What to wear

• 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.

 

Titles

• Thais tend to be very polite in their interactions and, as such, titles play an important role
• They typically addresss foreign visitors by their first name – this does not suggest familiarity, e.g. Mrs Sandra or Mr Timothy
• Address Thais with ‘Khun’ (see naming conventions above)

 

Business cards

• Business cards are given out after the initial handshake and 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 most Asian countries, it is polite to make some comment about the card, even if it is only to acknowledge the address

 

Meetings

• Appointments are necessary and should be made one month in advance.
• It is good idea to send a list of who will be attending the meeting and their credentials so that Thais know the relative status of the people attending the meeting and can plan properly.
• You should arrive at meetings on time as it signifies respect for the person you are meeting.
• Although most Thais will try to be on time, 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. Allow sufficient time for the material to be reviewed and digested.
• 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.

 

Negotiating

• Individuals embarking on a negotiation with Thai counterparts should bear in mind the importance of personal relationships when conducting business. 
• Since it takes time to develop trusting relationships, it is essential that you do not rush the meetings and approach the topic of business prematurely:
• It is not unusual for initial meetings to take place in restaurants or bars to facilitate initial relationship building.  
• Bear in mind the section on ‘Communication Style’ above, which details the indirect communication nature of Thais and be mindful of potential disagreements.
• Your Thai counterpart may avoid confrontation or seek to save your ‘face’ by seeming to agree with something that they are not actually in agreement with. 
• The signs that this might be the case, will be in observable in your counterpart’s body language
• Negations may be extremely protracted affairs

 

Management

• Formality is the essence of business in Thailand and strict rules of protocol are observed.
• Older Thai companies still observe a tradition of rigid hierarchy.  However, this is starting to change in some of the younger and more globally facing business.
• Junior staff are typically very respectful of their managers and managers take on the traditional role of ‘manager’ as decision maker and central leader.
• Managers typically ‘look out’ for their staff and are careful not to shame or embarrass in front of their team members.
• Read more about Being a Manager in Thailand.