ScandAsia July-August 2018

JUL 2018 BUSINESS

Swedish Business Survey Singapore

ENVIRONMENT SwedCham Hong Kong’s anti-plastic action plan

LIFESTYLE Food as medicine everyday

COMMUNITY Sweden’s Honorary Consul Hua Hin

Myanmar theme:

The complex terrain of Myanmar business

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July 2018

ScandAsia Stories

16

mr Johan Hallenborg Head of the Swedish Embassy Section Office in Yangon

35 Inaugural Nordic Day celebrations held in Malaysia 37 National Day of Sweden Manila 38 Food as medicine everyday 42 Taste of Finland in Hong Kong

10 Myanmar theme

ScandAsia Business

20 Swedish Business Survey Singapore

first ever survey from Team Sweden

35 22

Mr Brian Mikkelsen

Danish Minister for Industry, Business and Financial Affairs in Philippines

23 Debt collection company Collectius

37

Swedish Stena invests

24 Business & Trade events

Calendar of all Nordic-related activities

28 Anti-plastic action plan

SwedCham Hong Kong launched position paper

30

Mr Victor Sukseree Hotelier + Sweden’s Honorary Consul Hua Hin

38

Editorial

Psst! I am down here!

A

s you know, this whole spring we have been working hard to make sure, the new ScandAsia concept would become a success.

Yesterday, the Managing Editor, the Marketing Director and myself were having a meeting to discuss how the website should also change to better reflect the new concept. I had drawn up a plan that would take at least another six months of hard work to realize.

It was Mid Summer and the big news was out, that this summer would likely be the best summer in many, many years for all the Nordic countries.The whole Scandinavian peninsula will this year have full six weeks of stable, perfect summer weather starting from 23rd of June and lasting throughout July and even a bit into August.

Suddenly a genie appeared from from out of nowhere.

“I will grant each of you one wish to come true!” the genie promised.

“I wish I was sitting in my parents little cottage in the woods outside Arvika with no internet coverage grilling country ‘korv”, with freshly dug up small potatoes with a nip of dill,” the Editor said. Poof! He was gone!

“No, that is not for me. I wish I was sitting at a little table in a cafe in Nyhavn with my friends looking forward to a long summer of festivals and concerts in the parks,” the Marketing Director said. Poof! He was gone too!

“And what do you want, the genie asked me,” eager to make my wish come true, too.

“Me? I wish those two lazy dreamers would come back right now, so we can finish our discussion,” I said.

And that’s why I am writing you this editorial message, hiding under my desk.

Have a great summer! See you in September!

Gregers Moller Editor in Chief

ScandAsia is a printed magazine and online media covering the people and businesses of Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland living and working in China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

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Another group of subscribers are Nordic people living in the Nordic countries who subscribe to ScandAsia for personal or business reasons. We also have many Asian subscribers, who for a wide range of rea-

6 ScandAsia • July 2018

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July 2018 • ScandAsia 7

Opinion

A new hope

The new government in Malaysia is moving with speed and seems determined to deliver.

O

n 9 May, Malaysians went to the polling stations and ousted the National Front coalition, led by the United Malay National Organization.

An unlikely alliance saw the former PM and strongman Dr. Mahathir Mohamed (92) and his former Deputy PM Anwar Ibrahim (70) bur y the hatchet and unite their forces against incumbent PM Najib Razak.

Allegations of widespread corruption, not the least through the 1MDB sovereign wealth fund, increased restrictions on press freedom and fanning the flames on ethnic and religious fault lines have been divisive issues. So too has the expensive lifestyle of Najib’s wife, which was offensive to many Malaysians suffering from inflation for which Najib’s 6% GST implementation of 2015 was widely, if a bit unfairly blamed. Mahathir’s Alliance of Hope had the abolition of the GST as a popular campaign promise and promptly delivered on that by 1 June.

The new government is moving with speed and seems determined to 8 ScandAsia • July 2018

deliver. Anwar promptly received a royal pardon but only after following proper judicial review. Parliament is expected to repeal a slew of unpopular laws including a recent “fake news” law which was rushed through earlier to further oppress free speech.

There has been a profound change on the media scene with national newspaper s over night no longer publishing clear ly one-sided news stories heralding the accomplishments of the federal government and criticizing the few state governments that were opposition-led before.

Among normal Malaysians, there is a profound sense of relief and a resurging pride. To help funnel well-meaning Malaysians donations more directly and transparently to the government, a patriotic hope fund has been established for donations to help ease the national debt burden which saw a worr ying increase to 80% of GDP after the new government reviewed the actual debt situation. It promptly received more than 3 mio EUR from worried but proud Malaysians.

The outlook for business? Uncertainty always follows a government change and some GLCs are bound to show unhappy surprises with a change of leadership where direction is more merit-based. The construction sector has been hit by government review of contracts entered by the former government on a direct negotiation basis rather than public tender. The ver y costly Singapore-Kuala Lumpur High Speed Rail connection and the KL MRT phase 3 were then cancelled.

Especially Chinese contractors are affected and many supporting service companies are feeling the pinch.

In the wake of the GST cancellation, the former, more selective Sales Service Tax (SST) 0f 10% will be reintroduced

in some form (expected to raise RM 10 less than the GST). Fuel subsidies have also been reintroduced. These measures will lead to a larger budget deficit but should boost consumer spending. The stronger oil price should help dividends and taxes collected from the state oil company Petronas and a widespread cut to the civil service has been announced, already culling 17.000 jobs. Demand for labor though is high with estimates of up to 6 million legal and illegal foreign workers in Malaysia.

Mahathir is making some radical changes now and this is being watched closely. In his first reign he was often accused of money politics and a degree of authoritarianism. Many obser vers are however hopeful he has gotten wiser and some people even refer to him as Mahathir 2.0 now. On the whole, despite short term uncertainty, I think the change was absolutely necessary to put Malaysia back on a strong growth path and I find it is highly positive for Malaysia in the longer term.

Allan H. Jensen Chairman, Malaysian Danish Business Council

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of ScandAsia Publishing. Examples of analysis performed within this article are only examples. Neither ScandAsia Publishing nor any person acting on its behalf may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained therein.

If you would like to share your thoughts and insights on this page contact Managing editor, joakim@scandmedia.com

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July 2018 • ScandAsia 9

Myanmar theme

The complex terrain of Myanmar business It’s been more than seven years since Myanmar opened up to the rest of the world, leading to growth in business. The emerging country however still has major issues when it comes to suitability for foreign businesses.

10 ScandAsia • July 2018

T

By Henrik Vinther he world was hopeful. Myanmar would not only open up to the world but also begin the liberalization of an economy that had been mostly isolated for more than 50 years. Foreign investors were eager to dive into the almost untouched market, the new Southeast Asian frontier, and quickly the planes were filled with businessmen flocking to Yangon and Naypyidaw to see what the country had to offer.

So now, seven years after the initial gold-rush, how has it actually turned out? Has it turned into the blooming economy like Vietnam or a corruption-ridden, pro formademocracy, ravaged by civil wars and ethnic cleansing?

In this article we go through some of the main points that the Scandinavian business community makes when discussing the current business climate in Myanmar; the ups, the downs, the immature market, the lack of infrastructure, corruption and crises.

A developing country

The first thing to take into account when analysing the market in Myanmar is the growing economy. In 2016 the GDP rose by 6,1 per cent and according to the IMF it is expected to grow by 7,6 per cent in 2018. The liberalisation of the economy as well as several business friendly laws has, to some extent, attracted foreign businesses.

July 2018 • ScandAsia 11

And a few things have characterized the recent years’ development in Myanmar, according to a recently released report by Business Sweden: The laws are more accepting of foreign investors, the amount of mobile users has risen from 0.25% in 2005 to more than 80% in 2017 and it is currently shifting from an agricultural country into light industrialization.

On the other hand corruption is still very much an issue.

Business Sweden has highlighted this as one of the biggest difficulties for companies when entering Southeast Asia.

Fur thermore crucial par ts of the infrastructure is lacking, with a low rate of electricity and frequent outages, a transportation system that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) predicted would cost US$ 45-60B in investments towards 2030 to upgrade to modern standards and a problematic financial sector.

These are some of the challenges that Myanmar faces on the way to becoming what Business Sweden described as a potential trade hub.

Somewhat optimistic business community

When consulting the Scandinavian business community in Myanmar’s views, the mood is generally hopeful, if not to say optimistic.

Vivianne Gillman is Sweden’s Trade Commissioner to Thailand and Vietnam, also covering Myanmar. When asked about the current business climate in Myanmar, she focuses on the development since the liberalization of the country in 2010/2011: “If you look at the general growth, it has developed exponentially since the liberalisation, making it one of the world’s fastest growing markets,” Vivianne Gillman says.

“This is something that can be seen in different types of infrastructure investments; building roads, setting up industries, building the cities’ transportation systems, energy, water and more. The country is now being rebuilt in terms of getting the basic infrastructure in place,” she says.

