Interview
Photo by Disraporn Yatprom
When asked about the difference between the two countries, Ratanawadee said, “In Thailand we were free to move around everywhere, no security threat at all. When we arrived in Dhaka, we noticed that security was quite a big problem. In July 2016, more than 20 people, mostly foreigners, were massacred by a group of terrorists in a trendy coffee shop in the diplomatic area of Dhaka.” “This changed the situation for all foreign diplomats and business people. Michael and I could not walk or drive around by ourselves, not even around our own block. Talking about public transportations was out of question. Every time we went out together, we were followed by a convoy of police officers. When we stayed in a hotel, there were always policemen outside our door. Towards the end of our posting it became a bit better ; we could star t bicycling around, but not as free as in Thailand. All this sounds tough, but we didn’t suffer at all. We were taking good care of and everyone contributed to make our lives secure. We did not face any threatening incidents at all. “Our experiences in Thailand and Bangladesh were in many ways very
In some aspects our lives were similar and in other aspects rather different.
different. Thailand will always be in our hearts, as it is my home country. Concerning our experiences in Bangladesh, I can use three words – fun, intense and memorable. Bangladesh has been one of Denmark’s biggest partners in many programs. The Danish embassy in Bangladesh focuses a lot on development. I very much enjoyed travelling with Michael within Bangladesh to visit projects all over the country, projects founded by Danes. It was amazing to
see what a difference Danish tax payer’s money could do for the very poor and less privileged people. The communities showed us so much appreciation. We were both very touch by the locals. We also travelled to visit several villages with indigenous tribes and we had the great opportunity to meet with the King and Queen of the Chakma tribe, the biggest indigenous group in Bangladesh. “In Bangladesh I also worked and supported local artisan groups. I was particularly proud to be associated with the Fashion Designer Council in their effort to revive Khadi – which is naturally dyed and woven materials like cotton, silk and muslin. Michael and I also volunteered to help a group to preserve old crumbling buildings from the Mogul period in the old Dhaka. “We stayed in Bangladesh for almost 2 years. Bangladesh was considered being a difficult diplomatic posting by the Danish Foreign Ministry, due to the terrorist attack in 2016. This gave us the opportunity to travel abroad more frequently and we therefore visited many interesting countries and had more holidays. May 2019 • ScandAsia 31