ScandAsia Thailand - December 2015

DEC 2015
SWEA celebrates 15 in grand style
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Coming Events
DEC 2015
Norwegian Christmas Dinner
Where: Rembrandt Hotel, Sukhumvit 18
When: 15 December 18:30 - 21:00
SWEA celebrates 15 in grand style
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The Thai-Norwegian Chamber of Commerce invites
to Norwegian Christmas Dinner. Bring your spouse,
friends, and colleagues for an informal Christmas
in a cosy evening and relaxing atmosphere. Find
the Christmas spirit in Bangkok with traditional
Norwegian Christmas food and drinks.
This is an unique opportunity for the Chamber
members and friends to meet informally and build a
network for future professional and social use. Sign
up to secretary@norcham.com
Christmas Eve with Svenska Kyrkan
Where: 11, Convent Road, Silom, Bangkok
When: 24 December, 13:00 onwards
News
Merry Christmas!
Everyone are more than welcome to join a
“Julafton” (=Christmas Eve) with Svenska Kyrkan
in Bangkok. On Julafton 24 December 2015
from 1pm there will be a Scandinavian Christmas
service in Christ Churh. The Christmas gospel
will be recited in our different languages and we
will sing all the famous psalms. After the service
Scandinavian Society Siam invites for wine and
food from Mammas Kök.
You are all warm-heartedly welcome to join!
Swe actor Kjell Bergqvist is Santa Claus
for good cause
Swedish actor Kjell Bergqvist, who owns a second
home in Thailand and also have godchildren there is
acting as Santa Claus for a good cause in 2015.
In a series of films Kjell Bergqvist reflects over hia
own feelings about the holiday shopping season and
the “Christmas gift”.
“A sponsorship, for instance, is a gift to be
enjoyed for years, especially if one spenda a bit of
time writing letters. While it helps, it is useful for us to
be reminded of what it looks like for children around
the world,” he thinks.
In Plan International Sweden’s gift shop one can
buy gifts that will last a lifetime. And and one can
buy last-minute and print the gift certificates to give
away oneself.
“I think many people want to give something
meaningful. That is where I hope we at Plan
International can bring a new dimension to this
through our gift shop. Our programmes empower
children and their families lift themselves out of
poverty, providing skills that will last a lifetime, says
Michelle Warren, project manager.
“They say it is scientifically proven that by
giving away something the donor gets even
happier than receiver. I think that’s interesting,”
continues Kjell Bergqvist.
“Right now I have godchildren in Thailand
and in Haiti, and my daughters have a godchild
in Paraguay. There are many children in distress.”

News Brief
The Thai-Danish Christmas Blast
When the temperature reaches over
30 degrees in Thailand, the song
“do they know it’s Christmas time
at all?” gets a new meaning.
But for the Danes in Bangkok, on Friday 27
November, the answer was a clear “Yes, we do!”
More than 200 Danes gathered this day
for a traditional Danish Christmas Lunch in
the garden of the Danish Embassy in Bangkok,
Thailand. The annual event by Danish-Thai
Chamber of Commerce awakens the Christmas
spirit with live music, Christmas games, loads of
Danish Christmas delicacies and not to forget;
Aalborg Akvavit!
A Danish Christmas Lunch is all about
spending time with loved ones and eating,
drinking and having fun. This Christmas Lunch
was no excuse, and beside the hot weather, the
summer outfits and the fact that a Christmas
Lunch was held outdoor, it was almost like
being in Denmark.
Especially because of the food; the
enormous Christmas buffet contained no less
than 33 dishes, with everything from homemade
liverpaté, smoked salmon, tartelets, “karrysild”,
roasted pork, and ris a la mande. This is one of
the only events hosted in Thailand where the
table not offers plain rice.
During the day a Christmas quiz began, and
each table was handed a paper of 13 questions,
and had to clear their mind off Akvavit and
focus on the game.
Unfortunately, athough the watchdog of
the game, Asbjorn O. kept an eye on people’s
smartphones it has still not been confirmed if
the winning table really knew all the answers by
themselves or had called uncle Google fro help.
The many sponsors of this event had
donated huge prizes for the Christmas
Lottery. Lucky Danes won luxury hotel stays,
a weekend getaway, beautiful china from Royal
Copenhagen and even a table set among many
other lovely gifts!
For the rest of the guests, the Christmas
Lunch was a present itself. Both Thais and
Danes had a blast, and regardless of the tropical
surroundings, the Danish Christmas spirit was
born on 27 November 2015.
Ikea is coming
to Phuket
At the end of November IKEA open a
pickup and order shop in Phuket which
allows customers to shop online or at
a “real” Ikea store and then later pick up their
products closer to home.
The concept has been tested in Canada,
where there are already four IKEA pickup and
order points. The shop in Phuket is the first in Asia.
Pickup and order points allow Ikea to expand
very quickly into new markets that have been
identified as having a huge potential. It is also a
response to the fact that there are about three
times as many people who visit the website of
IKEA than who actually visits a store.
The one-storey building of IKEA Pick Up, an
area of 2000 sq.m. and parking of 2,400 sq.m. is
located on Bypass Road next door to Central
Festival Phuket, Big C, Tesco Lotus.
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• Internasjonalt godkjente og utfordrende læreplaner
• Utmerkede resultater i internasjonale og norske nasjonalprøver
• Sentral beliggenhet med bybanestopp rett utenfor døren
Contact us for more information: www.isob.no eller post@isob.no
6 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2015

