand on August 27

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LÆS MERE PÅ WWW.HERLUFSHOLM.DK

The 2014 IKEA Catalogue will be launched in Sweden, many parts of Europe and the United States in early August. In Thai-land, the catalogue will be launched at the IKEA Bangna store

on August 27. With over 1.2 million copies printed and distributed, it will be the biggest catalogue campaign of IKEA Thailand so far. Each catalogue will also include a 100 baht voucher as a gift to everyone to enjoy a fun day out at IKEA. At the same time, IKEA Thailand will bring 1,200 new furniture and home furnishing items and add more products under its Even Lower Price (ELP) programme – by September 2013, IKEA will offer more than 900 ELP products. Leveraging IKEA’s large scale produc-tion advantages, the ELP programme enables customers to enjoy more low priced items across IKEA’s massive product range. This year further steps have been taken to integrate digital chan-nels into the IKEA catalogue. For example, the interactive features for the IKEA catalogue app have been developed, to help customers furnish their rooms in an augmented reality and see how over 100 products in the IKEA catalogue can fit in their homes. If you want to win a special gift from IKEA, tell IKEA “You’ve got it” by capturing your catalogue moment and #IKEAcatalogue2014 via Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Neighbourhood with the most tags will get something special from IKEA. You can be part of the catalogue journey at www.IKEA.co.th/IKEAcatalogue2014.

Dr. Kristian Bø awarded Honorary Membership of Scandinavian Society SiamByGregersMoller

Dr. Kristian Bø, a long time Norwegian resident of Thailand, was on Tuesday 2 July awarded Honorary Membership of the Scandina-vian Society Siam. The certificate was presented to him by Robert

Kronberg, Chairman of the Scandinavian Society Siam at a small award ceremony held in the charming ambiance of the Da Vinci Restaurant of Rembrandt Hotel Bangkok. Thirty-five members and guests had gathered to congratulate Kristian Bø who was accompanied by his wife, Khun Kwanchai. Board Member Flemming Winther Nielsen introduced as Master of Ceremony the speakers Leo Alexandersen, Erik Dahlstrom and Robert Kronberg. The three speakers praised from each their perspective Kristian Bø for his consistent support throughout the years of the Scandinavian Society Siam as well as the Scandinavian community in Thailand at large. Dr. Kristian Bø thanked for the award with a fresh and witty speech. He also conveyed fresh greetings to everyone from his old friend Tove Bjer-kan, a fellow Norwegian and also Honorary Member of the Scandinavian Society Siam, whom he had just visited last week in his home near Pattaya. In appreciation of the award, Kristian Bø gave a copy of the book that he wrote a few years ago about his many and long bicycle trips around Thailand to the newly opened Scandinavian library in Hotel Mermaid Bang-kok. Before handing over the book to Flemming Winther Nielsen, he read the dedication that he had written in the front stating the occasion and the date of the gift.


Telenor moves management team in Thailand to head Myanmar business

Telenor Group has named the management team that will lead its new Myanmar business, including appoint-ing Petter Furberg as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Telenor Myanmar, effective from when the company receives formal approval from the relevant Myanmar authorities. Furberg will be responsible for the rapid roll-

out of a modern telecommunications network and related services to the benefit of the entire Myanmar population.Furberg is currently CFO of DTAC, Thailand’s second-largest mobile operator owned by Telenor, and has served within the Telenor group for 14 years. “I am thrilled with the opportunity to lead Telenor Myanmar at this very exciting time in the country’s emerging telecommunications industry,” Furberg said. He added that Telenor plans to build a team made up of local talent in Myanmar. However, the management positions at Telenor Myanmar all go to people already working in the Telenor Group. Chief technology officer Prathet Tankuranun and chief people officer Tipayarat Kaewsringarm will both join Tele-nor Myanmar from DTAC, while CFO Lars Erik Tellmann, chief marketing officer Sharad Mehrotra, and chief corpo-rate affairs officer Gunnar Bertelsen all currently hold management positions at Telenor Asia. All appointments are effective once the relevant authorities in Myanmar give their approval, Telenor said.

Double A invests in technology from Finland to upgrade Thai pulp plant

In response to signifi-cant growth

in the market and the global demand in many enterprises, Dou-ble A has invested USD 6.1 million to upgrade its pulp production line in Thailand using modern technology from Finland. The machine will commence com-mercial production at the beginning of 2014 with 175,000 tons annual capacity. The first 100,000 tons output will be exported to China. The demand for high-purity cellulose, also known as dissolving pulp, has substantially increased during the last few years. Dissolving pulp, a bleached wood pulp with a high cellulose content of more than 90%, is a key material used to manufacture viscose staple fiber (VSF) or rayon. More than 80% of the world’s dissolving pulp is con-verted to viscose rayon fiber, which is used in dresses, jackets, suits, socks, neckties and other garments. Asia, specifically China, will continue to be the world’s biggest market for dissolving pulp as a viable substitute for cotton with special applications in rayon fiber for textile industry. This is due to the limited domestic supply of fiber, increased production of garments and the short supply of cotton. Double A’s dissolving pulp is sourced from sustainable Paper Tree from KHAN-NA, its proprietary sustainable fiber sourcing program. Paper from KHAN-NA reduces carbon dioxide emissions and im-proves rice farmer’s income.

