Experiencing Thailand

Culture

Theravada Buddhism is central to modern Thai identity and belief. In practice, Thai Buddhism has evolved over time to include many regional beliefs originating from animism as well as ancestor worship. In areas in the southernmost parts of Thailand, Islam is prevalent. Several different ethnic groups, many of which are marginalized, populate Thailand. Some of these groups overlap into Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Malaysia and have maintained a distinctly traditional way-of-life despite strong Thai cultural influence. Overseas Chinese also form a significant part of Thai society, particularly in and around Bangkok. Their successful integration into Thai society has allowed for this group to hold positions of economic and political power, the most noteworthy of these being the Thai Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, who held power from 2001 until September 19, 2006 when he was ousted by a military coup d'état.

Like most Asian cultures, respect towards ancestors is an essential part of Thai spiritual practice. Thais have a strong sense of hospitality and generosity, but also a strong sense of social hierarchy. Seniority is an important concept in Thai culture. The elders always rule in family decisions or ceremonies.

Physical demonstrations of affection in public are common between friends, but less so between lovers. It is thus common to see friends walking together holding hands, but couples rarely do so except in westernized areas.

It is considered extremely rude to step on a Thai coin, because the king's head appears on the coin. When sitting in a temple, one is expected to point one's feet away from images of the Buddha. Shrines inside Thai residences are arranged so as to ensure that the feet are not pointed towards the religious icons -- such as placing the shrine on the same wall as the head of a bed, if a house is too small to remove the shrine from the bedroom entirely.

There are a number of Thai customs relating to the special status of monks in Thai society. Because of their religious discipline, Thai monks are forbidden physical contact with women. Women are therefore expected to make way for passing monks to ensure that accidental contact does not occur. A variety of methods are employed to ensure that no incidental contact (or the appearance of such contact) between women and monks occurs. Women making offerings to monks place their donation at the feet of the monk, or on a cloth laid on the ground or a table. Powders or ungents intended to carry a blessing are applied to Thai women by monks using the end of a candle or stick. Lay people are expected to sit or stand with their heads at a lower level than that of a monk. Within a temple, monks may sit on a raised platform during ceremonies to make this easier to achieve.

Thais universally have one, or ocaisionally more, short nicknames that they use with friends and family. Often first given by friends or an older family member, these nicknames are typically one syllable (or worn down from two syllables to one). Though they may be simply shortened versions of a full name, they quite frequently have no relation to the Thai’s full name and are often humorous and/or nonsense words. Some common nicknames (the non-nonsense ones, anyway) would translate into English as fatty, pig, little one, frog, banana, green, or girl/boy. Though rare, sometimes Thai children are given nicknames after the order they were born into the family (i.e. one, two, three, etc.). Nicknames are useful because official Thai names are often long, particularly among Thais of Chinese descent, whose lengthy names stem from an attempt to translate Chinese names into Thai equivalents, or among Thais with similarly lengthy Sanskrit derived names.

Muay Thai, or Thai boxing, is the national sport in Thailand and its native martial art call "Muay". In the past, "Muay" was taught to Royal soldiers for combat on battlefield if unarmed. After they retired from the army, they often became Buddhist monks and stayed at the temples. Thai people's lives are closely tied to Buddhism and temples; they often send their sons to be educated with the monks. ”Muay” is also one of the subjects taught in the temples.

Muay Thai achieved popularity all over the world in the 1990s. Although similar martial arts styles exist in other southeast Asian countries, few enjoy the recognition that Muay Thai has received with its full-contact rules allowing strikes including elbows, throws and knees. Football (soccer), however, has possibly overtaken Muay Thai's position as most widely viewed and liked sport in contemporary Thai society and it is not uncommon to see Thais cheering their favourite English Premier League teams on television and walking around in replica kits. Another widely enjoyed pastime, and once a competitive sport, is kite flying.

Thai society has been influenced in recent years by its widely-available multi-language press and media. There are numerous English, Thai and Chinese newspapers in circulation; most Thai popular magazines use English headlines as a chic glam factor. Most all big businesses in Bangkok operate in English, spoken even between Thais, as a way of showing off their educated, high-society status. Thailand is the largest newspaper market in South East Asia with an estimated circulation of at least 13 million copies daily in 2003.

