Nordic News, Business and Life in Asia
Working conditions for Thai berry pickers in Sweden appear to be improving after years of criticism over exploitation, although labour representatives say further reforms are still needed. Thousands of Thai …
Working conditions improve for Thai berry pickers in Sweden, but concerns remain Read More
Norway’s public transport authority Ruter has completed an extensive cybersecurity assessment of two electric buses, concluding that while there is no evidence of surveillance through onboard cameras, remotely connected vehicle …
Oslo transit authority tests cyber risks in Chinese electric buses Read More
Indonesia and Norway have agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation on the energy transition, sustainable fisheries, forestry and climate action following a meeting between their foreign ministers on the sidelines of …
Indonesia, Norway expand cooperation on energy transition and forestry Read More
As part of our ongoing coverage of the topic of unequal access to pension supplements for Danish retirees living outside the EU, ScandAsia has on many occasions reached out to …
Political parties comment on Denmark’s pension discrimination Read More
I travelled across four islands in the Philippines to meet Nordic people living there. Along the way, I took buses, ferries and tricycles, got sick, missed a bus and …
I travelled across four islands in the Philippines on a budget. Here’s how it went Read More
Thailand’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAAT) will introduce new baggage security rules from October 16, allowing airport officers to open checked luggage without passengers being present if X-ray screening detects suspicious …
Thailand airports to allow baggage inspections without passengers present Read More
For nearly two decades, Axel Blom has helped connect Norwegian businesses with Thailand through his company Norway Connect. Now, he has been awarded the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit, Knight …
For nearly two decades, Axel Blom has built bridges in Thailand. Now he has received Norway’s Order of Merit Read More
The parents of Lily, the Hong Kong girl at the centre of the “Save Lily” case, have filed a formal complaint with the Norrköping District Court in Sweden, accusing authorities …
‘Save Lily’ parents accuse Sweden of illegally detaining daughter Read More
Thailand’s air force plans to seek funding for eight additional Swedish-made Gripen E/F fighter jets, completing a new squadron of 12 aircraft to replace its ageing F-16 fleet. The Royal …
Thailand plans to buy eight more Swedish Gripen fighter jets Read More
Finland has approved visas for just 123 Thai berry pickers this year after rejecting more than 2,000 applications, a decision expected to worsen labour shortages during the country’s wild berry …
Finland grants visas to only 123 Thai berry pickers Read More
A year and a half after six foreign tourists died from methanol poisoning in Laos, authorities have charged a distillery owner with selling food harmful to health and operating an …
Laos charges distillery owner after methanol deaths of six foreign tourist Read More
Malaysia is turning a diplomatic setback into a push for greater defence independence. After Norway blocked the export of Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) intended for the Royal Malaysian Navy’s Littoral …
Malaysia now looks to make its own missiles after Norway deal fails Read More
A Norwegian man suspected of financing a boxing camp in Rayong that was allegedly used to traffic underage boys for sex has died of natural causes earlier this year, before …
Norwegian suspect in Muay Thai trafficking case dead Read More
Thailand is preparing a 2.45-billion-baht tourism boost aimed at making travel cheaper and attracting more visitors as the country faces stronger competition from destinations across the region, Bangkok Post reports. …
Thailand launches billion-baht plan to boost tourism with cheaper hotels and flights Read More
Thai police have arrested the manager of a Muay Thai camp in Rayong for trafficking underage boys for sex, while searching for a Norwegian sponsor accused of financing the camp …
Norwegian sponser wanted in Muay Thai camp child abuse case Read More
Bombs fell on Laos every eight minutes between 1964 and 1973. More than 50 years later, unexploded bombs still lie hidden beneath fields, forests and villages, affecting families across 14 …
Video: Living with the danger beneath their feet Read More
More than 50 years after the bombing of Laos, unexploded ordnance still claims lives, causes injuries and forces families to live in fear. In May, ScandAsia visited Yanika’s village in …