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News Brief
Historical EAC walk in downtown Bangkok
By Gregers Moller
On Sunday 1 November 2015, with Poul
Weber as special guide, Scandinavian
Society Siam held a well-vistied walk
through the old EAC legacy in Bangkok.
Poul Weber first gave an overview and told
an ultra-short version of the whole story about
the rise and fall of The East Asiatic Company,
which was actually founded in Bangkok.
The walk visited the old EAC Headquarters
and passed by the old house where it is believed
that H.N. Andersen – the founder of the company
– lived, today a Chinese restaurant, owned by the
Oriental Hotel.
Before arriving at the derelict EAC building
itself, the tour also stopped by the Catholic
Church and Assumption Commercial College.
Left empty the building is todady owned
by one of Thailands’s richest men, Charoen
Sirivadhanabhakdi, and it risks to soon be
deteriorated beyond the point where it can be
restored.
Next stop was the protestant cemetery, which
is accessible from Charoenkrung Soi 72/5, to visit
some of the many Danish and a few Swedish and
Norwegian graves there. Claus Gundersen, who
has been involved in the renovation of a number
of graves together with the founder of the SSS
Heritage Section Flemming Winther Nielsen,
shared his insights. The cemetery was established
in 1853 as a gift from King Mongkut (Rama IV)
to the protestant community in Bangkok. The
8 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2015
grave of Peter Andersen, who was H.N.partner in
Andersen & Co. – the forerunner to East Asiatic
Company, was pointed out. Peter Andersen died
of a kidney disease in 1894, only 39 years old.
Gregers Moller presented the grave of
the most prominent Swede from those days,
Viktor Virgin, with an instrumental role in
Thailan’s development. He was an engineer from
Charmers Technical University who built the
huge amount of canals that you will pass over
when you drive north east out of Bangkok from
Rangsit to Nakorn Nayok. Viktor Virgin became
the highest decorated Swede ever in Thailand,
given first the title of nobleman, then finally
the highest title any foreigner can obtain: Phra
Yantravidya Varyindra – possibly meaning “great
master” or “great teacher”. These canals are still
crucial to the rice production several times per
year in the area and has played a role in Thailand
becoming the largest rice exporter in the world.
Next stop was the the temple Wat
Rajsingkorn, immediately before we reached
Asiatique – the old EAC warehousing area and
the adjacent Wat Phya Krai sawmill, which was
where Poul Weber worked himself when he first
arrived Bangkok. The warehouse buildings are still
intact and contain hundreds of small shops selling
antiques, gifts, interior decor items, food and other
items that make the area popular to visit for
tourists as well as local Bangkokians.
Finally, the restaurant Joe Louis, located in one
of EAC’s old bachelor messes, was visited, where
Poul Weber told us lively anecdotes about his
life as a young Dane working with EAC. Those
attending learnt about a 5-ton gold Buddha
which was for a century cleverly hidden from the
Burmese at the Wat Phya Krai temple.

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December 2015 • ScandAsia.Thailand 9

News Brief
Danish National Team in the World Deaf Futsal Cup in Bangkok
Text: Maria Andreasdottir Photos: Dennis Thern
When you play futsal
without air condition in
Thailand, well, it can be
a little hot,” 12 Danish ladies agree.
The Thai humidity seems to
be a mere trifle in the pursuit of
a World Championship, because
besides being professional athletes,
all these ladies have another thing in
common: they are all deaf.
Together these women makes
the Danish Women’s National Deaf
Football Team, and they arrived in
Bangkok on 15 November 2015 to
participate in the World Deaf Futsal
Cup 2015. (The main difference
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10 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2015
between futsal and football are that
futsal is played indoor and on a field
the same size as a handball court).
The ladies and the rest of their
team consist of total 25 people, and
they have all contributed to go far
in the World Deaf Futsal Cup 2015.
It was proved when they won their
first match against England on 21
November 2015.
“We were determined to win
this match! It was a huge success
to beat England!” futsal player Sarah
Lind ‘says’ – in sign language .
Unfortunately, they lost 3-8 to
Iran on Sunday. It means they can
not achieve the first prize, but on
Tuesday they will meet Norway to
fight for a 9 or 13th rank in World
Championship.
“We won over Norway last year
to the Final Cup in Europe, but that
does not mean we will relax for this
match. We need to win this game to
still remain in the top 10”, says futsal
player Nana Søltoft.
The ladies have already been
practicing intensely. Eating right,
getting enough sleep, exercising
regularly and having sports massage
are important elements to maintain
when you are qualified for a World
Championship. It also means they
have not had time to explore the
hosting country of the World Cup
yet. For some of the players this is
their very first visit to Thailand.
“We look forward to experience
Bangkok after we finish the last match.
Our training takes all of our time, and
so far our only “sightseeing” has been
2 hours shopping in one of the big
malls. But we are not here on holiday,
we are here for a Danish victory,”
explains teamplayer Britt Nøhr.
Futsal requires more training
than football for these ladies.
“Futsal is far more complicated
for deaf people than what regular
football is. The field is smaller, and
everything goes faster. We have to
concentrate on both our translator,
the ball and our other teammates”.
Facing the challenge of futsal
has only given good results to the
Danish ladies, and for them playing
futsal and football together are much
more than just a sport.
For 16-year old Emma Tietze
the football team gives her freedom
to “be deaf”.
“My hearing is considered to
be deaf, even if I can hear a little.
In school I’m wearing a hearing aid,
but together with my team on the
football field I don’t have to. It feels
good to feel ”even” and that way get
a little of both worlds”.
“Even if the age difference
ranges from 16 to 41, we make an
amazing teamwork, both as players
on the field, and friends in private life.
We have a strong cohesion and help
support each other,” futsal player
Christina Hausgaard says.
They are also supported on their
more than 600 fans on Facebook,
who have been following them
online and in real life for the World
Cup. The ladies have daily posted
news and videos, and beside the
serious sportsnews they also have
time to post “Dagens bommert”
(=Slip of the day).
“Being deaf can sometimes be
a challenge. One of our slips was
when a group of the teamplayers
and the coaches should take the
elevator. We all live on different
floors and therefore had to press
on different buttons inside the
elevator. When I asked ‘Where do
you live?’ in sign language, the answer
was “In Denmark!”, laughs Christina
Hausgaard.
On Monday 23 November the
Danish ambassador Mikael Hemniti
Winther invited the ladies for buffet
dinner at the Danish Embassy in
Bangkok, where they were shown a
little piece of Denmark in Thailand.
In return he was taught sentences
in sign language and the bubbling
energy from a Danish sportsteam.
The ladies were delighted with
the invitation, and they were all given
the last support before their final
match against Norway. Even if wine
and beer was served for the evening,
the Danish ladies only touched the
soft drinks.
“When you train for World Cup,
you have to say no to a lot of things.
Back home you have to skip nights
on the town, because you have to
focus on your exercise and to stay in
your best condition”.
With that being said, all the
Danish ladies agreed that they
would cheer in champagne when
they hopefully got in the top 10 in
the World Deaf Futsal Cup 2015.

