MAR 2016
New captain of TFCC
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Coming Events
Nordic Chambers: Nordic Breakfast Seminar Where: Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, 250 Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok When: 15 March 07:30 - 09:15
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Nordic Chambers and BeLuThai proudly present: “Future Airport Infrastructure in Thailand: Policy, Investment and Business Opportunities” Price incl. buffet breakfast: 850 THB for members, 1,100 THB for non-members RSVP: projects@swecham.com Send an E-mail to assistant@dancham.or.th or call 02-354-5220 to book your ticket
DTCC: Networking for Dummies Where: Danish Loft Design, 289/2 Sukhumvit soi 31, Klongton Nua, Wattana, Bangkok 10110 When: 17 March, 18:30 - 21:00 Danish-Thai Chamber of Commerce invites to Networking for Dummies Free beer and finger foods Win exclusive prizes from Express International Travel and Danish Loft Design Co. Meet Bo Kristensen and enjoy his version of useful networking.
EABC Gala Dinner: To Welcome the ASEAN Economic Community
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Your FREE ScandAsia Magazine in Thailand ScandAsia is the only magazine that covers all the Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish residents in Thailand. We also publish a ScandAsia magazine in China, Singapore and the rest of South East Asia.
Please sign up for your own FREE copy: www.scandasia.com 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
Where: Le Grand Ballroom, Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit When: 19 March, 18:30 - 23:00
E-mail: news@scandasia.com Editor-in-Chief : Gregers A.W. Møller gregers@scandmedia.com
European Association for Business and Commerce invites to EABC Gala Dinner.With the Honorable Speaker Dr. Sutin Pitsuwan, Former Secretary-General of ASEAN on “Why EU Should Embrace AEC?” Dresscode: Black Tie / Evening Dress or National Dress
Managing Editor: Joakim Persson Joakim@scandmedia.com
TNCC: Annual General Meeting 2016 Where: Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, 250 Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok When: 29 March 18:30 - 22:00 Thai-Norwegian Chamber of Commerce Annual General Meeting 2016 Price: Free for members and spouse/companion RSVP: secretary@norcham.com by 22 March 2016
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Journalist: Frederik Guy Hoff Sonne Advertising : Finn Balslev finn@scandmedia.com Joakim Persson Joakim@scandmedia.com Piyanan Kalikanon piyanan@scandmedia.com Nattapat Maesang nattapat@scandmedia.com Graphic Designer : Peerapol Meesuwan Peerapol@scandmedia.com Printing : Inthanon Interprint Co., Ltd.
Daily news and features here: www.scandasia.com
News Brief
Jazz on Grass - Danish Bangkok Embassy opens garden for music in the moonlight By Frederik Guy Hoff Sonne
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f it wasn’t for a Grammy-awarded singer and a peacock the grass lawn of the would have been totally empty. Keithen Carter is setting his voice free, crooning as he strolls across the grass towards the scene, where the ambassador and the rest of the band are already busy adjusting their instruments. Outside the crowd is waiting to be let in. It’s Saturday evening February the 13th and the Royal Danish Embassy in Bangkok has opened its garden for a night with Jazz on the Grass. An event that took off last year as an initiative by music lover and Danish Ambassador in Bangkok, Mikael Hemniti Winther. “The idea behind is of course of a public diplomacy matter. I want to meet all kinds of people, and I want to do it in an informal and nonhierarchically way, as this is a very Danish thing in my opinion”, the Ambassador explains and adds: “This is why this event is targeted as much to the local Thais as well as to the Danish expats”. Staff is buzzing around finishing the last details before guest arrives and the bar opens at 8pm. Sound check is done and the sun is setting revealing the stars and the light from the neighbouring modern skyscrapers, that stands in contrast to the 2-storey embassy building from 1955. This evening however is in line with what’s expected of a trendy event anno 2016, giving 4 ScandAsia.Thailand • March 2016
out selfie-sticks encouraging guests to share their experiences with friends on social media platforms. “Beside inviting our local par tners and companions personally, we have only marketed this event on Facebook.This also goes back to the idea, that everyone is welcome”, Mikael Hemniti Winther says.The strategy seems to have worked, as the garden can house 400 guest, but around 450 have signed up for the guest list. “It’s actually a small concern. If all the guests are showing up, we might have an issue with accommodation”, new trainee at the Embassy, Peter Bjorn tells, as he’s preparing to welcome and register people in the counter. The first guests arrive and the lawn is sporadically getting covered with blankets and groups ranging from seniors to youngsters. Conversation in Thai, Danish, English, Swedish are overheard. The Ambassador is busy welcoming as many as possible and posing for pictures by request in his all-black jazzy outfit topped with a hat. “I regard these kind of events as highly important. As an Ambassador it’s important to be a present figure in the land where you live and at the same time presenting what Denmark has to offer”, Mikael Hemniti Winther states, as he explains further: “In the era of the social media and in a city like Bangkok, people have so
many opportunities and offers on how to spend a saturday night, and in order for the embassy not to be absent and forgotten, we have to compete with this”. At the bar a variety of Danish sponsors is also present, serving free Carlsberg lager, Somersby cider and cookies from Jacobsen. The peacock is displaced and the grass is almost full of mingling guests, a queue for the Ambassador to take the stage and welcome the many people that has turned up. “Tonight I’m very proud to present for you some of the finest musicians in Bangkok, that the embassy has the honor to host.” The band consists of a bunch of Danish and International jazz musicians, that all have a special bond to Thailand; Frank Herrgott, Jakob Dinesen, Bong, Keithen Carter and Yasmin. Bandleader on the keys, Frank Herrgott, takes the microphone: “Okay, I want you all to follow what your body tells you to do. If you feel like clapping or standing up or meditate, just go with that feeling, but be careful that you all will not levitate”. Levitation was left to the bats and the insects, but clapping and singalong was all part of the crowd’s repertoire this evening, where the band merged genres as jazz, bossa nova and blues. And as some insiders would have expected, the Ambassador also grabbed his electric guitar and joined the band.