And that optimism generally carries throughout the community. Andreas Sigurdsson is the Managing Director at Lychee Ventures which specializes in the start-up industry of Myanmar. He, just like Vivianne, is generally positive about the development of the country: “I would describe the current business climate as better than before. Laws are improving and better facilities are accessible such as fibre internet and local data services. There are more business services established so you can get better support to,” he says.

A most immature market Vivian Gillman - Trade Commissioner to Thailand

12 ScandAsia • July 2018

But even though Myanmar may be developing and growing, it is not nearly out of the woods yet. As the economy

Myanmar (Burma) expert and journalist Bertil Lintner grows and the countr y shifts into the early stages of industrialization, through for example the garment industry (H&M has been sourcing to Myanmar since 2014), the expansion of the necessary infrastructure is very much needed: “One of the main challenges we see is the lack of proper infrastructure like energy and transportation. Even shipping your products out of Myanmar can be a logistic challenge and very costly,” Vivianne says and adds that “as the industrialization continues, this is improving.”

But for now it is still in the early stages, dependent on suppor t from other countries and from multilateral development banks: “Myanmar is still on the lowest step of the maturity ladder. Currently the strive is to move Myanmar from the agricultural state and into early industrialization, mostly through investments from China and Japan, but also through organizations such as the Asian Development Bank and The World Bank,” she thinks.

Localizing and keeping talents

Martin Hamann is a Danish independent market consultant based in Myanmar, who earlier headed a solar energy company. According to him, one of the main issues a company faces when working in Myanmar is acquiring competent work forces and retain them.

“One of the things we struggle with in Myanmar is to find the talented workforce. People who studied abroad are very valuable on the market, which makes the transition rate very high as of now,” Martin Hamann says.

“But it is not only the highly trained workforce. Even common jobs that require English and basic skills in Excel to manage a warehouse or coordinate marketing can be hard to find applicants for,” he says.

So often you hire a head hunter, someone who knows

the business community and have a knack of locating the employees a company needs. But the high demand for skilled labour makes it difficult to keep the workers once you finally found them: “There is a very high demand for talented workers and they can be scarce, so head hunters can be the key to find the best suited person for the task you have. But even then it is not certain that he or she won’t move to another job within the first year. There is a very high transition rate at the moment,” he says.

Financial infrastructure run by cronies

Something multinational businesses take into account when considering whether to open a branch in a new country is how convenient it is to actually do so; how the process of applications, permits and financial requirements are and how the local judicial system is set up for foreign investors.

And it does not look good for Myanmar: in the most recent annual ‘Ease of Doing Business’ report was released

by The World Bank. Myanmar still ranks as one of the lowest countries in the report (and in the lowest in the region), as the 171st easiest country to do business in, dropping one spot since 2017.

Par t of this is the financial infrastructure; how the processes are when applying for loans, how open the country is for investors and whether the banks are actually trustworthy or not when it comes to doing business.

Bertil Lintner is what you would call a veteran journalist in the area. Since the beginning of the 80s he has been present in Myanmar and Southeast Asia and he doesn’t hold much optimism when it comes to the country actually moving very much forward: “The first thing Vietnam did

July 2018 • ScandAsia 13

Most Swedish companies with experience in the region knows that once you give in just a little bit to unethical behaviour, it becomes difficult to avoid in the future even if it was to just accelerate a process at the customs-agency.

when they opened up, and this was very clever, was to allow foreign banks to enter the market. This drew international investors to Vietnam and the country has flourished since,” Bertil Lintner says.

“Burma didn’t do that. What they did instead was monopolizing the market with Mickey Mouse-banks run by local cronies, and this affects foreign investors. That is Burma’s biggest financial problem; not the government, ot the Rohingyan crisis or the civil wars, it’s that the financial infrastructure just isn’t there.”

In general he doesn’t believe in the optimism that’s shown by the rest of the community: “Just take a look at Yangon. The hotel prices are shrinking, the planes are half empty; the investors turned away,” he says. ”The west started considering sanctions against Burma soon after the country opened up. Naturally, this drew investors away; nobody wants to get involved in that.”

“Some western companies are here, but the major investments do not come from the west. They come through loans from China which is slowly re-gaining power over Burma,” Bertil Lintner says.

“We saw it with Sri Lanka. To build basic infrastructure like ports and roads, they took loans from China. When they weren’t able to pay those loans back, China took over, and it’s important to note that is has been a long-lasting plan for the inland empire to gain access to the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean,” Bertil Lintner says.

China’s coastline is very limited in terms of accessing the markets to the west; their only coastal line faces towards the Pacific Ocean, so it would mean great growth for China if a proper shipping line through the Indian Ocean could be established.

And according to Ber til Lintner, that is currently on the verge of happening in Myanmar. The countr y is in desperate need of a better infrastructure and the Western investors are hesitant, so China steps in. And it’s not only in transportation and logistics.

“The local banks owe millions of dollars to China and they can’t pay them back. To a large extent this gives China the power the banks and the loans provided by them. China is basically buying Burma at the moment,” says the Swedish journalist.

The Chinese influence

The humanitarian crisis

One of the major topics that Bertil Lintner has covered over the past decade is the Chinese buyout of Myanmar: 14 ScandAsia • July 2018

The on-going conflicts in the country are of natural concern for a large multinational company. Speaking from a PR

or a CSR perspective it is seldom very attractive to be supporting a government carrying out what the UN has described as a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing” as in the case with the Rohingyan minority.

According to Vivianne Gillman at Business Sweden, the situation may deter certain companies that were on the verge of entering the country: “It creates caution among the businesses. Those already in Myanmar will most likely carry on, sometimes with greater caution. Regarding companies contemplating to enter the market we know that some still chose to enter now while others wait.”

And the Rohingyan crisis brought fur ther sanctions on Myanmar, although they in most cases didn’t touch any of the products that Scandinavian companies (except for Sweden) would be interested in. The free and open market still stands, but the EU implemented sanctions towards dealing arms with the country - the ‘Everything But Arms’ sanctions.

Corruption is a factor

A subject often arising when discussing business in Southeast Asia, is the corruption. Some say it’s an inherited part of the culture while others will argue that it’s only exists as long as the authorities allow it. Nevertheless, corruption is not an uncommon practice as part of the political day-to-day life in Myanmar.

According to Vivianne Gillman corruption is something a company should be aware of when doing business in the market: “Most Swedish companies with experience in the region knows that once you give in just a little bit to unethical behaviour, it becomes difficult to avoid in the future even if it was to just accelerate a process at the customs-agency.”

Best fields right now

Setting corruption, lack of infrastructure and the emerging Chinese aside, what are the solutions and products that Myanmar are seeking right now? Which areas are obvious for a Scandinavian company to cover if they want to enter the market?

The shor t answer is: there’s plenty! “The countr y is developing fast, so not getting involved is missing out on opportunities to make a difference. There are needs in pretty much all sectors such as infrastructure, energy, education, healthcare etc. I don’t see any changes in terms of investment in these areas,” says Andreas Sigurdsson.

So to round it up, Myanmar is in many ways a complicated country. Many things are needed before Myanmar can move fur ther up the maturity ladder and become what many hoped would be the next trade hub and booming business market in Southeast Asia. But according to the business community, Nordic countries have a chance of becoming a part of this pull.

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July 2018 • ScandAsia 15

Myanmar theme

Crisis diplomacy: Sweden’s involvement in Myanmar politics Johan Hallenborg moved to Myanmar in 2016 and has since then acted as the prolonged arm of Swedish values in a country where human rights aren’t a given. He is taking ScandAsia trough some of the issues they are currently battling at the Swedish Section Office.

T

By Henrik Vinther he current situation in Myanmar is to say the least unstable. The 2015 election signified a change in the country’s political system with the first democratically elected government in more than 50 years.

But as the world looked towards Myanmar as the new democratic beacon of the Southeast Asia – and a potential new market for foreign investments – the massacres began.

Since 2016 more than 900.000 Rohingya people have fled from Myanmar to Bangladesh in what the UN described as a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing” with some sources putting the death toll at 14.000 people. Adding to this is the longest ongoing civil wars in the world, ravaging three regions and entrapping thousands of civilians in the crossfire.

And on top of that the freedom of speech is being heavily reduced, exemplified in the imprisonment of two Reuters journalists covering the Rohingyan massacre and also the heavily criticized telecommunications law which prohibits any speech the judges may deem as “extorting, coercing, restraining wrongfully, defaming, disturbing, or causing disturbance to any person using telecommunications. ” So how does a small Scandinavian country with minor economic interests navigate in this political climate, and what chances does it actually have at making a change in a country that can still very much be described as the wild west?

in Yangon, which means that his job includes to oversee operations and to coordinate the political and promotional work carried out by the office, which consists of four Swedish diplomats and six Myanmar employees aside from himself.

Personally he set foot in Myanmar for the first time in 2005, and visited the country frequently up until he moved here in 2016. And as a diplomat, he has been put right in the middle of some of the most crucial moments in the recent history of the country: “The experience standing out the most from those days was The Saffron Revolution. I saw the monks marching in the streets and I saw the military killing the Japanese journalist,” he says.

