ScandAsia Thailand - January 2015

JAN 2015

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Coming Events

Norwegian Information meetings The Royal Norwegian Embassy will arrange yearly information meetings for Norwegians living in Thailand in early February. The meetings will follow this schedule: UDON THANI : Tuesday 2 February 2015 at 10.00-15.00 Venue : Centara Hotel & Convention Centre, Udon Thani CHA AM : Wednesday 3 February 2015 at 11.00-16.00 Venue : Methavalai Hotel Cha Am PATTAYA : Thursday 4 February 2015 at 11.00-16.00 Venue : Jomtien Garden Resort, Pattaya

Your FREE ScandAsia Magazine in Thailand ScandAsia is the only magazine that covers all the Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish residents in Thailand.

Ambassador Kjetil Paulsen will participate in all the meetings and give a briefing on the various activities and services of the embassy. In Pataya, Consul Stig Vagt-Andersen will also participate. There will be a presentation of what consular services are offered including the latest news on work permit / visa regulations.

Representatives from NAV Internasjonalt, NAV Pensjon og HELFO will be present at all three meetings and there will be a Question & Answer session after each presentation. Questions can also be put to the staff of the embassy in private during breaks or after the main meeting.

Coffee, tea and snack will be served.

We also publish a ScandAsia magazine in China, Singapore and the rest of South East Asia.

Scandinavian Balut

Please sign up for your own FREE copy: www.scandasia.com

Balut has so far been a mostly Danish affair. Now, Scandinavian Society Siam invites all members to an evening with the fun game that has similarities with the dice game Yatzee, but also is different in a number of ways.

The SSS Balut evening takes place on 21 January 2015. Venue: Robin Hood Pub right next to the exit from Phrom Phong BTS station on the north side.

The fun starts at 18.30 and the pub has kindly extended their happy hour an extra two hours during the event so the participants can enjoy happy hour pricing from 16.00 - 21.00.

Members are encouraged to sign up in advance. For directions on how to get there please visit http://www.robinhoodbangkok.com/map.php

Publisher : 211 Soi Prasert Manukitch 29 Prasert Manukitch Road Chorakae Bua, Lad Prao Bangkok 10230, Thailand Tel. +66 2 943 7166-8, Fax: +66 2 943 7169 E-mail: news@scandasia.com Editor-in-Chief : Gregers A.W. Møller gregers@scandmedia.com Managing Editor: Thana Poopat thana@scandmedia.com Advertising : Finn Balslev finn@scandmedia.com Piyanan Kalikanon piyanan@scandmedia.com Nattapat Maesang nattapat@scandmedia.com Graphic Designer : Peerapol Meesuwan Peerapol@scandmedia.com Printing : Siamprint Co., Ltd.

Daily news and features here: www.scandasia.com

Norwegian Seafood under the Stars The annual Norwegian seafood gala dinner at the Ambassador’s residence is one of the biggest highlights for members of the Norwegian community in Thailand.

Seafood under the Stars promises to be a sumptuous affairs with seafood impor ted directly from Norway, cooked to perfection into a wide variety of dishes by top Norwegian chefs.

Organized by the Thai-Norwegian Chamber of Commerce, the gala dinner offers a perfect opportunity for members to invite local customers, clients, associates and friends for networking.

Where: Norwegian Ambassador’s residence When: Thursday 29 January 2015, 18.30-22.00 Sign up: secretary@norcham.com

News Brief

Asger Mollerup receives unique Thai award

By Lars Pinnerup

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sger Thong Mollerup is rewarded with The Nation Groups “TanKhunPaenDin” (แทนคุณแผ่นดิน) award for his impressive work helping preserve ethnic languages and – culture in Thailand.

Each year, The Nation Group awards a citizen from each province in Thailand for being a “khon dee”, a positive contributor to society around them.The awards for this year were handed out on 15 December 2014 and as the only foreigner among the 76 recipients Asger Thong Mollerup was recognized for his work with preserving languages and culture in Thailand.

The Nation Group is acknowledging Asger Mollerup for his impressive work of putting a Thai-Laos-Thai dictionary – and a book on the Phuthai language together. Phuthai is a language spoken by the Phuthais’, an ethnic group residing in Northeastern Thailand, Laos and North Vietnam. According to The Nation Group, Asgers’ books not only help foreigners understand languages and cultures of Thailand, but also are a great aid to Thais’ who move to work and live in northeastern Thailand.

“I share this award with my wife,Thanyalak Chaiyasuk, as without her help the “Phuthai – Language For Health” book could never have been written”, Asger Thong Mollerup tells Scandasia shortly before receiving the award.

Apart from the recognition for his previous work and the 15,000 Thai baht that follows with the award, Asger Mollerup hopes the award will work as a stamp of credibility when he presents future research to scholars, government officials and even his own neighbors in Khao Wong in Kalasin Province in Northeastern Thailand.