March 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 5
News Brief
Nordic festival in Pattaya was “surprisingly” successful By Frederik Guy Hoff Sonne
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hanks to an extraordinary and genuine interest from the Scandinavians in Pattaya, a new Nordic Music festival in the city exceeded all expectations according to its organizers. “The Orange feeling”, tagline from world famous Danish music festival, Roskilde Festival, might as well be the slogan attached to a new musical initiative taking place in New Nordic Marcus Resor t, Pattaya, reflecting the bright orange surfaces covering most of the resort. The festival has presented eight artists during a total of nine events running from the 15th of January 2016 until the 8th of February. Acts counting Dag Ingebrigtsen,Terje Tysland and Chris Jagger, the younger brother of Rolling Stoneslegend Mick Jagger, have been visiting. The events were thought as an experiment and the expectations was none, but the Scandinavians in Pattaya flocked to the event. That’s what Anita Svendheim, Marketing Manager at New Nordic Group, reports when ScandAsia meet her in the restaurant at the New Nordic Marcus Resort. “We deliberately did very little marketing on the festival, but we have almost been fully booked every night. At some events we actually had to turn people down”, she says. Stating the festival as a success goes beyond internal lines. Wenche Retteråsen, 71-year old retiree from Norway staying in Pattaya says: “We had a really good time.The food was great as well
6 ScandAsia.Thailand • March 2016
as the music”. Her 74-year old husband, Ole Retteråsen agrees. “It has a cosy atmosphere and we feel very much at home here”, he says to ScandMedia after a 1-hour performance from the only nonScandinavian act Chris Jagger. These statements follow Anita Svendheims explanation to the success. “The intimacy was important to us, when developing this idea”, Anita Svendheim states. “I guess people feel at home during these kind of events”, she says, however explaining that it shouldn’t be seen as an exile for Scandinavians in Thailand but more as a merge of the two cultures. The buffet tells the same story differing from traditionally Thai sticky rice and papaya to mash potatoes and steak. The music though is heeled towards the Nordic guests, which Chris Jagger understands right away, introducing himself and his band in Norwegian phrases in front of the audience seated at twelve white clothed long tables in the resorts backyard. “It’s different playing here. The other bands have been tough acts to follow, as people knows them from home I guess. But they were nice people anyway, a kind audience and I’m glad to have been asked to come and play”, Chris Jagger tells ScandMedia at the bar after his gig. The idea behind a Nordic festival originated from a curiosity to see whether the Scandinavian
community was missing the warm-hearted tunes of the cold North, now that they are enjoying the East-Asian climate. “Are people really interested? we thought. We didn’t have an answer to that, so we just gave it a try”, Anita Svendheim explains. New Nordic Group, the company behind the festival, might have found the answer now with a total of 1352 guests. This should be seen in the light of the modest count of 150 people that each event could accommodate, which also resulted in Anita Svendheim and co. turning down people at two of the fully booked nights. This was the first year of the New Nordic Festival but it’s definitely not going to be the last, Anita Svendheim states.And housing issues should not become a problem when the Festivities return next year. “We have two new resorts opening next to this one in the coming year, so we’re going to double space as a minimum”, adding that “the festival site” might also include a 100-metre swimming pool. There are currently no acts announced for next year’s poster, but Anita Svendheims personal dream coming true would be to bring the Norwegian rock musician Åge Aleksandersen to Pattaya, if not in 2017 then in the years coming ahead. “I expect this to be an annual thing now”, she concludes.
News Brief
Construction of second Bangkok IKEA store starts
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n 18 February 2016 Ikano and Central Pattana representativeS broke ground at the site for Thailand’s second IKEA second store in West Bangkok. The site is in Bangyai, to be fully integrated into Central Plaza Westgate shopping centre with wide open entrances at all levels of the mall and direct link to the upcoming MRT (public transportation) line. “We are creating the world’s best integration of an IKEA store into a shopping centre,” said Sebastian Hylving, Expansion Director for Ikano Private Limited, owner of the IKEA franchise in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. In a highly complex design, the showroom and a market hall are housed inside an expansive twostorey concourse building that creates a bridge to the Westgate mall. The self-serve warehouse will be on the ground floor. “This is not going to be the usual blue box,” said Lacia Sherlock, IKEA Retail Project Leader for Ikano. “This will be our only store that offers customers an opportunity to enter and checkout at every level. We will deliver a fantastic customer experience.” Ms. Sherlock explained that the 50,278m2 building includes 1,900 parking spaces, a dedicated area for outdoor furniture, and two unique cafes – one will “float” over the showroom in an open mezzanine. The 6.3 billion THB project also aims to reach new heights in Thailand terms of
sustainable construction and operation. It will be fitted out with hundreds of rooftop solar panels, 100% LED lighting and other features that are expected to earn this IKEA store the highest level of LEED certification. Mike King, the IKEA Retail Director for Ikano, is confident many of the 1.6 million people who live in Bangyai and the surrounding area – including a growing population of young families - will make the trip to the new store when it opens at the end of 2017. “There may be a lot of competition in the
home furnishing business here in Thailand, but no other retailer offers the whole family a great day out in the way IKEA does,” said Mr. King. “No other retailer provides customers both an inspirational showroom and 9,500 functional, well-designed products – flat-packed and ready to take home the same day.” In November last year, the company opened a second store in Kuala Lumpur and a Pick Up and Order Point in Phuket. The Bangyai project marks Ikano’s first collaboration with Central Pattana Public Company Ltd.
