Ever Made A Business Meeting With A Thai And They Have Actually Been On Time?

[TheVinylMan]

I have made 4 meetings this week for various things all with thai's ........... have any been on time?......... not one!!! and i dont mean 20 minutes late i mean 3 or 4 hours.......... and they turn up as if nothing is wrong............ then when I have ago at them for wasting my time waiting for them ............ i get the "pud maaaaaaaa " treatment from the g/f.................. can not win

So what is the secret to getting a Thai to keep to a meeting time???

[BIGTOE3]

I have made 4 meetings this week for various things all with thai's ........... have any been on time?......... not one!!! and i dont mean 20 minutes late i mean 3 or 4 hours.......... and they turn up as if nothing is wrong............ then when I have ago at them for wasting my time waiting for them ............ i get the "pud maaaaaaaa " treatment from the g/f.................. can not win

So what is the secret to getting a Thai to keep to a meeting time???

Call him/her 1 hour before meeting to ensure he/she can make the meeting on time - if he/she has not arrived within 30 mins text him/her to say you have another appointment and that your time is precious.

Just a thought.

BT

[trogers]

So what is the secret to getting a Thai to keep to a meeting time???

Arrange a meeting, and then don't show up.

[kevc]

A friend of mine was interviewing potential staff when one guy didn't turn up, he came the next day when she asked why he didn't come yesterday he said "it was raining".

[Topprofile]

I had made an interview with a lady and she was supposed to start work about 3 weeks later on a Monday.

I called her on Friday to make sure she would come the next Monday (3 days later) and she said she would be there.

Monday comes and she doesn't show up.. no phone call, no nothing.. I knew I would be wasting my time calling so i didn't bother..

[Ulysses G.]

I am a businessman and have meetings with Thais fairly often and most of them show right on time if it is at all important.

[TheVinylMan]

I am a businessman and have meetings with Thais fairly often and most of them show right on time if it is at all important.

obviously 500-600,000 baht worth of work for a thai is not important enough then........... now i know the answer....... do the work myself!!! thank you

[redscouse]

I let them know before that if they are late I will not see them, and those that are late do not get seen

[stiggy]

From my experience business wise most turn up on time, others have genuine reasons for being late.

Occasionally I will get some one take the p##s, so I simply just tell them im busy now and that is the end of it but that is very rare.

To be fair expats are a lot worse at time keeping and many have the whole Job = hobby attitude that I cant be bothered with.

Now builders electricians ect the world over they are always late,the good ones have plenty of work and I guess can afford there own schedule.

[RickBradford]

Actually, I find it equally annoying when they turn up early, which also happens sometimes.

It all comes down to respect.

In the West, we respect another person's time, because we respect our own time, and so we make an effort to be on time, and call if we're going to be delayed, and if we're early we walk round the block. (That's how it used to be anyway, I don't know about now).

Many Thais, I gather, don't even have respect for their own time, so it's unlikely they will have respect for ours. But the collision between the Western notion of time as important and worthy of respect and the Thai view of time as unimportant, is always going to cause problems. They think we're "time-obsessed" and we think they're lazy and disrespectful.

A friend of mine would always explain this to late-arriving locals (all over Asia, not just Thailand) by saying: "Time isn't important to you, and you don't care whether things get done on time or not. I do. That's why your country is in still in the sh*tter and mine is rich. Think about it."

He didn't make many friends, but he got things done; the locals learned that here was one guy you made an effort to turn up on time for, if you wanted his business.

[ianwuk]

A friend of mine was interviewing potential staff when one guy didn't turn up, he came the next day when she asked why he didn't come yesterday he said "it was raining".

Been there a few too many times. My reply is simply to state that I am from the UK (where it always rains apparently) and that if I can be on time and I am not a native then they have no excuse (they should know about bad traffic areas far better than I do and that rain is no excuse).

Ian

[doodee]

I find the farangs are getting worse at timekeeping and not been professional.Maybe this attitude is rubbing off.

[TheVinylMan]

Actually, I find it equally annoying when they turn up early, which also happens sometimes.

It all comes down to respect.

In the West, we respect another person's time, because we respect our own time, and so we make an effort to be on time, and call if we're going to be delayed, and if we're early we walk round the block. (That's how it used to be anyway, I don't know about now).

