Mr Ib Thomsen, Thailand's consul general to Denmark, is always on call to smooth the way for Thai nationals living in the cool country between the North and Baltic seas, writes FLEMMING WINTHER NIELSEN
On an isthmus on the west coast of Denmark there is a little fishing port named Hvide Sande (White Sands). A fitting name; sand and hardy grasses cover the whole isthmus some 30 kilometres long and often only a kilometre wide. The few trees and bushes bend permanently eastwards, whipped by the constant western wind. Not much agriculture. Some sheep, that's all.
If the summer is fair, tourists enjoy the sandy beaches and a swim in the calm ocean. But when the autumn storms from the west hammer the coast raising waves six to eight metres high, followed by heavy rains and zero degree temperatures, the place is suitable only for tough people. The contrast to the environment of Thailand is stark and so is the inhabitants' lifestyle.
Nevertheless, in Hvide Sande there is a warm greeting from Thailand. The bright colours of the Royal Thai Coat of Arms light up the little office of Thailand's consul general on "Stormstreet". Mr Ib Thomsen, or "Khun Ib" as he is called by Thai expatriates in Denmark, is the man in charge.
 |
| Mr Ib Thomsen in front of the Royal Thai Consulate in Hvide Sande. Photo by Flemming Winther Nielsen. |
During the reign of King Chulalongkorn the Great (Rama V) more than 100 years ago, young adventurous Danes were invited to help modernise Siam. They came from frugal circumstances, but were equipped with skills and discipline. Many of these men did a good job in and for Siam. They returned to Denmark later, but, as we can read from available sources, they forever carried with them a devotion to Siam and the Siamese. Maybe Khun Ib, now 70, is the last representative of this tradition.
One Saturday last May, we sat and talked in his villa right next to the sand dunes in Hvide Sande. Earlier, on the phone, Khun Ib had agreed, with a little laugh, to receive me on a weekend, normally a no-go for anything except the family.
During our four hours of talk, the telephone rang several times - office matters, consular questions, and personal calls from Thais. In fact, the Thai community knows that office hours don't matter much to Khun Ib. "We are always available," he says. "It's seldom we cannot be reached."
In Denmark there are many Thai women married to Danes. They often have trouble with the rigid bureaucracy of Immigration. Then they call Khun Ib and he uses his enormous network to help. He has a story about this, too good not to be told: A Thai woman married to a fisherman was ordered to fill in a form where she should state how long she and her husband shared roof and bed during one specific month. In compliance with the truth, she gave a very low number of days and nights. As a result, Immigration ordered her out of the country within 48 hours, claiming that the marriage was pro forma. She was in despair and called Khun Ib, an old fisherman himself. He called the Fishing Association in Copenhagen. Eventually the case went public and the deportation order was withdrawn.
Why wasn't this Thai lady together with her husband? Because he was earning his living on board one of the trawlers sailing in the North Sea, fishing. The bureaucracy can only deal with numbers, not with people in flesh and blood. A "middleman" like Khun Ib comes in handy.
 |
| The windy coastline of Hvide Sande. |
His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej appointed Mr Ib Thomsen as Thailand's consul on March 18, 1989. In the appointment letter, Thai nationals in Denmark are instructed to recognise his authority and obey him in matters related to his function. It is my impression that Mr Ib has interpreted this passage in a very broad manner. He is always on call - in good and bad times.
The Thai-Danish Association in Denmark holds its annual reunion in June, and Khun Ib is always there with his wife. In fact, you can find him wherever and whenever the word "Thailand" is mentioned.
Each year, more than 500 Thais and Danes take the time and trouble to come in person to the Thai Consulate in Hvide Sande, not to mention many phone calls and e-mails. The office issues 3,000 visas to Thailand annually. That's quite many, since Danes who want to stay less than one month in Thailand get a visa on arrival. Mr Ib has some office help but he is there, always hands on.
Coming to Thailand
Mr Ib's life has been extraordinary. Like most other Danish boys, he started his working life early, signing on at an ocean-going fishing vessel. While many of his friends stayed on and eventually got their own ship, Mr Ib went ashore and got himself an education on electronics. With a certificate, he started his own small enterprise, producing steering systems and auto-pilots to the fishing fleet. He succeeded, and the company grew.
In 1978 he came to Thailand for the first time searching for agents who could introduce his products to the Thai fishing fleet. He found partners, and from then on has spent long periods in Thailand.
In 1987, a training ship for the Thai Merchant Marines was built in Ringkoebing near Hvide Sande. The project was supported by Danish Aid. Mr Ib had a hand in this and delivered equipment to the Thai ship Visud Sakhon. It was stationed at the Merchant Marine Training Centre in Samut Prakan, where Mr Ib's company provided equipment for the Navigation School there. During this process he found a life-long friend in Admiral Sonthi Boonnyachai, whose wife named the ship. Khun Ib and his wife always visit the old admiral and his family when in Thailand.
Another close friend was the then Thai ambassador to Denmark, Sathit Sathirathya. The two met at the presentation of Visud Sakhon and the close friendship lasted until the recent demise of the ambassador. It was Sathit who, undoubtedly acting on instructions from Bangkok, called on Khun Ib and asked him to accept the position of consul for Thailand in 1989. In 2000, his position was elevated to consul general.
One event that stays very vivid in his memory dates back to June 1997. Together with other consuls, Mr Ib was granted an audience with His Majesty King Bhumibol and was bestowed with the "Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand." We who live in Thailand know well that His Majesty is always on the search for information, especially when he meets a person with expertise, and on this occasion he discussed at length a new ship designed to combat oil pollution at sea. Our consul felt almost cross-examined, but in a very friendly way.
Mr Ib has sold his company, but he has no intention of giving up the Consulate. He is strong-willed and fit. It is my personal impression that he is also paying back some immaterial debt to Thailand.
He has spent most of his life on the west coast with its nature as described, among strong characters, but also with a social environment marked by tragic loss of ships and men at sea. It is fair to say that the coastal dwellers in general carried a very dark perspective of life. I suppose that Thailand showed Mr Ib Thomsen that life can also be pleasant, that colours can be bright and still it is possible to get something done.
Prev
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Next