“Apart from functioning as a dictionary, the book, “Phuthai – Language for Health”, is a contribution to language and culture preservation, and of course many local Phuthais where I live sometimes meet me with a good amount of healthy skepticism, because why would a foreigner know this much about their own history, culture and language? This award is a pat on the shoulder but also sends a signal to my surroundings, that there indeed is validity behind my work” Asger says.

In addition to his dedication to understanding and helping preserve Phuthai culture, Asger Thong Mollerup is also an extremely skilled archeoastrologist and expert on ancient Khmer sites in Northeastern Thailand. In 2012 he released the book “Ancient Khmer Sites in Eastern Thailand” on White Lotus Press.

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News Brief

New Volvo truck range gains traction in SE Asia

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arely a few months into its Asia launch, the new range of Volvo Trucks so impressed customers that key agreements have been inked to supply regional hauliers. Pak Nam Po Transport of Thailand, Felda Transport of Malaysia and PT.PEC-Tech Services of Indonesia are among the first to benefit from the new range. volvotrucks Comprising of the completely redesigned FH, FM and FMX, the new Volvo truck range leapfrogs the market standards in the crucial areas of uptime, productivity, fuel efficiency and safety.

Shortly after the new trucks’ Asian premiere in May this year,Volvo Trucks continued its momentum of delivering better services and maintenance to key markets across Asia Pacific, with significant investments amounting close to US$150 million. The most recent development was the opening of Volvo Group Thailand’s flagship dealership in Bangna as well as new headquarters which will provide regional oversight for Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Denmark officially recognizes dual citizenship

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he Danish par liament voted on December 18 to allow dual citizenship.

The Danish par liament passed a law that will allow expats living in Denmark to become naturalised Danish citizens while retaining their original citizenship. Similarly, the law will allow Danes living abroad to become naturalised citizens of their country of residence while remaining a Dane.

The law goes into effect on September 1st, 2015.

The bill passed 89 for and 19 against, with the nay votes coming from the anti-immigrant Danish People’s Party and the right-of-centre Conservatives.

Thailand’s SCG Chemicals buying Norwegian chemical firm Norner

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iam Cement Group (SCG) has announced its acquisitions of a majority stake in Norner Holding, a Norwegian chemicalresearch company specialising in polymers.

SCG Chemicals Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of SCG, has purchased an initial 51-per-cent stake in Norner, with the remaining 49 per cent to be acquired by next September, SCG president and chief executive officer Kan Trakulhoon told the Stock Exchange of Thailand on December 17.

The entire 100-per-cent stake is valued at about Bt340 million, including about Bt40 million of debt. Norner Group has facilities in Stathelle, Norway. Its consultancy services range from polymerisation to various plastics applications, including oil and gas pipes and packaging.

Equipped with its own comprehensive scientific lab, researchers and technicians, Norner Group claims to be one of a leading global centre for plastics research and development.

International Baccalaureate

- an alternative to the Danish ‘Studentereksamen’ • internationally recognized • gives admission to universities all over the world • taught in English You can stay at Nyborg Gymnasium’s boarding school.

Contact us for more information about the programme and the boarding school.

Deadline for applications: 15th of March

Nyborg Gymnasium & Kostskole Skolebakken 13, DK-5800 Nyborg, tlf +45 65 31 02 17 post@nyborg-gym.dk, www.nyborg-gym.dk

6 ScandAsia.Thailand • January 2015

News Brief

Apollo tours stop elephant tours

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Photo: One Green Planet (http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/ secrets-of-thailands-elephant-tourism-industry-video/)

candinavian tour operator Apollo stops 11 out of 17 elephant tours in Thailand and India with immediate effect. The sudden halt is the result of Apollo’s cooperation with two animal welfare NGO’s.

The tours left on the program er tours where you see the elephants in their natural environment. This is the first step in a more longterm cooperation with World Animal Protection and a more longterm initiative for Apollo to no longer offer tours where animals are made to suffer.

“In the future we will not collaborate with suppliers who do not make sure that the animals have optimal conditions. Unfor tunately the initiative cannot be implemented in a day or two, but we hope to be 100% in goal in 2015,” Glenn Bisgaard, Head of Communication in Apollo says in a press release.

This announcement comes shor tly after the welfare of the elephants on the popular elephant treks in Thailand have been debated in the Danish media. Apollo has created a new Code of Conduct in collaboration with World Animal Protection and CITES. In the press release Apollo states that the elephant tours are just the beginning and that all of their tours involving animals will be investigated fur ther in 2015.

According to worldanimalprotection.org, all elephants are trained by taking them from their mothers at an early age and break their spirit through both physical and psychological pain, including isolation, starvation, beating and being chained up in small enclosures. In elephant camps they are prevented from forming social relationships with each other - this is hugely damaging to their physical and psychological wellbeing.

Read also the ar ticle on page 8-9

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January 2015 • ScandAsia.Thailand 7

European travel agen

urged to rethink boycott of Elep

By Thana Poopat Photo: Elephant Nature Park

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growing number of European travel agencies have decided to exclude elephant rides from their package tour itineraries based on repor ts of widespread animal abuse . But one of Thailand’s leading campaigners for elephant welfare argued that such move could do more harm than good to thousands of domesticated elephants already in the tourism industry.