But now he acts as the prolonged arm of the Swedish values, placed in the Nordic House just outside the center of Yangon.

“We’re here to represent values that the Swedish government wants to promote – human rights, freedom of speech, gender equality; to promote democracy. And generally the values are very similar across all the Nordic countries,” Johan Hallenborg says.

The reason for the map-pointing is a recent statement by the Swedish Embassy,, expressing “deep concerns” about the recently increased fighting in the Kachin and Kayin States and urging the government, “including the military” to cease fighting and allow humanitarian assistance.

The prolonged arm of Sweden

The outlooks were very positive in 2015. Aung San Suu Kyi, a western darling, was elected by the general population of Myanmar, and although the military still held a significant amount of the chairs in the parliament, things were beginning to look a bit brighter for the strange and mysterious country next to Thailand.

“Ten years ago the country made huge progress, no question. This was more or less like North Korea before 2010,” Johan Hallenborg says.

Johan Hallenborg quickly leaves the chair and walks slowly to a framed map on the wall to point out the conflict-ridden areas in Myanmar.

“You have Kachin up here in the North,” he says, circling the area with his hand,“and beneath that Shan and just below that the Kayin. And then you have Rakhine over here to the west.”

He is the Head of the Swedish Embassy Section Office 16 ScandAsia • July 2018

Still the wild west

July 2018 • ScandAsia 17

This publicly elected government needs our support but the problem is that there’s still the military government in effect. The military is not under civilian control, which is a fundamental problem in this country.

18 ScandAsia • July 2018

“But the people who thought everything would be good after the election were very wrong. This is still very much the wild west with civil wars, large production of drugs, a strong military power and militias, illegal logging, illegal mining and ethnic conflicts.”

“And on top of this, the past two years have seen a significantly shrinking space for civil society, which has meant less ability for them to organize, to carry out activities, to speak out freely,” Johan Hallenborg says.

“So recently the curve has been in a sharp decline.”

To stay or to go?

So taking these factors into consideration and adding the recent crackdown on the Rohingya population in the Rakhine state, should a country like Sweden, often branded (and branding itself) as the humanitarian capital of the world, actually cooperate with the regime?

“I understand the sentiment of the question, but it is important for people, including back home in Scandinavia and in Sweden, to understand that if we leave this country, pack our bags and get on the plane, things here will only get worse,” Johan Hallenborg says.

“This publicly elected government needs our support but the problem is that there’s still the military government in effect. The military is not under civilian control, which is a fundamental problem in this country.”

And the most significant political work is not done alone, but in collaboration with the international society through the EU or the UN, where Sweden is currently in the Security Council: “We, as Sweden and as part of the EU, are frank with the government and the military on political issues. We want to offer our help and assistance, but we also highlight

Exterior of Nordic House in Yangon issues that are of concern to us. Some people argue that we are afraid to raise political concerns due to trade and investment issues, but this is certainly not the case.”

And this brings for th an interesting question: How frank can you actually be? The Scandinavian embassies are not particularly quiet about their stances towards the government’s actions, often criticizing or condemning it publicly.

“Naturally, as an Embassy you have to be able to do your work and if you annoy the government too much, it may have repercussions. We haven’t been reprimanded for speaking up on sensitive issues, but there is a fine line and there is a risk of crossing it,” Johan Hallenborg says.

Freedom of press

One of the issues where not only Sweden, but also the Danish Embassy is very vocal is press freedom, especially concerning the two jailed Reuters’ journalists, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who were arrested shortly after they published an article detailing the killing of ten Rohingya men in September 2017.

Especially the Danish embassy has been very articulate on the matter. Every week, without exception, there has been a red picture on the front of the embassy’s Facebook page, highlighting the views of the embassy and beginning with this: ‘WA LONE AND KYAW SOE OO WERE SET UP. RELEASE THEM NOW’ It is followed by a long argument as to why the journalists are innocent and why the Danish Embassy believe that freedom of press is crucial to the continuing development of the country.

The Danish Ambassador to Myanmar, Peter Lysholt

Hansen, previously told ScandAsia, noted that the intention isn’t to provoke the Myanmar government: “This is not meant as a confrontation but as a token of help. We believe that the freedom of press is extremely important for a country like Myanmar, and this particular situation is just a case and point.”

Everything But Arms

Sweden is also heavily involved in the efforts of the EU. And the EU implemented sanctions as an answer to the conflict in Rakhine: Everything But Arms (EBA). The name fully captures the purpose:You can trade anything with Myanmar except arms.

Adding to that there’s word of implementing sanctions on selected military officials, freezing their assets in European banks and banning entrance to the EU. And although Johan Hallenborg admits that the targets of the personalized sanctions most likely won’t be financially affected, it’s about sending a message: “To introduce restrictive measures may have some limited impact, but it’s a strong signal to send; that the EU is not happy with the way the Rakhine crisis unfolded. We saw what has happened and we are ready to act,” he says.

But setting aside the hard-lined politics that sanctions are, Sweden continues to support humanitarian projects withing Myanmar. Recently the Swedish-funded health programme 3DMG opened a health clinic within the Myitkyina Prison, aiming to provide basic healthcare to what the Section Office described as “[some of] the country’s most vulnerable and marginalized people, with limited access to prevention and health services.”

July 2018 • ScandAsia 19

Business

First ever Swedish Business Climate

Survey Singapore launched

By Sara Brun Nielsen

T

eam Sweden Singapore has released the first ever sur vey on Swedish business climate in Singapore. The survey is produced by Swedish Chamber of Commerce Singapore, Business Sweden and the Embassy of Sweden.

Jan Stjernström, the President of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Singapore presented the findings of the sur vey and the presentation was followed by a panel discussion with the Swedish Ambassador Håkan Jevrell, Swedish Trade Commissioner Emil Akander, and Sean Yakota, Head of Asia Strategy at SEB Singapore.

The repor t – The Swedish Business Climate Survey in Singapore 2018 – explores the Swedish companies’ perception of the business climate and their growth projections in Singapore and the ASEAN region.

“With this repor t, we aim to shed some light on to the values that the Swedish business community brings to Singapore and what factors that will keep Swedish businesses in the country. We need to understand the challenges that Swedish businesses face in order to be able to address them” explains Cecilia Oskarsson, General Manager at the Swedish Chamber of Commerce Singapore.

The survey found that the two biggest challenges for Swedish businesses in Singapore are 1) the general high cost doing business and 2) to find the right talents. The latter having become increasingly acute since the Ministry of Manpower has tightened employment pass regulations.

For SEB strategist Sean Yakota, the first challenge concerning the high cost for companies to operate in Singapore is actually a sign of strength, reflecting the attractiveness of Singapore as a regional hub and that it is something corporations have to live with. However, the second challenge concerning talent supply is a problem that can and should be addressed.To do so, different approaches can be used to tackle the issue.

The ASEAN region is becoming increasingly more attractive and the sur vey shows that Sweden is doing well capitalizing on the growth opportunities. Significantly, the repor t shows that Swedish companies have high growth expectations. No less than 90 percent of Swedish

20 ScandAsia • July 2018

The Swedish Business Climate Survey

companies believe sales will increase in the ASEAN region the coming three years. And as Sean Yakota has put it: “Singapore is the gateway for Swedish businesses into the growing ASEAN market” The strategic geographical position that Singapore possess and the position as a global trade hub links Singapore’s economy to the state of the world economy.

Therefore, it was also addressed doing the panel debate that Singapore needs to continue to offer a competitive business climate.

“One way to do that is the EU-Singapore free trade agreement. I think it is absolutely key for Singapore to be part of leading the development when it comes to free trade and trade in general. Hopefully, we will see the EUSingapore agreement into force in the beginning of next year,” Ambassador Håkan Jevrell explains.

Håkan Jevrell also explains that he as a European ambassador sends a strong signal to the EU that there is a need for a greater political European presence in Singapore.

“The European Union is by far the biggest foreign investor in the ASEAN. European companies, including Swedish companies should also try to bring the message that we are needed out here,” Ambassador Håkan Jevrell states.

The European Union is by far the biggest foreign investor in the ASEAN

The Swedish Business Climate Survey in Singapore 2018

The ASEAN region is developing rapidly and political changes in for instance Malaysia adds a threat to Singapore’s dominating position in the region. Still, it is important to consider the ASEAN region a whole, because competence is to be found all over the region.

“As many markets are experiencing growth numbers of six to seven percent at the same time as local governments are making progress in making it easier to do business, a question that the panel debated was what measures that Singapore needs to take to keep its position as the regional hub. Malaysia was brought forward as one example of

a possible contester to Singapore’s position. The panel acknowledged that many regional markets and locations are becoming increasingly more attractive however if Singapore plays its cards right, the country is more likely to benefit from the regional development and even strengthen its position,” Cecilia Oskarsson explains.

Sean Yakota adds: “It is not a zero-sum game – that if Indonesia or Malaysia does well it takes market shares away from Singapore. I think high tide lifts all boats.”

