Business etiquette in Thailand

When we travelled through Thailand we discovered how their traditions and customs differ from the Western world. And also how important it is to respect the Thai culture when doing business here.

 Friendliness and hospitality are characteristic in Thailand. Therefore it was important to us to know some of the basic etiquette in this country. In this Asian culture “the concept of face” plays a large role. Showing negative emotions, like anger, in public is considered to be very negative here. This kind of behaviour is not all productive when you want to do business with the people here.

 The Thai culture is also strongly hierarchical. It is important to respect someone with a higher social status. Also the elderly are considered to be important and have to be approached with respect. When you talk about the royal family you can not share any negative opinions about the country and king. Also any image of Buddha should be treated with the highest respect.

 Depending on someone’s social status you have to greet them differently. In greeting someone there are also different rules that are important to know when you visit the country. It’s not common to touch someone’s hand when greeting them. The typical Thai greeting, the Wai, involves pressing your palms together while slightly bowing your head. The person with the lowest status has to offer the Wai.

 There are also some important customs concerning your feet, which are good to know. Someone’s feet are considered the lowest and least clean part of the body. That’s why it is important never to show the bottom of your feet to anyone. You should also never point with your feet or raise them higher then the level of someone’s head.

 What I found to be a very nice tradition was the playing of the national anthem every day at 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. According to the etiquette it is important to pay respect and stop what you are doing when the anthem plays.

 Important to mention are 4 basic principles of doing business in Thailand:

1. Presence: don’t do a videoconference, or walk in and out on meetings. To build up the necessary relationships it is considered important to be present when doing business.
2. Presentation: Thailand is known as “The Land of Smiles”. The smile indicates a good deal of relaxation and a friendly attitude. So always smile back when you’re smiled at.
3. Patience: business relationships are known to develop slowly in Thailand. To obtain a successful partnership it may take several meetings during months or even years. Make sure to respect this and be patient.
4. Perspective: Western business people are known to be direct and immediately get to the point. Asians consider this as impatient, insincere or casual. So you have to be aware of these differences.

Sources:

http://www.reachtoteachrecruiting.com/guides/thailand/etiquette-in-thailand/
http://bangkok.angloinfo.com/information/moving/country-file/customs-etiquette/
http://davidcliveprice.com/the-4-principles-of-doing-business-in-thailand/