Advance voting in the Norwegian elections

Norwegians in the Eastern Seaboard area of Thailand may

cast their voting in advance of the Norwegian general elec-tion at the Royal Norwegian Consulate in Pattaya up until August 22. The voting can take place during the opening hours of the Consulate:Monday 09.00 – 11.30 and 14.00 – 17.00

Tuesday 09.00 – 11.30 and 14.00 – 17.00

Friday 09.00 – 11.30

Theaddressis:384/22 Moo 12, JomtienGarden,Houseno.52,Sub-soi11,Jomtien Beach Road, (byJomtienGardenHotel&Resort)

News Brief

PetterFurberg


News Brief

Meeting between EFTA and Thailand

Volvo Group invests in Thai output base for Asia

A meeting between EFTA and Thailand was held in Bangkok on July 2, to assess the possibility of reopening negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA). The EFTA delegation was led by

Icelandic Ambassador Martin Eyjolfsson. Mr. Somkiat Triratpan, Deputy Director-General at the Department of Trade Negotiations, led the Thai delegation. Both parties agreed that negotiations should be re-sumed as soon as possible. Thai authorities plan to propose a draft for a mandate to the EFTA negotiations to the Parliament at the next Parliamentary session, starting on August 1 this year. Thailand and EFTA initiated negotiations for an FTA in 2005, but the negotiations were put on hold in 2006 because of the political situation in Thailand at the time. At the EFTA ministerial meeting in Trondheim on June 24 this year, the EFTA ministers of trade unani-mously expressed a strong wish to see a reopening of the negotiations in the near future. The need for an FTA with Thailand was further strengthened when Thailand and the European Union recently entered into negotiations about a comprehensive FTA. Norway’s trade with Thailand has seen an increase in recent years, and in 2012 the total trade in goods exceeded NOK 5 billion (about THB 25 billion) for the first time. Norwegian exports to Thailand are primarily fertilizers, machinery and fish, while the imports are primarily electronics, cars, seafood, rice, fruit and vegetables. The FTA will aim for a removal of tariffs for as many goods as possible for both Thailand and the EFTA countries. Norway has also got significant interests regarding trade in services, especially telecommunication.

Volvo Group has earmarked 5 billion baht to expand its nationwide sales and service network and Bangkok truck assembly plant.CEO Olof Persson said recently that the Swedish truck maker has

been in this country for 40 years now and the company had sufficient skilled human resources and a big suppliers’ network to serve its goal of us-ing Thailand as its production hub for Asia. The plant would build vehicles in Asia and for Asia, especially UD trucks, Japan’s heritage heavy-duty truck brand. Volvo Group (Thailand) Co would use 3 billion baht of the budget for the nationwide network expansion and 2 billion baht for its plant on Bang Na-Trat Highway, which was now assembling UD trucks. Thailand was chosen for the world premiere of UD trucks later this year.The truckmaker’s massive investment in Thailand shows the firm’s confi-dence in the country. Volvo Group now has two strong brands – Volvo and UD. Competition here was very tough and Volvo has built up custom-ers’ trust by offering the right product at the right price and with the right service. “UD Truck will help Volvo Group gain more share of the heavy-duty truck market,” Perssen said. Volvo Group would also benefit from its recent partnership with China’s Dongfeng, as China was a huge market while Volvo had its own hi-tech innovations, he added.

Thai tourists are doubling their travel budgets Thai travelers are likely to increase their budgets over 92 percent on their next

trips according to the latest Visa Global Travel Intentions Study. The study indicates Thai’s travel budgets will jump to USD 2,501 from the USD1,304

last year. Visa’s regular barometer of travel trends also uncovered Thais’ top travel desti-nations will remain in APAC for the next year. Japan emerged as the top destination – with Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and China rounding out the top five destina-tions. The Scandinavian countries do not market themselves so they are not on the map. “It’s clear that Thais love to travel – whether domestically or abroad,” said Somboon Krobteeranon, Visa Country Manager for Thailand and Myanmar. “This year’s Visa Global Travel Intentions study discovered that Thai travel be-haviors are beginning to change as more go online to book their trips, and use Visa payment cards on-the-go. Visa credit or debit cards offer greater security for travel-ers, and peace of mind knowing that Visa is accepted worldwide and travelers don’t have to carry large amounts of cash.” The Visa Global Travel Intentions Study 2013 was commissioned by Visa to Millward Brown. Fieldwork was conducted between November and December 2012. It was based on online and offline surveys with 12,631 travelers aged 18 and above, across 25 markets in Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa & Middle East, and the Americas.


Witch Doctor convicted of murder of Thai-Danish womanByGregersMoller

The Appeals Court in Thailand on July 15 sentenced a Thai witch doc-tor to six years in prison for the murder of Duangsamorn, who had lived in Denmark over twenty years before she in 2011 went back

on New Year’s Eve. The provincial court of Samutprakarn had last year dismissed the case against the witch doctor because the prosecutors crown witnesses – Duangsamorn’s parents – had made too many conflicting statements about what happened during Duangsamorn’s last few tragic days, where she was tortured to death. Cause of death was according to the autopsy violent beating of her body causing a broken rib bone to rupture her liver. But according to Scan-dAsia’s research immediately after the killing, the beating was likely not by the witch doctor. The police report from the crime scene was done by Duangsamorn’s parents son-in-law. And a doctor, who had examined the victim two days before she was brought to the witch doctor was never heard. And the financial element was never investigated. To read the first account of the bizarre case, visit www.scandasia.com/10216-murder-case-dismissed-in-killing-of-thai-woman-from-den-mark/ After the provincial court last year ruled that the witch doctor had not caused her death the prosecutor appealed the verdict. On July 15, imme-diately after the judge had pronounced the six months jail sentence of the witch doctor, but upheld the dismissal of the case against his assistant, the by now quite frail old man was put in hand cuffs and taken into custody. According to his lawyer, the verdict on July 15 will be appealed to the last court for a final verdict. This is expected to take another five years. Meanwhile, the witch doctor will remain in remand prison, unless the family can raise 400.000 THB, which is the bail set by the court. His daughter ap-peals for help from Duangsamorn’s friends in Denmark to raise this amount. She can be reached through me, Gregers Moller – [email protected]

Opening of Sandvik Coromant Productivity Center

Hosted by Southeast Asia General Manager Jean-Louis Macey, the grand opening of Sandvik Coromant Productivity Cen-ter in Bangkok was held on July 10 in presence of Swedish

ambassador Klas Molin. The Productivity Center offers Swedish tooling solutions for the metal working industry, focusing on minimizing cost and increasing productivity for its customers.