July 2018 • ScandAsia 21

Business

Danish business minister Brian Mikkelsen, delegation visited the Philippines

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Danish delegation headed

by The Danish Minister for Industry, Business and Financial Affairs, Brian Mikkelsen has visited the Philippines.

Along the minister,the Confederation of Danish Industry, Healthcare Denmark, State of Green, The Danish Agriculture & Food Council, Food Nation and the Danish Embassy in Manila participated during 7 – 9 May 2018. The business delegation focused on sectors with high demand within technology, design, health care, clean tech and food.

The Danish Minister for Business Affairs opened a number of events and held talks with counterparts from the Government of the Philippines.

There was rich potential for broader and deeper economic and commercial relations between the two countries, reported Denmark’s Ambassador Jan Top Christensen.

Minister Mikkelsen had long and constructive talks with Department of Finance, Philippines’ Secretary Carlos Dominguez and they agreed to embark on fur ther engagement between the two countries.

22 ScandAsia • July 2018

He also met with Depar tment of Trade and Industr y (DTI) Secretar y Ramon M. Lopez to discuss trade and investment oppor tunities between the Philippines (PH) and Denmark (DK), especially concerning the PH government’s massive infrastructure program.

“The current economic growth momentum, rating upgrades, and aggressive infrastructure programs offer a lot of business oppor tunities for foreign investors particularly with technology-oriented ser vices and systems,” said Secretary Lopez.

The trade chief also stressed that “President Rodrigo Duterte guarantees that your investments will be protected from corruption,” as he shared reforms to improve the ease of doing business and about the corporate tax scheme in the country.

Minister Mikkelsen praised PH’s economic growth of 6.7% and said that Denmark “wants to be par t of the development happening in PH.” He also expressed interest in bringing construction firms to participate in the PH’s “Build Build Build” infrastructure

program. Apart from this, the European Union (EU) member state is also keen on investing in renewable energy and affordable medicine.

Secretar y Lopez welcomed this interest and encouraged the Danish to offer insights to solve the developing countr y’s problems and said that “unsolicited proposals are welcome.”

Meanwhile, DTI is planning a Nordic

culinary tour this year to promote Filipino cuisine to DK and its neighbouring countries. DTI Undersecretary Nora K. Terrado said that they’re also planning a trade road show in DK in 2019 to promote Filipino trade and investments in general.

PH currently enjoys GSP+ privileges with the EU and hopes to elevate this to a free trade agreement (FTA) soon.

Also, discussions on the Asean-EU FTA are underway, with the last meeting held in Singapore last April 2018.

On 10 May NordCham Philippines and BDO hosted the Danish Minister and delegation of Danish companies to a dinner. During this event three Danish companies gave a short speech about doing business in the Philippines, from a Nordic per spective. NNIT, Alternergy and Sonion leaders gave an honest and inspirational account

Business

of their experiences of establishing a business in the Philippines and proved the benefits of doing business in the Philippines.

Sources: Nordcham Philippines, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Ambassador Jan Top Christensen, Embassy of Denmark in the Philippines.

Swedish Stena invests in debt collection company Collectius

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ollectius,a Swedish-Singaporean debt collection and receivables acquisition company in the Southeast Asian region, has announced the conglomerate Stena as its new investor, making a multimillion dollar equity injection and increases its commitment through a credit line.

Being one of the largest family-owned companies in Sweden Stena has global operations in five business areas: Ferry Operations, Offshore Drilling, Shipping, Property, Finance and New Business.

Collectius has meanwhile just reached 1 million customers, while Stena’s investment reflect Collectius’ potential as a market-leader within distressed consumer credit or so called non-performing loans (NPLs) in South East Asia. The investment will help the company reach its shor t- and midterm goals.

“We are hungry and reaching one million customers. Stena is a good par tner who brings not only capital but an entrepreneurial business culture that we treasure. We are aligned,” states

Gustav A. Eriksson, CEO Collectius Group.

Collectius focuses on helping banks dispose of their non-performing loans (NPLs). According to the company’s chairman Mr.Tibor Veres says debt sales are common in the US and Europe and something that banks are constantly doing as a part of their operations and funding.

Debt sales in Asia is expected to increase significantly because it makes huge economic sense to sell the writeoff por tfolios also with time tighter regulations and accounting measures will drive NPL por tfolio sales. Ted Osborn (partner at PwC Hong Kong) says that banks benefit by selling NPLs to third parties in many ways including improving their capital position and liquidity and by freeing up resources.

“We are very impressed with what management team has been able to achieve with the company. We look forward to suppor ting Collectius Group to expand into new markets and continue to invest in fur ther

Gustav A. Eriksson growth. We have full confidence in management’s strategy to build a market leading position in Southeast Asia,” says Andy Boehm, Managing Director Stena Switzerland in the PR statement from Collectius.

July 2018 • ScandAsia 23

Business & trade events

Business & trade events This is ScandAsia’s new section listing all business and trade activities in relation to the Nordics with Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and China.

China

Singapore Medical Fair Asia 2018 - Pavilion of Denmark

Dates: 29-31 August Place: Singapore Organiser : Danish Health Tech Group/ Danish Expor t Association Web: www.medicalfair-asia.com/

China Int. Import Expo – Finnish Delegation

Dates: 5-8 November 2018 Place: National Exhibition and Convention Center, Shanghai Organiser: Business Finland Ministerial delegation and Finland national booth China is the second largest impor ter and consumer in the world. Governments and companies from over 60 countries will join the Expo. Finland will have a national booth of 160 sqm to promote our country and companies image in China. Business Finland is in charge of organizing the national booth.

12 th International Exhibition on Hospital, Diagnostic, Pharmaceutical, Medical & Rehabilitation Equipment & Supplies Medical Fair Asia serves is a definitive sourcing platform in the region for all those involved in the medical and healthcaring sector. As an international showcase for the latest innovations, products and services’ from the entire value chain of in-and-out patient care covering the hospital, diagnostic, pharmaceutical, medical and rehabilitation sectors, the show continues its successful growth as the leading exhibition of its kind. It’s the ideal showcase for Danish companies who wish to enter and expand their business in markets such as Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam, as well as other countries in the region.

Healthcare demand in Southeast Asia continues to increase rapidly. Driven by population growth rates that are expected to surpass those of other geographies, Asean is seeing a shift from infectious diseases to non-communicable disease patterns matching developed western markets.

Expand your business in the SEA region by taking advantage of the business matching tool and securing valuable meetings.

Finland in Singapore

Date: September 2018 Place: Singapore Organiser: Embassy of Finland in Singapore, Business Finland and Cities of Helsinki and Espoo Contact: riku.makela@formin.fi, Embassy of Finland in Singapore Finnish innovators and tech companies will visit Singapore 24 ScandAsia • July 2018

at the time of Slush Singapore and Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology in September 2018. Embassy of Finland in Singapore, Business Finland and Cities of Helsinki and Espoo will represent Finland as the source of top technology, as a destination for top talent to relocate to and as a source of investment opportunities for investors.

Finnish companies and exper ts are welcome to join a series of events, visits and matchmaking ser vices. The basic services are provided free of charge by Team Finland organizations. Par ticipants are fully responsible for own travel arrangements and costs.

AR/VR showcase and networking event Date: 12 September Web: www.lyyti.fi/reg/FinnishARVRXR

This is a good option for those health/wellness companies that have AR/VR related offering.

Soft launch of Nordic Innovation House Date: 13 September, 17:00 - 19:00

Media and PR event, including a showcase of Nordic companies selected for participation based on their interests and profiles.

Slush Singapore

Date: 14 September Organiser: Slush Web: singapore.slush.org/ Being organized already for the third time, Slush Singapore attracts par ticipants from all over South East Asia. Last year, Slush Singapore 2017 gathered 3,000 attendees, 360 startups, 250 investors, 200 students and 90 speakers. This year the main event will be held on 14 September, and in addition to that there will be a full day of pre-events on 13 September, and an after-Slush on 15 September.

Helsinki-Finland booth at Slush will be a good meeting point. It will showcase Finnish AR/VR technologies. At the booth, visitors will be able to hop into a VR-world, travel virtually to Helsinki, and explore the Finnish AR/VR companies bringing this to “life”.

Coordinators from Helsinki, Espoo, Business Finland and Embassy of Finland will be available at the booth to connect any interested parties to any Finnish delegates and in general, to any Finnish offerings. Business Finland together with the City of Helsinki are hosting the Finland Booth to Slush Singapore in Augmented and Virtual Reality!

In addition to the Finland Booth at the Slush venue on 14 September, Business Finland will be organizing a networking event for the participating AR/VR and travel tech companies on Wednesday 12 September.

Finland-Singapore Health Tech Events in Singapore

Dates: 17-19 September 2018 (+ optional 12-14 Sep.) Web: tinyurl.com/FinSin2018 - an overview of the events where Finns are participating.

Finnish companies and exper ts representing health and wellness sector will join a series of events, visits and matchmaking services.