Many Thais, I gather, don't even have respect for their own time, so it's unlikely they will have respect for ours. But the collision between the Western notion of time as important and worthy of respect and the Thai view of time as unimportant, is always going to cause problems. They think we're "time-obsessed" and we think they're lazy and disrespectful.

A friend of mine would always explain this to late-arriving locals (all over Asia, not just Thailand) by saying: "Time isn't important to you, and you don't care whether things get done on time or not. I do. That's why your country is in still in the sh*tter and mine is rich. Think about it."

He didn't make many friends, but he got things done; the locals learned that here was one guy you made an effort to turn up on time for, if you wanted his business.

bloody hel_l......... you have nearly quoted me word for word on what i told one guy today ................ but I finished it off with i don't do late and i don't do wait.

Well to top it all off the meeting I should of had this afternoon turned up to see me at 9pm tonight............ not a care in the world .......... but hey........... its not all bad............ i got a great deal out of him after i managed to get thru to him what i wanted to do and what he was able to offer me.

So the week has finished on a high

[PeaceBlondie]

Mexicans are also not punctilious. It's ingrained from the times they had no wrist watches, and peasants could not control travel times. I heard similar for Greeks and Italians. Max Weber might relate us to the Buddhist Protestant Work Ethic.

[Benjie]

I have made 4 meetings this week for various things all with thai's ........... have any been on time?......... not one!!! and i dont mean 20 minutes late i mean 3 or 4 hours.......... and they turn up as if nothing is wrong............ then when I have ago at them for wasting my time waiting for them ............ i get the "pud maaaaaaaa " treatment from the g/f.................. can not win

So what is the secret to getting a Thai to keep to a meeting time???

SIMPLE

Arrange the meetings for 3 or 4 hours before you really want them.

But Seriously, try not to arrange meetings too early - mid afternoon meetings tend to work best in my experience.

[NCFC]

In my experience they are mostly on time. When they are not on time it is because they do not respect you. So the question to ask is why do they not respect you?

Resolve that issue and they will be on time.

[doodee]

In my experience they are mostly on time. When they are not on time it is because they do not respect you. So the question to ask is why do they not respect you?

Resolve that issue and they will be on time.

IF you are norwich city,then you didnt turn up last Saturday pmsl.m

[IMA_FARANG]

I have made 4 meetings this week for various things all with thai's ........... have any been on time?......... not one!!! and i dont mean 20 minutes late i mean 3 or 4 hours.......... and they turn up as if nothing is wrong............ then when I have ago at them for wasting my time waiting for them ............ i get the "pud maaaaaaaa " treatment from the g/f.................. can not win

So what is the secret to getting a Thai to keep to a meeting time???

Look I'm not criticising, but you have to understand:

You don't expect them to come to meet you, you go to meet them.

If you want to have a meeting with them call them or their secretary and ask when you can come to their office. Make an appointment time to meet them at their office. Then call again to confirm that meeting before you leave, to be sure they are in the office and available for the meeting when you get there.

I assume you are trying to sell them some product or service?

From the way you talk it sounds as though you are expecting the Thais to come to meet you as a favor. You are giving the impression that you feel you and your concerns are more important than theirs, and you act as though you were summoning them to you.

You won't get very far in business in Thailand with that attitude, because you are telling the Thai, "I am more important than you so you must come and see me."

To a Thai that means they are "losing face" to you. The whole "meeting" thing is poisoned because you are assuming an attitude of superiority before you even meet them.

Type A personality doesn't work in Thailand. Many of the business contacts are cultivated by a long period of contact and mutal respect based on those contacts.

Social contacts, outside the office, are also important. Don't just barge in and expect to do business.

So if you want to have a meeting with a Thai businessman, you should expect to go to meet him, not the other way around.

If you want to have success in Thailand, get off your European/Farang obcession with "on time", and "quick decisive meetings".

You mau not agree with that, but unless you learn to be more laid back, you won't do well in Thailand.

[temo1051]

I am a businessman and have meetings with Thais fairly often and most of them show right on time if it is at all important.

I agree. Meeting with professional staff, ie; attorney's, accounts and people who want to sell me something are always on time. Meetings with repairmen, contractors etc. are always 1.5 to 2 hours late.