December 2015 • ScandAsia.Thailand 11

SWEA
Bangkok
celebrates
15 years
anniversary
Text: Agneta de Bekassy
Photos: Daniel Herron
On Saturday the 21st of November, SWEA (Swedish Women
Educational Association) Bangkok, turned 15 years old
or young and 74 members, guests and sponsors were
gathering together for a Gala evening at the elegant Pacific
City Club.
Agneta, Katarina and Sara had been appointed the party committee and
also greeted the guests as they entered. Sara was the evening’s toastmaster
and she managed to get everybody’s attention.
The evening started with Prosecco or beer in the lobby and library,
where you also could follow a presentation displaying what SWEA had been
up to during the last 15 years, made by our SWEA Monica Nilsson.
Beautiful piano music, performed by another SWEA member, Truedi
Carlesson, accompanied us up to the dining room, decorated with the
SWEA flag and flowers in yellow and blue.
During the starter, SWEA Bangkok’s president Maria Mellblom, greeted
the guests and wished all an enjoyable evening.
Among the guests were our new ambassador H.E. Mr.Staffan Herrström
with spouse Karin, Eric Hallin, GM at Rembrandt Hotel, Khun. Nutthanit
Towan from Surecell Medical Co.Ltd with her Swiss boyfriend Marc, Mare
and Christer Persson from Scandinavian Village, just to mention a few.
12 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2015

The lucky draw was successful and the prizes
very attractive. Our SWEA Annika Jonasson
won the main prize, a one year membership
for 2 persons, donated by Marcel Jacquat, GM
at Pacific City Club. Eric Hallin walked home
with an exclusive beauty basket from Oriflame,
Karin Jansson received a voucher for a beauty
treatment donated by Samitivej Hospital and four
lucky winners received vouchers from the beauty
clinic DERMASTER on Ekamai. Katarina Svensson
was happy to receive a SPA treatment from Six
Senses, also just to mention a few.
After a delicious dinner, created by chef de
cuisine Steve, the guests enjoyed coffee or tea
downstairs and in the meantime Bangkok’s best
live band got ready to play in the bar. BIG BOY
BAND, a favorite among us SWEOR. For this
special occasion, they were very elegant in black
tie and they rocked it. The dance floor was well
visited and I think the staff at Pacific was surprised
to see us staying late. Usually parties end quite
early in Thailand, but we Swedes are Vikings and
know how to celebrate.
The evening ended with a potatoes/leak
soup before we, happy and satisfied returned to
our homes.
A night to remember! A huge THANK YOU
to all our sponsors and to SWEA’s board.
December 2015 • ScandAsia.Thailand 13

14 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2015

Kim
Bohman
builds an acting
career in Asia
By Maria Andreasdottir
In 2014 Kim Bohman made a radical change
in his life.
“I want to move to Thailand and make a
career as an actor and a model”, the 27-year
old Thai-Swedish decided.
Kim was serious about this; he did not see
a future living in Sweden, sold his apartment in
Gothenburg, left family and friends and signed up
for a Thai language class in Bangkok. Only carrying
a suitcase of 23 kilo-grams and a heart full of
dreams he arrived in Bangkok on 3 November
2014.
“It has always been a dream to actually live
and work in Thailand,” he tells ScandAsia.
Half/half look
He is born and raised in Gothenburg in Sweden
and is the son of a Thai-Chinese mother and a
Swedish father. Every year the family traveled to
Thailand to visit family and friends. His Swedish-
Thai look was always complimented when he
visited the Land of smiles.
“My little sister and I were always told we
looked beautiful because of our ‘’half/half’’ look.
Thai people said ‘’you can be a superstar in
Thailand!”
Since he was 20 years old he wanted to
actually be a superstar in the East.
“Acting fascinated me. I have always loved
being spontaneous and challenging myself. But I
was not strong enough to leave the country at the
age of 20 I was too young,” he recalls.
Combining career and love
It took five years, many serious considerations
and one certain girl before Kim pulled himself
together and start chasing his dream. He had
continued to visit Thailand every year, and in the
beginning of 2014 he fell in love with a Russian
girl on a holiday in Phuket. But it was more than
a holiday fling, and after two months away from
each other they tried to figure out how they
could live together. If Kim wanted to stay in Russia
he had to marry her and vice verca. Kim still
wanted to pursue an acting and model career, and
suddenly a solution came to his mind.
“I had the perfect idea! We could move to
Thailand and live in Bangkok together.”
They were both more than ready to let
go of their comfortable yet trivial lives in their
respective countries.
“At that time I had everything you want for a
happy life in Sweden. I had an amazing apartment
in Gothenburg, a lot of friends near me and a
good job as an IT technician. But I was bored. I
was ready to go. My best friend encouraged me
to follow my heart, and at that time I felt ready
for a new adventure and a whole new chapter in
my life,” says.
For a whole year he prepared his moving out
of his home country. He knew a career in a foreign
country had it’s requirements. He felt it was very
important to learn to speak the language.
“It’s really embarrassing to admit that after so
many holidays in Thailand and being raised by a
Thai mother the only thing I could say in Thai was
‘sawasdee krap’. I signed up for a Thai language
school that offered flex classes, which means
I schedule my classes myself by booking them
online. I needed flexible study hours so I could
go to last-minute castings”.
Kim keeping his words
In November 2015 it has been 12 months since
Kim left Sweden. Back then he promised to focus
100% on an acting and a modeling career.
“Before I left my home in Sweden I told
myself: ‘Kim, you will go all in.’ I was ready to work
my butt off by staying in shape, eating healthy, drop
alcohol, go to as many castings as possible, build
up a network and just absorb all impressions and
new knowledge. I wanted every day to be busy,”
Kim tells.
He was determined. His mind was strong, even
though he had little experience. He remember his
very first audition.
“I was so nervous. I was literary shaking in
front of the camera, my body was not in control.
I had no idea how to present myself neither what
I had to do for a casting,” Kim smiles.
Luckily, his girlfriend is a make up artist
and already had a wide network in the modeland
acting industry. She knew many talented
photographers, and they met with Kim and helped
him build up his portfolio. He might be attractive
and suits perfectly into the criteria of beauty in
Asia, but he knew that a physical appearance is
not everything. After a lot of photo shoots he
eventually began to feel comfortable and relaxed
in front of a camera lens, and his self confidence
grew. So did his career.
“My first TV commercial was for Dairy Queen
in January 2015.”
Today, one year later, he has been attending
more than 300 castings. His model CV consists
of jobs for huge fashion brands like Emporio &
Armani, Jimmy Choo and Emden Bag, and he has
been starring in TV Commercials for international
names like MG Car and Kapal Api Coffee. His first
big and best-paid job so far was a TV Commercial
for Emina Cosmetic on 28 August 2015.
“It was absolutely an amazing experience!
The Emina Cosmetic-job consisted of a 4 days
photoshoot in the capital Jakarta in Indonesia. The
budget was 200,000 Baht.”
His acting skills are improving, his Thai is getting
better and his name is becoming well-known in
the industry. He kept his promise to himself
to become an actor and model in Thailand. In
addition, he manages to combine love and career,
where he and his girlfriend works together as a
team and keep themselves busy everyday.
However, he is still eager to continue the
game. He still thinks he has much to learn.
“To be an actor and a model is an ever
developing study. My journey has just begun, and
I want to keep fighting.”
December 2015 • ScandAsia.Thailand 15