From left: Mr.Sebastian Hylving, Expansion Director for Ikano Private Limited, Mr. Mike King, the IKEA Retail Director for Ikano Private Limited, Mr. Isareit Chirathivat, Vice President of Property Management, Central Pattana Public Co. Ltd., Ms. Lacia Sherlock, IKEA Retail Project Leader for Ikano Private Limited
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March 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 7
News Brief
Sweden’s Diakrit gets News Corp. as co-owner in a landmark deal
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he investment company Pegroco Invest has announced the sales of its holdings in Bangkok-headquar tered Diakr it International Ltd to the media group News Corp. Australia in a cash sale. Pegroco has been an active owner in Diakrit since 2004 and has, together with the company’s management and SEB Venture Capital, been the main owners of the company. In the transaction Pegroco receives, depending on the dollar exchange rate, approximately 140 million Swedish crowns. “Pegroco has actively supported Diakrit from when the company was a start-up in Laholm, Sweden, with a strong vision, to today’s situation with world-leading digital products and services for estate agents, rental portals and property developers all around the world. Diakrit now has a base of around 2000 customers,” says Fredrik Bergman, CEO of Diakrit. “We think Diakrit is a good example of showing that Pegroco’s form of active and tongterm ownership works. It is especially pleasing that the considerable investments made during recent years, in Diakrit’s product development and services, and in the making of an ultramodern production facility in Bangkok with over 450 employees, have been successful and have given a good return on invested capital,” comments
Thomas Brue, CEO of Pegroco. The company is now well prepared and positioned for the next step in its development, now under the ownership of one of the world’s leading and most dynamic media groups, writes Pegroco The parties have agreed to keep the terms of the agreement confidential. Pegroco is an investment company that invests in smaller and medium sized unlisted companies, predominantly in Sweden. Pegroco is an active owner and primarily seeks companies with an established market position and preferably those that have a need for a major change.This need can be structural or business-oriented. “News Corp. really believes in our products. We have created a ver y strong platform in Scandinavia where we are by far the biggest of visualizations of real estate. They are a dream par tner for us now as we take the company globally,” Diakrit-founder Fredrik Bergman says to Breakit.se. Sights are now set to quintuple sales to over 1 billion within a year or two, says the founders, according to digital.di.se Diakrit co-founder Dick Karlsson says that the founders and management will retain all of their shares. “We want to maintain our ownership. It
is our investors who now choose to step out and sell their shares to News Corp. For us this is absolutely perfect now that we will take the company to the next level. We as founders are extremely happy and satisfied, “he says. He says that the origin of the deal is that the two companies have been running into each other at property fairs in recent years. Australian News Corp. has also invested a range of digital real estate por tals - equivalents to Swedish Hemnet and Objektia. The deal makes the media mogul Ruper t Murdoch’s company News Corp. the largest shareholder in Swedish Diakrit (41 percent), which provides services for residential views in VR. In 2015 Diakrit had sales of SEK 180 million.
Swea Bangkok holds AGM
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n 28 Januar y 2016, SWEA Bangkok held its Annual General Meeting and appointed the following Board of Directors for 2016: President: Monica Nilsson Vice-President: MariAnne Boström Secretary: Sofia Lindstrand Treasurer: Christina Hammarlund Membership Officer: Karin Hagman Program Officer: Simone Westergård Communications Officer: Camilla Davidsson The previous President since four years, Maria
8 ScandAsia.Thailand • March 2016
Mellblom resigned, and so did the Secretary since three years back Sara Hallström. SWEA, Swedish Women’s Educational Association, is a wor ldwide organisation founded in California in 1979 by their honorary chairwoman Agneta Nilsson. SWEA Bangkok was established in the year 2000, but they have been active since 1998, when they served as a chapter of SWEA Singapore. SWEA is a network for Swedish-speaking women who live abroad and the organisation currently has more than 7500 members of which 300 are based in Asia and
about 60 in Bangkok and elsewhere in Thailand. Their aim is to promote and spread Swedish culture, tradition and the Swedish language outside Sweden. SWEA organises activities not only for its members, but also welcomes spouses and visiting friends to its events and activities. SWEA Bangkok is looking forward to an exciting year ahead with their regional meeting coming up at the end of September/ beginning of October in Singapore. As in past years, they will be organising at least two social events in 2016: an Easter brunch together with the Swedish Church or a summer party, and at the end of the year their popular Christmas dinner. In 2015 they also celebrated their 15th anniversary with a big gala event. Additionally, SWEA organises excursions and lectures, as well as visits to Swedish companies operating in Thailand such as Volvo Trucks, Tetra Pak, Saab etc. Extending our interests beyond Swedish borders, last year they visited the Danish company, Pandora, which has been very successful here in Thailand for more than 10 years. SWEA organises great dinners, monthly lunches and coffee mornings and last but not least; a very popular book club, where they not only discuss books, but also films and other cultural events of interest. In 2015 SWEA Bangkok had 61 members and hopes for even more in 2016. SWEA’s website: bangkok.swea.org/
News Brief
Classy Nordic networking held at Shangri-La Hotel in Bangkok
Text and photos: Joakim Persson
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osted by Shangri-La Hotel in Bangkok and the Thai-Swedish Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with also the other three Nordic chambers of commerce in Bangkok, the ‘Ciao Bello, Ciao Bella!’ Nordic Networking took place on Wednesday night, 17 February. Many Swedes and Danes showed up, along with some Norwegians but with much fewer Finns present, to mingle in the stylish setting of the stylish five star hotel’s rebranded Italian restaurant. Overlooking the river, the sunset and the hotel’s luchy pool garden, and within the high-ceiling venue of Volti ristorante & bar, the surroundings could hardly have been better! On riverside level, down the stairs within the restaurant, the venue and the guests felt like a perfect match - where all guests seemed to savour the occasion, the favourable wine and the Cicchetti (tapas Italian style) the hotel served. All engaged in brisk and cheery conversions to catch up on everything under sun and also to meet new faces. A duo consisting in a guitarist and singer also entertained the guests with nice cocktail music such as Bossa Nova classics and other soft jazz covers.