[TheVinylMan]

I have made 4 meetings this week for various things all with thai's ........... have any been on time?......... not one!!! and i dont mean 20 minutes late i mean 3 or 4 hours.......... and they turn up as if nothing is wrong............ then when I have ago at them for wasting my time waiting for them ............ i get the "pud maaaaaaaa " treatment from the g/f.................. can not win

So what is the secret to getting a Thai to keep to a meeting time???

Look I'm not criticising, but you have to understand:

O

You don't expect them to come to meet you, you go to meet them. WHY?? I AM WANTING THEM TO COME AND DO WORK FOR ME.... IF THEY CANT BE ARSED TO TURN UP FOR MEETINGS THEN THEY CANT BE ARSED TO DO ANY WORK IS MY VIEW

If you want to have a meeting with them call them or their secretary and ask when you can come to their office. Make an appointment time to meet them at their office. Then call again to confirm that meeting before you leave, to be sure they are in the office and available for the meeting when you get there. I HAVE GOT MANY CONTRACTORS/SUPPLIERS SEEING ME ON SITE FROM 8AM TILL 9PM SOME NIGHTS..... GOING TO THERE OFFICE IS IMPRACTICAL

I assume you are trying to sell them some product or service? NEVER ASSUME ANYTHING............ LIKE YOU HAVE HERE. ........AND ALL THE WAY THRU YOUR ANSWER........... I AM OFFERING THAIS WORK CONTRACTS FOR THINGS I NEED DOING.... AND THEY CANT BE BOTHERED TO SHOW UP

From the way you talk it sounds as though you are expecting the Thais to come to meet you as a favor. You are giving the impression that you feel you and your concerns are more important than theirs, and you act as though you were summoning them to you. WHY SHOULD I GO TO THEM IF I WANT THEM TO WORK FOR ME??? HAVE YOU EVER HAD A PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYER COME TO YOUR OFFICE AND INTERVIEW YOU?? IF THEY WANT THE WORK AND ARE KEEN ENOUGH THEY WILL COME TO ME

You won't get very far in business in Thailand with that attitude, because you are telling the Thai, "I am more important than you so you must come and see me." 3 BARS AND 2 NIGHTCLUBS SO FAR........... NOT DOING TOO BADLY SO FAR ..... AGAIN I BELIEVE YOU HAVE ASSUMED BECAUSE I HAVE LESS THAN 100 POSTS THAT I AM NEW TO THAILAND............ NOT NEW TO THAILAND........... ONLY TV

To a Thai that means they are "losing face" to you. The whole "meeting" thing is poisoned because you are assuming an attitude of superiority before you even meet them. THEY WORK FOR ME SO I AM THE BOSS

Type A personality doesn't work in Thailand. Many of the business contacts are cultivated by a long period of contact and mutal respect based on those contacts. WHAT A CROCK OF SHIT WHERE IS THE TYPE B PERSONALITY..... DID YOU FORGET TO COPY AND PASTE THAT

Social contacts, outside the office, are also important. Don't just barge in and expect to do business. YOUR STILL ASSUMING I AM SELLING THEM SOMETHING.

So if you want to have a meeting with a Thai businessman, you should expect to go to meet him, not the other way around.IF THEY DONT COME TO ME I DONT GIVE THEM CONTRACT....... I AM TOO BUSY TO BE RUNNING AROUND...... AT THE PRESENT TIME IN BANGKOK

If you want to have success in Thailand, get off your European/Farang obcession with "on time", and "quick decisive meetings".

You mau not agree with that, but unless you learn to be more laid back, you won't do well in Thailand... AS SAID BEFORE OWNING 2 NIGHTCLUBS AND 3 BARS I BEG TO DIFFER

ANSWERS IN BOLD ABOVE

[underpaid1]

hi,

so far, my meetings with thai people have been on time, from professional to social. but then ive been around here only 2 years on/ off. also, i'm normally humble (lots of head bowing/ smiling), which i think in asian culture, helps quite a bit in the respect catagory. i think if you show respect to your aquaintances, they will mimic your actions (being on time) to show the same respect back towards you.

[pedro01]

In about 13 years here, I would have to say it's extremely rare for someone to turn up late for a meeting - be it an office meeting or a lunch/dinner meeting.