Ms. Sangduen Chailert, an internationally-recognized elephant welfare activist, said instead of a blanket ban on elephant rides in Thailand, travel agencies from western countries that want to promote ethical tourism should engage existing Thai elephant ride operators to persuade them to treat animals under their care humanely.

“Depriving domesticated elephants and their owners of work in the tourism industry all of a sudden could possibly condemn them to even worse predicaments,” said Sangduen in an interview with ScandAsia.

“It is better to keep working elephants and issues related to their welfare visible, in the eye of animal-loving tourists and general public. It is important to keep up pressure on elephant ride operators to clean up their act.”

Sangduen heads a foundation that operates the spacious Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai that provides lifelong care for rescued and abused elephants while relying on those in good health to serve local tourism in an ethical and conservationist manner. No elephants are used to carry visitors or perform tricks like most tourist businesses at the 200-rai park, where more than 30 tuskers, including baby elephants, are cared for.

She stressed that although she personally objects to cruelty to and inhumane treatment of elephants, campaigning for a sudden end to the use of elephants in tourism would be unrealistic.

“Thai and international animal welfare activists, elephant owners and elephant ride operators should put their heads together and come up with a more realistic and sustainable solution that would allow domesticated elephants and the tourism-related businesses to coexist at least in the foreseeable future.”

There are approximately 3,500 domesticated elephants in Thailand. Of this, about 3,000 are engaged in tourism-related businesses while the rest are used in logging, street begging or in circuses.

The Ford Foundation in association with National Geographic named her a Hero of the Planet in 2001.

The National Geographic documentary Vanishing Giants, highlighting Sangduen’s work with the Asian elephant, was recognized by the Humane Society of the United States with the Genesis Award in 2003. In 2005, Time Magazine named Sangduen a Hero of Asia for her work in conservation.

Sangduen said elephants at her Elephant Nature Park are not required to perform any tricks to amuse tourists or to offer them rides. Instead they are simply trained to trust and feel comfortable around visitors who are allowed to feed or walk with them in the jungle or to bathe with them in the stream.

8 ScandAsia.Thailand • January 2015

ncies

Q&A

phant rides

Lena Engstrom

Reader profile of the month

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A t E l e p h a n t N a t u r e Pa r k , a n i m a l loving tourists are enter tained simply by the opportunity to observe elephants going about their daily life in family-like herds among natural settings in the sanctuary. Visitors are advised to observe rules, including not to touch or disturb the animals or to take photos with flash on.

“We have already demonstrated that there are alternative methods in training elephants through positive reinforcement that do not require causing physical pain or mental stress to elephants. It is our belief that intelligent animals like elephants should never be forced to perform “unnatural or extreme tricks”, such as walking tightrope, or performing somersaults, or standing on a stool on hind legs or draw pictures.

“It is cruel to compel elephants to do tricks out of fear. We want to train elephants without resor ting to cruel treatment the way horses are now humanely trained in some western countries,” she said. “We have already started working with some Karen (a hilltribe ethnic group in northern Thailand) mahouts in humane training and handling of elephants.”

Sangduen said Thailand has the potential to become a global centre for Asian elephant welfare and set the standard in international best practice for humane treatment of this majestic animal.

“We have centur ies-old knowhow in elephant training that needs to be adjusted. As a major international tourist destination, we have the personnel and resources required to begin to work on improving elephant welfare. But it will take public pressure at the national and international levels backed by well-thought-out awareness campaigns, to make it happen.”

ena Engstrom is a 51 year old Swedish housewife who moved to Malaysia in 2009. A mother of 2 sons who are in Denmark, she lives in Selangor with her husband who is currently working as a Chief Technical Operator in Bangkok. The couple moved to Malaysia after the company her husband worked for in Dubai went bankrupt. They did not want to return to Sweden and in Malaysia the couple could get a visa even though none of them had a job when they moved there.

I moved to Malaysia because...

My husband and I were looking for a place to move to and Malaysia got the highest “points” when we looked for plusses and minuses, we have also visited the country twice before and just like the people.

look at the weather they have back in Sweden, especially in the wintertime.

Living in Malaysia as a housewife has taught me... that it’s too hot to clean a big house by myself.

In Malaysia I picked up the habit of... always having a handkerchief with me, so I can use it to wipe off sweat.

It never ceases to amaze me when.. someone actually shows up at the appointed time in Malaysia.

The biggest day-to-day struggle in Malaysia is... to avoid the rain

My best advice to a newcomer in Malaysia is... when you go by taxi, always have taximeter and never take the blue taxis because the price is twice as much. Be prepared for a lot of heavy rain and be aware of pickpockets.

I go home to Scandinavia every... summer

Living outside of Scandinavia has made me realize... that it is so much cheaper here and, I love that the weather is always warm. Everything is easy here; if I need a doctor I go to a clinic or a hospital. I can see a doctor and get a good medical treatment right away, not like in Sweden where you have to wait and wait to get someone to look at you.