Business Customs

Business relationships in Thailand are not as formal as those found in Japan, China, Korea or the Middle East, but neither are they as elaxed and impersonal as is common in the West. Many business relationships have their foundations in personal relationships developed within the social circles of family, friends, classmates and office colleagues. Although Thailand is a relatively open and friendly society, it is advisable to approach potential business contacts with a prior introduction or personal reference. Thais will be more receptive if you arrive with an introduction or letter from a known government official or business contact. Using the Commercial Service's Gold Key Service is also an effective way to gain access to the Thai business community.

The Thai cultural values of patience, respect for status (age, authority, etc.) and not losing face, are significant factors in business relationships as well. Thais feel great pride for their country and have deep respect for tradition. Sometimes, however, observance of traditional formalities may seem inconsistent to the tolerant, relaxed nature of living in Thailand. This can be confusing or frustrating to Westerners who are more informal and more time conscious.

Respect for, and consideration of, one's elders, superiors and patrons is deeply rooted in the Thai cultural and social environments. Thais are very reluctant to hurt the feelings of others or to cause them any dissatisfaction. Losing one's composure is losing face and
losing respect in Thailand. It can be difficult for Westerners to be sure they have received accurate and complete answers to questions, or that they have received frank and open opinions. Traditional Thai etiquette includes:

• “Khun" is the Thai form of address for Mr., Mrs., and Ms.
• The "wai" is a traditional gesture of greeting and respect in Thailand. Practice by placing your palms together in a prayer-like position.
• Business cards are an indispensable part of making business contacts in Thailand.  Bring lots of your own as a general form of introduction.
• Remove shoes before entering a home or temple.
• Touching someone on the head or pointing your feet to anything is considered by Thais to be very rude.
• Thais hold the Royal Family in the highest esteem and you are also expected to do so.

Travel Advisory

Americans may register on-line with U.S. Embassy Bangkok to obtain updated information on travel and security within Thailand by  siting the U.S. Embassy’s website at www.usa.or.th. Another place with useful information for travelers is the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington D.C.’s website, www.thaiembdc.org/index.htm.

Visa Requirements

U.S. citizen tourists staying for fewer than 30 days do not require a visa, but must possess a passport and may be asked to show an onward/return ticket. Effective October 1, 2006, persons entering Thailand without a visa will be allowed to stay in Thailand for 30 days per visit. The total duration of stay in Thailand for persons who enter Thailand without a visa cannot exceed 90 days during any six-month period, counting from the date of first entry. Travelers must pay a Passenger Service Charge in Thai baht when departing from any of Thailand’s international airports When a traveler enters the country, Thai Immigration stamps in his or her passport the date on which the traveler’s authorized stay in Thailand will expire. Any traveler remaining in Thailand beyond this date without having received an official extension will be assessed an immediate cash fine when departing Thailand. Any foreigner found by police to be out of legal status prior to departure (during a Thai Immigration “sweep” through a guesthouse, for example) will be jailed, fined, and then deported at his or her own expense, and may be barred from re-entering Thailand. In this regard, American citizens should be aware that private “visa extension services,” even those advertising in major periodicals or located close to Immigration offices or police stations, are illegal. A number of Americans are arrested at border crossings each year when the visas and entry stamps they have obtained through these illegal services are discovered to be counterfeit.  Thailand’s Entry/Exit information is subject to change without notice. For further information on Thailand’s entry/exit requirements, contact the Royal Thai Embassy, 1024 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C., 20007, telephone (202) 944-3600, or contact the Thai consulates in Chicago, Los Angeles, or New York City.

On September 29, 2006, Bangkok’s main airport, Don Muang, ceased operations, and all inbound and outbound flights were shifted to the Suvarnabhumi International Airport. Suvarnabhumi International Airport is located 18 miles (30 kilometers) east of downtown Bangkok and is approximately a thirty-minute drive to/from downtown Bangkok in light traffic. Traffic conditions may result in longer drive times. Information on the new airport can be found at www.bangkokairportonline.com/. 

