Thailand Business: Tips for improving relationships with Thais

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Tips for improving relationships with Thais

This month's column will provide you with tips in improving your relationships when doing business with Thais. Usually, we treat foreigners as guests, not strangers. So, if you can impress us more than other "GUEST", it will definitely enhance the business relationship between you and Thais.

Greeting Thai's by Name and Prefacing with "Khun"

We call each other by starting the name with the word "KHUN". This is the polite way that we address each other in business or during social and formal events. We do not address the person by their first name or nick name if we do not know them well already. We do not call the person by their last name either. For example: If your name is Mr. Thomas J. Jayson, we will call you Mr. Tom or Mr. Thomas in the first meeting. Occasionally, you might heard Khun Tom or Khun Thomas. Later, as we get acquainted with the guest we might call him just "Tom". Many foreigners impress Thais by addressing them with the KHUN preface.

Souvenirs

Offerung souvenirs is a kind of friendship demonstration. We give the small souvenir as a token of appreciation in the relationship. When first meeting, s souvenir might not be appropriate. But for the second meeting, you may want to bring something that represents the place you came from, (for example if you are an Australian Supplier, in the second meeting you might bring a Boomerang as a souvenir for your contact. A pack of ch8ocolate or candy for secretary will help you increase relationship with the "Gate Keeper". Be careful of the value of souvenir. Please find the inexpensive but thoughtful meaning. Around US$ 5 - 20 would be just nice.

Suggested souvenirs

A book for book lovers or educated executive. One of the top ten business books that are recently on the shelves is a good idea.
Cassette tapes that record a best-selling book like "The Road Ahead by Bill Gates". This is the perfect gift for those executives who do not like reading. Listening to the tape in Bangkok in the Traffic is value time utilisation. And if it's a good listening piece, it will make your customers recall you.
Symbol of the place that you come from, like a boomerang or eagle metal
T-Shirt or Golf T-shirt
Golf ball or other golf accessories. I saw someone buy a golf ball with an imprint of the name of the recipient. Wow! It's my name!
Small wood craft items
Tea or Herbs for diet concious executives

Be Punctual (Even though Thai's might be late)

Usually, we expect that our foreigner guests are the punctual person. So act according to that expectation. In calculating travelling time in Bangkok you need a local expert. We have a lot of new construction that might impact the normal routing time that you never know. Ask local people of any new constructions like Bridges, High Speed Trains, or other road digging(for telephone line or water work). Ask them about upcoming major events like Royal Ceremonies, because sometimes the road is blocked for an hour or more. One last question is about the recent changes in traffic flow. Remind your local counter part about these issues. Many meetings do start late because the Thais who are suppose to pick up the foreigners are late(even if you are not!).

Please be patient if Thai customer's do late. They expect you to come on time. However, they might be slightly late from five minutes to half an hour. Ask for his or her mobile phone number, so you can check and estmate arrival time when they have not shown up yet.

Be Compromising

As I mentioned in the previous month's column, Thailand is a compromising nation. We compromise to others. In return, we expect our guest to be more compromise as well! For example: An energy firm came to Thailand with the strong intention to set up it's branch operation for an oil & gas exploration plant in the Southern part of Thailand. However, they could not do as they intended because our local authority would prefer to be involved as the joint venture partner. So it ended up as joint venture agreement. If that company insists on doing what they originally planned the deal might not be finalized. Fortunately, that company was smart enough. They sent Thais who have lived in USA for 30 years as the company representatives. This made the deal more relevant.

There are more Tips to come(if you like it!). I just want to ask for any feedback. This will shape up my column in order to be "Reader Oriented".

For those of you who will come to Thailand with your Computer Note Book, I suggest you read May's column. My friend just did not read it and he faced some difficulties.

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

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