ScandAsia Thailand - May 2012

Theme: International Schools

A Passion for Cooking

Thailand

ScandAsia.dk ScandAsia.fi ScandAsia.no ScandAsia.se

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BRUG FOR BIL I DANMARK?

40 rental locations in Denmark covering all major cities and all airports (in terminal). For more info or booking, please call +45 89 33 11 33 or [email protected]

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Specielle priser til dig der bor i udlandet, ring på +45 89 33 11 33eller book direkte på: www.europcar.dk/udlandsdansker

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BRUG FOR BIL I DANMARK?

40 rental locations in Denmark covering all major cities and all airports (in terminal). For more info or booking, please call +45 89 33 11 33 or [email protected]

europcar.dk

Specielle priser til dig der bor i udlandet, ring på +45 89 33 11 33eller book direkte på: www.europcar.dk/udlandsdansker

ScandAsia_China_februar.indd 1 2/6/12 9:40 AM

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.

Your FREEScandAsia Magazine in Thailand

Please sign up for your own FREE copy: www.scandasia.comPublisher : 211 Soi Prasert Manukit 29Prasert Manukit RoadChorakae Bua, Lad PraoBangkok 10230, ThailandTel. +66 2 943 7166-8, Fax: +66 2 943 7169 E-mail: [email protected]

Editor-in-Chief : Gregers A.W. Mø[email protected]

Advertising : Finn Balslev [email protected]

Piyanan Kalikanon [email protected]

Nattapat [email protected]

Graphic Designer : Supphathada [email protected]

Distribution : Wanvisa [email protected]

Printing : Lake & Foundtain Printing Co., Ltd.

Daily news and features here:www.scandasia.com

Coming Events

The 12th Volvo Truck & Bus Thailand Convoy for Kids Charity Golf EventDate: 15 June 2012Location: Pattana Sports and Golf, Sri Racha

If you love playing golf, especially when the prof-its go to a good cause, you cannot miss out this year’s 12th golf day. This is a very picturesque 27 hole champion course and is easily accessible from Bangkok, Pattaya and Rayong. Fee – 16,000 THB per team of 4 or 4,000 THB per player. Read more on www. convoyforkids.com

Swedish Midsummer LunchDate: 16 June 2012Location: Rembrandt Hotel, Bangkok

You may recall last year’s Midsummer Lunch success with Thai-Swedish Chamber of Com-merce at the Rembrandt Hotel. This year, the chamber is repeating the success which will be held at the same venue – Rembrandt Hotel. Do not miss this family oriented event, enjoying deli-cious food, beverages and dancing around the pole. For further information, please visit the chamber’s website www.swecham.com

DWN: Sankt HansDate: 16 June 2012, 5 pm – 8 pmLocation: Karin Sarfelts Garden – 702 Lake Side Villa 1 Village Bangna Trad KM 5.5 Road

Another exiting midsummer celebration – This particular tradi-tion offers insight into the Danish culture of cosiness. You should not miss out an enjoyable and fundamental Danish tradition in front of a bonfire in celebration of midsummer. This is the eve-ning when the Danes celebrate what has come to be known as ‘Sankt Hans Aften’. For further information, please contact Maibrit W - [email protected]

Moms Meet @ SamitivejDate: 26 June 2012, 09.15-11.30 amLocation: Banquet Room – Bancha Lamsam, 6/F, Building 2, Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital

Something for moms living in the big city. Moms Meet at Samitivej Hospital is a monthly get-together for a coffee, a chat and a giggle with new and expecting moms to meet each other and have a great time. Come and join other moms and share your experiences about all the things baby and parenting with Samitivej pro-fessional team. This time doctor Anjana Sachabudhawong, M.D., Pediatric Pulmonology and Critical Care will talk about ‘first aid for choking in children’ followed by ‘the pilates exercised for mums’. For further in-formation and reservation please contact Pitchawadee at 02-711-8860 or email: [email protected]

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED BY SCANDINAVIAN SOCIETY

Coming Events

Past Events

ScandAsia News Brief


Danish Stuntmen Fighting in Bangkok

Swedish Foreign Minister at FCCT

Inspiration & Promotion

Close But No Cigars for Bangkok Vikings

in Jakarta

Business Travel Made Easy

Sudoku & Æbleflæsk

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266 ScandAsia.Thailand • May 2012

CONTENTS MAY 2012


DWN Celebrates 20 Years

The Danish Women’s Network – original-ly named Magrethe klubben - celebrated its 20th anniversary on 25 February this

year with a special event in the garden of Ambassador and Mrs. Mikael H. Winther’s residence. Approximately 80 members and spouses gathered on this special occasion to stroll down memory lane where some of the old members retold the history of the associa-tion’s fundamental background, all the way back to where it all started in April 1991. The evening started with champagne and greeting each other, while delicious food and wines was served, provided by Dusit Thani Hotel and Zak’s Wine Bar. A significant part of the anniversary cel-ebration was the presence of some founding members of the club. Back then, Jette Eriks-son was posted by SAS Airlines to Thai Inter-national with her husband, the captain. Now she lives part time in Thailand. Adi Kirketerp still lives in Bangkok and is the association’s honorary member. Tove Wihlborg Andersen, who has been working at the Danish Embassy through several periods, is currently in Bang-kok. All these women have been members of the association since its inception in 1991. “I hope the organization will survive an-other 20 years and get to celebrate its 40th anniversary,” says DWN Chairman Majbritt Madsboell. “In my almost 8 years as a member of Dan-ish Women’s Network and 3 years as Chair-man, we have never had more members than we have now. When I joined the association, we were around 30 members and now we are over 50 members. This confirms that there is a need for an association such as ours.”