News Brief


Advice for property buyers in ThailandExperienced Swedes share their experiences

By Josephine Freje

ScandAsia visited Soi Dao, about four hours drive east of Bangkok - near the Cambodian border. It was in this beautiful province that Mrs. Gunilla and Mr. Håkan Kolmodin, along with 22 other Swedish

house buyers, wanted to build a new future. “We would now like to share our experi-ences so that no more Scandinavians end up in our situation”, says Mr. Håkan Kolmodin. It all started more than ten years ago when their house was built the first time. At that time Mrs. Gunilla and Mr. Håkan met ScandAsia for an article about homestaying. They wanted to share their beautiful traditional Thai home and life in the countryside with other Scandinavians. But it all went terribly wrong. “The problem came from a Thai national who at that time worked for us as our driver and later become a local politician. He helped us with all the practical arrangements with building our Thai wooden houses, but we should never have trusted him”, says Mrs. Gunilla. Many years of their life were affected with worries over the conflict and they don’t even want to think about the money they lost. The driver eventually ended up in prison, 3.5 years, for the crimes he committed against Mrs. Gunilla and Mr. Håkan. The couple was forced to take the drastic measure of dismantling their houses and rebuilding them at a new location. They chose Soi Dao: “We decided to move here for a new start”, says Mrs. Gunilla. “We had hoped that it would be quiet and peaceful here and we looked forward to seeing other Swedes in this little village after the hard-ship we had gone through.”

This time around the couple checked all the paperwork carefully, but despite this – they now find themselves in a new conflict which has also affected 22 other Swedish house owners in the small Swedish village in Soi Dao. One of them is Mr. Peter Dahlström, from Lund, southern Sweden. “This has been one of the most horrible ex-periences of my life. We have been forced to hire security guards to patrol the area to protect us,” he says.

ScandAsia have interviewed several of the Swedish homeowners and they bear witness to how men armed with machetes have entered their compound. Water and electricity has been turned off for long periods. In their quest for jus-tice the Swedes are assisted by Mrs. Sakorn An-dersson, a loyal Thai majority shareholder. Right now six separate lawsuits against a local co-own-er are in progress: “The problem is that one of the minority owners is trying to take control over the land and the houses through intimidation and harassment,” explains Mrs. Sakorn. Mrs. Sakorn Andersson lives in Soi Dao with her Swedish husband Mr. Kjell Andersson. “Nobody wants to buy the houses as it stands now. The local minority owner is trying to get us all to give up which would mean the loss of tens of millions of Thai baht,” says Mr. Kjell. The house owners have now written to the Swedish embassy in a cry for help. The Swedish house buyers have now also got help from a Thai lawyer who tells ScandAsia that the co-owner can face up to 3 years prison, if they win. The Swedes are still waiting for the local police to take action against the minority owner, who one night entered the compound armed with a loaded gun. A crime that the lo-cal co-owner acknowledges in a taped interview with ScandAsia: “Yes, I was in their compound with a gun, but it was only because I had cleaned the gun for my father that I happened to have the gun in the waistband. Everything else that the Swedes say is, in my opinion, just lies”, says the accused co-owner who has also mounted discouraging signs in the area, written in Thai, where the Swedes are Mrs. Sakorn Andersson and Mr. Kjell Andersson


5 tips for buying a house in Thailand:

About 10000 Swedes have houses in Thailand today and there are thousands more Scandinavians living here. Here is the Swedish embassy in Bangkok’s advice to those who want to buy property in Thailand:

1) Check with the Thai “land office” who owns the land and that there are no hidden conflicts.

2) Always take the assistance of independent legal experts.

3) Translate all documents.

4) As a foreigner, you can only rent land, or own as a partner. 51 percent of the shares must be owned by Thais.

5) Make sure you got a lease on the land on which the house rests, you register the lease for 30 years term at the land office.

accused of having links to the Mafia. An absurd assertion given that some of the Swedish home-owners are retirees and law abiding citizens. Mrs. Gunilla, Mr. Håkan and the other Swedes are still hopeful that they will win in court. They say they got all their paperwork in order and so far they have received fair treatment in the lo-cal court where they have already won one case against the local co-owner. “What to keep in mind is to have a good land lease contract, which clearly specifies that you are

the house owner and that your lease contract is registered at the Land Office with the right to stay on the ground for 30 years. It is extremely important”, says Mrs. Gunilla, who despite all the problems they have gone through never has con-sidered to leave Thailand. “No, oddly enough, Håkan and I feel that this is our home and we enjoy living in Thailand. We take it day by day and I think it is the Thai attitude that has helped us to take it easy and to not get too much emotionally involved.”

Mrs.GunillaandMr.HåkanKolmodin


Nordea opens private banking branchin Singapore

To serve the growing community of Nordic individuals in Asia, Nordea has opened a private banking branch in Singapore.