The General Manager for Shangri-La Hotel Bangkok, Mr Philip Couvaras, welcomed all guests once they had arrived, followed by Mr Jan Eriksson, President of the Thai-Swedish Chamber of Commerce. Jan thanked all the Nordic Chambers for the collaboration and the hotel for being the host of the evening networking. For the general manager and his team this networking was the perfect occasion to promote their upcoming events with Nordic entertainment, as well as their rebranded Italian restaurant (previously known as Angelini). Guests of the networking could book their tables for the upcoming ‘Magical Nights with Deri Rowlands’ and an invitation was also handed out. Shangri-La Hotel Bangkok presents ‘Simply Scandinavian’ twice in 2016. Star ting with the period Friday 11 March through to 19 March (except on Sunday 13) the Swedish/British Enter tainer/Singer Deri Rowlands, along with Swedish Pianist Janne Sjöblom, returns to Bangkok performing at Volti Restorante & Bar. Volti offers timeless and modern, authentic Italian cuisine, and also comes with an intimate and comfortable Lounge Bar.
Visst kan du se svensk tv i Thailand! svt.se/svtworld March 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 9
New captain of TFCC
prefers the uncomplicated way 10 ScandAsia.Thailand • March 2016
I always have a smile on my face and never had a problem getting along with people. I’m a very open person and Thailand is an easy place to live in and get along.
By Frederik Guy Hoff Sonne Photos: Disraporn Yatprom
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arri Kivelä, Executive Director at The Thai-Finnish Chamber of Commerce. prefers not to complicate things more than necessary. “I’m a very simple man, I work in a simple way. I just want to put companies together”, he says. It was far from written in the stars, when the 58-year old Finn was appointed as an Executive Director of TTFC on October 21th 2015. Karri Kivelä’s background differs a lot from what’s expected in this position, carrying twenty-five years of experience from sponsorship planning and sponsorship sales in his early career, before he changed track and got into handling business accounts at Logonet Group in 2007, where he’s still present. It was the job at Logonet that brought Karri Kivelä to Bangkok, when they opened a position in Thailand in August 2012. “I was in the mid-fifties, divorced with a grown-up child, my health was good and I’ve always been working in a global context. Basically nothing was holding me back“, he explains, when ScandMedia meets him at the TFCC office. So Karri Kivelä sought the opportunity right away, never concerned about leaving the tall pines for lazy palms and all the changes following that kind of transition. “I always have a smile on my face and never had a problem getting along with people. I’m a very open person and Thailand is an easy place to live in and get along.“
Nordic benchmarking After two years in exile, in the summer of 2014 he got into the Board of TFCC, engaging himself when a major revamp was taking place. Back then TFCC was falling behind the Nordic Chambers in Bangkok, which are their natural benchmarks. “We had many challenges compared to other Chambers.Team Finland in Bangkok lacked government funded trade people who are vital in a team consisting in the Embassy, the Chamber and Trade representation. In the Chamber we started to ‘make Finland great again’ in Thailand.
Now Team Finland is getting more help and co-operation from a working Chamber.”, Karri Kivelä explains. Finland’s export to Thailand hasn’t changed much during the last five years. TFCC has found a way of making the non-profit Chamber fully operating and staying in line with other Nordic Chambers with suppor t from six par tners, fifty corporate members and ten individual members all eager to establish and develop trade links between Finland and Thailand. TFCC par tner s represent the biggest Finnish global export companies such as Kone, Konecranes and Valmet. Karri Kivela is ver y satisfied having the trust of Finnish heavyweights but he hopes that the Finns would succeed “to sell something smaller than a horse“ to foreign markets. “There are lots of innovative people in Finland with new products to end consumers. We are global leaders in IT, Clean Technology and Education. TFCC just needs to inform these start-ups and already established companies in Finland of the opportunities in Thailand”, Karri Kivela states and points at Codemate, a software development company with roots in Finland sharing office with TFCC, as a good example of a Finnish know-how success in Thailand and SEA.
