ScandAsia Thailand - July 2015

JUL 2015
Laila Stuvik
takes British helicopter pilots license
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Try massage
by a blind person!
‘Perception Blind Massage’ is a new massage
place concept to Bangkok. The place is providing
employment for blind or visually impaired therapists,
who demonstrate their unique talent for massage
therapy as they are able to fully focus on their sense
of touch in a way others cannot.
The owner Savija Pannark Korslund, who is
from Denmark and Thailand, opened the place in
December 2014 along with the popular Cafe &
Bar - Dexter, which is located just downstairs.
“I believe that the fact that all our massage
therapists are blind or visually impaired really adds a
‘dimension’ to the concept and the treatment itself,”
she says.
“It has long been a belief among many Thais that
the loss of one sense increase the sensitivity of the
others; I believe that to be true. Also the general
ambiance and dimmed lighting at Perception helps
our guests to relax completely and leave out any
distractions”.
‘Perception Blind Massage’ is located at Sathorn
8, on 2 nd and 3 rd floor above Dexter Café & Bar.
Opening hours is Monday-Sunday: 10:00 am-10:00 pm
For more information check out ‘Perception
Blind Massage’ on Facebook
Graphic Designer :
Peerapol Meesuwan
Peerapol@scandmedia.com
Printing :
Inthanon Interprint Co., Ltd.
Daily news and
features here:
www.scandasia.com

News Brief
Swedish Summer Party in Bangkok a great success
The Swedish community in
Thailand had quite a blast
on Saturday 6 June 2015 at
Radisson Blue Hotel in Bangkok.
The crowd was about 200
persons, including quite many Thais
as well.
At the welcome reception area,
the guests were first served sparkling
wine or beer,before the doors were
opened to the ball room.
In the room, there were long
tables and free seating, Swedish
summer party style. The walls were
decorated with Swedish flags and
also the table runners were in blue/
yellow.
The menu was good, a light
fish and scallop salad as starter, a
salmon as main course and a 6 Juni
Strawberry cake as dessert.
During dinner Barta, the most
known “stand up comedian” in
Sweden entertained us and must
say, he was really fun. Barta is half
Swedish, half Indian and married
to the leader of the political party
Moderaterna in Sweden.
After dinner the dancing started
to a Swedish DJ. People were in a
good mood and all had a good time.
Enjoy the photos!
4 ScandAsia.Thailand • July 2015

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July 2015 • ScandAsia.Thailand 5

News Brief
Cancer tool lands Thailand order
Linda from Finland wins
Miss Bikini Fitness in Pattaya
Only one year ago, Finnish Linda
Suomela Hemangkorn jumped out
of her comfort zone and started
to train with heavy weights. Last month,
she won gold in the muscle and physique
contest Miss Bikini Fitness Competition in
Pattaya.
“It was an incredible experience, and I
am eager to compete again,” Finnish Linda
Suomela Hemangkorn says.
During both of her pregnancies, Linda
gained weight. When her two boys started
in school last year she decided it was time to
focus on her health. She started working out
with a personal trainer and saw immediately
results when they started exercising with
heavy weights which she had never done
before.
Linda also started paying more attention
to her food trying to eat clean most of the
time and planning her meals ahead. She got
so into the training and lifestyle that she
decided to become a certified personal
trainer to learn more for her own sake and to
help others, especially helping other women
feel more comfortable using weights.
Linda started working out at True Fitness
in Asoke where other bikini contestants
also work out. She saw and heard their
stories about the competitions and thought
to herself that maybe one day she could
compete as well.
6 ScandAsia.Thailand • July 2015
ScandiDos from Sweden provides equipment
for better radiation treatment of cancer.
One of its products, Delta4 Phantom and
Delta4 Discover was recently sold to the first
customer in Thailand.
Delta4 Phantom is used in advanced
dosimetry and quality assurance of radiation
therapy. Delta4 Discover opens the possibility,
during treatment, to perform radiation dose
verification and thus increase the quality
and safety of the treatment. ScandiDos
measurement systems and advanced
computing program provide doctors, physicists
and patient confirmation that the advanced
and complicated treatment can be delivered
as planned.
“The need to assure the quality of modern
radiotherapy is significant and we are seeing
great interest from customers to also assure the
quality of the actual treatment of the patient.
In the same way that we introduced Delta4
Phantom to our customers we have now started
to book up demonstrations of Delta4 Discover
during the summer and fall so the doctors
can see that the technology works,” says CEO
Görgen Nilsson.
Linda with her two boys
after the competition
in Pattaya.
Danish veteran
journalist leaves Asia
Bjarne Wildau Nielsen, a veteran Danish
journalist in Asia, celebrated on Saturday 13
June 2015 his 25 year anniversary as an Asia
reporter. A week later, the 70 year old reporter
packed three bags and broke up from Cambodia,
where he has lived for the past six years, and flew
to Bulgaria where he will start a new chapter in
his adventurous life.
When Bjarne Wildau first arrived in Asia, his
first stop was Bangkok, where he had a long list
of articles that his clients had requested him to
write. From there he moved to Indonesia, where
he married an Indonesian English teacher. Always
open for a new adventure, Bjarne suggested that
they should go to Denmark - by bicycle. A stopover
in Bangkok on the way became longer than
planned and eventually, the trip ended there.
After more than a year in Thailand, Bjarne
moved back to Indonesia, but eventually his
marriage fell apart and Bjarne left his wife and
their two daughters in Jakarta and moved to
Thailand - only to move back to Indonesia again
with his new love. Tragically, she died shortly
after they had returned to Indonesia, and Bjarne
moved to Cambodia, where he settled down and
worked for the past six years.
Bjarne Wildau is moving to Bulgaria to be
within the EU. That means his Danish pension will
no longer be reduced by living outside the EU
and at the same time hospitalization, should he
one day need that, will be a public service and
not a private business as is the case in Cambodia.
“The trip that should have lasted no more
than a year became a new life. Now it is time
to start a new life altogether again - this time in
Bulgaria under somewhat safer conditions,” he
writes on his personal blog.
Bjarne Wildau has written several thousand
articles for media back in Denmark through the
years. He has been a regular contributor to ScandAsia
both when the magazine was only a paper product
and later, when it beecame a news portal he was
for a period News Editor on ScandAsia.com. It is a
testimony to Bjarne Wildau’s extreme productivity
that to this very day, Bjarne Wildau remains the most
productive writer on ScandAsia - ever.

