So you’d like to manage in Thailand?

by Dr. Henry Holmes

How to improve communications

This is perhaps the question closest to the needs of every manager. It would be important even if the family moved to a new neighborhood and a different office only 50 miles away from home. But when we talk of a move to Thailand, linguistic and cultural differences make the job much more challenging. Nevertheless, the process of getting relationships built and communications up to a satisfactory level still needs to be moved along as soon as possible, i.e., get teamwork operating within six months rather than as long as (in some cases) two years or even longer. Research on the subject of management style among Thais has revealed some striking differences from "Western" patterns, which, if we take our own assumptions for granted here, might lead us down unproductive paths.

Compared to the cornerstones of Western leadership: Democratic, consultative, setting example, hands-on style, delegating; the cornerstones of Thai leadership are: Benevolence mixed with authoritarian approach, reluctance to delegate.

Exercising a balance between two factors, "Pradej" and "Prakhun", (see table) over a period of time gives a leader a "Baramee" - which means power and strength derived from respect and loyalty.

Having "Baramee" enables a person to exercise influence, protect his people and command obedience and loyalty from others, so he can accomplish whatever he sets out to achieve. "Baramee" is both a cause and effect, a result of past needs which generate further potential.

Furthermore, if a person possesses it, "Baramee" will also extend to those who are related or affiliated to him.

In most multi-national companies in Thailand, a large number of the middle and senior level Thai executives have been previously exposed to the "Thai-Chinese" traditions of the family business. The expectation of a "boss" and an "employee", in this tradition, have a number of characteristics which tend to be carried over into multinational organizations.

According to this tradition, there is a preference (on the part of various levels) for a rather centralized management style. Compared with the West, a larger number of decisions are made by the senior person. This custom becomes particularly cumbersome for a foreigner if his joint venture partner and decision-maker is of the old school and the partner has several businesses going on at the same time.

Will be continued.

Read next time about delegation of work and social roles.

For over 25 years Dr. Henry Holmes, and his colleagues from Cross-Cultural Management Company, have been helping organisations improve their teamwork and management skills.

Holmes, a graduate of Massachusetts and Harvard, recently co-authored the book "Working with the Thais" (White Lotus Publishers), now in its fourth printing. The company courses were featured on BBC World Television.

In 1999, the company will offer five training courses on the Eastern Seaboard, under sponsorship of Hemaraj Industrial Estate:

* A good start with Thais
* Skills of Cross-Cultural management
* Train-the trainers
* The keys to assertiveness and accountability
* Making effective presentations, in Thai or English

Please call 02-391 8586-7 for details.

The traditional Thai model of effective leadership:
Pradej (Traditional exercise of authority and toughness) - Delegate tasks and authority - Demand loyalty - Demand that work be done - Dispense justice - Administer discipline or punishment - Play a mediation role - Exercise firmness	Prakhun (Traditional System of patronisation) - Give money, shelter, food, clothing - Give care during sickness or crisis - Give protection vis-à-vis outsiders - Lend prestige (prestige from affiliations) - Sponsorship: education, marriage, ordination, funeral, etc. - Give rewards - All of the above extended to members of the subordinate’s family.
Personal qualities of the leader: - Good at problem-solving and decision making - Inspires confidence - Superior knowledge or expertise - Can solve crisis and crucial problems (which the subordinate is unable to do) - Risk taking - Wise, shrewd; has good judgement Normally cool and dignified.	Personal qualities of the leader: - Virtuous - Generous in material things - Protective of subordinate - Compassionate and forgiving - A person of integrity in the society - Lenient when appropriate

The Triumph of Amazing Thailand

by Imtiaz Muqbil, Executive Editor Travel Impact Newswire

Amazing Thailand goes into the ASEAN Tourism Forum with its head held high as the only country to have braved the winds of economic turbulence and emerge with a strong growth in visitor arrivals upon an already large base figure.

Without appearing to brag, Thai delegates attending the ATF in Singapore will be telling anyone who cares to listen that visitor arrivals in January-November 1998 hit 6.95 million, up 7.71% over 1997. By comparison, visitor arrivals to Singapore in the same period slumped 14.4% to 5.66 million.

Of this figure, 1.55 million visitors came from the ASEAN countries, up only about 0.28%. Remarkably, of the 43 countries that the TAT tabulates in its visitor arrivals statistics, the only ones that recorded declines were Indonesia, Malaysia, Korea and Brazil, each of them in the throes of an economic crisis.

Compared to its ASEAN counterparts, Thailand has done remarkably well. It remained politically and economically stable, the national airline remained functioning strongly and the devaluation of the baht made the country exceptionally inexpensive to holiday in.

Foreign airlines, which bring in 55 to 60% of the tourists to Thailand, made only minor changes in their route schedules to Thailand. To compensate for the decline in outbound travellers from Thailand, many airlines shifted to promoting inbound tourism to maintain the viability of the routes.

All of these factors gave a major boost to the Amazing Thailand campaign which, in spite of a 25% decimation in the value of its marketing budget following the assault on the baht, is clearly one of the most eye-catching and colourful marketing accomplishments on the world tourism stage.

The Thai government is realising well that while the rest of the exports industry, on which so much assistance has been lavished over the years, is struggling to survive in an increasingly competitive global environment, the tourism industry is bringing in valuable foreign exchange that is playing a critical role in facilitating the national economic recovery.

The recent approval of a special allocation of 250 million baht for marketing efforts in 1999, the second year of the Amazing Thailand campaign, is testimony to the fact that the message is getting through.