From Randers to Ubon:
hooked on photography via
Thailand photo workshop
By Maria Andreasdottir
Usually when 32-year old Michael
Johansen travels from Denmark
to Thailand it equals family visits
and lazy days on the beach. On
November 2015 he travelled to
Ubon in Northeastern Thailand for an absolute
different purpose than meetings with relatives
and swimming in turqouise-blue water. This time,
it was to attend a photographer work shop by
one of Asis’s most acknowledged photographer
and Michael Johansens huge inspiration, Manny
Librodo from the Philippines.
“As soon as Manny Librodo published a date
for a workshop, I took the chance and bought a
last minute ticket to Thailand”, Michael says.
He literary went a long way for his dream.
The Thai-born baker lives in Randers in Denmark,
but recently his heart has been beating harder for
photography than kneading dough.
“I love to create something. Photography is
my flow. I can sit for hours and edit a picture to
make it perfect. And I don’t mind to travel far
away for a good location for shooting pictures”,
Michael tells.
So he did the weekend of 6-9 November
2015. Photographers (both beginners, amateurs
and semi-professionals) gathered for a rewarding
experience in the name of photography in Ubon.
Manny Librodo had teamed up with professional
personalities of designer Sam Sethi, make up artist
Swanti Suwannee Sethi and four models. Michael
Johansen, who only had attended workshops of
amateur or secondary standard, was amazed.
“It was absolutely an unbelievable experience.
I actually got to work and meet with top
professional people from the photographer
profession, shoot beautiful models in the amazing
landscape of Ubon, and learn so many new
techniques. It was all worth it.”
During the workshop weekend the
participants would shoot photos on different
locations in the Sam Phan Bok landscape, and after
each photoshoot they were having instructive
courses how to edit the photos in photoshop by
photographer Manny Librodo.
“I don’t think I could get similar lessons in
Denmark. I had already researched for a long time
for workshops in Denmark, but no workshop
16 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2015

caught my interest. Here I had the chance to get
tuition from my favorite photographer. I am very
happy I took this opportunity”, he says.
The only thing Michael Johansen was not
happy about, was the fact he had not attended
one of these kinds of workshops before.
“At my age you can begin to feel a little under
pressure due to what you want to do with your
life. I wish I had listened to my heart when I was
younger and started doing photography way
earlier”, he reveals.
A dream in the oven
He studied engineering in Denmark “because
there was a lot of money in it”, but he felt bored
about this subject and instead learned to become
a baker. He was born in Thailand, but grow up
in Denmark. His family visited Southeast Asia
every year, and Michael Johansen became very
fond of taking holiday pictures. He saved up and
replaced his digital camera with a SLR camera.
This was coincidentally noticed by a group of
photographers while he was taking photos in
Bangkok.
“They asked if I would join them for a
photoshoot, and after that I was already hooked.
They made me realise that this is what I wanted
in life. Not engineering, not baking, but taking
photos”, he says. “I was worried it might be too
late to start a new career.”
But on the photographer workshop in Ubon,
Michael Johansen was confirmed that it’s never
too late to start working on your dream.
“Manny Librodo was not only teaching me to
capture and edit photos, he also was a personal
coach to me on the workshop. He told me he
began his career as a photographer in his 40’s.
He told me I should not worry about age at all”,
Michael smiles.
Ather this workshop Michael soon returned
to Denmark again, this time with an even eager
mind to focus on photography.
“I now know this is what I want. I will begin
to establish a photographer career in Denmark,
and I hope I can have more chances to attend
workshops abroad to get more experience.”
The ultimate goal is to follow in Manny
Librodo’s footsteps and work both as a
photographer and hosting workshops.
“It’s not that Denmark or other places in
Europe don’t have beautiful locations, and in
the future I would love to organise trips and
workshops outside studios and in nature and pass
on my knowledge to upcoming photographers
who are at the same level as I am now.”
It’s not sure if Michael also will provide his
future students with home baked goods, but one
thing is sure: Michael has found his dream, and
he will continue to pursue it until he can make
a living of it.
December 2015 • ScandAsia.Thailand 17

Photographer: Daniel Herron
Agneta’s
World
Dear readers.
I can hardly believe this is the last column
for year 2015. Where has the time gone? It
has been a great pleasure letting you be part
of “my world” and I hope you might have
discovered something you didn’t know before
about Bangkok and all it has to offer. I have
discovered lots of new corners in the city and
I’m finding new places almost every day.
In this issue, I have focused on four different
restaurants, all-unique in their own way.
Face
Let me first take you to Face. Many of
you might have been to restaurant Face,
located on Sukhumvit, soi 38 ThongLoh.
Face is kind of an oasis in the busy city.
It’s in fact, three cuisines below the
same roof; Thai, Indian and Japanese. Face doesn’t
only exist in Bangkok, but also in Djakarta, Beijing
and Shanghai. 12 years ago, it opened the doors
in Bangkok. Here, it is meant that you should
connect with your company “face to face”. It is
a meeting area where people can relax while
enjoying a great Asian meal or just a drink in
the bar or why not, a genuine Thai massage. The
house is an authentic Thai house or you can also
say, several houses, with lots of wood. All material
was brought in from the neighbor countries and is
authentic. Here you have so called “casual dining”.
The restaurant opens at 11.00 am until 02.30 pm
18 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2015
for lunch and again at 06.00 pm until midnight
for dinner.
The dishes are from north of Thailand; tasty,
mid spicy at the Thai restaurant Lana Thai and
at the Indian restaurant Hacara, the recipes
also come from northern India. In both these
2 restaurants you also can enjoy Japanese food
from the Misaki, the smallest restaurant.
The SPA is very romantic and offers Royal
Thai massage and Wat Po massage, which is a
stronger massage. The Spa is opened from 10.00
am to 08.00 pm.
If you are not in a mood to go out, you
can order a nice lunch/dinner at home, as the
restaurant has catering. We asked the manager
Khun Somchai, if the guests are mostly Thai
or foreigners. There is quite a mix of Korean,
Japanese and other foreigners. The Thai part of
the restaurant can seat 50 guests, the Indian 70
and the Japanese 15. At the bar, they can seat 50
people.
Every Friday there is entertainment and for
coming New Year’s Eve there will be 2 special
set menus, one with all three cuisines combined
and one where you choose between Thai or
Indian. Music and dancing. Early bird booking is
recommended. Khun Somchai, the manager and
his staff will be happy to greet you.
If I have guests from abroad and want to take
them to a beautiful Thai restaurant, I’ll book Face,
as I have never been disappointed, neither have
my guests.