17 September, 12:00 - 17:00 Preliminar y agenda includes: luncheon and networking, Dialogue Series panel with Q&A (preliminary viewpoints: health tech challenges; personalized health and precision medicine, health design); pitching of Singaporean and Finnish interests (needs of healthcare providers & opportunities identified by national programs); pitching of solutions (companies and experts give a 1 min introduction pitch); and speed dating and networking while everyone who pitched has his/her own station.

17 September : Healthtech Investor Reception with Finnish Health and Wellness Companies Note that only some of them are organized by Finnish organizers (City of Helsinki, Business Finland, Embassy of Finland, etc.). Helsinki based start-up companies can apply city’s grant to cover up to 2500 euro of the travel costs.

17-19 September: site visits & group meetings & 1-on-1 meetings Site visits as well as group meetings and workshops will be arranged to cover the following promising areas of wider collaboration and business oppor tunities: Personalised Health program of Finland and Precision Medicine initiative of Singapore; Diabetes prevention, cure and taking care of complications & War against Diabetes in Singapore.

Others to be added based on interests both in Finland and Singapore.

Team Finland will provide matchmaking and meeting arrangement services for health companies. This will be based on the interests and needs that will be collected from participating Finnish companies latest by mid-August.

TechInnovation and Finland booth

Dates: 18-19 September Organiser: Team Finland, contact riku.makela@formin.fi Web: techinnovation.com.sg/ Team Finland provides a free of charge opportunity at Finland booth in TechInnovation technology marketplace event for max 10 Finnish companies and research institutions to showcase their intellectual property for potential licensing or further joint development.

This industr y-to-technology matching event and marketplace aims to accelerate the commercialisation of emerging technologies, seed licensing opportunities (find

July 2018 • ScandAsia 25

someone to license your technology) and foster open innovation collaborations. The event includes the expo, plenar y talks, fast-paced technology pitching, calls for collaboration and one-on-one pre-matched meetings.

Par ticipants are 3000+ people from multi-national corporations, SME enterprises, leading corporate R&D and research organisations, university tech transfer offices, IP intermediaries, technology translators and public agencies.

Key benefits: Gain an understanding of smart city opportunities in the Philippines Be introduced and get connected to Philippine public and private sector decision makers Pitch your solutions, products and services to these decision makers Utilize the strong presence of Team Sweden in the Philippines

The Philippines

Thailand Team Finland visit to Thailand

Dates: 20-23 august 2018 Place: Bangkok Organiser: Team Finland

New Clark City, https://www.facebook.com/NewClarkCity/

Smart Cities

Dates: 3-4 October 2018 Place: Clark, Philippines Organiser: Embassy of Sweden in Manila, Business Sweden Find new revenue stream with Smart Cities in the Philippines The Embassy of Sweden and Business Sweden invite to two days of seminars and workshop focusing on the development of smart cities in the Philippines. The purpose of this business development activity is to position smart city solutions, products and ser vices to investors and decision makers in the private and public sector. Four main topics will be address: renewable energy, connectivity & transport, public safety and water.

The Philippines continues to be one of the fastest growing economies in Asia, with GDP expanding by 6-7% per year. The concept of smart cities should not be far away from reality in the Philippines, with the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) developing the New Clark City – the first sustainable smart city in the country planned to house 2 million people. Several smart city engagements are also driven by the private sector under PPP schemes.

Swedish Businesses are doing well in the Philippines with a combined revenue of SEK 5 billion and annual growth of 15-20 %. Now is a good time to enter the market. This activity provides a unique opportunity to enter the market, or to find new revenue streams on the market.

26 ScandAsia • July 2018

Opportunities for Finnish companies in energy and digitalization Join the Team Finland business delegation and travel to Thailand with Mr. Mika Lintilä, Minister of Economic Affairs and discover new business opportunities.

“Thailand has made immense progress in doing business reforms this past year, with strong Government leadership at the highest level”, said Ulrich Zachau, World Bank’s Director for Southeast Asia.

Thailand has not only made its regulatory framework lighter, but is updating its economy by the ambitious new Thailand 4.0 development plan, Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) program, reforms in alternative energy sector, Smart Grid pilot projects, Smart City initiatives etc.

EDUCA Fair 2018 Special Seminar by Finland

Date: 17 – 19 October 2018 Place: IMPACT Muang Thong Thani, Thailand Web: www.educathai.com Organiser: Team Finland Educa is a platform where Thai teachers can meet and share their experiences, regarding teacher professional development, education, technology and innovation.

Special seminar by Finland: ‘Change is possible’ - Through Finnish Innovations in Pedagogy Programme: Finnish Teacher Education and Training in the Thai Context

by Lead Expert, Tiina Malste, Educluster Finland.

Panel discussion on how Thai educational institutes have

applied Finnish model in their institutes with Panyapiwat Institute of Management, Thammasat University and Kasetsart University.

Innovation in Education and Pedagogical Leadership with Director, Head of Transnational Operations, Dr. JanMarkus Holme and Head of Transnational Ecucation Dr. Kirsi Kettula, University of Helsinki Centre for Continuing Education HY+ How to use digital tools as part of kindergarten learning methodologies by Toby Murray, Fun Academy Finnish - Thai Cultural Differences in Education and Adaptation by Independent Scholar Kunthida Rungruengkiat, conducted in Thai

Vietnam

in-6-9-11-2018/Danish contact: Danish Embassy in Vietnam, Bo Mønsted, Commercial Counsellor, bomons@um.dk Vietnam’s leading International Water, Wastewater and Industrial Wastewater Treatment & Purification Show. It is one of Asia’s most important and comprehensive water trade shows featuring innovative products and services.

Government officials, regulators, developers, manufacturers and leading industry exper ts attend the exhibition and conference.

Finnish Pavilion

Hanoi Gift Show

Dates: October 17 – 20th, 2018 Place: National Exhibition Construction Center, Hanoi Nordic participant: Finnpartnership Website: hanoigiftshow.com/index.php/en/ Hanoi Gift Show 2018 will have over 650 booths from over 250 enterprises in Vietnam and some from other countries in the world. This will be a good oppor tunity for buyer s, business enterprises, organizations and individuals who are interested in the field of handicrafts to meet, exchange, identify potential partners, Vietnamese enterprises, manufacturers and some from other countries in the world.

VietWater Expo

Dates: November 7-9th, 2018, Place: Ho Chi Minh City

VietWater is the most important and well-attended annual trade water exhibition in Vietnam. Interested in Vietnamese markets? Meet key stakeholders from the Vietnamese water sector at VietWater Expo, together with other Finnish companies. Win business economically by exhibiting at the Finnish Pavilion!

Finnish Water Forum organizes a Finland-Vietnam networking seminar with Vietnam Water Supply and Sewerage Association on 6 November and a Finland Pavilion at the exhibition. The Finnish Pavilion has been a successful event at VietWater already for five years. In 2018 the event is being organized by KaukoInternational Oy and Finnish Water Forum. With strong experience of the market the organisers want to continue the success story and prepare way for Finnish companies to take part.

Danish pavilion

join the Danish pavilion at Vietnam’s premier water trade show! The rapid urbanization in Vietnam cause serious challenges to development in the coming years. Larger cities and urban environments urgently need to create long-term solutions in water supply and sewerage. A demand that goes well in-hand with Danish expertise and technological innovation in water supply, water quality, network operation and water assets management.

Nordic participants: Finnish Water Forum + Royal Danish Embassy in Vietnam and the Confederation of Danish Industry Web: www.kaukointernational.com/meet-the-decisionmaker s-of-vietnam-water-sector-at-vietwater-expo-

July 2018 • ScandAsia 27

Business

SwedCham Hong Kong launched anti plastic action plan

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n 24 May Swedish Chamber of Commerce Hong SwedCham’s launched the position paper: ‘Plastic waste - a call for action’, with opening remarks from Consul General Helena Storm.

The Swedish Chamber of Commerce is thereby raising plastic waste as an issue that needs urgent action in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Government is called upon to refine its policies in this area, and to intensify its work with concerned stakeholders and society as a whole.

Its purpose is to drive change to make Hong Kong a regional leader, in innovative and responsible management of plastic waste, by influencing and accelerating Government decision-making on this issue, with the support of the wider Hong Kong business community.

This is an opportunity for Hong Kong to take regional leadership and further enhance its position Asia’s World City. In doing so, quality of life for Hong Kong residents will be improved and business opportunities will be created, states the white paper.

Since the beginning of 2017, the Sustainability Committee of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce has been focusing its work on plastic waste. In October 2017, a round table

28 ScandAsia • July 2018

was organised around the topic of reducing, collecting, sorting and recycling plastic waste in Hong Kong. Around 30 stakeholders from the Government, academia, NGOs and the business community were gathered for the discussion.

This was followed up with a number of smaller niched meetings to obtain more in-depth information from key stakeholders.

The position paper outlines the observations they have made during this process, coupled with suggestions on firm actions they would like to see from the Government to battle the escalating problem of plastic waste.