Nordic businesses are growing in Asia and are thereby attracting more Nordic professionals to live and work in the region. The Nordic expa-triates in Asia are also staying longer than they used to. Singapore is the centre for private banking in Asia, and Nordea offers private banking services to the growing community of wealthy individuals from its newly opened branch in Singapore.

“Asia-Pacific is an engine of growth for the world”, says CEO Jhon Mortensen of Nordea Bank S.A. “To present the growing number of Nordic individuals in the region with the same high quality private banking service as we do in Europe, we have opened a branch in Singapore, thereby making their access to the financial mar-kets easier, more efficient and more secure.” For five consecutive years, Nordea was named the best provider of private banking ser-vices in the Nordic & Baltic region by the inter-national financial magazine Euromoney. Nordea

is the leading Nordic provider of international private banking services, and the Nordea Group is Northern Europe’s leading universal bank, with around 11 million customers, more than 1,000 branch offices and EUR 224 billion in assets under management. Nordea is one of the leading international banks in shipping, providing a diversified range of services for that sector. The company has a dedicated team in Singapore with strong market knowledge and structuring capabilities to assist clients in several Asian countries. The new branch will be headed by Eric Peder-sen, who started as an analyst in the Bank’s Trea-sury department, and, since 2000, has worked in senior roles within Asset Management and Private Banking. “Besides our reputation for seeing things from the client’s point of view, Nordea’s financial strength and the retained AA-rating is clearly an added attraction for wealthy clients looking for a safe and reliable private banking partner,” he says.The Singapore team is composed of experienced, senior private bankers with financial market ex-pertise who are supported by highly qualified op-erational staff. In the team of account managers are Jonas Bergqvist (Swedish), Haavard Farstad (Norwegian), and Kim Osborg Nielsen (Danish).

For further information:EricPedersenGeneralManager,NordeaBankS.A.,Singapore BranchPhone+6565971081

Jhon Mortensen EricPedersen






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Music for kidsDanish musician Jeff Thomsen is the man behind Music 4 kids, an annual event gathering great bands to perform music to support kids at Father Joe’s project in Klong Toey.

ByWachirapornJanrut



On May 31 and June 1, Apoteka bar and restaurant on Sukhumvit soi 11 was packed with expats and Thais enjoying themselves to non-stop live music performed

by some of Bangkok’s finest bands and musi-cians. This was the 2013 edition of the Music 4 Kids Charity Music Festival – and as the cheering crowds proved, once again it was a huge success.

Music 4 KidsInitiated in 2004 by Danish musician Jeff Thom-sen, from Soi Dog band, Music 4 Kids provides donations to underprivileged children and their families living with the realities of HIV in Thailand. The yearly music event is held to raise money for the kids. The proceeds go to Father Joe Maier’s Human Development Foundation Mercy Centre in Klong Toey. For many years, the event was held at Tokyo Joe’s blues bar. This year was the first time for Apoteka to host the event, where the ten great bands and musicians namely Big Rick, Crispy Du-rian, Damn Banjo, Todd Tongdee, Danny Califor-nia, Dr. Blues, Celtic Colors, Cactus Terrain, Ta-kashi & Full House and Soi Dog performed blues and rock music over two nights to entertain the audience at the event for free. “We raised 162,000 baht this year, more than last year which was 71,000 baht. I’m very pleased. It was very nice of Apoteka to give the venue for two nights, and people were generous in the box,” says the organiser Jeff Thomsen. Aside from raising money from the donation box that had been passed around Apoteka at the event, donations were generated from the sale of t-shirts in front of the bar at 400 baht each. Apoteka also offered the profits made from the two evenings to the charity project.

How it all began“I have always wanted to help children so I checked out a few places. I went to Father Joe’s in Klong Toey and had a tour of the facilities. Then I saw a little boy in the middle of a big room by himself. He didn’t play with the other kids. A staff member told me that when you have HIV sometimes you have a bad day and this little fel-low now is having a bad day. That was exactly the point I decided to put something together to help the kids there,” says Jeff. “To convince great bands to perform on their busy Friday and Saturday nights was a challenge at first. But we have done it for many years since 2004 so it’s not a challenge anymore,” he adds.

A mix of culturesBorn in Denmark, Jeff moved to Thailand with his Danish parents when he was four. He spent his childhood in Lampoon province in the north of Thailand and later moved to study at an interna-tional school in Bangkok. “My dad came here because he was a civil en-gineer. He built many nice roads over thousands of kilometres in Thailand. One of the famous roads is from Lampoon to Chiang Mai and that’s where we lived when we first came here,” says Jeff.

Growing up in a Danish family in Thailand, Jeff embraced both Danish and Thai cultures. When he was young Jeff travelled with his family to Den-mark every school break in summer. Now Jeff is 52. He travels to Denmark every couple of years. “I’m built like a Dane and polite like a Thai,” he says. Jeff’s language skills are astonishing. He speaks Thai like a Thai and even sang a Thai song to wow the Thai crowds at Apoteka during the event. On top of that, he speaks perfect Danish and English. “I speak Danish to my mum and dad but I have a lot more Thai friends than Danish friends,” says Jeff in perfect English to ScandAsia. After 46 years in Thailand, his parents moved back to Denmark to enjoy their retirements around the family there. Jeff says he misses them. However, he has no plan to move there. “Here is home. One of the reasons I love liv-ing here is the food. You can have any food any time you want. I mean you can have Pakistani, Spanish, Danish, vegetarian Indian, Iranian, French and everything here. And most of them are not bad. If you are lazy you can walk down the street and you will find bami noodles or kao man kai or anything,” says Jeff. Nevertheless, there are things in Denmark that he misses. These include hotdogs, beers, cheese, Licourice, and Danish candies.

