The “Land of Smiles” is a welcoming place. I’ve lived here off and on for six decades, and I can tell you that you’ll find most Thais to be genuinely friendly, polite, and helpful.
But if you’re doing business in Thailand, you’ll learn soon enough (hopefully) that many diverse messages hide behind a Thai smile: hello, I’m happy, I’m okay, I like you, I’m just being polite, I’m uncomfortable, I’m sorry, let’s keep this conversation calm, and even I’m angry.
The Thai smile is a befitting metaphor for aspects of business etiquette in Thailand: harmony, respect, and subtlety. For international leaders, this can be both refreshing and disorienting. In my work with Thai executives and multinational teams, I have seen brilliant strategies succeed and equally strong ones falter. Too often, the difference comes down to one thing. Some leaders learned Thai cultural values and adapted. Others did not.
If you want to excel at doing business in Thailand, here are a few cultural insights that you’ll want to learn.
Hierarchy and Respect
The vast majority of Thai business cultures are anything but flat. Most are hierarchical and multilayered. Seniority, age, and titles carry weight. Respect for elders is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. Authority is rarely challenged in public. Want a specific example? Business meetings start only when the big boss arrives, and because Bangkok traffic snarls are notorious and the boss never stoops below riding in chauffeur-driven luxury van, he’s allowed to be late. Another example? Sometimes a younger manager can lead an older team, but only if he or she does so with humility and tact.
This is not formality for its own sake. It is about dignity. Hierarchy and respect are buried deep in the marrow of Thai bones. Overlook it, and trust is lost before the conversation even begins.
Relationships
Around the world, business dealings are transactional, and Thailand is no exception. But all successful transaction is built upon a foundation of trust, and in this country building trust usually takes time - a LOT of time. More time than your organization may want to take.
That’s because most Thais will not trust you simply because you demonstrate competency. They need to get a sense of your character as well, and that doesn’t happen overnight. An unhurried conversation at a coffeeshop, a meal together, or a karaoke night will often move things forward more than any polished presentation ever could. Leaders who patiently invest in building relationships will find a much smoother pathway to accomplishing business objectives.
Communication
In business meetings, the words Thais speak often tell only part of the story, and sometimes it’s not the most important part. Nodding and smiling silently may signal agreement. Or hesitation. Or polite disagreement. Outsiders often mistake politeness for consent when, in fact, it may be signaling caution, and sometimes even resistance.
This is partially because of a deeply ingrained Thai value called Kreng Jai (เกรงใจ), the instinct to preserve harmony by protecting one’s own ‘face’ and the ‘face of others. In business, this instinct often keeps colleagues from speaking their minds or openly voicing criticism. These colleagues are not disengaged. They are being considerate.
Meetings and Decision-Making
Meetings in Thailand are usually not battlefields. Open confrontations are rare. In fact, very often meetings are not the place where decisions are made. Decisions rest with senior leaders, but the real groundwork happens beforehand in private conversations. Meetings are a place where harmony is preserved and consensus is confirmed. Private persuasion. Public respect.
View of Time
Western leaders manage time like a commodity. In Thailand, time is relational. Deadlines matter, but not at the expense of people. What looks like delay to outsiders is often seen as wisdom in Thailand: progress should never come at the cost of trust.
Five Tips for Working Effectively in Thailand
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Show Respect for Hierarchy
Acknowledge senior figures first in meetings. Use proper titles when addressing colleagues or business counterparts. If you need to challenge an idea, do it privately. Avoid causing anyone, especially a senior leader, to lose face in front of others. -
Build Trust Outside the Boardroom
Budget more time for building relationships. Extend invitations to others for lunch or coffee and accept such invitations yourself. Take advantage of these valuable informal settings to deepen relationships before moving into negotiations or performance discussions. -
Check for Meaning Beyond the Words
Open more than your ears. Open your eyes and your senses. Read the room. Do people look comfortable and at ease? What about body language. Who is silent? Often non-verbal communication will tell you a more accurate picture of what’s really going on. -
Create Safe Channels
Offer private one-on-one conversations or anonymous feedback tools so colleagues can share concerns without feeling afraid they are damaging harmony or respect. -
Balance Deadlines with Flexibility
Adjust your view of deadlines. If your team absolutely must deliver a certain project on time, consider emphasizing smaller deadlines that precede the real ‘Deadline.’ Do not ask closed questions like, “Are we going to be on time?” Many Thais will attempt to give you the answer you want to hear. Instead, check in with them frequently, digging down a little to check if things seem to be progressing well.
Cultural Intelligence in Thailand
In Thailand, business moves at the speed of relationships. Success is measured not only by results but also by how respectfully those results are achieved. Thai business culture is not about inefficiency or avoidance. It is about honor, harmony, and respect. Misread these signals, and even the best of strategies can fail. Respond with cultural intelligence (CQ), and you find bridges that carry you further than you imagined.
Thailand rewards leaders who slow down, observe carefully, and adapt. Strategy sets the direction. Culture carries it forward. As the famous saying goes: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.”