Yanika and her family live with the danger of unexploded bombs beneath their home: “We just want to live a normal life” Read More
A Hong Kong couple has filed a complaint with the United Nations over Swedish authorities’ plans to permanently transfer the guardianship of their four-year-old daughter to a foster family. The …
Hong Kong couple files UN complaint over Swedish custody case Read More
Laotian authorities will hold a press conference this week on the 2024 deaths of two Danish backpackers who died after suspected methanol poisoning in Vang Vieng. The press conference is …
Laos will hold press conference on deaths of two Danish backpackers Read More
Thai teenage guitarist and singer Nene Royal has received support from a Danish fan as she prepares for the next round of America’s Got Talent in the United States. Nene …
Nene Royal plays Danish guitar on the road to America’s Got Talent Read More
A mine clearance team from Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) has found and removed 18 unexploded wartime explosives buried in a forest in Hue in central Vietnam. The explosives included artillery …
18 wartime explosives cleared in Hue Read More
Researchers from the Natural History Museum of Denmark have named a newly identified genus of beetles after Monkey D. Luffy, the protagonist of the popular Japanese manga and anime series …
Danish researchers name new beetle genus in Laos after One Piece hero Luffy Read More
Swedish nationals were among 1,362 foreigners deported from Cambodia during the first 10 days of July. The removals came as authorities stepped up a nationwide crackdown on online scam operations …
Swedes among more than 1,300 foreigners deported from Cambodia Read More
A Swedish man wanted by International authorities has been arrested in Jomtien and is being prepared for deportation to Sweden, Thailand News reports. The 26-year-old Swedish national was detained on …
Swedish fugitive arrested in Jomtien on Interpol warrant Read More
A Swedish man was taken to safety by police in Chiang Mai after he was found wandering in traffic in a distressed state, with locals claiming he had been left …
Swedish tourist found wandering Chiang Mai after alleged romance scam Read More
Myanmar has appointed Norwegian football coach Jørn Andersen as the new head coach of the country’s men’s national team, the Myanmar Football Federation (MFF) announced on Wednesday. The 63-year-old replaces …
Myanmar appoints Norwegian coach Jørn Andersen as national team head coach Read More Finland’s berry industry is warning that prices could rise and large quantities of wild berries could remain unpicked after the country rejected most visa applications from foreign berry pickers, according …
Berry prices could rise after Finland rejects thousands of seasonal worker visas Read More
Travellers from Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands can now apply for a Philippine e-Visa for stays longer than 30 days. Holders of Danish passports planning to stay in the …
Travellers from Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands can now apply online for Philippine visas Read More
After four years in Hanoi, Norwegian ambassador Hilde Solbakken is concluding her term in Vietnam. The ambassador paid a farewell visit to Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade on 8 …
Norwegian ambassador Hilde Solbakken concludes four years in Vietnam Read More
Finland has rejected the majority of this year’s seasonal work visa applications for foreign wild-berry pickers after authorities identified risks of labour exploitation and concerns over employers’ ability to meet …
Finland rejects 1,400 berry picker visa applications over exploitation concerns Read More
The Danish Business Association Singapore (DABS) has introduced its board for 2026, headed by newly elected President Sarah Katz, following the association’s Annual General Meeting held on 24 March. Katz, …
Sarah Katz takes over as President of DABS Singapore Read More
The Danish church community in Singapore has received a major financial boost with donations totalling DKK 1.125 million from the Den A.P. Møllerske Støttefond and Jens og Margrethe Withs Fond …
Danish Church in Singapore secures DKK 1.125 million for parsonage renovation Read More
Vietnam welcomed nearly 12.3 million international visitors in the first half of 2026, a 14.9 percent increase compared with the same period last year, according to the Vietnam National Authority …
Vietnam welcomes 15 percent more international tourists, while arrivals from Denmark and Sweden also rise Read More