When Danes buy Matadormix
Norwegians and Swedes go nuts
News Brief
Nuts and candy are the indisputable
favorits among tax free goods that
travelers from Denmark, Sweden,
Norway and Finland buy, when they are traveling.
Norwegians want to pamper themselves
and the pampering starts already before the trip
when they order tax free goods online. For the
Norwegians, nuts are on the top of the list and
on the alcohol side the favorites are Jägermeister,
Baileys or cognac.
These and more details are revealed by the
taxfree shop Airshoppen which belongs to Vings
own airline Thomas Cook Airlines.
So what do the different Nordic people buy
when they buy tax free?
Practical solution
Ving’s communications director believes, that
Airshoppen is popular because the selection of
goods is wide and the prices offer real savings
and finally it feels like an added service to find
the goods being brought to your seat when you
board the plane.
Travelers can chose if they like to receive the
goods on the way out or on the return flight. Or
indeed both.
Food:
Norway: Pittjes Peanuts, Toffifee, Pittjes Mix Nuts
Sweden: Pittjes Peanuts, Pittjes Mix Nuts,
Toblerone Gold
Denmark: Haribo Matadormix, Fazer Marianne,
Toblerone Gold
Finland: Toblerone Gold, Skippers Pipes, Fazer
Marianne
Beverages:
Norway: Jagermeister Bitter, Baileys Liquor,
Bache-Gabrielsen Cognac.
Sweden: Tullamore Dew Whisky, Bombay
Sapphire Gin, Famous Grouse Whisky
Denmark: Fernet-Branca Bitter, Bombay Sapphire
Gin, Tullamore Dew Whisky
Finland: Renault Cognac, Otard Cognac, Larsen
Cognac
Beauty & Body:
Norway: Biotherm Deo Pure, Piz Buin Combo,
Biotherm Baume Oil
Sweden: Piz Buin Combo, Hawaian Tropic,
Biotherm Baume Oil
Denmark: Boss Ma Vie, Biotherm Aftersun,
Biotherm Deo Pure
Finland: Boss Ma Vie, Deotherm Deo Pur, Boss
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July 2015 • ScandAsia.Thailand 7
AD_ScandAsia_Kim_WP_eng NEW.indd 1 14/08/2014 12:04