To satisfy my social needs I... do activities with SWEA (Swedish Women’s Educational Association)

Living in a country with a Muslim majority has been... no problem, we have lived in Dubai before Malaysia and here in Malaysia it is more liberal when it comes to religion, especially here in Selangor.

When I get homesick I... chat with someone over the internet or just

January 2015 • ScandAsia.Thailand 9

Ready

for the next big wave In 2012, after 8 years of work, a full-scale tsunami warning system was ready in Thailand.

By Lasse Henriksen

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sunamis and warning systems have been in newspaper headlines since 2004 when the phenomenon entered the world’s common vocabular y.

Stories about tsunami-warning buoys destroyed by smugglers and the 2011 disaster in Japan fueled the fear of a possible tsunami in Thailand.

But members of the public need not worry too much about what they read in the media.

Even though tsunamis cannot be predicted they can be detected and Thai authorities have spent years preparing the west coast for the next big one.

On the beaches of Phuket at 8’o’clock in the morning on the 1st or 15th of any given month

you will hear the Thai national anthem, while this can seem like a purely patriotic act, according to Santhawat Riwleung, the chief of Phuket Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office (PDPM), it is actually a test of Phuket’s 19 warning towers. The National Disaster Warning Center (NDWC) sends out a signal to all the 76 tsunami warning towers that have been built on Thailand’s west coast, and if everything functions as it should, the towers will start blasting out the national anthem.

In case of an actual event, where for instance, one or more of the tsunami buoys registers an abnormality that a quick analysis determines could be a potential tsunami, the towers of Phuket will not be playing music but start sending out warning messages in 5 different languages.

Run to the hills Evacuation routes are planned and marked with blue and white signs at all major west coast beaches. The signs show the quickest or most practical route to higher grounds. According to PDPM, evacuation exercises are held frequently.

Maybe even too often. In 2014 Phuket officials planned a full evacuation drill on the 25th December, the day before the 10th anniversary of the Tsunami. After complaints from victim’s families who told the authorities that it would be hurtful to see the drills so close to the day of remembrance, it was postponed.

“The slowest beach to evacuate is Patong.

There are many people and a long run to the safe zones. When we do our evacuation tests there,

Nordic disaster relief collaboration The Nordic Embassies have learned from the 2004 Tsunami.

In Phuket, the area in Thailand with the most Scandinavian tourists, a Nordic Emergency Group was created in the wake of the catastrophe.

Even though this group focuses on Phuket, Danish Consul Birgit S. Kondrup-Palmqvist Carlstedt is confident that the know-how can be replicated in other parts of Thailand.

By Lasse Henriksen

10 ScandAsia.Thailand • January 2015

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alf-empty airplanes leaving a disasterstruck Phuket was the grim reality in the aftermath of the 2004 Tsunami.

But last year at Nordic Emergency Group Phuket’s (NEGP) annual meeting, the largest Nordic tour operators and travel agencies promised to help one another in case of a disaster. Under the agreement, they will fill their airplanes with backpackers and customers of their competitors to help get people back home quickly as well as help put stranded Nordic tourists in hotel rooms.

Lack of coordination among the tour operators was not the only problem in 2004. Back then Foreign Affairs Ministries were criticized for a lack of capacity and for failing to understand the gravity of situation in time. Especially in Sweden where one of the main reasons for Foreign Minister Laila Freivald’s 2006 resignation, was heavy criticism for a slow and inadequate handling of the disaster where at least 540 Swedes died.

For the Danish Consul in Thailand Birgit S. Kondrup-Palmqvist Carlstedt, it is important to say that the Danish Embassy and Foreign Ministry have been able to use experiences from the 2004 Tsunami to prepare for future disasters.

“It is difficult to prepare for something as big and surprising as the Tsunami, a word that we could barely spell when it hit. But we can prepare for a plane crash, a hotel fire and boat- or bus accidents,” Birgit S. Kondrup-Palmqvist Carlstedt says and adds that she believes the experience

from these preparations will be an advantage in case of a larger disaster.

NEGP consists of the Nordic Embassies, the largest Nordic tour operators, travel agencies, the biggest travel insurance companies, the Nordic police liaison office and some of the larger hospitals. The group aims to extend to cover all parties involved in a crisis or disaster.

All eyes on Phuket Every year around Christmas and New Year’s Eve, a weekly average of around 60 direct flights from the Nordic countries land at Phuket’s international airport. This huge concentration of Scandinavian tourists, coupled with the fact that the group was created as a response to the 2004 Tsunami, is the reason the NEGP has its focus on Phuket.

But Phuket is not the only destination for the 300.000-400.000 Nordic citizens that visit Thailand every year. According to the Danish Consul Birgit S. Kondrup-Palmqvist Carlstedt, NEGP has discussed covering other popular tourist destinations as well.

