Doing Business in Thailand – Business Etiquette

Culture influences language and language, in turn, influences culture. This happens in ways both obvious and almost imperceptible. TJC Global understands that being fluent in a language also means being fluent in the subtleties and intricacies of the culture and business etiquette associated with it. To ensure that no embarrassing misunderstandings occur in a professional context, all our translators and interpreters are experts in the business culture and etiquette associated with the languages they work with.
Introduction
The Kingdom of Thailand is an independent country that lies in the heart of Southeast Asia, bordered by Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia and Malaysia. The capital and largest city of Thailand is Bangkok. It is also the country’s center of political, commercial, industrial and cultural activities.
Language
The official language of Thailand is the Thai language, a Kradai language closely related to Lao, Shan in Burma, and numerous smaller languages spoken in an arc from Hainan and Yunan south to the Malaysian border. It is the principal language of education and government and spoken throughout the country. The standard is based on the dialect of the Central Thai people, and it is written in the Thai alphabet, an abugida script that evolved from the Khmer script. Several other dialects exist, and coincide with the regional designations. Southern Thai is spoken in the southern provinces, and Northern Thai is spoken in the provinces that were formally part of the independent kingdom of Lannathai. Thailand is also host to several other minority languages, the largest of which is the Lao dialect of Isan spoken in the northeastern provinces. Although sometimes considered a Thai dialect, it is a Lao dialect, and the region in where it is traditionally spoken was historically part of the Lao kingdom of Lan Xang. In the far south, Yawi, a dialect of Malay, is the primary language of the Malay Muslims.
Chinese dialects are also spoken by the large Chinese population, Teochew being the dialect best represented.
Numerous tribal languages are also spoken, including those belonging to the Mon-Khmer family, such as Mon, Khmer, Viet, Mlabri; Austronesian family, such as Cham, Moken, and Orang Asli, Sino-Tibetan family such as Hmong, Lawa, Akhan, and Karen; and other Tai languages such as Nyaw, Phu Thai, and Saek. English is a mandatory school subject, but the number of fluent speakers remains very low, especially outside the cities.
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Culture
The culture of Thailand incorporates a great deal of influence from India, China, Cambodia, and the rest of Southeast Asia. Thailand’s main theology 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 Hinduism, 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 Burma, 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. 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. Elders have by tradition ruled in family decisions or ceremonies.
Economy
Thailand is an emerging economy and considered as a Newly Industrialized Country. After enjoying the world’s highest growth rate from 1985 to 1996 averaging 9.4% annually, which is considered to be tremendous growth. Thailand exports an increasing value of over $105 billion worth of goods and services annually. Major exports include Thai rice, textiles and footwear, fishery products, rubber, jewellery, automobiles, computers and electrical appliances. Thailand is the world’s no.1 exporter of rice, exporting more than 6.5 million tons of milled rice annually. Rice is the most important crop in the country. Thailand has the highest percent of arable land, 27.25%, of any nation in the Greater Mekong Subregion, with about 55% of the available land area used for rice production. Substantial industries include electric appliances, components, computer parts and automobiles, while tourism makes up about 6% of the Thai economy.
What forms of interpreter services can TJC Global provide?

Video/videoconference interpreting: (Video Remote Interpreting is also available) TJC provides professional language interpreting services to support a wide range of events, including business meetings, conferences, legal proceedings (court hearings, arbitration, or litigation), and other online business interactions across industries.
Participants can connect via video or voice calls using computers, laptops, smartphones, or tablets. If needed, sessions can be recorded to facilitate the creation of meeting minutes. Our highly qualified interpreters seamlessly join virtual meetings, events, or proceedings to provide remote interpretation in the language pairing required, ensuring clear and effective communication for all parties involved. Additionally, we offer relay interpreting services as needed.

Telephone/teleconference interpreting: Telephone or teleconference interpreting is an efficient solution for overcoming language barriers. The interpreter can either work remotely (separate from both parties) or be physically present with one of the parties. In either scenario, they provide interpreting services through a telephone conferencing setup.
This service is particularly valuable for clients unable to travel internationally but still need to conduct business discussions or share progress updates. At TJC Global, we are proud to offer professionally qualified interpreters in a wide range of language combinations, ensuring clear and effective communication.
Simultaneous & Consecutive interpreting

Simultaneous interpreting (also available with Video Remote Interpretation (VRI))
Simultaneous interpreting is ideal for international conferences, high-stakes business discussions, seminars, and symposiums. Typically, two to three interpreters work from a soundproof booth, separate from the audience. They take turns interpreting at high speed, switching every 15–20 minutes to maintain focus and ensure the highest quality interpretation.
Using headsets, the interpreters listen to the speaker’s message and deliver it in the target language almost instantly (“simultaneously”) to the intended audience. This method also supports relay interpreting, which is especially useful for multilingual presentations where speakers use several languages.

Consecutive interpreting (also available with Video Remote Interpretation (VRI)) is one of the most widely used types of interpretation. It is suitable for business discussions, negotiations, contract signings, commercial, legal, and technical meetings, medical appointments, court hearings, on-site inspections, and audits.
In this mode, the interpreter listens carefully to the speaker, often taking notes, and then conveys the meaning in the target language. They typically wait for a natural pause or for the speaker to finish a segment before delivering the interpretation quickly and accurately.
Consecutive interpreting is also commonly employed in conferences for panel discussions, Q&A sessions, or private interactions between parties, whether at a stand or another setting.
Looking for translation or interpreting assistance?
TJC Global provides specialist interpreting and translation services in various specialist fields. Whatever your requirements, we can find the right linguist to assist you. If your industry or project type is not listed here, please contact us directly with your enquiry.
Our language specialists utilise their knowledge of subject-specific terminology to deliver precise, unambiguous translations, whatever the context – enabling you to communicate effectively with the rest of the world. We are also able to adapt to almost any type of project.
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