Passion for musicHis passion for music started at an early age. Jeff found his inspiration for playing the guitar from Jimi Hendrix, the famous American musician mak-ing his name as one of the most influential electric guitarists in history. When he was 38, Jeff decided to pursue his passion for music and two years later the band “Soi Dog” was formed. Among the four band members, Jeff is the only foreigner. “We have played together for 12 years now. We are like family,” says Jeff. One of the notable gigs for Soi Dog was at the 2005 Blue Rock Festival on Koh Samui where they shared the stage with many big bands from all over the world such as UB40, The Blues Broth-ers, and Jerry Lee Lewis. At the moment, Soi Dog performs at Apoteka in Soi 11 every Thursday from 9 p.m. to midnight. Despite his passion for music, Jeff says that it’s only his hobby. He has a leather busi-ness where he supplies leather to factories in Thailand. The demand is currently high as many people are back to use more of leather products again.

A message for Scandinavian society Jeff says that the next Music 4 Kids event will be held in May again next year and the Scandinavian society should participate and support Father Joe. However, those who don’t want to wait until next year can find Father Joe’s project at www.mercycentre.org “If you give up one fancy meal a month to support Father Joe, imagine how many kids you can help,” says Jeff.


Swedish pet food ‘Husse’ expands into Thailand Swedish home-delivery pet food “Husse” has recently expanded its operations in Asia. Entering the Thai market this year, it will bring high quality pet food to pet lovers’ doors.

ByWachirapornJanrut

For centuries, pets have been part of the home environment in many families. Rela-tionships between humans and their pets have developed, and increasing number of pet-owners today care for their pets as

they would care for their family members. “I grew up having pets in our family both horses and dogs. We like pets. We call it a family companion,” says Tom Eliasson, CEO of Husse, a home-delivery pet food supplier based in Sweden. Established in 1987 by Staffan Hedlund, Husse offers high quality pet food and pet supplements with a home delivery service. The Swedish entre-preneur, Tom Eliasson, saw the business opportu-


nity and decided to take over Husse in 1991. “The old tradition of feeding pets with your leftovers has changed as many pet owners nowa-days choose quality and nutritious food for their pets,” says Tom. Before taking over Husse, Tom ran a success-ful company in real estate and finance. However, his company suffered terribly during the econom-ic crisis in 1990 and was eventually closed down afterwards. From empty hands, Tom has found himself a new business venture that he has high hopes for.

The conceptHusse focuses on offering super premium pet food to people who care about their pets but have limited time to go out for shopping. “Most of our customers are young married couples that both partners are working. The idea is to bring high quality pet food to their doors. We don’t sell our products at any stores. We don’t charge for delivery cost but we do require a minimum order,” says Tom. “Also, we offer high standard training in cur-rent pet nutrition to everyone in our network so that we can give advice and answer any questions that our customers might have,” he adds. The company offers a wide range of pet food including dry food and wet food for dogs and cats of all ages. Aiming to tap into the high-end markets, Husse’s pet food and supplements also include gourmet cat food for pampered cats, fur ball preventative and several types of cat lit-ter and cat litter trays. Additionally, the company supplies reduced fat pet food for overweight dogs and cats, and specially developed products for cats and dogs with medical conditions. The company grew fast and Tom decided to apply a franchise concept to Husse. The company expanded its network of franchisees in Sweden and later recruited Master franchisees in Den-mark, Norway and Finland. The brand quickly became well-known in Scandinavia. In 1996 Husse participated in Europe’s largest trade fair in Paris. The brand was well received and rapidly expanded in Europe. Today, Husse is avail-able in over 40 countries across four continents. The company’s catalogue has gone from a single page to a 40-page brochure available in 20 differ-

Husse is a Swedish

word meaning “Master”

Husse has recently expanded its network in Thailand, Singapore and China. For Thailand, the franchisee is Khun Vinai Phongsathorn, the former Member of Board of Governors at Pacific City Club Ltd and a well-known businessman in Thai-land. Among the challenges that he faced when entering the Thai market is the timely process in getting an import permit from Port Authority of Thailand, where it took the company 14 months to get it. “EU operates like one country. Thailand is very strict when it comes to import rules. But I think it’s good that every company has to go through this procedure,” Tom says with a positive outlook.

Swedish pet food for Thai pets? When asked if he thinks Thai pets would like Swedish pet food, Tom says that he had noticed the differences in consumption behaviors. For in-stance, cats in Europe like to eat meat while cats in Asia prefer to eat fish. “We also have many fish flavours, and we plan to send more of the products that suit Asian tastes here,” says Tom. He also says that product packages are smaller in Asia and people seem to buy smaller amounts for more often. Accordingly, the com-pany is prepared to adapt the sizes of its packages to suit the local needs. Though there are differences in consump-tion behaviors, Tom believes that people are the same in a way that they are looking for good quality products at good prices. “We don’t have the costs for shelving our products in supermarket, and we don’t do TV commercial ads here so prices of our high quality products will be competitive,” says Tom. “We believe in the Thai market. Thai people care a lot for their pets. I believe our business concept will work here,” he adds. The company aims to reach both Thai and foreign pet owners in the main cities of Thailand. Husse’s full operations in Thailand will kick off in September this year. For any pet lovers who are interested, call 02 632 7551-2 or visit www.thai.husse.com/home/ or www.husse.co.uk for English language.

ent languages. The company’s website is available in 28 languages, including Thai. Tom says that very soon, it will also be available in Mandarin. Currently based in Stockholm, the company’s operation is international as its staff comes from many different parts of the world such as Ro-mania, Russia, Poland, Slovenia, and China. The Husse’s family also includes Tom’s sons – Petter and Tim Eliasson. “We aim for 26 per cent growth rate per year. I’m an entrepreneur and I like to see the company grow bigger and bigger,” says Tom.