“It is the same Embassies, the same tour operators and some of the hospitals will even be the same,” she says and adds that NEGP has discussed if the group should focus on other places like Hua Hin, Bangkok and Pattaya, all areas in Thailand with a high number of Nordic tourists.

A hotel on fire On Tuesday the 2nd December, NEGP met to prepare for the winter season with a drill.This year

it takes between 20 and 25 minutes for people to get to safety. But the volunteers at these drills are mainly young people in good shape, so for elderly it might take 30 minutes to get to safety,” Santhawat Riwleung says, adding that at Patong Beach both tall buildings and the surrounding mountains are part of the evacuation zones.

The full drill is more extensive than just a run to the hills. It involves putting up a mobile emergency medical facility, evacuation of patients and different scenarios with wounded or physically impaired people that require extra help. The PDPM states that in case of a tsunami that originates from the same place as in 2004, the NDWC will have detected it after about an hour.They will then have to analyze the data before they decide whether to send out the warning signal. It is expected that the tidal waves will hit 30 to 45 minutes after the warning towers start spreading the warning message in Thai, English, German, Chinese and Japanese.

“We are prepared” Apar t from the main beaches, there are also evacuation plans for smaller villages, if they are far away from a warning towers they will be warned through radio communication. On the 10th and 11th December 2014, a tsunami conference were held in Phuket under the slogan “10-year tsunami Phuket: The next tsunami zero loss [of life]”, with a focus on learning from Japanese tsunami experiences. At the opening ceremony of

the group was running through an exercise on a major hotel fire scenario. The fictitious hotel has 525 rooms. The whole exercise was designed as a tabletop exercise, meaning that participants work in groups, discussing how to handle a situation while getting updated every 10 minutes and put in different dilemmas.

The objective of this type of drill is to make sure everyone one knows what they should do and that they can trust one another during a crisis or disaster situation.

“When shit hits the fan we are all in the same boat, and it is important that we can help each other.

Last year, the first meeting in a few years was held, we used the occastion to look each other in the eye and say,‘are you with us or not?’ and to find out how the different tour operators could contribute,” Birgit says, adding that the NEGP meetings are excellent oppor tunities for this, because they represent the only formal collaboration between Embassies and tour operators.

In addition to a stronger network, according to Birgit S. Kondrup-Palmqvist Carlstedt, the most important thing to get out of the meeting is to keep cool and think straight, get as much information as possible from people who would call someone or from local authorities.

Lower pressure on local authorities Nordic Emergency Group Phuket represents a large group and if all members would all call the same authorities at the same time they could jam

the conference, Deputy Minister of Public Health Somsak Chunharas confidently proclaimed: “We are prepared for the next natural disaster”.

But preparation is one thing. An extensive warning system, with frequent drills, oceanic buoys that are hooked up on satellites and a 24/7 team to analyze data call for manpower and financial resources, and in order to make sure the system functions as designed, good maintenance is required. At the moment NDWC seems to commit itself to take care of the warning system.

Earlier in 2014 the warning center promised to replace an expensive warning buoy that was damaged beyond repair by smugglers or a fishing vessel.

Recent research have shown that the last devastating tsunami that preceded the 2004 Tsunami happened between 550 and 700 years ago, so the question really is if the people of Thailand will remember and stay focused on the threat from the ocean long enough. Perhaps, they can learn something from the Jarawa tribes of the Adaman and Nicobar Islands, who are said to have sur vived in 2004 because their folklore keeps reminding them of the allimportant tsunami indications and warns about the monstrous wave.

the communication lines.

“If all organizations involved would contact the same authorities at the same time, many of us would not be able to get the information we need.

We cannot get in contact with the authorities, if they have experienced a meltdown. Since we are all going to ask the same questions, it is easier if just one of us is responsible for communicating with one authority,” Birgit S. Kondrup-Palmqvist Carlstedt says.

Even with a close collaboration the Embassies capacity is limited. In case of a major disaster they can ask their respective Foreign Ministries for assistance. The Ministries will allocate extra personnel, typically from other Embassies in the region or in form of a special taskforce of trained colleagues from the home country. This happened at the 2013 typhoon in the Philippines, where the Danish Foreign Ministry sent reinforcement from other embassies and from the home country.

Apar t from the pre-season December meeting, NEGP meets every spring to evaluate the season. Birgit S. Kondrup-Palmqvist Carlstedt sees the group as a very important tool and she hopes that NEGP can be an inspiration for others.

“Here 10 years on, we have learned from the tsunami, and we can say with a steady voice, that we have learned our lesson and are doing something about it,” She says, “We are prepared and the goal is zero victims!”.

January 2015 • ScandAsia.Thailand 11

Rafting, rock climbing etc. is a bit ‘old skool’ in comparison with what is introduced here, and that takes excitement for families to a new level! Themed waterparks is the next big thing to make its mark on the Thailand map in 2014/2015!

12 ScandAsia.Thailand • January 2015

The New Waterparks W ater activity and hydrotherapy lovers of any age will also share the joy and relaxation.