Finnish innovations There are many ways to lower the fence and to bring more similar success stories to Thailand, according to Karri Kivela. Firstly he wants young entrepreneurs and students to seek the oppor tunities in South East Asia instead of staying in the biting cold North for most of the year. “We just need to show them how nice and warm it is“, he says and points that Finland also needs to tell more positive stories about themselves in the region. “Most people don’t know that Nokia originated from Finland and that the Finns invented mobile phones. Everyone has a mobile phone and everyone can relate to that, so we can tell them that this is another success story from Finland“, he says.
In branding perspective an important year is fast approaching for Finland: Year 2017 will be the nation’s 100th anniversary. TFCC has just started planning for this in cooperation with the Embassy and Team Finland. Presenting Finnish innovations, design, entertainment and culture is on the agenda with some Sibelius tunes - just to mention some of the fruits expected. Focusing on the present year for TFCC, Karri Kivela has a clear strategy to connect with other Chambers of Commerce. TFCC wants to keep working closely with the Nordic Chambers in Bangkok, as this benefits all, and the same goes for Finnish Business Councils in the SEA region; especially the Finnish Business Council in Singapore, not forgetting the nineteen domestic Chambers of Commerce within Finland, he states. One of the biggest challenges for any international company in Thailand is to find skilled Thai workers and to be able to handle the operations smoothly with all Thai staff with one or two international countr y managers. Good HR practices are essential for companies in Thailand and TFCC wants to be active in organizing seminars in this field. Whether the Blue Cross Flag will set its mark on Thailand and SEA in the coming years, we’ll have to wait and see. Right now elevators and escalators from Kone are seen all over the country while Rapala lures are floating in the lakes and rivers of Thailand. Funny story: Karri Kivela took a honourable 27th place in a Rapala fishing competition in November 2015, with more than two-hundred local Thai fishermen. Not bad.
March 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 11
Swedes in Thailand are bat Text and photos: Frederik Guy Hoff Sonne
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any Swedes living in Thailand have a hard time getting a proper health insurance. Cases and stories a different, but common is that they either deselect insurance or face unmanageable insurance costs as they’re nearing retirement. Now they want the Swedish Government to look into their case. Swedish laws demand that one needs to be a resident in Sweden and moreover stay in the country for more than 6 months a year in order to receive national health insurance. For some Swedes this is not suitable for their health, while others think this is unfair, as they pay Swedish pension taxes. Meet Åke Andersson, 75-year old retiree living in Thailand since years. Åke Andersson suffers from rheumatism for 25 years. In Sweden he was taking medication to battle the illness but now living in Thailand the climate helps him. He doesn’t take medication anymore. This means he has to be in Thailand all year around, which prevents getting suppor t from the Swedish national health insurance, even though he pays 20 % tax over his pension. When Åke Ander sson was diagnosed with his disease more than 20 years ago, the government allowed him to reside in Spain and still get covered by the state insurance - until the 12 ScandAsia.Thailand • March 2016
joint European Union’s health care agreement was adopted that is. But now when he’s retired and resides in Thailand the government won’t cover him. Another case is Åke Viktorsson, a 72-yearold expat living in Thailand since six years, while also paying tax on his pension to Sweden. Åke Viktorsson is healthy and made the choice to live in Thailand for personal reasons. “I’ve been working outside of Sweden most of my career and didn’t pay taxes. Back then it wasn’t a problem that I was not covered by the Swedish state. But now I pay my taxes and then it would only be fair if I was covered by the national health insurance”, he states. Åke Viktorsson has the right to treatment when visiting Sweden, but he may have to pay himself.There are no guarantees as it depends on circumstances and the specific case. Emergencies are fully covered, but according to him, the problem is he doesn’t know if or when this could occur. So when moving to Thailand with his wife and son, Åke Viktorsson was investigating for private insurances, but they were simply not worth it. It would cost 350.000 baht a year to cover his family. So he took the risk. “Avoiding illness would save my family 350.000 baht each year. We have been lucky
enough to avoid this and now have a couple of millions baht to get sick for”, he says, adding: “It’s a risky game, but it is more economical than to pay for a private insurance each year”. Private insurances are pricey when nearing retirement age and they often don’t cover former illnesses. “When you’re in your seventies your medical record is pretty long, so these private insurances covers almost nothing of impor tance”, Åke Viktorsson assess.