By Rose Jensen

Danish Women’s Network produced a jubilee publication with a lot of nice photos from the special evening and articles from some of the founding members of the club - in those days called Margretheklubben. The photos selected here clearly speak for themselves. Truly a re-markable evening.

By Rose Jensen

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AD_Ericpedersen_192x135_eng.indd 1 8/29/11 1:57 PMMay 2012 • ScandAsia.Thailand 9

DanCham Networkingat Grand Millennium Hotel

1. From left, Mr. Niels Henrik Hansen, Mr. Hakan Nylander, Mr. Jan Cederwall, Mr. Bo Palmqvist, Mr. Bjorn Richardson, General Manager of Oakwood Residence

2. Mr. Thomas G. Christensen, General Manager of Grand Millennium Hotel and Peter Nellemann the Director of Aesora.

3. Mr. Thordur Adalsteinsson, Creative Director of Area Digital, Sivapol Pipatanangura, Rembrandt Hotel and Mr. Christopher Skouenborg, Regional Controlling Manager of Rockwool Asia

4. Mr. Jorgen Lundbeck and Mr. Bent Laashold from Mermaid Hotel and Admirals Pub & Restaurant

The Danish Chamber of Commerce in Thailand held its monthly networking night on Wednesday 25 April at the

Grand Millennium Hotel located in one of Bangkok’s prime central areas – Asoke Road, Sukhumvit Soi 21. The networking gathered around 40 people from different Scandinavian companies who joined to meet and greet.

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The Swedish-Thai Chamber of Com-merce gathered approximately 40 businessmen, entrepreneurs and

students for an evening of networking on Thursday 3 May at the Huntsman’s Pub, located in the basement area of the Land-mark Hotel Bangkok. The Swedish participants enjoyed the free flow of beverages while eating Pyt-tipanna, a dish that is as Swedish as the Swedes themselves. The sponsor of the evening was the Swedish company Spica and of course Mr. Jan Eriksson, Managing Director of Spica, was also present. “My purpose in supporting this event is to see the Swedish community enjoy-ing their time, nothing more,” said Mr. Jan Eriksson. And they did indeed!

Pyttipanna at Huntsman’s PubBy Rose JensenPhotos by Dennis Thern

By Rose Jensen

The SWEA Ladies - members of the Swedish Women’s Education Asso-ciation of Thailand – arranged a trip

in March to Laem Mae Phim, Rayong and Chantaburi provinces to enjoy rainforests and gemstones. The trip which took place from 16 to 18 March was organised by Viveca L. Ask, one of the members who live in Laem Mae Phim. As part of the program, the ladies got to experience the Namtok Philo National Park, the stunning Philo Waterfall and swimming with black fish. Then they continued to Chantaburi and visited the world’s only Gemstone Market. There were heaps of sapphires, rubies, amethysts and many more to be bargained for and bought. The ladies also got to spend time in Viveca’s home for drinks, and had an en-joyable dinner by the sea together bond-ing over the weekend.

SWEA Weekend Retreat

Members of the Thai-Swedish Chamber of Commerce were once considered a rather old and boring group. Not so anymore, as the pictures from the Networking at Huntsman photos show.

1, 2 The SWEA members enjoyed an interest-ing and cosy weekend in the Rayong and Chantaburi provinces.

3. Viveca L. Ask and her daughter playing with the many fish in the National Park.

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This year, ScandAsia set out to experience what Thai New Year, or Songkran, was like in Bangkok. On Saturday 14 April, we

headed to Khao Sarn Road to take part in the water-soaked celebrations there. Songkran, originally the Thai New Year, is a water festival celebrated throughout Thailand. In Bangkok, Khao San Road is famous for transform-ing itself for three long days into a huge battle-field where people are like warriors, using guns, super-soakers, hoses, buckets, garbage cans and anything else they can get their hands on in order to disperse their ammunition. This year ScandAsia proudly organized a trip to Khao Sarn Road with fellow Scandinavians plus a few other nationalities to fight against thousands of other people and their guns. When it came to Thais versus Scandinavians, we were hopelessly outnumbered. Still, we fought on, like true vikings! To prepare ourselves for a long day of soak-ing random people in water, we sat down for a few drinks at Khao Sarn Center, Pub and Restau-rant. Later our drinks were replaced by guns and huge grins as people of all ages started shooting at us. The whole fun was to shoot and get shot

at without having to worry about anything but getting wet. Besides a few faulty water guns and minor bruises on our fingers, the day went better than planned. Being absolutely drenched was a great way to cool down in the Bangkok heat too. It certainly beats regular air-conditioning any day of the week. In the end, we all retreated from that soggy battlefield for some great food and few more drinks at the Long Table Restaurant, 25 stories above the ground, in a much drier environment with some excellent views over Bangkok.