Expansion in AsiaWhile the European economy is still sore, Tom sees a brighter future in the Asian markets. “We’ve covered most countries in Europe. Now we would like to focus on Asia. The econ-omy here is growing faster than in Europe,” says Tom.

TomEliasson


Johan Magnusson Resort ManagerScandAsia talks to Johan Magnusson, the Swedish resort manager at Sunwing Resort Kamala Beach and Sunprime Kamala Beach Resort on Phuket.

By Joakim Persson

Meeting Johan Magnusson it soon be-comes clear that he feels blessed. Blessed to be working among happy people on holiday and great col-leagues. And just as grateful to be

alive; Johan was caught by the tsunami wave in Sri Lanka but survived. Unsurprisingly, that experience has shaped him to be very positive-minded and open. The feel-good factor is a driving force for him. Johan says that he often reminds himself that he is privileged to be working where he is – in a resort environment, overlooking pools, lush gar-dens and smiling people. He is also practicing Buddhism after many years in Asia so it appears he has found his place. He indeed confirms that the arrival to Thai-land slightly felt like coming home - entering an entirely new role and seeing that he could benefit so much from what he had learned previously in training his staff and bridging the gap between Asian and Western cultures. “This country has been much more exciting than I anticipated before arriving. I was sceptical. But after many years one can see that tourism is big, and yet so much of the Thai way still prevails, just around the corner basically. A fascinating cul-ture still dominates Thai life.”

A day with JohanThe particular day for ScandAsia’s visit also hap-pens to coincide with the day when the hotel gets its occasional blessing. So nine monks arrive and take the stage in the ballroom, where the

One Day in Life with:


hotel owner family and Johan along with many of his associates partake in the ceremony. Johan’s favourite hobby is anthropology, he dis-closes, which connects to his background as a round trip guide for many years – from where his interest in cultures have just grown. Also in Thailand he re-ally loves to observe the local culture and attends local ceremonies and events as much as he can. “And then being able to use it in my work I can see that I win respect with my staff when I know the code of conduct. They see I respect their culture and religion.” After the blessing his day continues with a walk around on the hotel premises. He is a people person and adheres to management by walking and also talking to guests as much as he has time for; which also gives him valuable direct feedback. In doing these spontaneous walks he can discover small little details that his staff do not see as a problem. Then he continues with the list of issues from the front office desk which shows solved and

pending matters, the majority of them concerning guests. Johan has instilled a sense of responsibility with his associates to always strive to achieve that little extra, which turns the vacation for the guests from good to great. It can, for example, be a gesture as compensation (for example a free dinner) to reinstall the good vibe for the guest when some kind of dissatisfaction has arisen. The full focus is on happy guests during high season, and February which is the second peak with the winter holidays in Europe.

From leading tour at Thomas Cookto managing hotelBeing charter hotel brands belonging to Thomas Cook, Sunprime and Sunwing on Kamala are oc-cupied by an average 30- 40 per cent and 75 per cent respectively of guests coming from Scandi-navia (the majority being Swedish.) With this in mind Johan was contacted in Viet-nam where he was then a tour leader for Ving’s

special round trips, soon after Sunwing had opened its first resort on Bang Tao beach on Phuket. They wanted Johan to step in at the then brand new Sunwing as assistant resort manager and build a functioning team. There were some struggles to establish their European concept in a Thai setting and make the staff fully understand it. This certainly seemed odd to some employees within Thomas Cook - that a round trip guy from the jungles of Asia, sort of, all of a sudden would be hired to manage one of their branded hotels. However, the resort knew of his background. On top of his vast experience in Asian cultures, Johan had previously worked for Sunwing abroad in Europe. Also, he had been a restaurant man-ager within entertainment in Stockholm, Sweden. “Those three components would be a good combination, they thought, whereas I was very hesitant to give up what I was doing. I saw it as a privilege to be in those countries and doing that job. In retrospect I can see that they had picked me for the right reasons though.”

Johan says that he often reminds himself that he is privileged

to be working where he is – in a

resort environment, overlooking pools, lush gardens and smiling people.


It was agreed that Johan would first help them for one season. But here he still remains on Phuket after six and doing his fourth year as resident manager of the Kamala beach properties.

Training and motivation“It was such joy to lead the hotel and work with so many associates, and to see that I could benefit a lot from what I had learned over the years in my daily role coaching my managers to become pop-ular and capable. I could put myself in the guests’ shoes and learned what’s important for them.” Cross-cultural training has been a big part in his management roles and bridging the gap when guests raise any issues. Johan can teach his staff European do’s and don’ts while also explaining to guests the things about Thais that does not always make sense to foreigners. Motivating and coaching are core duties in his role and after having worked a number of years with many of the same people the atmosphere is relaxed these days. Department managers give input and ask questions – which was not the case at all when they began the journey. Johan has worked hard to eliminate any ele-ment of fear and to become ‘you’ with the staff and build the confidence of the service manager,