Laila
Stuvik
takes British helicopter
by Sasinee Aoucharoenpuck (Aey)
8 ScandAsia.Thailand • July 2015
Rayong born half-Norwegian Laila
Vanessa Stuvik spent her Songkran
holiday in the south of England
completing her British helicopter
pilots education. Having trained in the
United Kingdom during her school holidays for
the past year, she passed her EASA (CAA) PPLH
certification on the first attempt and achieved her
pilot wings on the 15th of April, 2015.
Although only 17 years old she now can
captain her helicopter worldwide. Miss Stuvik
trained and flew several helicopters during her
training, such as the new Guimbal G2 helicopter,
as well as more traditional training helicopters
like the Robinson R-22 and R-44. The young Thai
lady were though most impressed when she flew
the twin engine Bell 206 Jet Ranger, which she
said had “so” much more power. Elite Helicopter
School is located at Goodwood Aerodrome in
West Sussex in the south of England and also
provides charter flights and VIP support for larger
events, like the British Grand Prix.
Having finished a grueling pilots training
while also doing her first year International
Baccalaureate studies at Regents International
School in Cholburi, Laila Vanessa Stuvik dreams of
studying international finance and business, before
getting involved in Thailand aviation business. The

pilots license
high flying Thai girl hopes she can inspire other
young Thai girls to pursue higher education and a
professional career.
After returning home to Rayong, Thailand
Laila Vanessa Stuvik said:
”I thoroughly enjoyed flying and especially
enjoy when I am high up in the air all by myself,
then I know I am in total control. During my
training I really liked the emergency drills, like the
auto rotate that every pilot have to learn and
master in order to bring the helicopter safely to
the ground in case of an unlikely engine failure.
That was quite a thrill. Having completed the
training I hope to continue to expand my flying
capabilities, but first I will focus all my energy
on my business studies. Hopefully one day I
can combined both my flying interest with the
business studies”.
Laila is the younger brother of Sandy Stuvik
who is a very successful young racing driver. In
a previous interview published in ScandAsia,
readers were introduced to a very dedicated
young man who ​sacrificed much of his social life
with his friends for a rigorous training scheme.
“My brother’s dedication towards driving has
definitely been an inspiration to me, especially
seeing his determination through the preparation
and racing which can get stressful. It helped me get
through with the flying as it was very demanding
and I had to give up a few of my holidays, along
with having added work from school - on top of
all the work I had from helicopter training.”
“However I loved it so much, and just like my
brother, we continued doing what we love and it
is definitely worth it,” Laila adds.
Now that she has achieved the immediate
goal of getting the helicopter pilot license, Laila
has set new goals for herself.
“My foreseeable future plans would include
expanding my licence by getting ratings for bigger
helicopters, night flying and more qualifications,”
she says.
Eventually, she sees that her pilot qualifications
could be offered as part of her father’s business.
For instance offering off-shore companies
transportation of people, like charter flights.
“That would mean I would also have to
become a commercial pilot and also learn
emergency procedures in order to ensure the
safety of my passengers. I would definitely like to
become a commercial pilot as flying is something
that I really enjoy and could see it become a part
of my future career.”
Laila understands that people are curious
how the Stuvik family can afford to allow both
their children to pursue quite expensive dreams
like racing and helicopter piloting.
“We are able to afford both Sandy’s racing
ambitions and my flying ambitions because of
many contributors such as Sandy’s sponsors. They
help with the costs tremendously for Sandy. As for
me, my parents took out a bank loan in order to
pay for lots of the flying.”
July 2015 • ScandAsia.Thailand 9