Thailand’s water and theme parks are now competing to excel and outdo each other with two new mega venues opening during 2014. These are unprecedented, water-splashing attractions worth your attention!

Splash Jungle, Phuket, paved the way a few years ago in targeting the tourist scene, “providing gallons of excitement”. This waterpark promises to offer fun for all the family, whether you are

after a relaxing day in the water or an adrenaline rush. Splash Jungle combines the perfect holiday elements of cooling down, easy exercise, and wholesome outdoor entertainment. Big enough to contain a variety of aquatic options, yet small enough to remain manageable for ever-watchful parents, the park boasts thrilling rides such as the Boomerango and Superbowl as well as well as a six level wave pool and an aqua play pool for the children. There are also a “river” and a hot springs pool.

Next trendsetting waterpark is the Cartoon Network Amazone in Bang Saray (south of Jomtien/ January 2015 • ScandAsia.Thailand 13

Pattaya.) This one-of-a-kind themed waterpark is home to exclusive, thrilling water rides, featuring many slides, rivers and lagoons as well as one of the world’s largest water play attractions with over 150 interactive features for kids.

As a nod to the lush Amazon rainforest, this world-class water park offers exciting entertainment, including ground breaking social and interactive features, bringing the popular series and toon stars from its Cartoon Network to life like never before. It is the only place in the world where you can swim and vacation with your favorite Cartoon Network characters such as Ben 10, The Power Puff Girls, Gumball, Johnny Bravo and many more! It also features Asia’s first Cartoon Network-themed retail store.

Themed zones feature a variety of rides and attractions catering for the young and the young at heart. The park features also a gigantic family wave pool, a winding adventure river, speed racing slides, family raft rides, and one of the world’s largest interactive water-play fortresses for kids and many more.

On 9 December 2014,Thai Smile Airways and Cartoon Network Amazone announced a unique cooperation that will see the cartoon characters from the waterpark featured prominently on the outside of several Thai Smile aircraft.

The first Cartoon Network Amazone-branded aircraft is expected to take flight in April 2015, just in time for the wet Thai holidays of Songkran.

THAI Smile is a subsidiary airline of THAI Airways. The airline flies to Chiang Mai, Phuket and Khon Kaen from Don Mueang Airport and Chiang Rai, Krabi, Hat Yai, Ubon Ratchathani and 14 ScandAsia.Thailand • January 2015

Udon Thani from Suvarnabhumi Airport. New international routes will be added in 2015.

Next, Vana Nava Hua Hin Water Jungle is set to open towards end of 2014 with the promise of an enormous ‘Water Jungle’ including incredible rides and amazing attractions, situated near soi 112 in the southern part of the town.

Slides and more exciting adventures are grouped around two massive ver tical towers that feature “some of the most thrilling waterpark experiences in Thailand, and on the planet.” Ride the Waves of the Double Flow Rider, a world-class surf simulator featuring fast-moving waters on a double-wide width.

Or the combination of The Abyss and the Boomerango as one very tall tower! Experience a shot of weightlessness as you shoot up and down the wall at 13 meters per second, or up to 45 km per hour, before splashing down into a pool over 20 meters below!

The Lazy River that incorporates wave technology snakes through the tropical jungle landscape, through caves, under bridges, around islands, and past the private salas - offering an amazing ride for all.

Relaxing options include Private Salas and the Coconut Beach’s Massage Pavilion, offering a full range of Thai massages and treatments. For the ultimate hospitality experience rent a private sala on Coconut Beach, complete with a personal butler to take care of your food, beverage and amenity requests and orders! Or opt for the swim-up bar in the Fishing Village’s infinity pool. In conclusion: and oasis for thrilling fun and relaxation.

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PFS Financial Services Tel: +66 (0) 2653 1971 enquiriesthailand@fsplatinum.com www.fsplatinum.com

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January 2015 • ScandAsia.Thailand 15

Agneta’s World

Glamorous dramatic dresses

H

ello again. Hope ever ybody has celebrated a relaxing and enjoyable Christmas and New Year.

A new year should always start with a few new things in your wardrobe?

I would like to tell you about one of my favorite collections, the American/Thai brand Marisa Baratelli.

This is a story about an American woman, who visited Thailand for the first time, many years ago. She fell in love with the country, the culture, the people and the colors found in the beautiful Thai fabrics. Her name is Madeleine Cranfill, CEO of the Marisa Baratelli Company.

While travelling around Thailand, Madeleine felt a magnetic attraction to Thai silk and she explains, “ it was like the fabric and colors were speaking to me”.

About 30 year s ago, Madeleine was designing her first collection in Thai silk, mostly evening dresses for her private clientele in southern California and her customers were overwhelmed.

It is not hard to understand as her dresses are like works of art.

If you show up dressed in a Marisa Baratelli outfit, you can be sure you will be seen. Her dresses are glamorous and dramatic. Today her collection includes dresses, blouses, skirts, jackets, bustier and even some more simple outfits for beach life.