restaurant manager etc. so these guide their as-sociates and all grow in their roles. This is also essential in order to groom the next generation of local leaders, nurturing those on level two and three within the management. “One of the tasks is to pave the way for that it could eventually be another person running the hotel and making it easy for that person to enter. I say to my department managers: if one cannot be away and cannot replace a person – then one has not succeeded fully, ‘cause you should eventually build future managers within the team.” His own transformation from a guide to ho-telier went more smoothly than he would have thought and developed step-by-step. Entering as assistant manager at a new hotel, Johan learned a lot. After the hotel opened, he was then promoted to be resort manager. In response to increased demand, the second Sunwing was built and opened in Kamala in No-vember 2009, with Johan at the helm. “After two years I got an entirely new role and then after two years again I was assigned to become double resort manager. I feel I could de-velop further all the way up to now.” “Now, with my fourth high season I think I’ll take this as far as I possibly can, there is room for

at least one more year.” His relationship with the family who owns the hotel has grown stronger year after year, and with six years gone by, the idea of going back to doing round trips is put on hold indefinitely. “I hope they will open another hotel here, the optimal would be that these two partners would build one more hotel; if not in Phuket be it in Khao Lak or any other place. That would be a welcome new challenge for me.” Though Kamala beach has become very popu-lar among Swedes these days, Johan says there’s a significance difference if compared to Koh Lanta. “Kamala is not like Lanta where you walk around in areas and feel you’re in Little Sweden or so. If you walk around on the markets here you still feel you’re in Thailand and on the beach you feel like being in an international environ-ment. There are not only Swedes around.” He thinks Kamala is much appreciated for its laidback vibe and local village society. Families he personally knows who have stayed at the resort have turned into residents or ‘long stay’ guests who ended up renting or buy-ing property. Swedes are also lucky as there are several Swedish schools established in Kamala. “I live here myself and feel at home.”

It was such joy to lead the hotel and

work with so many associates, and to see

that I could benefit a lot from what I

had learned over the years in my daily role coaching my

managers to become popular and capable.

I could put myself in the guests’ shoes and learned what’s important for them.

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If you’re anything like us, in the past you have looked at a guy on a Segway thinking how much you would want to try one, but never

actually going up to a rental agent to try, scared of how silly you might look. Fear not. People around will probably look at you the same way you have looked at others on this slightly weird, futuristic means of transportation, but you will have too much fun to pay any attention. The tour offered by Segway Gibbon (part of Flight of the Gibbon) starts out with a crash course outside the main office. We had a few laughs as we stepped up for the first time, ready to have our go at taming the weird beast that is the Segway, and was surprised to find it just as easy as the brochures told us it would be. No ex-aggeration there, and within minutes we felt like we had been doing this forever. Luckily, the first stop of our tour was the plaza just outside the main gate going into the old quarter of Chiang Mai. Here we were allowed to put our newfound skills to the test. So we did. Racing up and down on a large open space was amazing fun, to say the least. And a Japanese tour-ist took a picture of us for his scrapbook.

More temples than one can fathomIn Chiang Mai, there are more than 300 temples. Walking around by yourself it’s impossible to fig-ure out which signifies what, who built that and why did they have to build so many in the first place. But that’s why you hire guides, and our two were first class. One functions mainly as a safety guide, blocking traffic with a rather hilarious sign

A Segway to the sights of Chiang MaiFed up with temples? Can’t wait to see the next one? Regardless of how you feel about the old architecture of Thailand, a Segway is one way of going about it that suits everyone.

BySebastianBuurandIdaHolt

Operator: Segway Gibbon is run by Flight of the GibbonAddress: 29/4-5 Kachasarn Rd., Chang Klan, Chiang Mai, 50100 ThailandWebsite: www.segwaygibbon.comPrice: 2 hour tour – 1599 baht, 3 hour tour – 1999 baht

By Test Team

saying ”Segway crossing” and forming the rear end of our small cortege, while the other shared his knowledge on Chiang Mai and its sights. As it turned out, he was very knowledgeable. It was impressive what he could tell about monuments and stupas and temples every time we had a stop.And so we stopped at temples, at the monument of the three kings who founded Chiang Mai and different points of interest. At all the places it was possible to get off and go in or around to take pictures. Or both. One of the highlights for us was a collection of meditating monks, realistically formed in wax. These guys could have been at Madam Tussaud’s. About two thirds in, we got to stop at a small café. A drink and a small snack is part of the tour. And it may seem like a small detail, but the home-made brownie we had there was to die for. Seri-ously, it was the mother of all brownies, and we might never have a brownie that good again. After that, it’s one more temple and then back to the office. Two hours had whiskered by without us noticing it. Giving up the Segways was not an easy task, and hopefully this wonderful machine will one day overtake cars at the main means of transport. Or bikes as a minimum.

You’ll never want to get offTemples is probably not the main attraction for everyone. Still, in a town like this, you can’t help but feel like you’re missing something important if you just hang out at the cafés or go on some of the many adventure style tours on offer here. And you should go see the temples because the setting is just ripe for some temple hopping. And that’s why the Segway Gibbon is so great. We did the two hour tour, but we can rec-ommend taking the three hour version which is also an option. It will not only give you more time at every stop, but also give you more time riding around town, not caring how people on foot per-ceive you. Because you’re on a Segway, sucking up culture on the way, and that’s all that matters.


A Segway to the sights of Chiang Mai

By Test Team

This travel report was delivered by Ida Holt and Sebastian Buur who are members of ScandAsia Test Team. Ida is a freelance writer for an advertising company and Sebastian studies Photo Journalism at Danish School of Journalism in Denmark. Together they are taking five month tour of Southeast Asia. The article was sponsored Segway Gibbon which is run by Flight of the Gibbon.

