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April 25, 2025

THAILAND

Don't forget to enter this monthly cultural quiz!

Question: Thailand is famous for its traditional New Year celebration, which involves water fights in the streets and various religious rituals. What is the name of this festival?

Thailand is a vibrant country situated in the Southeast of Asia. It shares land borders with Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar (Burma). A constitutional monarchy that is prone to militaristic coups, Thailand was the only nation in Southeast Asia to avoid European colonisation and Japanese colonisation. This resulted in a culture that is quite heavily influenced by former Thai kingdoms, such as The Khmer Empire and The Sukhothai Kingdom.

Buddhism is followed by over 90% of the population and its influences can be detected in Thai mannerisms, traditions, the arts, architecture and language. Buddhist monks are held in high esteem and should never been referred to disrespectfully. Thailand is widely known as the ‘land of smiles’ and the traits of generosity and friendliness are examples of Buddhist influence on the national personality.

The official language of Thailand is Thai while the minority Malaysian and Burmese populations speak Malay and Burmese. English is widely accepted across Thailand in business and tourist dealings; however, English proficiency varies. In Bangkok and larger firms, many professionals are fluent, but it’s still helpful to speak slowly, avoid idioms, and follow up with written summaries.

Thailand is an upper-middle economy, sometimes nicknamed the “fifth Asian Tiger”, in reference to the rapid growth and industrialisation the country has undergone in recent decades similar to its neighbours (Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea and Hong Kong). Key industries include tourism, textiles, electronics manufacturing and automobile parts exporter. It is the world’s second largest tungsten producer and third-largest tin producer.

Like much of Asia, Thailand is quite a hierarchical society and that is reflected in its business organisations. Always be mindful of a person’s age, rank and position when interacting with a Thai national. Modern Thai businesspeople, especially those educated abroad or working in multinationals, are more global in outlook. Gen Z professionals may expect flatter hierarchies, more flexibility and quicker feedback.

As Thailand is a collectivist society, preserving group harmony over individuals wants and needs, is deemed paramount. Decisions tend to be made by the most senior person in the room and open discussion is not that common at times. Employees are expected to perform as instructed and not question senior authority; however, attitudes are slowly beginning to change with the younger generation. Younger professionals are increasingly open to participative leadership and more horizontal collaboration. That said, many still prefer clear direction from leaders and may not feel comfortable challenging authority openly.

Management style across Thailand tends to be of a paternalistic approach, with managers expected to provide guidance and supervision to their subordinates. Indirect communication is preferred by Thai managers as it allows for one to maintain “face”, meaning they will not be engaging in any activity that would be publicly embarrassing. Managers will use non-verbal cues to indicate any displeasure, so make sure to pay close attention to the body language and tone of voice of your Thai counterpart.

In Thailand, managers prefer to work with people they know and can trust, so building strong relationships is key to getting ahead in business. Thai professionals are adaptable to technology and comfortable with tools like Microsoft Teams. However, the expectation for relationship-building and trust remains strong, so face-to-face or video calls are often preferred for building rapport over just emails or messaging.

It is important for managers in Thailand to stay within the established confines and responsibilities of their role as the “boss”, as this is seen as essential to maintaining group harmony. However, when the manager needs to work with their subordinates it’s important that this is clearly conveyed, otherwise employees in Thai businesses do not expect much interaction and day to day involvement with their managers tasks. Thai managers are known for being adaptable and flexible and can be comfortable needing to change their plans to accommodate for adjusting circumstances. Managers are open to feedback from subordinates but expect subordinates to show respect and good manners at all times.

Thai nationals tend to be very indirect in their communication with one another, both in business matters and personal ones. They may offer vague responses or be quick to agree, but careful attention should be paid to their body language and tone of voice as Thais will use these to convey their true feelings. Thai people are quite gentle and so can get offended or wary of anyone with aggressive speech or mannerisms. Hand gestures are used when speaking but never anything too large or aggressive. Maintaining “face” is of high importance to Thais. Not just in business settings but also in personal settings, its important that you do not do anything that would negatively affect their “face”, saving them from embarrassment by being discreet and private.

‘Wai’ is an important gesture to understand and recognise when dealing with anyone from Thailand. A manner of greeting and sign of respect, ‘wai’ is traditionally given by someone of lower status to someone of higher status. A younger person would be expected to give ‘wai’ to an older person first. ‘Wai’ includes joining both palms together flat, raising them up with fingers pointing up and slightly bowing. Shaking hands is more common in a business context, but the ‘wai’ is more prominent in informal or traditional settings. When addressing someone use their title and last name, only use the first name if you’ve been invited to do so.

It is considered rude to sit on a chair with crossed legs, particularly in the presence of an elder. Elders are treated with the utmost respect in Thailand, and so is the Buddha and the King. Do not loom over a Buddha statue or a picture of the King but instead bow your head in a sign of respect. Negative talk about either figure is also a major taboo across Thailand.

Gift giving is not that expected in either business or personal settings but is still greatly appreciated when done. Good gifts to give would be something small like fruit, sweets or flowers (but never marigolds or carnations as they’re associated with funerals). Gifts should be well wrapped (avoid the colours green, black and blue as these are associated with death and funerals) and handed over with either the right hand or both hands, but never only the left hand.

Last month's question was "Victoria Harbour is one of Hong Kong’s most famous landmarks. Every evening, a spectacular light and sound show illuminates the city skyline. What is the name of this show?", and a big congratulations to Oliver J of AIC Ltd with his answer of "A Symphony of Lights". Your cultural book will be on its way to you soon!

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