Agneta’s
World
Party@
Waxing
with
Khun Tee
Wolf Grill & Wine Bar
Hrave you visited yet the relatively
newly opened restaurant called
Wolf, located on Sukhumvit Road
more or less opposite Holiday
Inn? This I can tell you, is a very
special restaurant. It’s pure greyish concrete,
two levels. The tables are nicely covered with
white table clothes and big linen napkins; the
wine glasses are elegant and thin. The Bar is lit
with a cool blue light that reflects the bottles.
There are only a few tables down stairs, but you
can also sit at the bar. On a wall, glimpses from
movies are shown. Upstairs guests can book for
private parties. Occasionally there are dinners
where the men wear Tuxedo and the women
sexy dresses and horror movies are shown to
give you a feeling of visiting Dracula in his castle,
very odd but fun….
Almost every night there is something special
going on. The prices are very, very reasonable for
what you get. What do you say about light fried
goose liver with chutney for 600 BHT, not bad
or? You can also order Beluga caviar if you are
in the mood for an extra exclusive meal (also
affordable). The menu offers a huge choice of
delicious dishes. I am a big lover of Beef Carpaccio,
so I ordered that but could also not resist the
goose liver. Believe me, both dishes were to
die for. I think if you are a big meat lover, this
restaurant will become one of your favorites.
10 ScandAsia.Thailand • July 2015
Don’t forget our soups, the owner said who kept
me company. Our fish soup and mushroom soup
are already legendary.
Not only the restaurant, the interior design
and the menu are special, so is also the owner.
Mr. Geoffrey Bond, half British and half French,
a man in his best years with a big portions humor
and many strings on his bow. He seems to have
plenty of irons in the fire and a big appetite when
it comes to adventures; food and also women…
married a couple of times, capable of staying a
near and dear friend to ex-wives, loves to laugh
and enjoys every day.
Mr. Bond, yes that’s his last name, could
probably very easily play the agent 007; he has got
what it takes for that character. Charming, a big
wine lover, smart and fun, attributes that makes a
man (or woman) irresistible.
Now I suppose I have made you readers
very curious and yes, pay a visit to WOLF. I
promise you that you will not be disappointed.
I could write pages about this place and will do
so in an article later on. This is just to give you
appetite.
Cheers and bon appetite!
As most of us women like to show
nice legs we have to use a razor or
go for waxing. I have during many,
many years chosen to use a razor
and do it myself. Today - a bit late,
but never too late - I have realized that it is more
convenient and practical to let a professional take
care of it. Through a good friend I found Khun Tee
who is located in a small room at Absolute Yoga
located in Maneeya Building by Chit Lom.
I would never have found her without having
been told by a friend. Khun Tee, a mother of 4
children, has been working as a beauty therapist
for more than 15 years. In the beginning she was
at MBK, moved later on to Lang Suan and today
she is at Chit Lom. I have been visiting her now
for several months and I can tell, waxing is not the
most pleasant thing, it hurts to be honest. Legs
and armpits are, let’s say you can endure that, but
if you decide to do a Bikini wax or Brazilian wax,
then you have to clench your teeth.
Khun Tee really suffers with you and doesn’t
stop asking “is it okay, can you bear it?” Here in
the hot climate where you wear bikini and bathing
suits a lot, it’s very popular to have a bikini or
Brazilian waxing done. You have to think about
the expression, Schönheit muss Leiden as you say
in German, Skall man vara fin, får man lida pin, in
Swedish and free translated into English, beauty
must suffer…. so true. I can warmly recommend
a visit to Khun Tee. She has all kind of packages
and she is also doing a lot of Facial treatments
including Neck- and Shoulder massage. Maybe
you combine a yoga class, at Absolute Yoga, with
a visit to Khun tee. Worth trying.

Broken Egg @ WWW
In my last column, I wrote about the young
Spanish chef de cuisine Mr. Jacobo Astray
and also mentioned that he and his partner
were going to open a TAPAS boot/bar at
WWW District, located close to the BTS
station Phra Kanong. At that time when we met,
Jacobo said the name would most probably be
O’bico = kiss in Spanish, but when I and Daniel
(my photographer) paid a visit the other early
night, we didn’t find any O’bico, but Broken
Eggs…. well, broken eggs might taste good, but I
think I would prefer an O’bico. Anyway, the tapas
bar is now opened and surrounded by many
other small booths offering all kinds of food. We,
Daniel and I, had never been to this place before
and we were surprised to find such a casual,
charming place with so many different booths
and even a nice hotel, an ideal place to take
the kids for an easy and early meal. Mr. Jacobo
offered us a very good toasted piece of bread
with, yes of course, what must have been broken
eggs, beans and goat cheese, tasted delicious.
Stepping stones to heaven
Talking about facial treatments. Also
through a Swedish friend, I discovered
the Amaranth Spa on Sukhumvit, soi
19. It’s owned by a Korean woman,
who was married to a Swede for
many years. If you book a facial treatment by her,
you will get a very enjoyable surprise…. during
the facial, you get a massage with hot stones. This
feeling is hard to explain, you have to discover it
yourself. I would say, it’s maybe as close to heaven,
as you will come. That a couple of hot stones
can make you feel so good, it’s unbelievable. The
treatment goes on for approximately 90 minutes,
but you wish it would never end.
During the treatment you will also enjoy
some relaxing Spa music or it can also happens,
that you hear a hymn, as the owner is Christian. I
wish I could spend 90 minutes every day at that
place. Try it out when you think you are worth it
(read always) and need it. Must also add, that it’s
a relatively inexpensive pleasure for what you get.
You find the Amaranth Spa at Sukhumvit Soi 19.
Look for a very pink sign.
July 2015 • ScandAsia.Thailand 11