Lounge
Last but not least, I have to tell and show
you to the “VOGUE Lounge”. This
modern restaurant and bar is located
close to The “House of Sathorn” and
represents a completely different
style. This place has a roof top restaurant/bar
outside and believe it or not, with air condition
among the tables. The restaurant inside have the
walls covered with fashion photos by famous
photographers. The general manager is French
and he is very proud of this elegant place. It’s
a most cool and sophisticated environment,
trendy might be the right word. Here you can
enjoy music by DJ’s, taste the small, delicate tapas
dishes and look upon the sky and the silhouette
of Bangkok. The bar provides you with cocktails,
wines and champagne.
One floor below Vogue Lounge, you have
another Michelin star restaurant, but that’s
another story.
Maybe you choose to celebrate the New
Year at one of these restaurants, if so, enjoy, have
the ball, stay healthy and be ready to meet again
in 2016. Happy New Year!
of Sathorn
Now it’s time to leave the Sukhumvit
area and take you on the BTS to
Sathorn, the Chong Nonsi station.
This area has long been known
as more calm and with fewer
restaurants, but that has changed dramatically
during the last few years.
First we go to “The House of Sathorn”. This
huge house, in the warm yellow and green colors,
was built 126 years ago in a colonial style and
was earlier the Russian embassy and residence.
It’s surrounded by skyscrapers and soon to come,
the very tall and modern Ritz Carlton Hotel rising
behind. Today you will find “The Dining Room”,
“The Bar”, “The Courtyard” and “Upstairs” in this
building.
The “Dining Room” is a signature restaurant
presenting dishes that are inspired by Chef Fatih’s
travel experiences across Asia. The restaurant
features Thai-inspired handcrafted tapestries as
a backdrop. The open kitchen, along the long
wooden counter, enticing diners to sit and interact
with the chef in a most comfortable approach.
Both lunch and dinner are served. Lunch 12.00
noon to 02.30 pm and dinner 06.00 pm to 10.30
pm daily.
You can enjoy a wild Challans duck breast
from France, slowly cooked in duck fat, then
grilled on a charcoal grill. This delicatessen is
served with a pomegranate sauce, accompanied
with fermented onions or a Foi-gras, wrapped in
an organic beetroot from Chang-Mai, served with
a toasted Brioche, a dish Chef Fatih discovered
during an amazing Christmas dinner in Hong
Kong. These are just 2, among many dishes to
mention.
“The Bar” can effortless accommodate a dayto-night
scene. Enjoy a high tea or cocktails with
tempting bites. Seasonal crafted cocktails inspired
by local herbs and spices will surprise your senses.
There is also a nice collection of champagnes
and wines.
“The Courtyard” is the heart of “The House”.
Here you can escape from the hecticness of
Sathorn. The cuisine is hinged on local seasonal
and sustainable ingredients in a sophisticated way.
The Afternoon tea is presented in a way that is
completely new to Bangkok and that you might
never have seen. Live music entertainment during
the evenings.
There are also several private function rooms
upstairs, all in a different design.
I could probably write a book about this
amazing place that opened only a few months
ago, but at last, I have to mention that Chef Fatih
Tutak was born in Istanbul, where he got inspired
by his mother’s home cooking. He has joined
Turkey’s culinary school at Bolu Mengen. After
several years in Turkey, working for luxury hotels
and restaurants, he moved abroad. Chef Fatih
came to Bangkok and “The House of Sathorn”,
after having created a unique dining experience
at “The Bellbrock Hong Kong” recognized by
the Hong Kong-Macau Michelin Guide 2015. He
has also worked at the world-known restaurant
“NOMA” in Copenhagen and 3 Michelin stars
restaurant “Nihonryon Ryugin” in Tokyo.
This unique place is well worth to visit and
also the relatively new, modern “Hotel W” that
belongs to the same concept.
December 2015 • ScandAsia.Thailand 19

& Condoms
Cabbages & Condoms located at
Sukhumvit soi 12 is indeed one of the
most unique restaurants in Bangkok,
perhaps in the world, and popular
among both local and foreign clients.
This restaurant was conceptualized in part to
promote better understanding and acceptance of
family planning and to generate income to support
various development activities of the Population
and Community development Association and
is a nonprofit organization. The restaurant has a
lovely garden that can seat 40-50 people, a bar and
indoor restaurant. What makes it so special is that
all the decorations, from lamps to flowers on the
tables, are all made of … condoms! There is a bride
and groom, she in a white condom dress and he
in a black condom suit, a Father Christmas who’s
outfit is made of red condoms, what else’s, greeting
you by arrival. When you leave, you just pick a few
condoms instead of the more common bonbons.
Good to know is that the profit, after
expenses, goes 100% to charity. There are 17 C &
C restaurants all over the country and also some
resorts. The food is local style. Opening hours
11.00 am until 11.00 pm, last order at 10.30 pm.
You can also visit the handcraft shop. There are
more than 1000 items on display, all produced by
villagers from rural areas of Thailand.
This is the place to take your youngsters when
the time has come to talk about “flowers and bees”
and to introduce them to Durex, the condoms
producer and donator of all the condoms. Here
you are, for sure, 100 % safe!
Elizabeth Romhild painting
porcelain
On 24 November Elizabeth Romhild
launched her first porcelain
exhibition at beautiful Pacific
City Club. Most of us know Elizabeth
and her colorful art and
expressive sculptures and now she has added
20 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2015
some amazing porcelain! Elizabeth started her
journey as an artist at the age of 26. She began
painting portraits and later on added landscapes
and seascapes. She has always focused on the females
and her paintings have been/are very colorful
and with an erotic touch.
Elizabeth is Danish/Armenian, married to a Dane
and has two grown up children. She has a unique
and recognizable style, initially with three porcelains
series; Piano, La Boheme and Impromptu,
which depict her earlier works of women and
sensuality.
Since 1988 she has worked in Thailand and has
had many exhibitions through the years, also in
Denmark.
With her porcelain she gives us a” feeling of art
“while dining. You can order her pieces online
and choose between Dinner Plates, Deep Plates,
Dessert Plates, Show Plates and Coffee Cups &
Saucers.
At the exhibition you could admire several laid
tables, very inviting, just waiting for the guests to
take a seat. At one table Elizabeth had added her
daughter’s violin as decoration, at other cherries,
as a symbol of seduction.
Elizabeth has also contributed to the upcoming
“Elephant Parade “that will start in Bangkok on 1
December. Her elephant is so typical “Elizabeth
painted”: colorful and symbolizing the elephant in
its tropical surrounding.
At the exhibition evening, many ”hi-so” people,
ambassadors and friends showed up and her beloved
husband Peter was seen by her side.
This is only the begin of a new Elizabeth journey,
just wait and see.