Telecommunications

Telecommunications for the business traveler in Bangkok and major cities is efficient, with worldwide access for voice, fax and data with international direct dialing. Cellular phones are very common and can be rented for short stays. A foreign cellular phone on GSM roaming service will generally work in Thailand. In rural or remote areas, cell coverage is spotty and only first class hotels have reliable land coverage. Thailand is a member of the International Telecommunications Satellite Consortium, and maintains 2 ground stations connected to satellites over the Pacific and Indian oceans to provide convenient radio communication services. On December 17, 1992, THAICOM, the first Thai national satellite, was launched into orbit followed by THAICOM 2 on October 8, 1994, and THAICOM 3 on April 16, 1997. A new satellite for high-speed transmission and broadband Internet, iPSTAR has been launched on August 2005 and provides services across the Asia-Pacific region. Thailand is served by the major international cable television channels including CNN, BBC, CNBC, ABN, Star TV, HBO, ESPN, etc. which are widely available in hotels, residences and other public facilities. After a long wait, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) was set up in October, 2004. The market structure of the telecom sector remains unchanged from the previous year, with the number of operators in both fixed-line and mobile sector the same as in 2004. Fixed-line service providers include TOT Corporation Public Company Limited, True (Previously Telecom Asia Corporation) and TT&T Public Company Limited. The sole international service provider is CAT Telecom Public Company Limited. Mobile phone service operators are Advance Info service Plc (AIS), Total Access Communication Plc (DTAC), Thai Mobile Company Limited, Hutchison CAT Wireless Multimedia Ltd, TOT Corporation Plc., and CAT Telecom Plc.

In the late 1990s, Thailand’s cellular phone service grew significantly and overtook the number of subscribers in fixed line telephone service in 2001. Given the continuous fall in handsets prices and attractive sales promotion campaigns, it is no surprise that the cellular phone penetration rate reached 48% by the end of 2005, with around 30 million subscribers. The penetration rate in 2006 is expected to reach 53%, bringing the total number of mobile-phone users to at least 32 million. The market is presently dominated by GSM-based technologies. By comparison, despite being in operation for nearly 50 years, the fixed line telephone service has a total capacity of over 8 million lines, of which about 7 million are in use. Previously, the competition in the telecom sector tends to be in non-price areas. Major operators, particularly mobile operators, compete using product differentiation through service quality, advertising and value-added services. However price competition is now heating up. Fixed-line operators drastically cut down the price for long distance and international calls. For mobile, the price particularly for the pre-paid option, went down to as cheap as two cents per minute. For a landline telephone, the installation fee is about $90-99, the monthly service fee is $2.52-5.03, and the flat rate for a local call is $0.075. For a cellular phone, an entry-level handset with pre-paid calling card for 60 minutes costs about $70-80, while a handset of the latest technology price ranges from $300 to $700 and more, bundled with attractive post-paid promotion campaigns.

Transportation

The business traveler has access to a range of ground transportation in Bangkok and major cities. Metered taxis are common and most hotels offer limousine services. Chauffeured cars can be rented for extended stays. For Bangkok, an extensive public bus network with both air-conditioned and non-air conditioned vehicles serves all areas of the city. In addition, Bangkok has two mass rail transit systems; the BTS and the MRTA. The BTS, known locally as Sky Train (http://www.bts.co.th), is an elevated train network that opened in Bangkok’s most congested business districts, including Silom and Sukhumvit. The MRTA (http://www.mrta.co.th) is a 20 KM subway system that runs between Hua

For inter-city travel, public regular and air-conditioned buses are available. These buses run on a regular basis between Bangkok and provincial cities in Thailand. Three regional bus depots serve Eastern region destinations (Ekamai), Northern and North Eastern region destinations (Mor Chit) and the Southern region (Sai Tai Mai). Thailand has a road network of more than 250,000 kms, of which 51,466 kms is national highways. The 4 major national highways connecting Bangkok and the rest of the country are Highway No 1(North), Highway No 2 (North East), Highway No 3 (central), and Highway No 4 (South). Inter-city rail services range from comfortable and efficient to primitive.