Arne
Christensen
Managing Director in Nordfab
Danish businessman Arne Christensen always
preferred to be out among his clients rather than
sitting behind the desk. However, earlier this year
he said yes to the position as managing director
in NORDFAB Thailand.
By Louise Bihl Frandsen
As a young man, Arne Christensen
graduated from Aalborg University
in Denmark as production
engineer, but he never really got to
work in the production.
“I saw the salesmen driving out every day
and got tempted of this lifestyle. Another good
reason was that I dreamt of driving a Mercedes
and thirdly I wanted to be able to pay back my
student loans,” Arne Christensen says and laughs.
He got the Mercedes and ever since he has
been working in the field – at least until now.
“Today, I am not out meeting clients that often
anymore. But the job is full of challenges, and to
be honest I like that,” Arne says.
Old-fashioned salesman
Arne Christensen was one of the founders of
Nordfab Thailand in 1991 – taking care of the sales
part. He left the company and worked in other
12 ScandAsia.Thailand • July 2015
areas for more than 10 years. Approximately two
years ago, the 63-year-old salesman returned and
earlier this year he said yes to the position as
managing director in the company.
During the years, Arne Christensen has been
working in several companies, which has given
him a wide range of skills. To become a good
salesman, Arne believes it is not always about
knowing everything but about playing your cards
right.
“I hate those salesmen, who throw everything
on the table right away, because they will have
nothing left to negotiate with. Always have one
card left. And be serious but have a sense of
humour at the same time”.
He looks around in the office.
“That one is convenient,” Arne is pointing at
the computer in front of him. “But it also destroys
a lot. I prefer a personal contact, and I still believe
it is the best way to communicate”.
And while others usually bring their computers,
when attending a meeting, Arne Christensen
brings papers, brochures and drawings.
“I am an old fashioned salesman. Moreover,
if electricity crashes, I will still have my drawings,
the same does not go for their computers,” Arne
laughs.
A shrimp story
Although Arne has been connected to Nordfab
for many years, it was not the Danish company
that got him to Thailand in the first place.
Arne was working both in Denmark and
Thailand for the company Carnitech in Aalborg,
when he one day came across an article about
Thailand exporting big shrimps to Europe.
The export was too expensive, because the
amount of frozen water they were transported in
weighed too much.
Not long after reading the shrimp story,
an email from British Petroleum ticked into his
inbox. They intended to start business in the
food industry with the ambition of building
the world’s most advanced shrimp factory
in Thailand. And they wanted Carnitech to
produce the machines to their production.
Carnitech got the order, and Arne moved to
Thailand permanently.
“It was a funny coincidence, and now I have
been working in Thailand for more than 20 years,”
Arne says and smiles.

Nichada & Natakorn
Lake Condominium
After 23 years of planning and
construction, the sophisticated
Nichada & Natakorn Lake
Condominium launched official
Grand Opening on May 2015. As
the newest development in the prestigious
Nichada Thani luxury gated community,
the 22-floor dual towers are state-of-theart
buildings with 5-star resort hospitality.
Nichada (N1) & Natakorn (N2) are set to
create the new standard for expatriate living
in Thailand.
The project has pioneered many new
services never seen before in the short-term
condominium rental market in Thailand. The first
is personalized butler services whereby guests
can have dedicated staff organize everything from
house keeping to catering for a private party
and more. All residents also enjoy landscaping,
house keeping and maintenance staff and
a dedicated security team working with the
latest technology - 24 hours a day. This includes
RFID, comprehensive CCTV systems. There
are also TV systems so residents can see when
guests arrive, as well as smoke and fire alarms,
emergency lighting and sprinkler structures.
For More Information:
www.nichada.com
n1n2@nichada.com
02 960 4329-31
For More Information:
PR : Khun Panchanan Buakod
082 426 5146
E-mail : panchanan.air@gmail.com
Grand Opening
At the reception (from left) Mr. Richard James
Johnson, General Manager Nichada & Natakorn
Lake condominium; Mr. Stephen Douglas Sheldon,
Project Consultant; Khun Vinita Changrew, Executive
Director; Khun Nichada Changrew, Director; ACM.
Auychai Changrew, Executive Director; Mr. David
Lyman, Project Consultant; Group Captain Sorasak
Chanchaleaw, Managing Director; and Mr. Scott
Roman, Customer Relations Department.
Nichada & Natakorn Lake
condominium was launched with
a Grand Opening on May 9th
2015. The launch was attended
by many of the people who have
played a big role in the two projects, Nichada
(N1) & Natakorn (N2) Lake Condominium
which are set to create the new standard for
expatriate living in Thailand.
Managing Director, Group Captain
Sorasak Chanchaleaw.
The 22-floor dual towers built over a huge
lage are state-of-the-art buildings with 5-star
resort hospitality and the latest development
in the prestigious Nichada Thani luxury gated
community.
July 2015 • ScandAsia.Thailand 13