Scandinavian Society Siam held a lively 93rd

Annual General Meeting on 17. April 2012 at Admiral Pub & Restaurant, Mermaid Hotel,

Bangkok with 30 members present. The meeting elected Robert Kronberg as Chairman and reelected Anita Falk and Claus Gundersen as board members along with Atle Roger Mydland and Christina Hammarlund as new board members. Flemming Winther Nielsen and Lars Andersson were elected substitutes. The AGM also approved spending 50.000 Baht over the next three years on the renova-tion of the graves at the Protestant Cemetery on Charoen Krung in Bangkok. During the dinner, Golf Captain Mr. Kristian Wenzell was announced “Member of the Year”. Mr. Per Lauritsen, ABS Relocation, also an-nounced that his company would donate 100.000 Baht to be used for the rehabilitation of the Scan-dinavian graves as discussed earlier in the meeting. The generous donation was received with applause.

ScandAsia Battled Through SongkranBy Rose Jensen

1. Chilling out before the battle, Camilla, Sandra, Trine and Kristene.

2. Charlie’s angles ready for action, Trine, Rose, Camilla, Sandra.

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New SSS Board Elected

1. Chairman Anita Falk presenting the activities of the past year.

2. Lea and Eid Alexandersen, Bengt Juhli, Kenneth and Berit Radencrantz.

3. Gregers Moller, Robert Kronberg and Per Lauritsen, ABS Relocation.4. Jorgen Lundbak, Robert Kronberg.5. Member of the Year Kristian Wenzell (right) and

Bent Laasholt.6. Treasurer Claus Gundersen reported on the

financial situation of the SSS

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ScandAsia News Brief

Mr. Narong Kongpraser is Finland’s new Honorary Consul in Chiang Mai. He took up his duties in May after both countries, Thailand and Finland, had accepted his nomination. His Predecessor Dr Supavat Poovakul retired from the position after having nurtured Thai-

Finnish relations for 15 years. Mr. Narong is a local powerhouse with good connections. He runs his own business and is a chairman of the Chiang Mai Chamber of Commerce. Besides Chiang Mai, Mr. Narong’s nomination covers also the provinces of Chiang Rai, Lam-pang, Lamphun, Mae Hong Sot, Nan, Phayao and Phrae. Honorary consuls are private individuals who take care of their tasks on a part-time basis without remuneration. Together with diplomatic missions, an honorary consul promotes economic and cultural relations between Finland and Thailand, and takes part in strengthening Finland’s image abroad. An honorary consul can advise Finnish companies, for instance, in obtaining information about local business culture and in finding cooperation partners.

The Danish company BT-Flindt has recently received their first shipment of Danish snaps and shot products. That of course calls for at tasting, which will be held at the Admiral’s Pub &

Restaurant in Bangkok this Wednesday. The products imported are well known to most Danes and counts a variety of Aalborg snaps, Gammel Dansk, Dr. Nielsen Bitter, Smaa graa/yellow/blue. BT-Flindt are promoting the new products, driving around in a ‘funny’ decorated truck. A presentation was also held at Admiral’s Pub & Restaurant on Wednesday night 20 May for among others members of Dancham.

The Swedish State Secretary for Trade, Gunnar Oom, visited Bangkok on May 14-16. During his visit, he met with Thailand’s Vice Minister of Commerce Siriwat Kajornprasart, Defense

Minister ACM Sukuompol Suwanarata and State Secretary at Minis-ter of Finance Aerepong Bhoocha-Oom. Swedish business interests in Thailand and the Gripen project were discussed. Mr. Gunnar Oom also met with Khun Arkom Termpittayapaisith from National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) to discuss future cooperation. NESDB is the Embassy’s counterpart from the “Reconstruction and Future Development Forum” held in February. Mr. Oom also participated in events organized by the Swed-ish Embassy in Thailand. He attended the Alumni reception at the Sukhothai Hotel on Monday evening where over 300 participants attended. On Tuesday evening, he inaugurated the first Swedish Film Festival in Thailand at SF Cinema, Emporium Shopping Mall. Spon-sored by Tetra Pack, the festival is co-hosted by the Embassy and the Swedish Institute.

Swedish State Secretary Visited Bangkok

Danish Snaps Now Available in Thailand

New Finnish Honorary Consul in Chiang Mai


Old EAC Warehouses Turned into Asiatique

May 2012 • ScandAsia.Thailand 15

The East Asiatic Company's former warehouses and saw mill on the Chaopraya river front next to Wat Phraya Krai temple on Charoenkrung

Road opened on Friday 27 April as a new, fashion-able shopping, pub and restaurant area under the new name Asiatique. The opening was an extravagant, star studded stage show. Hundreds of VIP's attended the opening and even more press people were accredited to cov-er the party. Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra wished the developers and shop owners a succesful future. A musical style show with Kema-nit Jamikorn and Siwat Chckchaijarin glittered on the stage. The evening culminated with the formal open-ing of the area in its new shape by Mr. Charoen and Khunying Wanna Sirivadhanabhakdi in a shower of fireworks from barges anchored up in the middle of the river outside the banquet area. A concert by well-known singer Natida Asava-hame capped the evening.