Thailand is introducing stricter airport security measures after the government approved a series of new screening procedures at a meeting on July 3, chaired by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, according …
Thailand tightens airport screening after Thai Airways drug-smuggling case Read More
Ten years after Swedish publisher Gui Minhai was abducted, a visit by China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Sweden is being described as a rare opportunity to push for his …
Wang Yi’s visit to Sweden offers hope for jailed Gui Minhai’s release Read More
Chinese authorities reportedly tried to persuade the Finnish Embassy in Beijing to cancel its annual Rainbow Run, an event organised to promote diversity and inclusion, Finnish media Yle reports. According …
China urged Finnish Embassy to cancel LGBT Rainbow Run in Beijing Read More
A 59-year-old Finnish man was stabbed in Pattaya by his partner in the early hours of 2 July after an argument over about 200 baht, according to local police. The …
Finnish man stabbed in Pattaya by partner after dispute over 200 baht Read More
A Helsinki District Court has sentenced the CEO of a cleaning company to one year and 10 months in prison for aggravated fraud and other offences after the company collected …
Finnish court jails cleaning company CEO for scamming Filipino job seekers Read More
After more than 20 years in Norway’s energy sector, Chinese energy expert Yang Tao has begun a new chapter as a distinguished professor at China University of Petroleum-Beijing. Yang previously …
After 20 years in Norway, Chinese energy expert takes university role in China Read More
A Helsinki court has ordered the detention in absentia of an Indonesian man in his 50s, suspected of leaking classified security information connected to Finland’s nuclear infrastructure, Finnish media Yle …
Finnish authorities suspect Indonesian man of leaking security secrets Read More
A Danish tourist has died after falling ill shortly after returning from a snorkeling trip off Indonesia’s popular island of Nusa Penida, with local police believing he may have suffered …
Danish tourist dies after snorkeling trip off Bali Read More
A Finnish man wanted through an Interpol Red Notice has been arrested in Bangkok after Thai immigration police disguised themselves as gardeners to lure him out of hiding, Bangkok Post …
Finnish fugitive arrested in Bangkok after police pose as gardeners Read More
Renny Harlin says his six years working in China gave him valuable insights into Chinese filmmaking and audiences, experiences that continue to shape his work today. Speaking during the Mediterrane …
Finnish director Renny Harlin reflects on China’s film boom and embraces AI Read More
IKEA has launched a new rainforest research centre in Malaysia, building on more than 25 years of forest restoration work in Sabah. The Living Rainforest Restoration Lab was launched together …
IKEA launches rainforest research lab in Malaysia after 25 years of forest restoration Read More
The case centres on the 14th Meeting of the International Society on Pneumonia and Pneumococcal Diseases (ISPPD-14), held in Copenhagen from 17 to 21 May. The allegations were first raised …
Indonesian authorities continue investigation of research fraud uncovered at Denmark conference Read More
A Hong Kong court has ordered that a baby boy remain under state protection for three years following concerns over child welfare. The ruling comes as the child’s family is …
Hong Kong court keeps baby under state protection for three years amid neglect concerns Read More
Bangkok is heading into its governor and city council elections on June 28, and with them comes the familiar rule that shuts down alcohol sales across the capital for a …
Bangkok set for 24-hour alcohol ban as city prepares for election day Read More
Danish celebrity hairdresser Dennis Knudsen says he has ended his collaboration with a Thailand-based business team after a troubled beauty venture left customers without promised products and sparked police reports …
Dennis Knudsen in hot water and blames Thailand partners Read More
Princess Benedikte of Denmark has visited Angkor Wat in Cambodia, one of the world’s most significant UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Khmer Times reports. She was accompanied during the visit by …
Danish Princess Benedikte praises Cambodia’s Angkor Wat during official visit Read More
Police in Patong have arrested a 37-year-old Icelandic man accused of attempting to steal a handbag from a female taxi driver while she was taking him to his hotel, Khaosod …
Icelandic tourist arrested after alleged robbery attempt in Phuket taxi Read More