The Norwegian scheme A group of Swedish expats resided in Phuket are now taking action. They are united in the community Skandinaver på Phuket (SpP) and want to be accepted on the national health insurance - as they pay taxes - without having to spend half the year in Sweden. Bo Jonsson, 81-year old Swedish living in Phuket because “it is cheaper and the climate is better”, leads this initiative. The group doesn’t understand why Swedish pensioners can live outside of Sweden in the European Union and still get covered by the national health insurance , w hile the same Swede living in Thailand paying the same tax, cannot. As an alternative they propose an international state insurance, where they could pay “a little
extra” on the tax bill for administration and then get covered for health issues in Thailand. Norway has such a system. “I’ve done a comparison with the Norwegian scheme. If Sweden adopt this model, it would only cost the retired taxpayer in Thailand 375 SEK for a Swede with a state pension on 17.500 SEK a month and 187 SEK for a state pension on 10.000 SEK a month. And we’re more than eager to pay that in extra taxes”, Bo Jonsson, retired economist explains. This is 2500 SEK a year on a state pension with 10.000 SEK and 4500 SEK a year, if your state pension is 17.500 a month. “So this is much cheaper, than a private insurance”, Bo Jonsson concludes. However in the Norwegian scheme, one has to have spend 3 of the last 5 years in Norway. SpP wants to avoid that limitation, since it could exclude those who e.g. may have worked many consecutive years abroad, like Åke Viktorsson and Bo Jonsson. Sweden has special health care agreements with Australia, Israel and Algeria. Surprisingly to Bo Jonsson as he states “they have lesser Swedish expats, than in Thailand”. Bo Jonsson proposes that Sweden should expand these agreements to be global: “The matter is to adjust to the fact that people more and more live in other countries than their native one, also outside of EU”.
Couldn’t people take undue advantage of an international agreement as costs are different around the world?
I’ve been working outside of Sweden most of my career and didn’t pay taxes. Back then it wasn’t a problem that I was not covered by the Swedish state. But now I pay my taxes and then it would only be fair if I was covered by the national health insurance.
“It depends on how the agreement is done. It should be negotiable, so Sweden supports a fixed amount for certain issues regardless of where you live. In Thailand this would be very cheap for Sweden but in New York of course it would be expensive, so there the care might not cover fully”, Åke Viktorsson suggests.
Why is it not just a possibility for you to stay in Sweden half the year? ” Me and my wife, in wheelchair, are here because of a better climate and I could not have the help in Europe I can have here and cover costs with our pensions, my wife’s is a minimum one from Italy. We are healthy, apart from that. In reality I could not afford travelling twice a year to Sweden and rent another apartment and pay for the service there, only to eventually get the health care we might need”, Bo Jonsson answers and adds: “I would still not be covered here in Thailand. That is what we are asking for; to be covered during the time here, i.e. if you live longer time and not as a tourist, but when having e.g. a visa for a whole year working or being a retiree”.
And what should be the Swedish state’s’ interests in such an agreement?
ttling for health insurance
Åke Viktorsson lives in Phuket with his wife and son March 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 13
Bo Jonsson, retired Swede living in Phuket, is the head organizer behind SpP’s proposal for the Swedish Government “Fair and equal treatment of citizens is a sine qua non [indispensable and essential action] for politicians, discrimination between people concerning matters of rights is not feasible. Even Swedes living abroad have the right to have health care in Sweden, to me it is a matter of practical implementation of such health care rights. Furthermore, it is more efficient to receive it where you actually live and in the case of Thailand, also far cheaper and available faster than in Sweden. If Sweden has an agreement with Australia, the state must already have identified the advantages for its citizens”, Bo Jonsson says.
Taking action Bo Jonsson has done a report on the insurance situation for 24 of SpP’s 240 members backing their proposal. The sur vey is not statistically validated, but Bo Jonsson states: “the cases are validated”. At the Tsunami ceremony 27th December 2014 in Khao Lak Bo Jonsson and other representatives from SpP were asked to present a repor t to Åsa Regnér, Minister in Sweden for Children, the Elderly and Equality, and she told them that “we have started to think of the matter”. When getting the report she answered she would take the repor t with her to her colleagues in the Social department. Since then it has been w aiting. “Later correspondence has only concerned 14 ScandAsia.Thailand • March 2016
I’ve been working outside of Sweden most of my career and didn’t pay taxes. Back then it wasn’t a problem that I was not covered by the Swedish state. But now I pay my taxes and then it would only be fair if I was covered by the national health insurance.
the general approach by the government to others who are not well off economically, and socially. and concerning that people in general question all the generosity to refugees or so called refugees until they are refused asylum,while for certain others, such as citizens living abroad there is no such funding. We are glad to have learned in the answer from the minister: ‘I am reading what you say and thinking of how to handle it’”, Bo Jonsson reports. Now Bo Jonsson and SpP has taken action in co-operation with Svenskföreningen i Hua Hin. They just posted a letter to the Government concerning their proposal. They got the advice to send it to Gabriel Wikström, the Minister for Health Care. The letter asksfor a government study, a so called elucidation for a purposeful a ction. “We expect that the government now has enough control over the issue of caring for the real asylum seekers and can include our issue as one of its many other actions to reach people that need the support of the state”, Bo Jonsson ends.Swedes in Thailand are battling for health insurance
A Thai police officer doesn’t appropriately follow the road safety regulations by not properly securing his helmet while driving on Sukhumvit Road.
A man and his daughter drive through congested traffic through Bangkok without wearing a helmet and following safety regulations. According to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, only 14% of motorcyclists wear a proper helmet when driving on a motorbike.
Traffic & road management photo essay
Traffic congestion is a major problem in Thailand which occurs due to the excessive amount of vehicles on the road, lack of infrastructure, rapid increase of vehicles sold and poor traffic management.
I
n this photo essay a KIS International School student highlights traffic and road management concerns; focusing on the issues of the dangerous road conditions, poor traffic management and the public’s lack of regard for road safety. “The Personal Project is a year long task G10 students work on as part of our IB curriculum. I have chosen to create photo essays about social and environmental issues in Thailand using different photographic techniques and genres,” writes 15-year-old Emily.