with many
strings
to his bow...!
I was fortunate to have
an exclusive and very
private interview for
ScandAsia with Pär
Kågeby, senior consular
officer at the Swedish
Embassy in Bangkok.
This man can’t relax,
not at any time of the
day. He is on duty 24
hours and his mobile
phone is always in front
of him for messages.
By Agneta Bekassy
14 ScandAsia.Thailand • July 2015
Most of us Scandinavians know Pär.
The friendly, charming guy with
a huge sense of humor. I have
often asked myself, in his position,
dealing with most of life’s dark
sides, can he ever relax and leave the problems
behind? This was my chance to ask him. But let
us first go back and take a look at his fascinating
journey until today.
Emergency room nurse
Pär was born in Gothenburg , on the Swedish
West coast and went to Järnbrottsskolan. His
father was a medical doctor just like several
other relatives. Of course, his father wanted
him to walk in his foot steps. Pär wasn’t 100%
convinced that he would become a dedicated
doctor, so he did a compromise with his father
and started to study nursing. During his studies,
he worked as a telephone operator until he
graduated and started to work as a nurse in the
emergency room at Södersjukhuset in Stockholm.
Pär was 19 when he left Gothenburg for
Stockholm. He also worked in the Emergency
room at Sabbatsberg’s hospital. As if this wasn’t
hard enough, he studied IT and Personal
Administration in his spare time.
When Pär was 30 his father passed away, his
mother passed away when Pär was only 21. The
family had a summerhouse in Falkenberg, that Pär
inherited. He left Stockholm during the summer
months to work for the hospital in Halmstad, not
very far from Falkenberg and kept on working
there during 15 years.
Already at a young age, he was a man with
many irons in the fire. He started his own company
that took care of computer programming and his
company served clients like Stockholm’s County
council, Stockholm’s university, Volvo world-wide
among many other companies and institutions.
Sun
One day he met his soul mate Sun, in Stockholm.
Sun is Thai, from North East (Isaan) in Thailand
and speaks fluently Swedish after many years
in Sweden. Sun studied in Sweden to become
an Interior designer. 18 years ago, Pär and Sun
went to Thailand together. They settled down in
Ploenchit Bangkok and the first 3 years Pär went
back and forward between Thailand and Sweden.
After having lived in a Ploenchit penthouse for
seven years, they decided to move on to Ekamai

where they had found a nice townhouse.
Today, Pär and Sun have moved away from
down town Bangkok. Pär wanted to live at a more
peaceful place than the city with all its traffic, noise
and pollution. They moved outside, not too far
from the Suvarnabumi Airport.
Since the 2004 Tsunami, Pär has been working
at the Swedish Embassy. Pär explains that his work
is very exacting, so he really needs to rest when
once in a while he is off duty, (read: never).
A “normal day”..
I asked Pär what a normal day for him looks like.
He is an early bird, mostly at work already at
07.10 even if the official working hours at the
Swedish Embassy doesn’t start until 07.30. While
drinking his obligatory morning coffee, he goes
through all the mails that have arrived during the
night. I was curious to hear what kind of tasks
fill his working hours and he explained about
people contacting him with psychological stress/
problems, people who are without money, in
need of medical treatment and medicine, people
who lost a family member, abused people and
much more. Pär is the, let us call him the “Spider
in the net,” the person between the person in
It can be a hotel fire,
a suicide and we might
have to get dressed quickly
and go to the airport as
fast as possible to comfort
families and relatives,
you name it.
need and the relatives back home and UD, the
Foreign Ministry.
Pär contacts UD and UD contacts the
concerned people in Sweden. He goes to hospitals
and visits the Swedes who have suffered from
accidents, maybe not able to explain themselves
to the hospital staff, people in jail etc. It’s so
important that everyone has a good insurance
Pär points out. It’s up to everyone to proof that
you have the economical possibility to live in
Thailand and that you can take care of your daily
costs, it’s not a matter for the Embassy.
It’s hard to believe that so many Swedes are
living here in misery. During the High Season,
November to March, there are many problematic
cases, but normally the tourists arriving here
during those months have a decent insurance, Pär
says. It’s worse the other months; the hot weather
contributes to death and sicknesses. Many of the
people staying here for a long period don’t have
the insurance needed to cover expenses like
hospital bills etc.
I asked Pär if he is the only one working with
these matters at the Embassy? He said, “ Oh no,
Leif is also a consul officer and we have three
assistants, one who is Swedish/Thai Khun Chai,
and two other Thai persons Khun Bob and Khun
Sudarat.”
When you think about that these few persons
handles about 30 to 50 calls per day concerning
certificates for marriage, controlling that valuable
personal attributes are correctly sent home with a
coffin or urn, answering all kind of other questions
and signing documents on behalf of the Swedish
state, (signing is what Pär and Leif are in charge
of) then you suddenly understand if you have to
wait a bit when visiting the Embassy.
Tough at times
The Embassy has around 24.500 calls yearly
concerning consular questions. The public day
normally ends around 4.15 pm, but very often
there are official functions to attend after work.
Mostly these events go on until 9 pm which
means Pär is home around 10 pm, but then it’s
time to check for mails again. It happens very
often that we also get calls in the middle of the
night from UD. I asked a bit naïve, what do they
mostly call about at that time?
“Well,” Pär says, “it can be a hotel fire, a suicide
and we might have to get dressed quickly and
go to the airport as fast as possible to comfort
families and relatives, you name it.”
By now you start wondering if these guys have
any time for relaxing with friends and practice a
sport or hobby. They are the supporters giving
people comfort all day and night, but do they get
some comfort themselves? Do they have a coach
to advice and help them? The answer is NO. Pär
says the little group is tight and they are trying
to comfort each other as much as they can. Of
course it’s hard sometimes and you can suddenly
start to cry when you have been dealing with
a very tragic case, Pär admits. They are working
closely together with many of the hospitals, but
Samitivej is considered the so called “confidence
hospital”.
Pär and his colleagues also have help from the
Swedish church and the social workers, who have
been sent here due to the very heavy working
situation.
July 2015 • ScandAsia.Thailand 15