December 2015 • ScandAsia.Thailand 21

Social media usage is very
prevalent in our Asian
markets. One year ago
merely five percent used a
mobile phone in Myanmar.
Today that number is more
than forty percent, and
more than sixty percent
of those use the Internet
on the phone. That’s a
higher percentage than in
Thailand.
Telenor’s Asian
journey and future
By Mia Sanberg Svenningsen
Tor Odland is head of corporate
communications in Asia for Telenor
Group, which is the largest mobile
operator in the South East Asia region
and one of the top ten operators in the
world. He is responsible for building the Telenor
brand across large markets such as India, Myanmar,
Thailand, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Malaysia.
His role is furthermore to advise the national
executive management teams on best practice
communications strategy and issues management.
22 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2015
Tor Odland joined the Telenor Group as the
Vice President of Group Communications in
August 2011, but Telenor’s Asian journey started
long before that. Nearly twenty years ago in
1996 the company representatives travelled
across Asia and slowly began building the business
by launching in Bangladesh – then in Malaysia
and Thailand a few years later. Today, Telenor is
present in six Asian markets, more than any other
international telecom provider.
Now Telenor’s global customer base is more
than 190 million, and the company are on the
way to get 200 million people on the Internet by
2017 – most of these being users in Asia. When
it comes to building a global footprint in these
large and very populous markets, Telenor faces
different challenges.
“Operating in Asia can be unpredictable. You
have to be prepared for the unexpected at all
times. Part of my job is to help our companies
be prepared on how to handle a variety of
challenges,” Tor Odland explains.

Prior to Telenor, he was a Vice President of
Corporate Communications at Opera Software
from 2004. He received his Master of Science
degree as The London School of Economics and
Political Science and his Bachelor’s Degree from
The University of South Carolina. He is now
based in Singapore, from where he is building
the Telenor brand across six different markets.
The branding happens on both a local level and
a global level.
“On the one hand, we build our brand locally
based on our global standards and policies, , but
we also allow each company to do things that
make them different. One of the key success
factors is to have a customer-focused approach
and to be best on value,” Tor Odland explains.
While building the Telenor brand, he works
more towards influencing the minds of what
he calls “the informed elite” and less towards
the minds of the end consumers, which is the
responsibility of the local business unit.
“The informed elite are the people who
work in the government, international national
organisations, human rights groups or in the
media for example. The mobile industry is heavily
regulated, and therefore it’s in our interest to
help governments and large organisations to
understand that Telenor is a large, responsible
company with a long-term perspective. But
ultimately our industry is all about winning the
customers – everything is centred on that,” he
says.
And it seems that Telenor is doing just
that. In 2013 Brand Finance - the leading global
brand valuation agency - evaluated the 50 most
valuable brands from Norway, Sweden, Denmark
and Finland. Telenor secured the fourth place.
Furthermore, Brand Finance named Telenor as
that year’s fastest riser, with a value growth of
55%.
One of the tools Telenor use to build their
brand is social media.
Digital media and the internet have without
a doubt transformed the telecommunications
industry. Telecom companies now operate in an
industry where there is a constant competition
about who offers the best internet coverage at
the best price.
“Previously we made most of our revenue
on SMS and voice calls. Now most of the growth
comes from data – or the internet services we all
constantly use on our phones. We have to figure
out how to deliver fast data at the right price. We
need to find the right balance,” Tor Odland says.
Providing a service that is so commonly
used requires a direct, real-time access to the
customers in order to stay one step ahead
of the competition. This is why social media is
largely used in the telecom industry to talk to
the customers and respond to their questions,
to update the customers and to promote
products or services. According to Tor Odland,
it’s becoming an integrated part of the telecom
industry.
“Social media usage is very prevalent in our
Asian markets. One year ago merely five percent
used a mobile phone in Myanmar. Today that
number is more than forty percent, and more
than sixty percent of those use the Internet on
the phone. That’s a higher percentage than in
Thailand,” he says.
We don’t know where the
world of the Internet is
going, so it’s hard to predict
five years ahead for sure.
It’s even harder to predict
two years into the future.
But I’m sure you will see
Telenor developing more of
its own services as well as
partnering with the existing
internet companies. We
will take a more prominent
position in the internet
space.
This rapid development of Internet usage has
also led to Telenor seeing the need to educate the
consumers in how to behave responsibly on the
Internet. They teach, among other things, about
online bullying, how to avoid viruses and how to
protect your personal data.
“In some of these markets the internet is a
new concept, so we try to teach them how to use
it responsibly. We also train people to understand,
that if you post a picture on the Internet it will
be there forever,” Tor Odland says and gives
an example of another decision made by the
company relating to responsibility.
“We have also implemented a child
pornography filter in most of our countries. We
don’t like to block stuff on the Internet in general,
but when it comes to child pornography it is
absolutely our job to contribute to curbing this
problem.”
Another aspect that social media has brought
to the industry is within the field of customer
service. People no longer have to wait in line
at their local telecom store for help or to call
a customer service agent. If a customer has an
issue, he or she can tweet or post a message on
Facebook to their service provider and receive an
immediate response.
“I think as an industry we have been on a
journey of increased transparency. And that’s
a standard of how we operate. It’s everyone’s
responsibility to take care of the customers. I think
the industries in Asia are still on that journey. They
are certainly interested in being profiled well, but
have a different approach to being transparent. I
think it’s a bit of a cultural difference,” Tor Odland
says.
Telenor’s policy of transparency became
visible in a recent incident in Thailand. The
consumption of Facebook in the country is huge,
and on the 28th of May 2014, Facebook was
briefly inaccessible to many users in Thailand.
Tor Odland, told a Norwegian newspaper that
DTAC had received instructions from Thailand’s
National Broadcasting and Telecommunication
Commission (NBTC) on that very same day to
block access to Facebook in Thailand. This led to
Telenor being criticised by NBTC’s spokesperson
for whistle blowing.
“Let me answer in principle. When the
government reaches out to us and makes a
request, we follow our established procedures.
And this very often includes being open about
such requests. We work systematically with trying
to find a balance between the internationally
recognized human rights and local regulations
and interests,” Tor Odland says when asked to
comment on what could be learned from the
incident. When asked if anything would be done
differently should such a request appear again,
he says, that there would be an evaluation of the
request, and Telenor would most likely be open
about it again.
When it comes to predicting the future
and the Internet’s influence on the long-term
prospects, nothing is certain.
“We don’t know where the world of the
Internet is going, so it’s hard to predict five years
ahead for sure. It’s even harder to predict two
years into the future. But I’m sure you will see
Telenor developing more of its own services
as well as partnering with the existing internet
companies. We will take a more prominent
position in the internet space.”
Telenor has already developed a variety of
services for different countries. In some countries
they have launched music services and online
learning tools and in other countries they have
introduced shopping apps. In Asia, Telenor is
a major provider of mobile financial services
– where customers without a bank account
get access to modern financial services such as
money transfers and insurance.The company
is also partnering with bigger companies such
as Google and Facebook to collaborate on
providing cutting-edge internet services to the
mass markets of Asia.
“We operate in very competitive and
challenging markets. We have to be able to deliver
word class services and also be seen as a positive
corporate citizen. That’s very important, as we will
often be seen as a foreign company in many of
these markets,” Tor Odland concludes.
December 2015 • ScandAsia.Thailand 23