One traffic police officer attempts to regulate traffic and enforce road law but that is challenging when there are over 7,400,000 cars registered in Bangkok.
Cars speed over the Bangna-Trad Road in the dark of the night. Speeding is the second leading cause of deaths that occur on the roads of Bangkok.
Laws have been created to illegalize carrying people in the back of pickup trucks and larger trucks without proper safety modifications. Even with laws being enforced, the public is not aware of the dangers and choose to regularly sit in the back and on top of pickup trucks. Most police officers won’t fine violators due to the regular occurrence of this problem throughout the country.
Driving without a license plate is illegal in Thailand yet an estimated around 50,000 different vehicles in Bangkok do not have one. Thai police do not properly enforce license laws which therefore causes road and vehicle management to be disorganized.
March 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 15
Agneta’s World
My New Year escape to bea By Agneta de Bekassy Photos: Daniel Herron
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ello we are back again, ready to take you on another year’s journey. Hope you all have had a smooth and pleasant passage and started year 2016 well and healthy. This time we would like to take you with us to the popular beach resort Hua Hin, a well-known place for all Scandinavians. I often get questions about hotels, restaurants, which golf course to visit etc. from newly arrived people, so for now I have three tip off in Hua Hin, but believe me, there are many more… Hua Hin offers all kind of hotels, from small hostels, to cozy resorts and of course 5 stars hotels. If you ask me, I am a personally a big fan of Intercontinental. It is built by a Hawaiian architect and looks very special. It’s a relatively low building with lots of wood. A beautiful green lawn leads you down to the sea, boarded by the so called “Temple trees” and in the middle a beautiful pool surrounded with sun beds and also some sun beds in the water, made of stone. The hotel has several restaurants. The Azure is located
16 ScandAsia.Thailand • March 2016
by the pool and gives you a Mediterrean feeling. Here you can enjoy a light lunch, just a drink or a cup of tea. The service is excellent and most speak good, understandable English. Just a few steps and you are down by the sea. Once a year, a beach polo tournament takes place in front of Intercontinental and then the games are over, a huge Buffet is prepared on the lawn, welcoming the players and visitors. This is a very popular event. There is also the Hyatt Hotel, known for its huge pool area and big slide. If you are looking for a smaller, cozier accommodation, Baan Laksasubha is the ultimate place. Small white villas with terraces, all decorated in Marin style (blue/white), two pools, restaurant and bar. Next to Baan Laksasubha you will find Centara Hotel, which once was known as the railway station hotel. This was one of the first hotels in Hua Hin, at that time named Sofitel. Here you can enjoy high tea, while listening to live music. When I first visited Hua Hin, year 1989, there were only three hotels. Hua Hin was a fisher village, charming and calm. Today Hua Hin has become a big city and many of the inhabitants are, yes correct, Scandinavians. During daytime, most people enjoy a snack or lunch at one of all small beach restaurants. Very often you will see people drinking a beer, eating a Satay while having a foot massage or pedicure at the same time…like it or not! If you want to dine out in the evening, the choice is immense. When I want something more special and European food, I pay a visit to Brasserie de Paris. This little restaurant has two floors is located at the end of the small street taking you along the sea and all piers. It has an amazing view overlooking the sea and the military ships, lighted during evenings, and it’s known for its delicious food and excellent wine list. Here, you will be greeted by the owner’s son, Belgian Fabian, who has taken over after his dad Thierry (who now likes to spend his time on the golf courses.) 22 years ago, the Belgian man Thierry Scheidweiler, opened the restaurant Brasserie de Paris on the pier in Hua Hin. It became a success from the beginning.
Fabian has a lot of experience himself, as he has worked in many restaurants with Micheline stars in Europe e.g. London, Bruges and Barcelona. He has also worked in a famous Michelin stars restaurant in China, Shanghai. He is now trying to give the restaurant kind of a new “twist” as he says himself. Fabian is a good-looking young man with a bright smile. He is mostly every day and evening at the restaurant to welcome and greet the guests and they are many. Brasserie de Paris is known to keep a high class with excellent food and an exquisite wine cellar. You can also buy their wines and take home. The restaurant is located in the oldest building of the pier and on its terrace you will enjoy a beautiful view, overlooking the sea. It is a romantic place and has therefore become very popular for weddings and private parties. The service is efficient and always very polite.
autiful Hua Hin Start the evening with a Crab farcie and go over to a tender steak or Seabass, your mouth will be watering... Two of the most popular dishes are Chateau Briand (very high quality meat) and the crabs. As I have had the pleasure to try both dishes, I can only say, “They are to die for”. 15 years ago a very distinguished visitor, one of the Princesses from the Thai Royal family, came to dine. Brasserie de Paris, keeps open 7 days a week, starting the mornings from 8.00 am with serving a classic French breakfast, including the famous, tasty croissants and poached eggs. I can warmly recommend this unique restaurant if you want a special evening with international dishes. Since a while ago, they also offer some traditional Thai dishes. So next time you visit Hua Hin, don’t forget to pay a visit to Brasserie de Paris. Enjoy your dinner because you are worth it! If you feel for something Italian, more or less across Brasserie Paris, you will find Mamma Mia, which I also highly recommend.There is one restaurant after the other and most of them are good. As a Swede, you are probably sometimes longing for a cinnamon roll, or a “semla”, a cacao ball or just bread for breakfast, no problems. Since three years ago, the Swedish bakery SWEA (same name as the nonprofit women organization) has opened next to Hotel Peony. Here you can buy all the typical Swedish bread. It’s opened daily.You can also sit down in one of the inviting armchairs in floral print and enjoy a coffee and bun, so typical Swedish. The Hotel Peony has a Swedish owner and manager and it’s a popular place to stay among the Scandinavians. The hotel is located more or less across the Centara Hotel, not very hard to find. I could write pages about Hua Hin, but for this issue I think I have written enough. Enjoy your next trip; you might consider Hua Hin because you are worth it!