Headlined ‘Take a lead for change’ there recommended actions include the following extracts: a) Ban single-use plastics: Be firmer about reducing single-use plastic. Only the Government can make a real difference when it comes to reducing single-use plastic, through an outright ban. An incentive based approach such as reverse vending machine solutions for plastic bottles could have the same effect. b) Accelerate the introduction of an effective fee for waste to landfill: There must be an effective fee; otherwise there will never be a business case for recycling. Legislate around companies’ responsibility for the disposal of the

plastic packaging they produce and discard. Combined with an outright ban on plastics to landfill, or in the least a considerable fee, this would mean that e.g.’ supermarkets have to reduce the amount of plastic used in their daily’ operations. c) Boosting demand for recycled plastic needs to be reinforced through producer responsibility legislation around minimum recycled content, requirements on density, colour and/or taxing virgin material. Also, support businesses who repurpose plastics and make use of that raw material, through for example funding, land and/or real estate and legislation.

Fur thermore, the Swedish chamber recommends building a strong recycling industr y through four key initiatives: Suppor t separation at source with better disposal infrastructure, Compensate recyclers for collection, Coordinate collection of recyclables by districts, and Invest in proper Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs).

SwedCham Hong Kong also realises the need to rethink the status quo:

recycling system for plastics in place. The impact of not taking proper care of plastic waste is already dire and will only exacerbate over time. Therefore, rethink plastic waste and re-classify it as a special waste category, as proliferation of plastic waste in our environment (especially our marine environment) poses a health threat to Hong Kong citizens.

Educate the public on reducing, proper sorting and clean recycling

The Swedish Chamber has taken the lead on a pledge to eliminate plastic bottles and cups from the workplace.

“Over 70 members, large and small, have already signed the pledge and other chambers of commerce are following suit. We see the above actions as crucial steps for the Hong Kong Government to take leadership on the plastic waste issue. It is a splendid opportunity for the Government to make sure Hong Kong truly stays and evolves as ‘Asia’s World City’”.

Reclassify plastic waste

Consider the opportunity cost of not having an effective July 2018 • ScandAsia 29

Community

Victor Sukseree

a well-known Hua Hin personality and Sweden’s Honorary Consul

30 ScandAsia • July 2018

Following 28 years at the helm of Thailand’s famous seaside resort Dusit Thani Hua Hin, Sweden’s Honorary Consul has finally retired as the General Manager of the hotel. This however does not mean that Mr Victor Sukseree will no longer be a principle player in this royally accredited resort town – on the contrary, he continues with his college hospitality tutoring, popular radio transmissions and diplomatic responsibilities at the Swedish consulate. Victor looks back at his time so far at one of Thailand’s most well-known and distinguished resort properties and reflects on Hua Hin’s development.

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By Joakim Persson t is really rare to have the opportunity be a single hotel’s general manager for this length of time – in particular for a big chain brand, where they usually rotate the GMs to their new hotel openings. However, it is usually the case that the most admired and successful hotels are those where the entire staff work together as one big united family, with a long-standing permanent GM who lives and breathes the day to day performance of the hotel.

This was very much the case with Dusit Thani Hua Hin and Victor Sukseree.

Victor says: “In the early days, preparing to open, the owner had told me: ‘We would like you, Victor, to take care of this hotel as if it is yours’. Since then I carried it on my shoulders, looking after the hotel as my priority, even more than my own family’s business as company Vice President attending board meetings which only occurred once every two months. My sister took on running our family business and only when facing some difficulty would come to me for assistance. I remained in the hotel all the time, working seven days a week for almost twenty years which included fifteen years of occasional lectures at the Dust Thani College. Only in the last twelve years did I start lecturing frequently, normally going to Bangkok on a Monday to teach Post Graduate level at Mahidol University in the evening and on Tuesday mornings at Chulalongkorn.”

We would like you, Victor, to take care of this hotel as if it is yours.

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any years later Victor had been called to an appointment with the Swedish Ambassador in Bangkok who, completely unexpected to Victor, approached him with the proposition of becoming their Honorar y Swedish Consul in Hua Hin. The GM took on that offer with pride and committed dedication to the responsibility without hesitation, “It’s an honour to ser ve the countr y”, he had replied. Victor had studied international relations in university, but had never got to use it. He was not comfortable with the Thai bureaucracy system so decided not to join the civil service, but then having the chance towards the end of his hospitality career

Victor in attendance at The Cabinet’s 20 years celebration in Hua Hin 2017 July 2018 • ScandAsia 31

Dust Thani Resort, Hua Hin to become a diplomat, an Honorary Consul, he grasped the opportunity as an honour for himself and his family.

The Swedish Hua Hin Consulate officially opened on the grounds of the hotel in September 2011, instigated by the ever increasing population of Swedish visitors and long-stay guests to Pruachuap Kirikhan province. The former ambassador, Lennart Linnér, thought that Sweden should have a consulate in Hua Hin to serve this now not insignificant population of Swedish nationals who at the time had the inconvenience of travelling to the embassy in Bangkok.”

“A humble hotelier, diplomat and a gentleman with passion,” is how the easy-going and welcoming Victor describes himself. “I care, I commit and I can do many things, these are the core values of today that I am trying to encourage all people to follow. I’m ver y passionate particularly with regard to empowering people, trainees and students,” he states, unsurprisingly - given how many years he has managed the hotel. To these ends, he has even created his own academy; ‘Coach the coach’, now running season 3.

“I do not comfor tably identify with the corporate environment and when the Dusit group wanted to move me to another hotel, I told them: ‘Please do not, if you move me you lose me!’ Here it is about the passion and love I have for this particular hotel and the group of people who work for me. On our 25th anniversary since opening, it was a coincidence that we had 25 people including myself who had worked for 25 years in this hotel. In addition, between 32 ScandAsia • July 2018

10 to 24 years of service in the hotel were 100 staff, so 125 staff had then been working with me in the hotel for over ten years. As a commemorative souvenir and record, I created a table book celebrating this silver anniversary, which was celebrated in January 2016 and shows many events from the hotel’s past and a selection of all the celebrity guests that have crossed the hotel’s threshold throughout the years.”

Victor is a very well-known hotelier among Scandinavians who love to frequently travel to Hua Hin and nonetheless among Thais who view the Dusit Thani Hua Hin in high regard. An aura of regal gracefulness plus traditional Thai hospitality permeates this five star property which has seen many people from high society as guests plus a plethora of international celebrities and performers, be it for glittering galas, weddings or weekend getaways etc., to this illustrious royal seaside resort. Dusit is a very renowned brand – in particular among Thais. People staying at Dusit Thani are generally regarded as those from affluent or discerning society.This is a brand name and reputation that Dusit Thani has built and maintained since the development of Thai five star hospitality that became more focused in the 1970s.

“In particular, many Scandinavian golfers have returned to the resort year after year, especially in the past. However, these days the golf tour groups are smaller. Many Scandinavians who have been here frequently now chose to come independently for different reasons. Some of them have also bought second home residences, while some of them still come here but stay as FIT [free independent traveller]. The

In particular, many Scandinavian golfers have returned to the resort year after year, especially in the past.

guest mix in the hotel these days by nationality is that Thais are still number one. However, Thais stay for an average of 1.5 nights, while English, Swiss and Scandinavians stay for an average of 6.5 nights,” reflects Victor.

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nother main change, Victor correctly points out, is that tourism in Thailand nowadays is fuelled by mass tourism. “People from all walks of life come to Thailand and it has changed quite a bit, Hua Hin used to be very high end, but nowadays everyone comes! The one thing that still remains is that it’s a more salubrious city than many other mass tourism destinations. At least there are no prominently visibly dubious places – such as the infamous entertainment districts often found in other popular Thai tourist destinations.”

“Globalisation has made the world smaller and more accessible; travel is quite convenient these days and with the dynamic pricing of airlines and targeted promotions, people are enabled and inspired to explore and extend their horizons. Hotels have been a major driving force in attracting tourists with international online searches and convenient booking from the comfort of one’s own keyboard or through proactive agents, and it’s so dynamic that you have one price today and another tomorrow.”

Victor says that it happens that people even check out after a few days and then check in again, based on a lower

July 2018 • ScandAsia 33

them to self-cater. Yet there still remain a staunch core of Dusit followers, of whom many also try out new hotels but then come back. Victor says: “I’ve had many occasions when guests apologise for being a traitor a few times, only to return as they and their families miss our hotel’s facilities combined with our brand of Thai graciousness, personal recognition and unique ambience created over our personal and unrivalled quarter-of-a-century hospitality experience and dedication to service excellence.”

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price they have booked online. “This makes it difficult now! In one way it means that more people can afford to travel, but on the other hand it is challenging for hoteliers to maintain profit margins while overheads are constantly increasing yet room rates are depressed.”

Tourism has mainly continued to move north and south of the resort town since there is no land left in Hua Hin proper. Victor does not believe it can grow much more in the area, especially given the number of residential homes that are now entering the hospitality market as direct competitors to hotels. Many condominiums are still unsold and many Thai middle class people like to rent a condo for a weekend as it’s cheaper than staying in a hotel and enables 34 ScandAsia • July 2018

fter two extensions beyond ordinary retirement age for hoteliers, Victor decided that he should finally relinquish his parental roll in the hotel and hand over to the new GM, Mr Pipat Patthananusorn. Thereby, Victor has ended all involvement in the running of the hotel, even though the CEO had announced to the guests at the 25th anniversary celebration that he was not retiring and that they might see him less but that he would be around in the background.