Swedish night
shift workers
enjoy dream
jobs in Thailand
Sometimes a problem doesn’t require a visit,
but can simply be solved by following some
instructions. 60% of all who calls us are able to
solve the problem they call for help to. That way we
reduce the load for the medical system in Sweden.
By Maria Andreasdottir
like working in heaven!” is what the
nurses at MediCall tell when you ask
about their job. From an office in the
Thai costal city Hua Hin they answer
‘‘It’s
the emergency line and give medical
guidance to Sweden during Swedish nighttime.
That way Sweden-based nurses can sleep tight at
night, while the Swedish nurses in Thailand take
over the night shift during their day.
In 2008 Dr. Birger Rexed and his wife Karina
went on holiday in Thailand to begin working on
a house-project. They had no idea their holiday
was going to be a permanent stay and neither
the fact that they were going to make unwanted
night work in Sweden turn into a dream come
true in Hua Hin. A casual conversation with
their mutual friend, Andreas Winqvist, the CEO
of Swedish MedHelp, told the couple about
an increasing problem in Sweden; the working
situation was not good for Swedish nurses. The
work hours were a big issue, and the nurses
found the night time working uncomfortable and
even a reason to quit their job. Birger and Karina
Rexed saw an opportunity to take advantage of
the time difference of 6 hours between Sweden
and Thailand and that way make life easier. Both
ways. “Why not move some of them here?”, they
asked themselves. “We can take the Swedish night
shift to Thailand, and they can keep their daytime
in Sweden”.
Dr. Birger Rexed admits his love of taking up
a challenge.
“I said: let’s do this!” he smiles and looks at his
wife. “Yes, let’s start it!” she replied.
The communication company MediCall was
born.
Their house project which was meant for
their “winter house” was now being built as the
new MediCall office for future Swedish staff.
Life made simple
Birger being a medical doctor and Karina a senior
CEO and both life-enjoyers, they wanted to
make the best working place. They came up with
a business idea which says life should be simple.
Moving to another country for work should be
easy too.
“Future employees only need to bring
toothbrush and swimwear when they leave
Sweden,” says Dr. Birger Rexed. Karina Rexed
agrees.
“We are so lucky. Our idea is to make the
nurses feel they’re in Paradise,” she says. MediCall
provides everything for their staff: They pay for the
air-ticket to Thailand, offer free housing and food,
and they even serve each nurse with a weekly
house cleaning done by a maid. On top of that,
they are paid 16.000 SEK a month. The nurses
only have to focus on work – and after work, they
only have to focus on having a good time.
“It’s like holiday everyday,” Karina Rexed says.
When finishing their shift the nurses can go to the
24 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2015