From having been a small company, Marisa Baratelli is today the biggest importer of Thai silk to the US. The silk has a very high quality and all garments are produced in Thailand. Madeleine has been the same factory faithful through all 16 ScandAsia.Thailand • January 2015

these years.

I also have to mention, that the company has received its name after Madeleine’s beautiful daughter Marisa. Marisa is also working in the company as a creative director and she, like her Mom, has a very special feeling for colors, quality and design.

The brand is represented in more than 150 stores in the US, but unfor tunately, we have no shops in Bangkok. To me, it seems like Thai women are not so found of wearing Thai silk, except when they dress in their traditional national costumes. I am happy owner of many Marisa garments and every time I wear them I feel great. The cut suits us Western ladies and I like the feel of the silk. Today you have the possibility to go online and shop for your Marisa outfit and I can highly recommend it. www. marisabaratelli.com Both Madeleine and Marisa travel quite a bit as they have homes in both in the US, Panama and Bangkok.

These two women are fascinating. Madeleine has suffered breast cancer and is a big supporter to many cancer charities and Marisa has become an expert on Spirit houses. She is often lecturing on the subject and I happen to know that she is writing a book about it. She is also dedicated to yoga, gigong and meditation. You can follow Marisa on Facebook, as she often publishes her interesting videos about the Spirit Houses. After having been to one of Marisa’s presentations, I look at these spirit houses with completely different eyes.

Have a look at all the beautiful clothes and the various selection of Thai Spirit houses, I promise you, it is worth it.

Seafood Buffet @ the

Hua Hin’s Railway Hotel

By Joakim Persson

W

hen your guests return to stay at your hotel year after year, you are cautious when considering any changes.

That is the case for the Centara Grand Beach Resor t & Villas in Hua Hin, or the railway hotel as many simply call it, a heritage hotel with worldwide recognition. One guest has returned to stay 63 times.

This legendary railway hotel plays a proud par t of seaside Hua Hin’s history and offers an experience of yesteryear with many classic European influences from the Straits colonial era, which had its impact on architecture and design in Thailand.

The hotel has dared however, just in time for the high season, to introduce a new buffet in the form of ‘Crustaceans & Swimmers’,

held seaside at the Palm Terrace every Friday from 7 pm to 10.30 pm. This should be an attraction for the many Scandinavians invading Hua Hin during wintertime!

Stir-fr ied in a fier y wok, barbecued to perfection or steamed with herbs the sumptuous spread includes white prawns, rock lobster mackerel, sea bass as well as pork and beef skewer, just to mention some dishes.

Among the starters find smoked snapper and homemade salmon gravlax. When you’ve had your fill of seafood and other meet there are a few desserts to die for. The warm apple caramel raisin crumble is just awesome and the mango cake is a more “light” alternative on top of all the food.

The man behind the improvement is Swedish General Manager Mr Peter Nilsson, who has joined Centara Group and this prestigious hotel in a manager position as opposed to being groomed and advanced inside the hotel group. Impressive.

Invest in your family in one of Thailand’s most attractive areas

Own your private Beach house, 2 or 3 bedrooms on the long, beautiful Sang Arun beach. It is very cosy and peaceful. Good if you have a busy life and need to take a deep breath to refresh your soul and recharge your energy. Sang Arun Beach is next to Hauy Yang Beach and it is only 40 minutes drive from Hua Hin.

Please feel free to contact us for more details.

Mr.Nakkarin Ngernyuang E-mail: reflectionservicegroup @gmail.com line : chayon 62 Tel : +66 (0) 9 8015 4618 : +855 (0) 9 7449 9776 January 2015 • ScandAsia.Thailand 17

มุมภาษาไทย

l

mum pha:să: thai

l

Thai Language Corner

Putting Thailand

into Words

By Klavs Johansen (thai@maprao.dk)

สวัสดีปีใหม่ / sàwàt di: pi: mài / ~ Happy New Year...!

This first column of the year we shall dedicate to a brief geography lesson on Thailand and some useful vocabulary, maybe describing where you have been or where you want to go in this great country. You probably know much of the geography already, so you are encouraged to focus on the pronunciation, preferably together with a Thai friend.

Thailand is slightly larger than the combined land areas of Sweden and Denmark (without Greenland) and borders Burma to the west, Burma and Laos to the north, Laos and Cambodia to the east and Malaysia to the South.

So the neighbouring countries are: ประเทศพม่า / pràthê:t phámâ: / ~ Burma, ประเทศลาว / pràthê:t la:o / ~ Laos, ประเทศกัมพูชา / pràthê:t kam phu: cha: / ~ Cambodia, and ประเทศมาเลเซีย / pràthê:t ma:le:sia / ~ Malaysia.

As you have guessed ประเทศ / pràthê:t / means country.