March 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 17
มุมภาษาไทย l mum pha:să: thai l Thai Language Corner
Top 10 Thai Words By Klavs Johansen (thai@snakthai.dk)
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his month’s column is inspired by a recent question in our Facebook group, Thai Language Corner, and, as a star t, please let me take this opportunity to, once again, encourage everyone with an interest in the Thai language to join the group. There is no requirement for active participation and you may just take in the Word of the Day which appears, if not every day, then generally several times a week. Back to the question which was concerning the choice of Word of the Day. Basically, the Word of the Day is chosen at random, however allowing for some variation of word class between nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs and adjectives. Also, sometimes words are chosen according to topicality or perceived relevance for understanding of Thai culture. But why not choose the Word of the Day in a more systematic manner by taking the most frequent words first, or at least focus on the most common words? Indeed a good question, which I have replied to in the group. For the purpose of this column, however, we will just have a look at the top 10 most frequent Thai words, while cautioning that a word by word approach in my opinion isn’t the most productive way of learning a language. Instead, focusing on complete phrases and expressions will produce better results. That said, a few words now and then haven’t hurt anyone and why not, this time, the 10 most frequent. In finding the 10 most frequent words, I am indebted to the discussion and links related to frequency lists on womenlearnthai.com 18 ScandAsia.Thailand • March 2016
which pointed me to thaifrequency.com where it is possible to download Jørgen Nilsen’s THAI FREQUENCY DICTIONARY, The 4,000 most common words in the Thai language. Both websites are hereby highly recommended and from the latter we have got our top 10 of most frequent Thai words that follows. Note how most of the words have several meanings and even more possible translations.There is a reason why they are so frequent! In fact, we cannot cover all meanings and translations here, however will give examples of some of the most common. Additional meanings are left for the Facebook group or a later column. Here we go: ที่ / thî: / ~ at, place, which.
พบกันที่ร้านอาหารนะ / phóp kan thî: rá:n a:hă:n ná› / ~ let›s meet at the restaurant. เขามีที่หลายที่ / kháo mi: thî: lă:i thî: / ~ he owns land several places.
มือถือที่ให้เธอมาพังแล้ว / mue: thŭe:, thî: hâi thoe: ma:, phang láe:o / ~ the handphone, which I gave her, is already broken. ได้ / dâi / ~ to be able to, to receive.
คืนนี้ไปดูหนังไม่ได้ / khue:n ní: pai du: năng mâi dâi / ~ I can›t go to the movies tonight. เธอได้คะแนนที่ดี / thoe: dâi khánae:n thî: di: / ~ she received good grades. จะ / jà› / ~ will, shall. วันอังคารฉันจะไปเชียงใหม่ / wan angkha:n, chán jà› pai chiang mài / ~ Tuesday, I will go to Chiang Mai. นี้ / ní: / ~ this.
บ้านหลังนี้สวยจัง / bâ:n lăng ní: sŭai jang / ~
this house is really beautiful.
ว่า / wâ: / ~ that, to say something. แสดงว่า เขาชอบเธอ / sàdae:ng wâ: kháo chôr:p thoe: / ~ it appears that he likes her. ฉันว่าไม่ไปดีกว่า / chán wâ: mâi pai di: kwà: / ~ I say we better not go. เป็น / pen / ~ to be, to have (an illness), to be able to.
ลูกสาวเป็นหมอ / lû:k să:o pen mŏr: / ~ (my)
daughter is a doctor.
เป็นไข้ / pen khâi / ~ to have a fever. ฉันว่ายน้ำ�ไม่เป็น / chán wâ:i ná:m mâi pen
/ ~ I can›t swim. มี / mi: / ~ to have, there is. มีอาหารทะเลไหม / mi: a:hă:n thále: mái / ~ Do (you) have seafood?
หน้าบ้านมีต้นไม้สี่ต้น / nâ: bâ:n mi: tôn má:i sì: tôn / ~ in front of the house, there are four
trees.
ให้ / hâi / ~ to give, to let. เขาให้ ข องขวั ญ ภรรยา / kháo hâi khŏr:ng khwăn phanráya: / ~ he gave his wife a present. อย่าให้ลูกนอนดึก / yà: hâi lû:k nor:n dùek / ~ don›t let the kids go to bed late. ต้อง / tôrng / ~ must, have to.
ฉันต้องกลับพรุ่งนี้ / chán tôrng klàp phrûng ní: / ~ I have to return tomorrow. ของ / khŏr:ng / ~ goods, of. ไปซื้อของ / pai súe: khŏr:ng / ~ to go and buy
goods, i.e. to go shopping.
รถของพ่อ / rót khŏr:ng phôr: / ~ father›s car.
That’s it! The 10 most common words in the Thai language exemplified. Listen out for them and see you next month same place!
March 2016 • ScandAsia.Thailand 19