Serious about overstay
I was a bit curious to find out what many of the
incarcerated people in Thailand have been doing
as they have landed behind bars here. Pär explains
that it very often has to do with overstay. If you
e.g. lose your passport, you absolutely have to
inform the consular that you have “over stay” if
you do have it. Every issue, concerning visas, has
to be discussed with the Immigration authority
Pär points out. He says further “of course, we
are trying to help the Swedes as much as we
can, but we are no fortune tellers and we have
no crystal ball that tells us about your overstay,
so please inform us so we can handle the case
in a correct way. It’s easy to blame us, but what
can we do? We have our regulations as every
other institution. Every traveler must be aware of
the visa regulation in each country and find out
about what kind of Visa that is necessary, it is not
the job of the embassy,” something we all have
to remember.
Pär was one of the voluntaries, who helped
out after the Tsunamiof 2004. He was on his way
back to Sweden when a friend, who was at that
time, press attaché in Paris, called and asked Pär
to help out in the Swedish Embassy in Bangkok.
Pär went back to Bangkok, “moved in” at the
Embassy, worked on probation for 3 ½ months,
got an employment and still today, 11 years later,
you will find Pär behind his desk at the Embassy.
16 ScandAsia.Thailand • July 2015
We are trying to help the
Swedes as much as we
can, but we are no fortune
tellers and we have no
crystal ball that tells us
about your overstay, so
please inform us so we
can handle the case in
a correct way. It’s easy
to blame us, but what
can we do? We have our
regulations as every other
institution
He is very dedicated to his job. I didn’t know
that Bangkok is Sweden’s most loaded consular
department in the world, but that’s the truth.
Again I came back to my question, do you
have time for any hobbies or sports? Pär said he
loves and enjoys cooking for friends and indeed,
he is a very good cook and hasn’t forgotten how
to make our Swedish specialties.
In his house, located in a quiet gated
community, he lives with Sun, his nephew and eight
dogs, small dogs. The house is nicely decorated
with antiques from Sun’s former shop. Here Pär
has time to breath, enjoy a drink outside, listen to
the birds and maybe meditate…
“Why move back?”
My last question before Dan, the photographer,
and I left was: “And you have no plans to move
back to Sweden?”
Pär gave me a big smile and said: “Why should
I? I have no family left in Sweden, my family and
friends are here, I’m happy here and I am staying”.
It was dark when we left Pär, Sun and the
dogs, to take a taxi back down town. The house
was lit up with small lanterns and looked very
inviting and cozy. Pär followed us out to the cab
and waved good-bye.
Thank you Pär, it was very nice and interesting
talking to you and we are happy to know you will
stay with us.