The HeritageEAC sold the area to the wealthy Thai businessman Charoen Sirivdhanabhakdi twenty five years ago, but it was only until a few years back, that M. Charoen's real estate company TCC Land began to develop the idea that has today become the Asiatique. The area is launched with the subtitle "The Riverfront", but that add-on will probably soon fade away. In front of the name Asiatique is an anchor which signals its river front location. In the middle of the area a big white building carries the name Asia House - like EAC's Asia House in Copenhagen. Here it is the inten-tion to keep alive the heritage of the whole area. Between the warehouses, a few new old struc-tures are built in colonial style. You will also notice several life size bronze statues placed around the area, depicting Chinese kulis offloading sacks of goods, pulling rickshaws, or Chinese businessmen ne-gotiating. The area forms a perfect cluster with its immedi-ate neighbor, the temple and the very nearby Protes-tant Cemetery where so many of the former Danish and Norwegian sailors, officers and businessmen are burried. In a commercial and life style sense, Asiatique gives a much needed lift to the otherwise rather un-derdeveloped south-eastern end of Charoenkrung road beyond the junction with Chan Road.

Getting thereThe best way to visit the area - a perfect weekend adventure(!) - is to take the skytrain to Taksin bridge and then take the Asiatique shuttlebus from there to the Asiatique which is open everyday from 5.00-12.00 p.m.www.asiatiquethailand.com and www.facebook.com/asiatique.thailand

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1. The central square with the Asia House building to the right and the clock tower to the left.2. A look down one of the street between the warehouses.3. The owner of TCC Land, Mr. Charoen Sirivdhanabhakdi in the middle with Bangkok Governor Mr. Sukhumbhand Paribatra to the left.


Cooking at home is a hobby for many peo-ple as it’s considered therapeutic after a long day at work. For

bachelors, inviting female company to a dinner cooked at home is also said to be one of the smoothest moves you could make. Inspiring TV cooking shows, health consciousness and stress lev-els at work are all on the increase. In response, more people than ever before are cooking at home. Capitalizing on this trend here in Thailand is Paradox, a Danish company offering a wide range of quality kitchenware, glassware, wine accessories and home decoration products. It’s the “go to company” for anyone looking to get creative in the kitchen.

Lars JensenParadox is owned by Mr. Lars Jensen, who grew up and studied to be a ma-chinist in Hillerod in Denmark. He first came to Thailand in 1990 when he was invited to help his friend build a house in Bangkok. He had a plan to travel to Australia to pursue his career as a ma-chinist after the house was built. How-ever, his friend’s house was never built and he didn’t move to work in Australia. The 25-year-old Mr. Lars and his friend enjoyed living and partying in Thailand. “We ended up here. We had so much fun living on a low budget like backpackers. We partied for three

and a half months and we decided to live here. I never worked as a ma-chinist in Australia,” says Mr. Lars.

Started doing businessWith a keen business mind, Mr. Lars started looking for all kinds of busi-ness opportunities in Thailand. “I went back home to borrow money from some friends. I came back and started buying t-shirts and other garments in Thailand. I brought them back home to sell in Denmark. After we made some money we came back to have fun in Thailand,” Mr. Lars says. The business expanded step by step and the company became big with more partnerships. Mr. Lars and his partners slowly started to outsource products from China. In 1996, the business environ-ment was getting difficult and the company required him to spend more time in Denmark. Mr. Lars was not happy living in Denmark any-more. Later on he decided to sell his house and everything he owned in Denmark and move to live in Thai-land permanently in 2001.

Passion for cookingWith a passion for home cooking, Mr. Lars knows very well about kitchens. He has done a lot of re-search in kitchens and saw the gap for kitchenware and home decora-tion products in the market. Mr. Lars sent these products to Decoration Line Company in Den-

mark. He was also involved in the designs of many decorative items for Decoration Line. He attended various trade shows in Denmark to sell the products. With more time required of him in Denmark, and some prob-lems with the business partnership, Mr. Lars decided to finish his part-nership with Decoration Line and started his own business called Para-dox in Thailand in 2006.

Paradox fast growthStarted just by Mr. Lars and one staff, Paradox has grown very quick-ly in a short period of time. “I participated in many trade fairs with one staff and very shortly we needed more and more staff.” The company now employs over ten employees. During this time, Mr. Lars met Khun Kamonnut Kulchon, who was the head of risk control department in a stock brokerage company in Bangkok. The couple fell in love and got married one year after they met. Later on Khun Kamonnut left her job and joined Paradox full-time. She has been working full-time at Paradox for over 3 years now. For Mr. Lars, starting a business in Thailand was difficult at first. The custom clearing for the first order was challenging. Work culture and people management style different in Thailand are different from what he was used to in Denmark. For one thing, most buyers in


Despite the growing number of restaurants in Bangkok, no one can deny that a home cooking experience shared with a lover, family or friends has always been one of the most entertaining activities.

By Wachiraporn Janrut


Thailand do not sign orders at trade shows. The first time he exhibited his products at a trade fair in Bang-kok, Mr. Lars was concerned about the future of his business. “In the beginning I was upset. I thought I couldn’t make a living out of it. I’ve learned that most buyers in Thai-land make decisions after the fairs.” With people management, he had to tone his way down. “I used to be very straight in Denmark. I’ve learned to say things softer to my staff now. My wife helped me adjust it. I have to adjust my personality. It’s quite a big chal-lenge for me. In fact, I have to learn many different new things to work here,” Mr. Lars says.