Victor has become a legend among his peers, 28-years in one hotel from opening is no mean feat. An impressive unrivalled diary of royal visits, grand galas, international summits hosting world leaders, plus a reputation for theatrical presentations that created a wow factor for celebrations, events, seminars and TV channel celebrity annual get-togethers put the Dusit Thani Hua Hin firmly etched on the map. Victor has a right to be very proud of his reign. Let’s see what this new chapter of his life will bring forth. Hua Hin’s latest celebrity retiree will undoubtedly continue to surprise us with his creativity and passion for living life to the full.

Community

First ever Nordic Day celebrations held in Malaysia

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May 2018 saw the first Nordic Day celebrations ever held in Malaysia, as the five Nordic missions in Kuala Lumpur gathered friends and colleagues to celebrate years of evercloser cooperation within what is perhaps the most integrated region in the world. Over 450 invited guests were present to mark the occasion, which took place in the Renaissance Hotel on the evening before Malaysia’s highly anticipated General Election.

Behind this initiative were the ambassadors of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden and the Honorary Consul of Iceland, dedicated to promoting the nations’ shared values, friendship and mutual respect, and emphasizing the nations’ commitment to future trade and cooperation both with each other and with Malaysia.

A joint celebration of the respective Nordic national days, Nordic Day also ser ved to highlight the region’s close ties and many similarities. All five countries are par t of the European internal market and members of the Schengen cooperation. Perhaps more interesting, all five are also amongst the top 10 happiest and most democratic countries in the world.

Following the toast by Datuk Ramlam Ibrahim, Secretar y-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norwegian Ambassador Gunn Jorid Roset led the opening remarks on behalf of the Nordic representatives. Ambassador Roset spoke of the Nordic region’s friendship and shared history, rooted in trade and travel even before the Viking ages two millennia ago, and how this legacy has resulted in the combined region today forming the 11th largest economy in the world. The Nordics share Malaysia’s commitment to an open global economy and fair playing grounds for international trade, with trade between the five Nordic nations and Malaysia averaging approximately 2 billion USD per annum – a figure far exceeded by the scale of the entire Nordic bilateral engagement in Malaysia, which includes countless investments across sectors.

The evening’s unique musical perfor mance also demonstr ated the region’s shared and cultural and linguistic histor y, as the Malaysian choir performed the first verses of each of the five national anthems, in their original languages and melodies.

Complimenting this, continuous videos

exhibited across the room displayed some of the striking nature and culture that the Nordic region is intrinsically associated with. A fur ther reference to the shared, iconic histor y of the Nordics was a classic Viking ship, carved entirely from ice.

The missions thanks their main partners Saab, Bae Systems Bofors and Peter Justesen, and our partners Novo Nordisk, Ørsted Ser vices, Wär tsila, Aker Solutions, Volvo Malaysia, Monitor ERP System, DNV GL, Archer Well, Jordan, Danfoss Industries, Haldor Topsoe, University of Helsinki, Absolut, Carlsberg, Laplandia, and Finnair for all your contributions.

Source: Royal Norwegian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur

July 2018 • ScandAsia 35

Community

Sweden’s National Day China celebrations

O

n Wednesday 6 June the Consulate General of Sweden in Shanghai invited diplomatic colleagues, Swedish organizations & companies, friends and families to attend the annual National Day celebration. SwedCham’s Shanghai office was present to explain their work in Shanghai and to play ‘put the tail on the Dala Horse’ with the children.

The Consul General, Ms. Lisette Lindahl, initiated with a welcome speech and thanked all the participants present, to be followed by a wonderful choir performance. The National Day Celebration is the biggest Swedish promotional event of the year, attended by more than 1,100 guests.

Invited to participate was also several Swedish companies, such as Volvo Cars, Handelsbanken, Husqvarna, Electrolux and many more.

On the same day in Beijing the Embassy of Sweden invited diplomatic colleagues, Swedish companies and friends to attend the annual National Day event. SwedCham’s Beijing office was present to promote the Plastic 36 ScandAsia • July 2018

Free campaign, as the Embassy’s focus this year is sustainability.

The Ambassador of Sweden to China and Mongolia, Mr s. Anna Lindstedt, initiated with a welcome speech and thanked all the participants present the Renaissance Hotel in Beijing. The National Day Celebration is the biggest Swedish promotional event of the year, attended by more than 1000 guests. Several invited Swedish companies, such as Volvo Cars, Volvo Group, Ericsson, Tetra Pak and AstraZeneca also exhibited.

The Plastic Free Challenge is a concept inspired by Swedish Chamber in Hong Kong, where member companies are challenged to minimise their plastic waste. At the National Celebration in Beijing SwedCham had prepared a Plastic Free quiz and the oppor tunity to win a chocolate box from Fillidutt, as well as a chart where the guests could write down their own ideas on how to minimise plastic waste, in order to raise awareness of this issue.

Amongst SwedCham’s member companies the following companies

have joined the Plastic Free Challenge so far ; KappAhl, Stora Enso, Arenco, Bamboo, Ericsson, Lyckeby, Nord-lock Group, Ericsson, Green Carrier, Sigma Technology, Elekta, Nilorn, Volvo Cars, Epiroc, Handelsbanken and SEB. The evening offered many surprises, including but not limited to a performance by Cherrie, Swedish R&B singer just back from a tour in the US, and Tulegur, a modern nomad group with roots from Inner Mongolia.

Source: SwedCham China

Community

National Day of Sweden celebrated in Manila

T

he Embassy of Sweden Manila celebrated the National Day of Sweden on June 6 at the Grand Hyatt Manila.

Around 500 guests from the Philippine government, diplomatic corps, local and international civil society organizations, the Swedish as well as the business community enjoyed a Swedish feast and a night of Swedish music.

The National Day of Sweden reception wa hosted by the embassy in partnership with Scania Philippines, Transcom Asia PH, Atlas Copco Philippines Inc, Swedish Match Phils., Inc., Volvo Buses, BDO Unibank, Saab AB, Ericsson Telecommunications, Inc. Netsquare Bldg, Bonifacio Global City, SKF Philippines, Epiroc Surface Mining and Construction and Volvo Car Philippines.

Source: Embassy of Sweden Manila

July 2018 • ScandAsia 37

Lifestyle

Wellness specialist/lifestyle & nutrition coach Judith Coulson-Geissmann

Food as medicine everyday Tips for improved health, longevity through your diet in Asia

I

By Joakim Persson sn’t it great to get to know as a westerner in Asia that there are some really beneficial herbs, fruits and vegetable to be found here in abundance! For those of you who have not searched, or did not know, it is never too late to learn!

Apart from the obvious recommendations most of us know well, like avoiding ‘white foods’, there is some really amazing produce to add to your diet that can serve the purpose of reducing unhealthy eating habits.

Depending on location in Asia one may also be in an environment where say a healthy meal cannot be bought at all. Then, home-cooking and food sourcing becomes even more essential. Given their comprehensive benefits, it is without any doubt wor thwhile buying some of them at the grocery store or food market even when travelling, to add to the diet. And only a few would need to be cooked first.

Wellness specialist/lifestyle & nutrition coach Judith

38 ScandAsia • July 2018

Coulson-Geissmann is our guide to a healthier lifestyle and how to get away from bad choices. She presented these ‘whole foods’ in a ‘Food as medicine everyday’ presentation in Bangkok held at 137 Pillars Suites & Residences’ ‘Asian Organic Gourmet Festival’ in March 2018. It is a really amazing list of things to drink and eat!

She calls them ‘food as medicine’ for a reason: they are traditional medicine items that can prevent bodily disorder or function as remedy. Getting to learn about all their benefits is really amazing; an awakening for many actually.

These medicinal produce are, apart from a few seasonal ones, readily available all over Southeast Asia, so what are you waiting for!?

Their main benefits are mentioned. It is also relevant to point out that also medicinal food should be consumed in moderation. All quotes are by Judith Coulson-Geissmann from her presentation.

“As with any supplement ingredients you can overdose.

It is not like: because these traditional medicine items are good for you, take as much as possible. A lot of times these ingredients have the effect with very small doses as well.”

Water advice

It was disturbing to learn that the in Asia so common reversed osmosis drinking water is not really doing one’s health any good at all!

“Water is one of the most important ingredients in your health. Make sure you drink enough on a daily basis and you’ll have a lot less issues. Also, it can prevent ache and give you a lot more energy.”

In many Southeast Asian countries you get so called RO (reversed osmosis) water. “Unfortunately that process strips the water from all the minerals, vitamins and trace elements. That makes the water slightly acidic, and if you live in a stressful environment, such as Bangkok, your normal acidic level is already high. To add more acidity with acidic water I personally would avoid anywhere I can. If you have a choice, choose a mineral water; it’s more alkaline and can bring your acidic level down.”