With the further influx of visitors in December 1998 due to the Asian Games, Thailand has clearly met the official target of 7.8 million visitors in 1998 and, depending on how well the global economy fares in 1999, will also hit the 1999 target of 8.2 million visitors.

Already, the campaign is well under way. On January 21, the TAT launched the 1999 phase of its Amazing River of Kings campaign that will focus on the Chao Phraya River, which is to Thailand what the Nile is to Egypt. This campaign will be a lead-in to the 5 December 1999 celebrations of His Majesty the King’s 72nd birthday, marking the auspicious completion of His 6th 12-year cycle.

This year, Thailand will host two major travel conferences, the annual conventions of the DRV, the German travel agents association, and the FIYTO/WYSTC, the global grouping of youth and student travel organizations. Both the Germans and young travellers are very important target markets for Thai tourism.

The successful hosting of the Asian Games in December 1998 and the 7th Far East and South Pacific (FESPIC) Games for the Disabled in January 1999 has clearly opened up a new chapter in plans to attract more sportsmen and women. In turn, millions of disabled people, having watched FESPIC on TV, now know that Thailand is a good place for them to visit.

In the first week of February 1999, Chiang Mai hosted the PATA Adventure Travel Mart and Ecotourism conference which allowed the country to showcase many of the natural attractions of the North Thailand and the Greater Mekong Sub-region.

This will open up greater opportunities for visitation by a specialist breed of traveler and also pile on the pressure for Thailand to ensure that it protects the wildlife and flora/fauna that people come to see.

Over the next few years, Thailand will also be building upon its primary strength: its natural geographic location at the heart of the ASEAN, Mekong and BIMST-EC (Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand - Economic Co-operation) regions.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand has selected Facilitation of Intra-ASEAN travel as the theme of the next ATF to be held in Bangkok January 20-26, 2000, and will be looking for ways to expand intra-ASEAN travel beyond just border crossers.

A paper on this subject, presented by the TAT at the ASEAN national tourism organisations meeting in Singapore on January 26-27, shows some clear gaps between the number of ASEAN visitors who simply cross the border and stay for 48 hours or less and those who travel by air, especially to the secondary cities of ASEAN like Chiang Mai, Surabaya, Penang and Cebu.

Indeed, there is growing awareness that the billions of dollars worth of hardware coming up in the region, including roads, highways, ports and airports will remain vastly under-utilized if the ASEAN governments do not come up with commensurate moves to deregulate and liberalise the software impediments to trade and travel.

Says the paper, "Every step that leads to greater intra-ASEAN travel today will play a role in facilitating travel from outside the region in future."

Thailand’s problem now is not so much bringing more visitors in as much as bringing them in during the low season months and dispersing them away from the somewhat too popular beach resorts of Samui and Phuket.

Cynics have claimed that once business to Bali begins to return to normal, arrivals into Phuket will start dropping. While there may be some impact, the thousands of people who have come to Phuket in the last year and enjoyed the holiday are almost certain to recommend it to others.

The only potential downside of the Thai tourism boom will be the greater strain it will place on the country’s dwindling water resources. Tourists may bring in a lot of foreign exchange but are renowned for being among the most wasteful people on earth, with a fondness for filling up bathtubs and taking long showers.

TAT officials say they will have to work with the tourism private sector, especially the hotels, to ensure that visitors treat this increasingly precious natural resource with a lot more care and respect.

US Navy Comrel

On Tuesday the 26th of January the Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya took a busload of volunteers from the USS Blue Ridge, including the Fleet Chaplain and the Roman-Catholic Father, to Suk Ta Wah School at Nerntaplan.

The Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya and volunteers from the USS Blue Ridge helped students of the Suk Ta Wah School in Nerntaplan paint the back of their school building.

They provided the paint and materials to paint the back of the school building, including the wall and water tanks. The paint work was carried out by Navy personnel together with some help from the pupils.

When this was finished everybody had lunch together. Some games were played with the children, the classic game of football in bare feet was observed. Many very shy children gradually overcame their shyness and eagerly accepted the gift of a vitamin drink given by each of the Navy personnel. Equally, the principal gave a Buddha amulet to each of the Navy personnel and Rotarians in appreciation of the very successful Comrel.

A letter of appreciation was presented by the principal of the school to both the US Navy and the Rotary Club. A very nice day was enjoyed by the school and the navy.

Childbirth Education class announcement

To all expectant mothers: A childbirth Education class is being offered at Bangkok Pattaya Hospital every third Saturday of the month, starting March 20, 1999, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The program will benefit mothers in their third trimester of pregnancy, as well as their labor partners. The format of the class will be presented in English in 2 phases during two consecutive months.

Classes will be conducted by Anne Barthelemy, a Belgian physical therapist with experience in the US including 5 years teaching prenatal and postnatal exercise.

The first month’s class will cover topics related to labor and delivery, breathing for labor, comfort measures and relaxation techniques. The second month will address issues related to breast feeding, early infant care and feeding and will offer a tour of the labor/delivery facility.

Registration can be done by calling Bangkok Pattaya Hospital - International Department at 038 -427752. Bring two pillows and a blanket to class.

Copyright 1998 Pattaya Mail Publishing Co.Ltd.
370/7-8 Pattaya Second Road, Pattaya City, Chonburi 20260, Thailand 
Tel.66-38 411 240-1, 413 240-1, Fax:66-38 427 596; e-mail: [email protected]
Created by Andy Gombaz, assisted by Chinnaporn Sangwanlek.