Thailand has 122 ports, wharves, and jetties able to accommodate sea-going vessels engaging in international trade, including eight international deep-sea ports. These deep-sea ports are located in Bangkok, Laem Chabang and Map Ta Phut on Thailand’s Eastern Seaboard, and Songkhla, Satun, Narathiwat, Phuket and Ranong in the South, having a total capacity of more than 4.5 million TEU. Laem Chabang Port, Thailand’s main port, is expected to be able to handle up to 5.9 million TEU by 2008.

Thailand currently has 28 commercial airports, 5 of which are international and 21 of which are domestic. The five international airports are: Bangkok International Airport, Chiang Mai International Airport, Chiang Rai International Airport, Hat Yai International Airport, and Phuket International Airport. Thai Airways International is Thailand’s national airline serving both domestic and inter-continental routes. Thailand also has 28 airports that service domestic flights. Bangkok International Airport (BIA), which is located just north of Bangkok, serves as Thailand’s main gateway for air transportation, handling 34 million passengers, 215,000 flights, and 823,000 tons of cargo per year. Suvarnabhumi Airport opened in September, 2006 replacing BIA as the country’s primary international airport and aviation with an initial passenger capacity of 45 million, and a cargo capacity of 3 million metric tons per year.

Language

Thai is the national language. English is the next most commonly spoken language, and is especially prevalent among the business community in Bangkok. (There are four distinct language dialects in Thailand, with the Central Thai dialect being the first language of 75 percent of the population.) Many Sino-Thai also speak Chinese.

Health

Excellent medical treatment is available in Bangkok, with good to adequate treatment available throughout the country. While the general level of health and nutrition is good, some tropical diseases are a problem. Hepatitis is endemic. The incidence of AIDS has leveled off due to educational awareness campaigns by the Royal Thai Government. However, Thailand is still considered a high-risk country, especially among prostitutes and intravenous drug users. Japanese encephalitis and malaria are a problem in rural border areas, but generally not in Bangkok, major cities, or major tourist destinations. Dengue fever outbreaks occur periodically throughout the country. Rabies is also a risk to consider due to the large number of abandoned animals roaming the streets. Nearly all cases of avian influenza in Thailand and other countries have been associated with close contact with infected poultry. Thailand is among the best prepared countries in the region in terms of prevention and containment of an outbreak. For information about avian influenza please see the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs Avian Flu Fact Sheet at: http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/health/health_1181.html.

Doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash payment for services, and U.S. medical insurance is not always valid outside the United States. Many hospitals in Bangkok and other major cities will accept standard credit cards. For additional useful health information, contact the International Travelers' Hotline at the Center of Disease Control at 404-332-4559.

Eating is an important part of the Thai group-oriented culture. Thai food has become internationally popular because of its sophistication and variety. The staples of this cuisine include rice, noodles, vegetables, meats, fish, spices and chilies. Thai food can be enjoyed in a wide variety of venues, from street-side kiosks to elegant world-class restaurants. In addition, all other international cuisines are available in the major cities and resort areas ranging from European fine dining, to other Oriental and ethnic restaurants, to American fast food.

Business Hours & Holidays

The common professional workweek in Thailand is 40 hours per week consisting of five, 8-hour days, Monday through Friday. Office hours in Bangkok vary to accommodate flextime travel through the city’s notoriously heavy traffic. Common office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Most business offices are closed on Saturdays and Sundays although most commercial establishments remain open. The U.S. Commercial Service Bangkok’s hours are 7:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Commercial Library is open to visitors from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday. The office is closed during lunch from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m.

Temporary Entry of Materials & Personal Belongings

Thai Customs Department policy and procedures on temporary entry of goods for business practices and exhibitions are described below. Duty exemption is valid for temporary imported goods that will be re-exported within three or six months of the importation date depending on the entry purpose. Traveler entering or departing from Thailand is exempt from duty for accompanying with spirituous liquor (one liter), cigarettes (two hundred), cigars or smoking tobacco (250 grams).