Full product range Paradox Trading Company offers an extensive range of quality kitch-enware, glassware, wine accessories and home decoration products to satisfy all customer needs. There are products for casual home cooking as well as for professional use in first class restaurants. The strengths of its products are the unique designs and affordable prices. Fifty percent of the products are designed by Mr. Lars, a home cooking lover, who aims to make all items high quality, functional while looking modern. Manufactured in China, the company holds over 200 product items. “We have all the kitchen prod-ucts you can think of. If you can’t

find what you are looking for some-where else, I’m sure we have it here,” Mr. Lars says. The best-selling kitchenware products include kitchen tools, salt & pepper mills, oil & vinegar dispens-er, knife set, cutting board, mixing bowls, acid etched grater for profes-sional use and recently introduced pots and pans. All of the products have thoughtful designs and are pro-duced with quality materials. For example, a fry pan is made of hard anodized aluminum. The material is extremely durable and stronger than stainless steel as it can be used with gas, hobs, or in the oven. It can also be heated up very quickly even without high tempera-tures. The pots and pans feature an advanced non stick formula which not only gives high resistance to abrasion but requires very little oil, for healthier cooking. The handle features an ergonomic design and silicone grip offering comfort and stability while cooking.

Wine accessoriesWhen he received ‘a Lever pull wine bottle opener’ as a gift from his American friend years ago, Mr. Lars was very impressed with the product. Taking notice that the wine market has continuously boomed in Thai-land, he decided to expand into the wine accessories market shortly after. “When I presented the prod-uct to Central Group, they said that they need not only one item but the

whole range of wine accessories. So I quickly responded ‘coming soon’,” Mr. Lars says with a smile. At the moment, Paradox sup-plies a whole range of wine acces-sories to major department stores, restaurants and hotels, and wineries that have a stand selling wine acces-sories.

Handmade glassware All of the glassware products at Para-dox are handmade. All wine glasses are hand- crafted by experienced craftsmen. Every glass is unique as small bubbles and fine lines usually appear during the mouth blown pro-cess. The popular Tulip Wine Glass Collection includes Tulip Red Wine, Tulip White Wine, Tulip Catering, Tulip Champaign and Tulip Decant-er. Beautiful crackle style glasses are also one of the best-sellers. “Our customers are those who want something different. We are after the middle-class market. Our business philosophy is to offer dif-ferent and viable products at afford-able prices,” says Mr. Lars. Paradox also offers a wide range of fine looking home decoration products. One of the most popular items is the ‘LED candle, a modern designed electric candle that looks like a real candle and can be blown out. The product’s main advantages are its safety, long lasting battery life (with two AAA batteries it can last up to 100 hours), no smoke, no flames, no fumes, and no wax mess.

The company has recently in-troduced the classy looking ‘candle holder,” With its fashionable design, Mr. Lars believes that it will be pop-ular.

Where to buy?The products from Paradox are available in all leading department stores such as Central, The Mall Group, Villa Supermarket, Makro and Big C. “We offer a wide range of products for all price ranges so our clients can always find what they want. Also, we have new products every 2-3 months. We offer differ-ent products with nice designs and nice packages,” Mr. Lars says. The company currently exports its products to Vietnam and Laos. While the company has a plan to expand the export market to other countries in the region, Mr. Lars reveals that he also wants to open a restaurant in the future. “I’d like to have my own restaurant in 3-5 years. I love cooking,” says Mr. Lars.

For more information, contact PARADOX TRADING CO. LTD.315, 317 Viphavadee Rangsit Road, Samsen Nai, Phyathai, Bangkok 10400Tel. +66 (0) 26163441, +66 (0) 26163448 or E-mail: [email protected] www.paradoxtrading.dk



Working outdoor at the temperature of 40 degrees Celsius a group of Danish stuntmen have been running around Bangkok in their ninja outfits. The mayhem is to result in nonverbal sketches – sketches which are targeted at making the entire world laughing.

By Dennis KrogPhotographer: Disraporn Yatprom

At the beginning of May ninjas and fists were flying through the air in Bangkok, and even though Bangkok is

known for its wide variety of entertain-ment, ninjas are not known to be one of them. However, a Danish production company together with a Danish stunt group decided to use the Thai capital as the scenery for a new comedy produc-tion, featuring – amongst other charac-ters - ninjas. Basically the crew produces non-verbal sketches, much similar to the legendary Laurel and hardy and Charlie Chaplin. The twist is new technology and up to date stories.

The Danish crew in Thailand was led by Deni Jordan, stuntman for 25 years and owner of Scandina-vian Stunt Group. The role of Deni Jordan in Thailand was acting and instructing. Behind the camera was co-partner Kasper V. Kristensen of Eyelight Video Production. “In 2009 Kasper and I decided that it was time to work together on our own project, so one day we starting filming a little bit. Most of what we did was put away in our drawers, but we always knew that we were heading in the right direc-tion. Luckily other people felt the same way, says Deni Jordan during a

A French stuntman – hired for the occasion – during a flip stunt. He

actually does land on his feet.

Deni Jordan on the way

over the edge.



break in the filming at Lumpini Park in the heart of Bangkok. After filming the pilot a distribu-tion company took on the task of sell-ing the sketches, and so far more than 30 interested buyers have lined up, just waiting for the Danish stuntmen to finish their work. The interest for the product is overwhelming for the Danes, but Kasper V. Kristensen knows, which potential the product has. “The cool thing is that the prod-uct is timeless, so it can be sold for many years to come, and because it is nonverbal every country can air it, and that makes the entire world a potential customer to us,” says Kris-

tian V. Kristensen.