If you are interested in joining our test team and supplying articles in exchange of free trips, please contact Editor Gregers Moller at [email protected]


Experiencing monkey life, swinging from the towering trees while looking at gibbons deep in the jungle is a dream come true for adven-turous nature lovers. Flight of the Gibbon offers this adventure with

high professionalism not too far from Chiang Mai. With 32 zip lines in total, rappelling and walking on sky bridges, everybody’s appetite for adrenaline will certainly be satisfied. Our small group, ranging from 7 to 65 in age, arrived at the starting point not shaking of fear after a pleasant bus ride. Everybody put on the well-maintained high quality harness and helmet, and was ready to set off. Our two guides, called sky rangers, told us the do’s and don’ts of zip lining, and made sure that everyone was aware of all rules and precautions before we were on our way.

Outstanding sky rangers and diverse funWe felt perfectly safe at all times, as there would always be one sky ranger at the receiving tree and one at the platform behind. And not once would anyone be untied from a rope, not even our sky rangers. Safety was their number one priority, and at the same time the sky rangers managed to make a relaxed and funny atmosphere surrounding the experience, crack-ing jokes and teasing in a friendly manner. At one point, a guy from our group, who was scared of heights, got his fears put at ease with help from the attentive sky rangers. In the same caring manner, one of the rangers would go zip lining with a little girl, who didn’t weigh enough for some of the longer lines (the longest being 800 meters!). Each tree offered a new and different view of the jungle. At one platform, we had to jump off with a rope connected to a carabiner on our backs. For the faint of heart though, it was possible to just take a normal zip line. For us seeking thrills, this short free fall had our hearts racing, our adrenaline was pumping and made it impossible not to scream in exhilaration. We even saw gibbons a couple of times, each time equally impressive.

The whole packageBack at the starting point a delicious local meal was served, and the cook kept on refilling our plates to the sounds of live music until we were full. The day ended with a waterfall trek. We walked along the beautiful and winding waterfall for about half an hour, before we returned to Chiang Mai. After an exciting day in the forest, we both felt like going back and do it all again. It was a lot of fun and a great mixture of nature and adventure. And when it comes to safety, Flight of the Gibbon delivers total perfection. If you are keen on tickling your inner Indiana Jones, this is certainly a must do.

Adventure in the canopies Zip lining through unspoiled rainforest is in itself a true adrenaline rush. Add the view of wild gibbons, and spice it up with a spectacular staff and superb safety. What do you get? An experience of a lifetime.

BySebastianBuurandIdaHolt

Operator: Flight of the Gibbon. Address: 29/4-5 Kachasarn Rd., Chang Klan, Chiang Mai 50100, Thailand Website: www.treetopasia.comPrice: 3299 baht

By Test Team


New signature sweet treats at Delights@22 Bakery Shop, The Imperial Queen’s Park Hotel

Thanyapura Phuket offers special sports package

Here is good news for anyone with a sweet tooth! From August 1, three new signature sweet treats will be available at Delights@22

Bakery Shop. The Imperial Queen’s Park Master Pas-try Chef, Palash Gomes, presents his new creations of freshly baked homemade choices including Jasmine Cup Cake, Rocky Road and Lamington Cake. The Imperial Jasmine Cup Cake is created to cap-ture the sweet essence of Thailand with a subtle Jas-mine flavour. The Rocky Road is created from chef’s premium chocolates, nuts and marshmallow recipe while the Lamington Cake represents childhood’s past dipped in chocolate and desiccated coconut. For more pleasure, guests can pair these new mouth-watering delights with Lavazza coffee or Ron-nefeldt loose teas, available at Delights@22 Bakery Shop at The Imperial Queen’s Park Hotel. A playful gift boxes are also available for guests to take away. Prices start from THB 110++ Delights@22 Bakery Shop is located on the lobby level of The Imperial Queen’s Park Hotel on Sukhumvit 22 in Bangkok. It’s open daily from 6.00pm to 9.00pm.

Formoreinformation,pleasecall022619300ext.5430ore-mail:[email protected]

With the slogan “Get more out of life”, Th-anyapura Phuket is offering a special sports package for bookings made before 31 De-

cember 2013. Starting from THB 18,000, the package includes two night stay at Thanyapura Sports Hotel, full board meals, your choice of sport and mind train-ing sessions. Guests will receive 20% off room rate for extended stay. Thanyapura is a destination promoting active and healthy lifestyle through 3-dimensional coaching model for the mind, body and soul. Through four integra-tive centres (sports, education – international school, health and mind), it aims to help guests optimize their potentials and live a more fulfilling life.

For more information or reservations, contact 076 336 000 or visit www.thanyapura.com


Evil

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FrikadellerByAndersHolmNielsen

Danish meatballs

Ingredients•1/2 pound ground veal •1/2 pound ground pork •1/4 cup milk, or as needed•1/2 cup finely grated onion •1 egg •1/4cupbreadcrumbs,orasneeded•1/4 cup all-purpose flour •1/4cupseltzerwater•Salt and pepper to taste•1/4 cup margarine

Directions• Mix the veal and pork together in a bowl, and stir in the milk, onion, and

egg. Mix the bread crumbs into the meat. Sprinkle in the flour, and knead well to mix. Stir in the seltzer water, season to taste with salt and pepper, and mix well. The mixture should be very moist, but not dripping.

• Chill the meat mixture for 15 to 30 minutes in the refrigerator, to make the meatballs easier to form.

• Heat the margarine in a large skillet over medium heat.• Scoop with a large spoon, and form the mixture into a slightly flattened,

oval meatball about the size of a small egg. Place the meatballs into the heated skillet, and fry for about 15 minutes per side, until the meatballs are well-browned and no longer pink in the center.

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ScandAsia Thailand August 2013