nearby beach and relax, while their colleagues on
the other side of the world begin their morning
shift.
Today, MediCall also take the calls in the night
hours in Thai time. They get compensated for
two hours for each night time working. It means
the nurses can work 32 hours a week. They work
three days and have four days for off.
MediCall reduces the load of medical
system in Sweden
When a Swede calls the healthcare hotline “1177”
their call will likely be answered by a nurse in
Thailand. Every region in Sweden has their own
way to handle medical advice service or “on-call
GP”, and the biggest regions Stockholm, Sörmland,
and Värmland use private companies for giving
their citizens medical counseling. MedHelp is the
biggest private medical advice service company in
Europe, and MediCall is their subcontractor. Today
they produce 25% of MedHelps total production,
or in other words: during weekends every second
call ends up in Hua Hin.
“In the nights we take care of 60% of all calls
to MedHelp,” says Dr. Birger Rexed.
MediCall gives Swedish people advice to
handle a situation where medical knowledge is
needed.
“Sometimes a problem doesn’t require a
visit, but can simply be solved by following some
instructions. 60% of all who calls us are able to
solve the problem they call for help to. That way
we reduce the load for the medical system in
Sweden,” Dr. Birger Rexed says.
Swedes should not worry about where their
calls end up – the quality is exactly the same.
Medicall requires formally qualified nurses with
minimum 5 years of working experience. They
have a recruitment service who calls references
and check up on CV’s. Furthermore, they always
make sure of having extra nurses.
“Our company is meant to consist of 40
nurses, but we make sure we are 42,” CEO Karina
Rexed says.
They always make sure to have extra backup
for everything.
“We are very secured. When your work
is about providing help for people in need you
always have to make sure of everything works.
We have five direct internet lines to Sweden
to make sure to always have connection to
overseas,” she adds.
Why not do permanent holiday for
work?
When the company was established it consisted
of nine nurses from MedHelp.
“We were happily surprised. We did not
think there would be so many applicants when
we started searching for new staff,” CEO Karina
Rexed says.
MediCall was a success. They had to create a
recruitment service to get an overview. Today, 42
nurses work for them in Hua Hin.
They start working on a 6-month contract.
After, it’s up to the nurses themselves and
MediCall what happens next. It’s not unusual the
nurses decide to extend their work in Thailand.
“Nine decided to stay here forever,” Karina
Rexed tells.
The nurses consist of many types: families,
“nurse couples” where both are working in
MediCall, some are single and some rejects
retirement and want to make the best out of
their golden years. Regardless of their background,
age and gender, the nurses become more like a
family than just work colleagues.
“We see how these people bond with each
other. They organize tours in their spare time,
arrange events and take good care of each other.
After the first four months they actually start
to get a little depressed when realizing their
6-month stay soon is over. Most of them want to
extend their contract,” she says.
While night time working in Sweden is a
reason to quit, it’s becoming a reason to stay in
Thailand. MediCall is growing, and so are the ideas
of staying permanently in Hua Hin for work. Even
if the contract does not include Swedish holidays,
the nurses don’t mind.
“When we finish work, we have holiday. So
actually, we have holiday everyday here”, the
nurses say.
December 2015 • ScandAsia.Thailand 25

มุมภาษาไทย l mum pha:să: thai l Thai Language Corner
Money Talk
By Klavs Johansen (thai@snakthai.dk)
This month’s column marks the second
anniversary of the Thai Language
Corner and we take the opportunity
to refer new readers to the December
2013 issue of ScandAsia Thailand in
which we lay down the transcription system
used in the column ever since. Past issues of the
magazine are available online from scandasia.
com. We also reiterate that readers’ comments,
suggestions or questions are most welcome
using the email above. This way, you can help set
the topics to be discussed at the Thai Language
Corner.
Warming up for Christmas, it may be
appropriate to go through some useful words
and phrases related to economy, both micro and
macro. It goes by many names and we shall be
talking about:
เศรษฐกิจ / sè:tthàkìt / ~ economy,
เงิน / ngoen / ~ money, and
การเงิน / ka:n ngoen / ~ finance.
Hence, be forewarned that this month’s
column will be heavy on vocabulary and some
may find the subject rather dry. As in previous
columns, though, we will build up phrases and
you may benefit from speaking the Thai parts out
aloud with a Thai friend. This should help turning
it all into good fun.
In Thailand, money are counted in บาท / bà:t
/ ~ Baht. You obviously know that, but, if you are a
beginner, you may want to note the low tone of
the word, the distinctive long vowel /a:/ and the
final /t/ which is ending in the throat almost before
being pronounced and without any blow of air at
all. Possibly the single most common word in Thai,
26 ScandAsia.Thailand • December 2015
it pays to pronounce it correctly.
We all have expenses:
ค่า / khâ: / ~ cost, value,
ใช้ / chái / ~ to use, spend,
จ่าย / jà:i / ~ to pay,
ค่าใช้จ่าย / khâ: chái jà:i / ~ expenses.
To cover these we need:
ได้ / dâ:i / ~ to receive,
รายได้ / ra:i dâ:i / ~ income,
มีรายได้ / mi: ra:i dâ:i / ~ to have income,
เงินเดือน / ngoen duean / ~ (monthly) salary,
กำาไร / kamrai / ~ profit.
Or:
สินเชื่อ / sĭn chûea / ~ credit,
กู้ / kû: / ~ to borrow (money at interest),
หนี้ / nî: / ~ debt,
เป็นหนี้ / pen nî: / ~ to be in debt,
จำานำา / jam nam / ~ to pawn,
โรงรับจำานำา / ro:ng ráp jam nam / ~ a pawnshop.
Look for the sign, still a notable part of the
Thai urban landscape in every provincial town
and older quarters of Bangkok, like for instance
Banglamphu or Yaowarat.
The following may be sounder ways to help
cover your expenses in the longer term:
ใช้หนี้ / chái nî: / ~ to pay back debt,
ต่อราคา / tòr: ra:kha: / ~ to bargain,
ลด / lót / ~ to reduce,
ลดราคา / lót ra:kha: /~ to discount,
ประหยัด / pràyàt / ~ to save cost, economize,
ออมสิน / or:m sĭn / ~ to save money (put money
by),
กระปุกออมสิน / kràpùk or:m sĭn / ~ piggy bank,
ดอกเบี้ย / dòr:k bîa / ~ interests.
Larger expenses may be eased by hire
purchase:
ผ่อน / phòr:n / ~ to pay by installments,
ผ่อนยาว / phòr:n ya:o / ~ to pay by installments
over a long period,
เงินดาวน์ / ngoen da:o / ~ down payment,
งวด / ngûat / ~ installment.
Finally, investing in stocks could be another
way to fund your expenses, if you are bold enough.
The Thai colloquial expression may say it all:
เล่น / lên / ~ to play,
หุ้น / hûn / ~ stocks,
เล่นหุ้น / lên hûn / ~ to trade stocks.
To invest is ลงทุน / long thun / and by doing
this you expose yourself to the world economy
เศรษฐกิจโลก / sè:tthàkìt lô:k / which could be
ตกต่ำา / tòk tàm / ~ declining or เติบโต / tòe:p
to: / ~ growing.
Under all circumstances, you have to adjust
your expenses to your own economy, whether
you are
รวย / ruai / ~ rich, or
จน / jon / ~ poor,
or somewhere in between:
มีพอกินพอใช้ / mi: phor: kin phor: chái / ~ to
have enough to eat and enough to spend.
Let’s end on an optimistic note:
ขอให้ ... / khŏr: hâi ... / ~ I wish you ...
ขอให้รวย / khŏr: hâi ruai / ~ may you be rich,
ขอให้ถูกหวย / khŏr: hâi thù:k hŭai / ~ may you
win the lottery!
สุขสันต์วันคริสมาสต์นะครับ / sùksăn wan
khrítsàmâ:t ná› khráp / ~ Merry Christmas!

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