On 16 June 2026, a dinner was held at H.E. Ambassador Astrid Emilie Helle’s residence to honour Managing Director Mr. Axel Blom on the occasion of his being awarded the prestigious Royal Norwegian Order of Merit, Knight 1st Class, by H.M. King Harald V of Norway for his role in promoting Thai–Norwegian economic cooperation and the development of Norwegian business interests in the region.
The Royal Norwegian Order of Merit (Norwegian: Den Kongelige Norske Fortjenstorden) was instituted by H.M. King Olav V in 1985. It is awarded to foreigners, Norwegian citizens living abroad, diplomats, foreign civil servants in Norway, and Norway’s honorary consuls for “outstanding service in the interests of Norway”.
Axel Blom is the founder and owner of Norway Connect Ltd. Axel Blom is the founder and owner of Norway Connect Ltd. His company in Thailand represents companies in the seafood, telecom, tourism and aviation industries. Axel headed the Norwegian government’s trade office in Thailand (Innovation Norway) from 2008 to 2017, where he spearheaded Norway’s commercial entry into Myanmar. Axel has a background from aviation. He has worked in the region for more than 40 years. Axel Blom worked as Director and General Manager for Scandinavian Airlines in Thailand and the surrounding countries from 1991 to 2005.
In 2021, Norway Connect Ltd. became the Thailand partner of the pan-Asian business advisory network Asian Insiders, which supports primarily European companies with market entry and sales development across Asia. With more than 300+ years of combined experience and over 1,000 completed assignments for 500+ companies, Asian Insiders typically works with businesses generating €50–500 million in turnover. The network comprises in-country experts across 17 locations throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
In 2022, Axel’s company took over Pacific 2000 Recruitment Co., Ltd. handling recruitment assignments for middle-senior management positions for businesses, mainly in Thailand. The company has a well establish client base and has been in business for 25 years.
Axel sits on the board of several companies. He is also the past president of the Thai-Norwegian Chamber of Commerce (2007-2013 and 2019-2026) and a past director of Board of Trade in Thailand. Axel holds a Master Degree in Business Administration (awarded with Distinction) from University of Leicester, UK.