Some Thai characteristics for foreign business people

The Thai Smile It seems that a smile is a unique characteristic of Thais. Thailand has been known as the “Land of Smiles” for a long time. We smile to other people easily even when we do not know them. We can smile even we do not have a reason to smile. One of our clients who works in a Finnish firm told me that her Finnish colleagues did not understand why Thais smile without a reason. Thai Tolerance Most of my foreign colleagues do not understand why we are so patient. When we are stuck in traffic for hours, we still smile. It is unlikely to hear the honk of the car in the street. People just stay calm. We are able to adapt to a frustrating environment. Trying to do things even when we do not understand When a foreign boss assigns work to Thai workers, even if they do not understand what they are being asked to do, they still try do the work based on their own assumptions. We are scared to ask questions, particularly to the foreign boss. In many occasions, Thais do things wrongly because of misunderstanding. Be sure to check for understanding when you issue instructions or breifings. Otherwise, it can damage a situation even more. Hospitality You will surprised of the natural hospitality of Thai's. We will do our best to make our foreign guests happy. For example, we will offer to take our guest to dinner ---- every night! Further, during the weekend, we will take our guests sight seeing or shopping. We always go the "extra miles" in order to satisfy our guest. It is unlikely that our foreign guest will do the same back in their home. Friendliness If you are lost in the street, you can ask anyone for directions. Even if those you ask are not able to communicate with you in your language, they will do everything they can to help you in a friendly and warm manner. Thais do not like queueing We do not like queueing. When we wait for the bus or to buy something at a shop, we do not like to queueing. There is an explanation for this habit. We call it SABAI, or the SABAI effect. SABAI-SABAI means take it easy (comfort). We do not like discipline. We feel uncomfortable with very formal situations.. Citibank was the first bank to introduce the queue line for its' customers. But we got used to this very fast. As long as there is a definate queue line we can comply. The MAI-PEN-RAI attitude MAI-PEN-RAI means “It does not matter” or “That’s OK." We use this word all the time. It’s the universal word for Thais. For example, if you bump into a fellow Thai in the street accidentally, they will say MAI-PEN-RAI. If Thais miss a flight, also they will say MAI-PEN-RAI. If he loses money in the stock market, he will say MAI-PEN-RAI. We see the things that happen to us in a very positive manner. Many people might say that it is because of our faith. It happens because Lord Buddha wants it the way it is. Thais like to make gossip In an Internet survey of foreign executives in Thailand by KSC Internet, the executives said that Thai's like to make gossip. I can confirm that point. The reason is because we do not like to give feedback or critique directly to the person. We think it's rude. But we will tell a third person how we feel about the second person! Thais do not like documentation The SABAI-SABAI attitude sometimes causes bad habits. In the work place, we do not like to document information. It is very hard to persuade Thais to do documentation. Some organizations try to regulate it by introducing ISO reporting standards. ISO may well make us better at documentation. If you are new in the kingdom, do not expect Thais to be good at documentation and recording. Kriengsak Niratpattanasai DBS Thai Danu Bank, Bangkok, Thailand

...from Kriengsak Niratappanasai's Thailand Tales

Kriengsak Niratpattanasai Thai Danu Bank Bangkok Thailand

Kriengsak was one of the Asian Business Strategy & Street Intelligence Ezine's earliest columnists and continues to provide some of the most savvy advice on the Net on working in Thailand. His down to earth advice from years of working with falang and locals mixed with local folkstories continues to delight and inform. Click on Kriengsak's picture to learn more about our great friend and colleague.

Thailand Tales Index - About Kriengsak - Other Columnists Join the APMF email list Monthly updates on new content

asia's only dedicated daily ezine for the asian business, management, strategy & marketing professional
research articles   news   independent columnists   business strategy   market & street intelligence

© Kriengsak Niratpattanasai and the Asia Pacific Management Forum 1998