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FACTS AND STATISTICS

Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the

Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand,

southeast of Burma

Capital: BangkokEthnic Make-up: Thai 75%,

Chinese 14%, other 11%

Religions: Buddhism 95%, Muslim 3.8%,Christianity0.5%, Hinduism 0.1%, other 0.6%

(1991)

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LANGUAGE

Main language is THAI.

Other languages spoken in Thailand areChinese, Lao, Malay and Mon-

Khmer.

English use is becoming more prevalentin government and commerce. English

is also being taught as a secondlanguage in secondary school anduniversities.

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ETIQUETTE & CUSTOMS

Meeting Etiquette

The wai is the traditional form of greeting, given by the person of

lower status to the person of higher status.

Thais generally use first name rather than surnames, with the

honorific title Khun before the name. In Thai culture, generally you should wait for your host and hostess

to introduce you to the other guests.

Gifting Etiquette

If invited to a Thai's home, a gift is not expected, although it will be

appreciated.

Gifts should be wrapped attractively, since appearance matters.

Bows and ribbons add to the sense of festivity.

Appropriate gifts are flowers, good quality chocolates or fruit.

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Do not give marigolds or carnations, as they are

associated with funerals. Try to avoid wrapping a gift in green, black or blue as

these are used at funerals and in mourning.

Gold and yellow are considered royal colours, so they

make good wrapping paper. Gifts are not opened when received.

Money is the usual gift for weddings and ordination

parties.

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DINING ETIQUETTE

If you are invited to a Thai's house:

Arrive close to the appointed time,

although being a few minutes late

will not cause offence.

Check to see if the host is wearing

shoes. If not, remove yours before

entering the house.

Ask another guest to confirm the

dress code.

A fork and spoon are the usual

eating utensils. However, noodlesare often eaten with chopsticks.

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SOCIETY AND CULTURE

THE WAIRaising both hands, palms joined

with the fingers pointing upwards as

if in prayer, lightly touching the body

somewhere between the chest and the

forehead, is the standard form.

Thais respect hierarchical

relationships.

When Thais meet a stranger, they will

immediately try to place you within a

hierarchy so they know how you

should be treated

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BUSINESS ETIQUETTE

Relationships & Communication

Thais prefer doing business with people they respect. Relationships

develop slowly and do not flourish after one meeting; it may take

several meetings.

Always be respectful and courteous when dealing with others as this

leads to the harmonious relationships necessary within business.

Thai communication is formal and non-verbal communication is

often more important than verbal communication.

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Appointments are necessary and should be made one month in

advance.

You should arrive at meetings on time as it signifies respect for the

person you are meeting, AS PUNCTUALITY IS A PERSONAL

TRAIT.

Always send an agenda and material about your company as well as

data to substantiate your position prior to the meeting..

Remain standing until told where to sit. The hierarchical culture has

strict rules about rank and position in the group.

Written material should be available in both English and Thai.

You must be patient.

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THAICONDUCT

Thais place great emphasis and value on outward forms

of courtesy such as politeness, respect, genial demeanour

and self-control .

It is a non-confrontational society, in which public

dispute or criticism is to be avoided at all costs.

Openly criticizing a person is a form of violence as it

hurts the person and is viewed as a conscious attempt to

offend the person being rebuked.

Loss of face is a disgrace to a Thai so they try to avoid

confrontations.

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DRESS ETIQUETTE

Business attire is conservative.

Men should wear dark coloured conservative

business suits.

Women should wear conservative business suits

or dresses. Women need not wear hosiery. Since Thai's judge you on your clothing and

accessories, ensure that your shoes are always

highly polished.

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DRESSINGLOOKSLIKE:

Traditional dressing Business dressing

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BUSINESS CARDS

Business cards are given out after the initial handshakeand greeting. In theory, you should give your card to the

most senior person first.

It is advisable to have one side of your business card

translated into Thai. Using your right hand, deliver your business card so the

Thai side faces the recipient.

Look at a business card for a few seconds before placing

it on the table or in a business card case. As in mostAsian countries, it is polite to make some comment about

the card, even if it is only to acknowledge the address.

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BUSINESSCARDSSAMPLE:

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KOB KUN MAK(THANK YOU VERY MUCH)