Fun working together with friendsAll in all the stuntmen are to pro-duce 13 episodes, each with the du-ration of 25 minutes. The filming in Bangkok lasted for 14 days. “At the beginning we were nervous about burning out, but we are not even close, maybe because it is our own project, and because the entire crew is personal friends of ours. Of course we are working hard, but we are having fun,” says Kasper V. Kristensen. Filming in Thailand has shown

to be a tough place to film for the crew, as the temperatures hit 40 degrees Celsius on some days, and the actors on the production are constantly wiping the sweat of their bodies between takes. “It is the toughest I have ever tried; the heat is more dangerous than the stunts,” says Jesper, one of the stuntmen, and starts laughing.

Thailand the smart choiceThailand is not the only destination where Deni and Kasper have been filming for what is to end up with 120 different sketches, but Thai-land has obvious advantages, which

made filming here a smart choice. “We are in Thailand mainly be-cause it is cheap and exotic, at the same time we wanted to film in Asia as we are doing some ninja sketches, and ninja sketches and Asia goes hand in hand perfectly,” says Deni Jordan. ”Many of the actors have seen the potential in this and in Deni and I. Because of that they have agreed first to get paid when the cost of the production is covered. I just hope that we don’t disappoint them,” says Kasper, before preparing the final scene of the day, using the last bit of light, before the sun sets behind the Bangkok skyscrapers.

Part of the Danish Crew in Bangkok. Number two

from the left is Deni Jordan. Kasper V. Kristensen is

number two from the right.

Stuntman showing of his ninja style as he is flying in Lumpini Park


Swedish Foreign Minister at FCCT“It has been very fruitful to have two days of discussions here with the Thai political leadership and the Swedish community about how we can develop cooperation between the two countries further,” Mr Carl Bildt, Foreign Minister of Sweden, noted when he spoke at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand.

By Miklos Bolza

On his way to this year’s EU-ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Brunei, the Swedish Foreign

Minister, Mr. Carl Bildt, had time for a quick two-day stopover in Bangkok. Apart from seeing Prime Minis-ter Yingluck Shinawatra and Foreign Minister Dr. Surapong Tovitchak-chaikul, Carl Bildt also found time to give a short speech and Q&A ses-sion at the Foreign Correspondents Club Thailand (FCCT). In his usual

charismatic way, he deftly covered a number of global and international topics despite being put on the spot on several occasions.

EU and ASEAN :Following the Same PathMr. Bildt began by stating that the EU and ASEAN were very similar, since they had each transitioned from a warlike past to become more peaceful regions. “We are nations that are not necessarily the military superpowers of the world, but nations that know

that by working together we can solve security problems and create the best possible conditions for the economic and social development of our respective countries.” The EU and ASEAN have also experienced integration in econom-ic policy structures through critical events such as the Asian Economic Crisis in 1997 and the ongoing Eu-ropean Sovereign Debt Crisis.

A Better Future for BurmaWhile the EU is still recovering, the ASEAN countries have made major steps forward in their political and economic development, the Foreign Minister added. Regions such as Burma/Myan-mar have a long way to go, yet are still making significant progress. This has recently been rewarded by the EU’s suspension of most embargos and sanctions against Burma/Myan-mar. Further developmental assis-tance will be also given, especially to help improve the country’s situation with its ethnic problems, political prisoners and electoral processes.

The Swedish-Thai ConnectionWhen it came to Thailand’s link to Sweden, Mr. Bildt noted that with a significant Swedish population in

Swedish Foreign Minister at FCCTThailand and a large Thai population in Sweden, the two countries cer-tainly had strong human and busi-ness relationships. “It has been very fruitful to have two days of discussions here with the Thai political leadership and the Swedish community about how we can develop cooperation between the two countries further.” In his six years of being Foreign Minister, Mr. Bildt has never had the opportunity to visit Thailand. Rather than having any political convictions against the country, however, he said that it was purely calendar rea-sons that had kept him away. To show that he had not forgot-ten Thailand, he added, “We have kept dialogues with the different Thai governments and I’ve had discussions with each of the Thai Foreign Minis-ters over the years.”

Thailand & the Schengen AgreementOne big ‘thorn in the side’ for Swedes living in Thailand is that Thais need to apply for a Schengen visa. This is a complicated topic, Mr. Bildt stated, because it is an EU issue, rather than a bilateral one, as extended border controls are laid down by the EU as a whole. While Sweden has a very open approach to visas, it is neces-sary to move together with the other EU countries as well. As for whether Thais should have reduced restrictions on the Schengen visa, Mr. Bildt said that this was a matter for the different Ministers of Interior to decide upon. “While we Foreign Ministers think that most people are good and would like to ease these restrictions, the Ministers of Interior have glasses where they only see certain catego-ries of people and accordingly take a somewhat different approach.”

Sweden’s Battle with Web CensorshipMr. Bildt also talked about Sweden’s ongoing fight for complete Internet freedom. He noted that they were facing issues with “countries who were completely blocking down everything.” There were also other coun-tries that were “on the border by doing things that they consider right and we consider wrong.” A global debate had been com-menced on this topic, looking at any feasible solutions. Here, he said that there should be clear principles about what was allowed and what the standards were.

