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‘Face’ is very, very important in Thailand. Candour and emotional honesty - qualities highly-prized in some Western societies - are considered embarrassing and are often counterproductive in the East.
If at all possible, do not lose your temper or raise your voice, no matter how frustrating or desperate the situation may seem to you. Only patience, humour, and jai yen (cool heart) bring results in Thailand.
The use of the word ‘heart’ (jai) is very common in the Thai language. Here are but a few examples; jai rawn = angry/hot-tempered; nam jai = feelings; nork jai = unfaithful (adulterous); jai dee = good-hearted; jai dahm = black-hearted/bad. A whole book can be written on the different types of ‘hearts’ or ‘temperaments’ one can have (in fact, one has been, Heart Talk by C G Moore, and is available in most bookstores, at least in Thailand).
On the business front, you may be interested in reading Working with the Thais: A Guide to Managing in Thailand, by Henry Holmes and Suchada Tangtongtavy. This book is a serious attempt to make clearer to the expatriate the differences between Thais and expatriates working together. |