July 2015 • ScandAsia.Thailand 17

มุมภาษาไทย l mum pha:să: thai l Thai Language Corner
Tools for Thai learners
By Klavs Johansen (thai@snakthai.dk)
In the past decade or so, the amount of tools for learning the Thai
language, using English as language of instruction, has virtually exploded.
Internet sites and blogs, audio and video materials, text books and
dictionaries are abundant and one could easily spend a fortune and
get absorbed in following the latest trends and obtaining the latest
Thai language teaching materials instead of actually using time acquiring the
language. Being selective is highly advisable. This month, we will dedicate
the Thai Language Corner to recommend a few of the available tools, both
English language based and some tools based on one of the Scandinavian
languages. There are many more good tools than those mentioned in the
following, so if your favorite is not here, feel free to send us a message on
the email above and we might recommend it on ScandAsia on Facebook as
a follow-up to this column.
The classic textbooks are “A.U.A. Language Center Thai Course Book
1-3” and “A.U.A. Language Center Thai Course Reading & Writing”. They
have helped many foreigners, including the undersigned, reach reasonable
levels of Thai, through focus on drilling pronunciation, in particular the tones,
and later on reading and writing Thai. They were prepared by the legendary
Dr. J. Marvin Brown, an American linguist arriving in Bangkok in the 1950’s. The
books, first published in the 1960’s, came with audio tapes for use in language
laps and have been the preferred textbooks for teaching Thai at universities
in the West ever since. Interestingly, Dr. Brown in his later years renounced
the drilling approach to language learning, suggesting instead the approach of
Automatic Language Growth (ALG), which focuses on listening rather than
trying to speak, thus imitating the way we learned our native language. Today,
they teach Thai using this method at A.U.A. in Bangkok (auathai.com) and, if
you have the spare time to join classes here, you do not really need to read
the rest of this column. Seriously, I wish I had.
In the 1990’s came “Thai for Beginners” by Benjawan Poomsan Becker
(Paiboon Publishing). This traditional textbook introduces the Thai writing
system from the very beginning, includes audio material and is followed by
“Thai for Intermediate Learners” and “Thai for Advanced Readers”. I have
previously used this system for teaching Thai to Danes as it provides quick
and useful vocabulary and knowledge of the writing system for the casual
student, yet also offering an intense introduction to Thai for the more serious
student. Benjawan Becker’s books, like those of Dr. Brown, introduce Thai
using a transcription system which renders the sounds of standard Thai 1:1,
the minimum requirement for a good textbook. They also both emphasize
learning to read and write, if you are serious about Thai. From a Scandinavian
perspective, they, and most other materials on the language, require that you
go through English, a second language, to learn Thai.
In contrast, recent years have seen some materials made directly with
one of the Scandinavian languages as language of instruction. “Thailändsk
språkkurs” by Ann-Charlotte Wennerholm includes audio and the series is
also available in Danish and Norwegian versions, I believe. In Swedish, we also
find “Thai lärobok” by Hans Johansson and Tomas Larsson and, in Danish, we
last year got “Grundbog i Thai” by Christian Stampe Jensen. While I cannot
claim hands-on experience with any of the Swedish books, I have obtained
“Grundbog i Thai” and am pleased to pass on that it is a solid and serious
textbook for teaching spoken Thai to Danes. The book also features plenty
of useful vocabulary to browse for both the casual and the serious student.
Audio is available for free, once you have purchased the book or as an
embedded part of the e-book.
Turning to dictionaries, “Thai-dansk ordbog” by Viggo Brun, features
transcription, noun classifiers, and an excellent overview of the Thai system
of writing. “Dansk-thai ordbog” and “Thai-dansk ordbog” by Donald Shaw
and Suphat Sukamolson are impressive works with huge vocabularies that
rarely let you search in vain. Today, they are available as apps from Apple
Store and, if I am not mistaken, the books also form the basis of Palita and
Svein Sivertsen’s “Svensk-thai ordbok”, “Thai-norsk ordbok” and “Norsk-thai
ordbok”.
Online, the following services are free:
thai-language.com - probably the most comprehensive website about the
language,
thai2english.com - Thai-English/English-Thai dictionary with transcription,
sealang.net/thai/ - Thai-English dictionary with transcription,
and many, many more.
Finally, we cannot have a Thai Language Corner without a single word in Thai,
so here comes:
พจนานุกรม / phótjàna:núkrom / ~ dictionary.
Talk to you next month.
18 ScandAsia.Thailand • July 2015

July 2015 • ScandAsia.Thailand 19