When probed about the current state of web censorship in Thailand, Mr. Bildt agreed that there were some very delicate issues in play here. “In trying to set up some prin-ciples which have a broad global support, we are now carrying that issue forward to the Human Rights Council and attempting to build a small coalition. Once we have those principles established, I think we need to go into a dialogue with indi-vidual countries, such as Thailand.”

Struggles Closer to HomeMr. Bildt was also asked about the current state of the EU and whether the attempts to revive it were worthwhile. Instead of bury-ing the scheme completely though, the Foreign Minister said that the EU had cemented the nations to-gether, forming a more unified Eu-rope. While there have always been problems, there were now fewer issues to deal with in the present. With successes such as assisting the ex-Soviet countries, the EU had become a powerhouse of peace and this is hoped to lead to greater stability in the region. “People don’t want to return to the past,” Mr. Bildt said, especially since splitting up the EU and re-establishing internal borders would lead to a far more critical situation.

A Dynamic Road to SuccessIn order for the EU nations to sur-vive, it is necessary for them to re-form and adapt, Mr. Bildt stated. Be-cause of its dynamic nature, Sweden is now one of the richest countries in the world. “A lot of our industries have been relocated and readjusted. They are changing. One of my prime examples is Ericsson. Do you think they make telephones in Sweden? They don’t make a single telephone there! 50% of their production is in China and 25% is in Estonia.” These changes meant that countries, such as Sweden, Germa-ny and Poland, are now very strong. “We are doing well because we adjusted fairly fast to the changing global economy.” The southern EU nations did not adapt early on, as they did not have the same global exposure. Mr. Bildt noted that the phase which these countries are going through now is similar to what the Northern European and some Asian nations experienced earlier on.


A Luxury Collection Hotel, Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, offers a spe-cial room package with a startup rate at THB 6,000 per night for check-in on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Saturday. A minimum

stay required is 2 consecutive nights. The package includes accommoda-tion in the spacious deluxe room, daily breakfast at the Orchid Café, 10% discount at the Grande spa, complimentary high-speed internet access, and late check-out unit 4.00pm. The special offer is available for booking and staying within June 30, 2012. Conveniently located in the heart of Bangkok’s business and entertain-ment district, the hotel can be accessed from a sky bridge connecting with BTS Asok and MRT Sukhumvit. The new fancy shopping centre Terminal 21 is also right opposite.

From May 16 til October 16 this year, Hilton Pat-taya Hotel offers a special

promotion called ‘Dine and Fly’ where guests stand a chance to win a holiday for two to Conrad KohSamui, Hilton Kuala Lumpr or Hilton Arc de Triomphe Par-is after spending THB 3,000* at any of Hilton Pattaya’s restau-rants, eforeaTM spa or on in-room dining service. There are six prizes to give away in total. Winners can choose between receiving return airfares with an accom-modation including daily break-fast for 2 nights at one of the destinations and being entitled to the following offers at Hilton Pattaya; one year eforeaTM spa membership for one person, one night stay in Deluxe Plus Seaview Room and eforeaTM-spa treatments for two, or one night stay in Grand Ocean Suite with dinner for two persons at Horizon restaurant.

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It was with great enthusiasm and anxiety Bangkok Vikings in the beginning of April 2012 ar-rived in Jakarta, Indonesia, for the annual Viking Cup. Viking

Cup has been held every year at different locations in Asia for over twenty years. The prestigious tour-nament invites the Scandinavian Viking football teams from around Asia for three-day football frenzy. This year 11 teams participated, including reigning champions, Bang-kok Vikings. Just before the group stage draws, Chris Lundqvist, Assistant Coach to Bangkok Vikings met with Coach Johan Mofok. ”We enter the tournament with the ambition to win it. We won last year and we want to repeat that. Let’s just get an easy draw, and we’ll be cruising through to the semis,” Coach Johan Mofok said. Half an hour later Coach Johan Mofok and Assistant Coach Chris Lundquist exchanged worried looks when the reigning champs were paired up with favorites Kuala Lum-pur and Singapore in the group stag-es. Both coaches hurried out of the press lounge refusing to comment on the unlucky draw. There was not going to be any easy games this year.

Bangkok Vikings on Bumpy RideFriday marked the first day of foot-ball and Bangkok Vikings came out looking very confident - completely ripping Jakarta 1 apart; 5-0. The great start was followed by a narrow 1-0 win against Hong Kong, in a game Bangkok controlled from start to fin-ish. The crowd was paying attention – the favorites had checked in. The third game of the day proved to be a real test. Facing out-siders Kuala Lumpur (KL), Bangkok conceded a goal early in the game. This initiated fierce pressure on the KL goal - Bangkok desperately chased the equalizer. Shots were fired from all angles but KL defend-ed with aplomb. In the last minute Danish star, Peter Sveistrup, picked up a pass from Gaute Gautestad. With speed and agility Peter rushed past the KL defenders who resorted

Close But No Cigars for Bangkok Vikings in Jakarta

to illegal means. The whistle was blown and Bangkok was awarded a penalty. Top scorer, Filip Lager-stedt, stepped up and smashed the ball into the top corner. 1-1 and the Bangkok Vikings were through to the semi-finals. In the final game of the group stage the Bangkok boys had to overcome a strong Singapore team. Both teams were already through to the semis but that did not affect the game. In a tight affair Singapore claimed a 1-0 win finishing 1st ahead of Bangkok in 2nd. At the press-conference Coach Lundquist oozed confidence:”We’re though and that’s alfa-omega. The team played very well and we’re definitely going through to the final. I’m not gonna lie, we’re much better than Jakarta 2. Now we’re going out for some beers”.