She personally thinks RO water is dangerous in the long run. This type of water actually leaches vitamins and minerals from the body and leads to magnesium deficiency!

The World Health Organisation has issued a warning on this.

If staying or having meetings in a hotel and drinking hotel water, usually RO, Judith makes sure to eat something that can balance it out, for example having an oatmeal breakfast, or “anything that contains a lot of minerals”.

Photo: 137 Pillars Suites & Residences

Marian Plum (Gandaria Bouea)

Cultivated in Indonesia, Borneo, the Philippines and Thailand.

This fruit is one of the few produce in this list that are seasonal, in Thailand limited to the main fruit season, which falls during April to May. “Mario Plum can be used for salads and this fruit can aid many things thanks to specific ingredients. It contains a lot of vitamin C; every kind of vegetable or fruit that is yellow or red contains a lot of vitamin C, which is crucial for many functions in your body. It can clear up your skin but also help in cancer prevention. Its antioxidants can make you cells healthier. The Marian Plum can also speed up healing, so it helps your cells to also rejuvenate.”

Beta carotene is one of the ingredients found in Marian Plum, which helps to maintain the eye health.

“It helps blood circulation as well, because it contains a lot of water. So it helps also the functions of your brain, which mostly feeds on water and glucose.”

Sesame seeds

Sesame seeds are extremely beneficial for your health but are often overlooked. They are a great supplement that can easily be added to lots of meals and could be brought along when travelling. “Sesame seeds can be added to almost anything. Cereal, salads, or sprinkle it over meat.”

Unsurprisingly, Judith says it is one of her favourites.

“They’re a real powerhouse of minerals, unsaturated oils and vitamins and highly underestimated in general. Sesame seeds have a wide range of phytochemicals that can protect your cells against radiation, one of the contributors to cancer development.”

Photo: 137 Pillars Suites & Residences Anchalee Ponrungsit, Executive Sous Chef at 137 Pillars Suites & Residences Bangkok July 2018 • ScandAsia 39

They improve digestion; most people have some gastro-intestinal issues these days. But where they can really help you in Asia is for the calcium – sesame seeds have more calcium than milk!

Photo: Shailesh Humbad, www.ivcooking.com

They improve oral health and aid the body’s metabolic function. They are anti-inflammatory, and can reduce joint pain and inflammation in your body to prevent several illnesses – cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes.

“They improve digestion; most people have some gastro-intestinal issues these days. But where they can really help you in Asia is for the calcium – sesame seeds have more calcium than milk!”

The impressive levels of essential minerals like zinc, calcium and phosphorus found in sesame seeds can be a major boost for your health.These minerals are integral part in strengthening and repairing bones, building muscle tissue, hair and skin. Sesame seed oil also reduces the appearance of burns, and scars, and reduces signs of premature aging.

Black sesame seeds are more fibre-rich. “Fibre is something we should be aware of and eat more than 26 grams of daily. A fibre-rich diet can prevent high cholesterol levels, aid a healthy digestion and even prevent some cancer.

A lot we eat is processed so the fibre content is very low.”

Hibiscus Roselle tea (Reduction)

Health benefits include its ability to treat high blood pressure, high cholesterol, disturbed digestive and immune system, and inflammatory problems as well.

“Roselle tea is one of my all-time favourites. I have daughters and I don’t know why, but today most women have issues with menstruation pain and cramps. Rosella tea can help you; it is high in Vitamin C and the phytochemical proper ties of Rosella tea can relieve pain, including 40 ScandAsia • July 2018

menstruation pain.”

Its antioxidant proper ties can help to detoxify your liver: “A lot of people struggle with fatty liver disease these days. This disease is not only related to excessive alcohol consumption but can develop if you eat the wrong type of food over a long period of time.”

Roselle tea has anti-cancer properties, Antioxidants help to protect your body from diseases because they neutralise the free radicals present in tissue and cells.

It can aid weight loss because of its vitamin C content.

Also, it can act as anti-depressant.

Cod fish

“I was very surprised in how many ways it is beneficial! It has some of the same proper ties as salmon in the way that it has 0mega-3 oils and thereby anti-cancer proper ties.

And that’s why it is beneficial for a number of things, including aiding the cell reproduction, so it is an anti-aging ingredient. It can also aid leukaemia, increase the immunity level, and as it is high in protein it increases your muscle health.”

Skin health: the selenium and vitamin E can work wonders on your skin, and help prevent premature aging.

The selenium can also prevent asthma attacks by producing antioxidants.

“However, fish in general – like any food today – you have to make sure where you get it from. The quality makes a difference as it can have quite high level of heavy metals.”

Photo: 137 Pillars Suites & Residences

Turmeric

Turmeric’s amazing health benefits include its ability to reduce inflammation, heal wounds, improve skin health and ease menstrual difficulties. And it is a brain-boosting herb.

“Turmeric’s my all-time favourite! I have turmeric with me everywhere I go. This is one of the most important knowledge I have been taking home - the benefits of turmeric,” Judith introduces the herb.

“You should add to your daily cooking routine. It does not have much taste if you put a little dash of it and that is already enough. I started to use it on daily basis in the food I cook for my children and they haven’t been sick for ten years! Turmeric is a natural anti-biotic.”

“It improves heart health, detoxifies the body. It can help with depression. It has a lot of inflammatory agents so it can prevent pain. It aids gastro-intestinal issues and can help with weight loss.”

Tur mer ic helps acceler ate the metabolism rate and lets your body burn a significant number of calor ies, leading to weight loss.

“The powder is as powerful as fresh turmeric in my opinion.”

strengthen the immune system, prevent various types of cancer, reduce excess gas (also dangerous to your health) etc.

“It can improve bone health because being high in minerals as well. It has anti-inflammatory properties, and treats diarrhoea. And if you feel bloated it will help against that. And I always use it if I feel I am getting a cold or start sneezing.”

“I cook ginger tea in a big pot. It helps you to start the metabolism, just to get you going and your tooth flowing. It also wakes you up as it has some stimulates.”

“You do not need to drink a lot. A glass or two is already enough,” adds Judith.

More on food as medicine and Judit’s advice will follow in part two.

Photo: Simon A. Eugster/ Wikimedia Commons license

Ginger

Health benefits include its ability to boost bone health, July 2018 • ScandAsia 41

News brief

Taste of Finland: Nordic summer and food celebrated in Hong Kong

‘T

aste of Finland – A Nordic Culinary Success!’ gathered 90 guests at the Gold Coast Prime Rib, the first Nordic culinar y event at the Hong Kong Gold Coast Hotel.

Taste of Finland was organised to bring together Finnish companies, friends of Finland and epicureans to celebrate the Finnish and Nordic seasonal produce, lifestyle as well as the Nordic summer beauty.

Mr. Jari Sinkari, Consul-General of Finland in Hong Kong and Macau officiated the dinner event following the pre-dinner Nordic cocktail. The event’s wonderful networking oppor tunity enabled guests from all walks of life to get to know each other.

Joining the dinner were guests from amongst the sponsoring organisations: Finlayson, Finnair, HKScan and SuperPark from Finland to name a few. Amongst the 90 guests were participants from Business Sweden, KONE Elevator, International Association of Gourmet

42 ScandAsia • July 2018

Master Chefs and Hospitality Executives, and Munax Oy. Celebrity Chef Jaakko Sorsa, Executive Chef of FINDS shared with us on the Finnish dining culture and how the Finns work in harmony with the nature, which creates the unique food culture from the North.

During the dinner, questions on everything interestingly Finnish were asked as a fun way to test the knowledge of the guests on Finland, such as “what’s the Finnish invention in the kitchen?” and “What beverage produce does Finland consume the most in the world?” etc.

Winners were offered a secret drink from the Hong Kong Gold Coast Hotel as an award. Chef Felly Chung’s Finnish menu creation touched the hear t of many native Finnish participants with the authenticity of the Finnish taste.

Co-organiser of Taste of Finland, the Hong Kong Gold Coast Hotel team, earned a round of applause from all the dinner par ticipants for both the impeccable quality of service and the

exceptional quality of food!

Full list of Nordic sponsors of theTaste of Finland dinner gathering: Arctic Blue Gin, Finland August Berries, sponsoring cloudberry wine, produced in Ranua, Finland Finlayson, sponsoring menu design and tablecloths and runners, Finland Finnair, sponsoring discounted round-trip HK-HEL-HK flight tickets, Finland HKScan, sponsoring omega-3 pork, Finland Lerøy Seafood, sponsoring Aurora Salmon, Norway RPS Brewery, sponsoring Finnish craft beer brewed in Kuopio, Finland SuperPark Hong Kong, sponsoring goodie bags and park tickets x 4.

Full list of supporting organisations: Consulate-General of Finland in Hong Kong and Macau Finnish Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong VisitFinland.

Organiser s of Taste of Finland: D’Evenitif Co. Ltd. Hong Kong Gold Coast Hotel.

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