Picture Thailand as the head of an elephant viewed in profile. The mountainous north is one big ear pointing up from the backside, the plateaux of the northeast is the other big ear on the front.The face is the central part, with the western mountains towards Burma the forehead, and the Bay of Bangkok the mouth. The coastal strip extending south from Rayong to the Cambodian border is a tusk, while the large peninsula in the south, separating the Gulf of Thailand to the east from the Andaman Sea to the west, is the elephant’s trunk. The geographical keywords are: ภูเขา / phu: khăo / ~ mountains, ทะเล / thále: / ~ sea, ocean, อ่าว / à:o / ~ bay, gulf, and คาบสมุทร / kâ:p sàmùt / ~ peninsula.

More formally,Thailand can be divided into 6 regions, called ภาค / phâ:k /, ภาคเหนือ / phâ:k nŭea / ~ Northern Thailand, ภาคอีสาน / phâ:k i:să:n / ~ Northeastern Thailand, ภาคกลาง / phâ:k kla:ng / ~ Central Thailand, ภาคตะวันออก / phâ:k tàwan òr:k / ~ Eastern Thailand, ภาคตะวันตก / phâ:k tàwan tòk / ~ Western Thailand, ภาคใต้ / phâ:k tâi / ~ Southern Thailand, and some 76 จังหวัด / jangwàt / ~ provinces.

The most populous provinces are กรุงเทพมหานคร / krungthê:p màhă: nákhor:n / ~ Bangkok Metropolis (actually a special administrative area), in Central Thailand, 18 ScandAsia.Thailand • January 2015

นครราชสีมา / nákhor:n râ:tchásĭ:ma: / ~ Nakhon Ratchasima, อุบลๆ / ùbon / ~ Ubon, and, ขอนแก่น / khŏr:n kàen / ~ Khon Kaen, all in Northeastern Thailand, เชียงใหม่ / chiang mài / ~ Chiang Mai, in Northern Thailand, and, finally, นครศรีธรรมราช / nákhor:n sĭ: thammárâ:t / ~ Nakhon Si Thammarat, in

Southern Thailand.

The largest provinces in terms of area are Chiang Mai, Ubon, กาญจนบุรี / ka:njànábùri: / ~ Kanchanaburi, and ตาก / tà:k / ~ Tak, the latter two in Western Thailand, and each ranging from around 1.5 to 2 times the size of Scania, Sweden.

We are pleased to note that provinces are named after their largest city, the provincial capital. Provincial capital and largest city in the province of Kanchanaburi is thus the city of Kanchanaburi.

Each province is divided into a number of อำ�เภอ / amphoe: / ~ districts.

The district containing the provincial capital is referred to as อำ�เภอเมือง / amphoe: mueang / ~ city district, or central district.

Each district is divided into a number of ตำ�บล / tambon / ~ subdistricts, which in turn each consists of a number of หมู่บ้าน / mù: bâ:n / ~ villages.

The major islands, เกาะ / kòr /, are: ภูเก็ต / phu:kèt / ~ Phuket, which is also a province in the south, เกาะช้าง / kòr chá:ng / ~ Koh Chang, near the Cambodian border to the east, and เกาะสมุย / kòr sàmŭi / ~ Koh Samui, also in the south, in the Gulf of Thailand.

The major rivers, แม่น้ำ� / mâe: ná:m /, are: แม่น้ำ�เจ้าพระยา / mâe: ná:m jâo phrá ya: / ~ Chao Phraya River, running through Bangkok, and แม่น้ำ�โขง / mâe: ná:m khŏng / ~ Mekong River, forming a large part of the border to Laos.

Finally, you need to know ชายหาด / cha:i hà:t / ~ beach, ป่า / pà: / ~ forest, as well as น้ำ�ตก / ná:m tòk / ~ waterfall, and you should be good to go. ขอให้เดินทางโดยสวัสดิภาพ / khŏr: hâi doe:n tha:ng do:i sàwàtdìphâ:p / ~ have a safe journey!

Whale Steak

Whale meat is red like beef but has a milder taste, not like fish, but definitely from the sea. Some say it tastes a bit like liver and if not treated right and frozen right after the slaughter, it can have an unpleasant taste of fish oil.

I

f you are able to get hold of 4 slices of whale meat @ 150 - 180 g you should try this interesting recipe where the whale meat is fried in some red wine that is used as sauce afterwards with various herbs and spices.

4 steaks of whale meat 3 dl red wine 1 dl cream

Preheat the frying pan and melt some butter in it. Brown the butter before adding the meat. Fry the steaks on both sides. Whale meat should be fried for about 4-5 minutes on each side.

The steaks taste best when they are medium rare, but they should be warmed right through and not eaten raw. While the steaks simmer, drip a little soy sauce and some of the red wine over on both sides. Lift the steaks onto a plate and place a piece of aluminum foil over. Boil the pan with the rest of the red wine and stir it into a sauce with the salt, pepper and herbs, cream and some thickening.

Serve the steaks on a plate, place an onion ring on each of them or soft fried onions on the side.

Young boiled potatoes are good with whale steaks, but so are baked potatoes, home fried potatoes even rice. Serve with a bowl of good, crisp lettuce and mixed salad.

January 2015 • ScandAsia.Thailand 19