Final Destination - SingaporeThe final day of the Viking Cup kicked off early Saturday morning. Despite suffering from fatigue and only a few hours of sleep spirits were high. However, Jakarta 2 proved more of a challenge than antici-pated. In a tight affair both teams fought for every inch of the muddy pitch. First half finished scoreless and the coaches feared penalties were on the line. In the last minutes of the second half the speedy striker Sivapol found Gaute Gautestad with a wonderful pass. The Norwegian pilot did not hesitate and slammed the ball home – Bangkok was on the verge of another final. In the final minutes of the game Jakarta 2 put heavy pressure on the Bangkok goal. Several super saves from Finnish keeper Juuso Heikurainen earned Bangkok a hard fought victory. Coach Mofok was jubilant af-ter the game: “We really deserved this one. We’re getting the title for sure”. When questioned why he did not see much playing time Mofok replied: “well I’m getting old and I’m slow. So I’ll just leave it up to the youngsters to bring this one home”. Judging from his fitness I nodded in agreement.

Book Direct Flights When and Where Possible This may sound obvious but often if your travel decisions are not up to you, the choice would be the cheapest flight. Not all direct flights are expensive. Have your travel agent suggest you all the possible flight op-tions. Potentially you will not only save time, but you will also save cost on overnight stays which incurs in hotel, cars, and meal expenses.

Check-in Online and Pre-select Your Seat Tell your travel agent ahead of time that you prefer these two options. Check-in lines at the airport could be tediously long depending on time of the day or tourist high seasons. Selecting seats nearest to the exit row will save you time and hassle. If you have some spare time at the airport, check with the airline counter for last minute seat change possibilities.

Use Fast Track Service (Immigration Line)Most of the bigger Airports provide a special track going through the immigration line. The Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok is known for its long immigration and security check lines. If you are flying Business or First class, you are entitled to vouchers that take you through a special VIP track. Otherwise your travel agent could arrange a VIP Fast Track Service (both departure and arrival) for you. Here is a comment from a traveller who tried it: “The service was smooth and took very little time with no hassles. I was impressed by the speed of the process.” Ms. Surachwadee Rungcha-roenpisarn – Deputy MD Sales & Marketing TCC Land Commercial.

For More Information and Travel Bookings:Sawadee Travel Co.,Ltd.Website: www.sawadee-travel.comEmail: [email protected]: +66-2-2558464Fax: +66-2-2555380Facebook/sawadeetravelOffice Location: Between Sukhumvit Soi 6 and 8BTS: Nana Station

Business TravelMade EasyApply these small changes to your travel arrangements and your future business trips will be stress-free, less time consuming and more cost-effective.


Close But No Cigars for Bangkok Vikings in Jakarta

In the second semifinal Singa-pore beat Shanghai 1-2. The Bang-kok boys once again faced their Sin-gaporean nemesis. Tension was high when the play-ers lined up for the final. It was obvi-ous this one would be a tough match for everyone. Singapore started the game off looking confident on the ball gaining them a small advantage in ball possession. After a couple of warning shots things started to heat up around the Bangkok goal. On several occasions keeper Juuso had to come up with fine saves to keep the score line. After 25 minutes he could not deny Singapore any longer. Singapore’s quick attacker received a deep pass, sprinted from the de-fense and scored with ease. This was

a blow for the Bangkok team who relied on counter attacks and their sturdy defense. Instead they now had to mobilize all available offensive firepower. The rest of the game was one-way traffic towards the Singapore goal. Despite creating great oppor-tunities Bangkok failed to score. In the final minutes Singapore closed the game on a breakaway. 2-0. A tough loss but Singapore were de-served winners of Viking Cup 2012. The great event ended with a Gala Dinner. Dressed as Muay Thai fighters the Bangkok team headed into the night singing the Swedish chant “Den sista Mohikanen” – al-ready preparing for next year’s Vi-king Cup in Kuala Lumpur.

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Medium


• Take300gramsofsmokedbaconandfryitasyouwouldforeggsandbacon. Take it off the pan when it is crisp and let the fat drip off.

• Noneedtopeeltheapples.Justcutouttheseedinthemiddleanddicethe apples.

• Inthebaconfatleftonthepanyouputinthedicedapples.Addthewaterjust to prevent the apples from getting burned. Let it mash out, but the apple sauce should still be a bit chunky. Taste it off with the sugar, salt.

• Servethechunkyapplesaucewiththecrispbaconplacedontop.Servewith full grain brown rye bread. My Thai friends like it with rice – it can also go with mashed potatoes.

ÆbleflæskIngredients:• 300grams of smoked bacon • ½kgofsourapples, we call them “food apples,” not the big red ones you eat for snack.• 1cupwater• 1or2tablespoons sugar and a little salt, pebber

Ablefl;sk – apples fried to a thick chunky sauce on a saucepan served with bacon – is a wonderful specialty we eat in Denmark. It is a regional dish, so it is prepared slightly differently in different parts

of Denmark. This the way I prefer it:

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