Royal Thai Order for Danish Agronomist

The Most Admirable Order of the Direkgunabhorn is in Thai language เครื่องราชอิสริยาภรณ์อันเป็นที่สรรเสริญยิ่งดิเรกคุณาภรณ์.

Gunnar Soendergaard received the order in person from Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Sirindhorn of Thailand at a ceremony at the Thai-Danish Dairy Farm, which he helped establish in the 1960's. His achievement in making this dairy project a success is also the reason why he received the honour. Before the Thai-Danish Dairy Farm was established, some milk was produced based on Indian cattle held in dark and fly infested stables. A few less succesful projects within the dairy sector had ben attempted as well producing recombined sweetended milk based on imported milk powder.

It was the farm paid for by the Danish Agricultural Promotion Board and the related projects in Muak Lek some 140 km north of Bangkok that in a comprehensive way brought modern dairy technology to Thailand, paid scholorships for Thai dairy technicians to be trained in Denmark and made Danish genetic material the foundation of a new, high yielding milking cow stock in Thailand.

Participating in the ceremony was also the Danish Ambassador Mr Michael Sternberg and wife. Next month, Gunnar Søndergaard will be back in Thaland to receive an honorable doctor degree from the Chiangmai University.