In fact, apart from a recent trip to BOI for a 9am meeting where the officer was stuck in traffic, I'd say it's been 4-5 years since someone was late. Generally speaking though, I do avoid early morning meetings of evening meetings where traffic is likely to be an issue.

[QED]

I have made 4 meetings this week for various things all with thai's ........... have any been on time?......... not one!!! and i dont mean 20 minutes late i mean 3 or 4 hours.......... and they turn up as if nothing is wrong............ then when I have ago at them for wasting my time waiting for them ............ i get the "pud maaaaaaaa " treatment from the g/f.................. can not win

So what is the secret to getting a Thai to keep to a meeting time???

Look I'm not criticising, but you have to understand:

O

You don't expect them to come to meet you, you go to meet them. WHY?? I AM WANTING THEM TO COME AND DO WORK FOR ME.... IF THEY CANT BE ARSED TO TURN UP FOR MEETINGS THEN THEY CANT BE ARSED TO DO ANY WORK IS MY VIEW

If you want to have a meeting with them call them or their secretary and ask when you can come to their office. Make an appointment time to meet them at their office. Then call again to confirm that meeting before you leave, to be sure they are in the office and available for the meeting when you get there. I HAVE GOT MANY CONTRACTORS/SUPPLIERS SEEING ME ON SITE FROM 8AM TILL 9PM SOME NIGHTS..... GOING TO THERE OFFICE IS IMPRACTICAL

I assume you are trying to sell them some product or service? NEVER ASSUME ANYTHING............ LIKE YOU HAVE HERE. ........AND ALL THE WAY THRU YOUR ANSWER........... I AM OFFERING THAIS WORK CONTRACTS FOR THINGS I NEED DOING.... AND THEY CANT BE BOTHERED TO SHOW UP

From the way you talk it sounds as though you are expecting the Thais to come to meet you as a favor. You are giving the impression that you feel you and your concerns are more important than theirs, and you act as though you were summoning them to you. WHY SHOULD I GO TO THEM IF I WANT THEM TO WORK FOR ME??? HAVE YOU EVER HAD A PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYER COME TO YOUR OFFICE AND INTERVIEW YOU?? IF THEY WANT THE WORK AND ARE KEEN ENOUGH THEY WILL COME TO ME

You won't get very far in business in Thailand with that attitude, because you are telling the Thai, "I am more important than you so you must come and see me." 3 BARS AND 2 NIGHTCLUBS SO FAR........... NOT DOING TOO BADLY SO FAR ..... AGAIN I BELIEVE YOU HAVE ASSUMED BECAUSE I HAVE LESS THAN 100 POSTS THAT I AM NEW TO THAILAND............ NOT NEW TO THAILAND........... ONLY TV

To a Thai that means they are "losing face" to you. The whole "meeting" thing is poisoned because you are assuming an attitude of superiority before you even meet them. THEY WORK FOR ME SO I AM THE BOSS

Type A personality doesn't work in Thailand. Many of the business contacts are cultivated by a long period of contact and mutal respect based on those contacts. WHAT A CROCK OF SHIT WHERE IS THE TYPE B PERSONALITY..... DID YOU FORGET TO COPY AND PASTE THAT

Social contacts, outside the office, are also important. Don't just barge in and expect to do business. YOUR STILL ASSUMING I AM SELLING THEM SOMETHING.

So if you want to have a meeting with a Thai businessman, you should expect to go to meet him, not the other way around.IF THEY DONT COME TO ME I DONT GIVE THEM CONTRACT....... I AM TOO BUSY TO BE RUNNING AROUND...... AT THE PRESENT TIME IN BANGKOK

If you want to have success in Thailand, get off your European/Farang obcession with "on time", and "quick decisive meetings".

You mau not agree with that, but unless you learn to be more laid back, you won't do well in Thailand... AS SAID BEFORE OWNING 2 NIGHTCLUBS AND 3 BARS I BEG TO DIFFER

ANSWERS IN BOLD ABOVE

Seconded. (The bits in bold)

What a ###### wannabee Thai apologiser.

It helps if you read the OP before coming up with such diatribe.

(I thought I should edit that, is tosser a swear word on TV?)

[Who, me ?]

No problem here , in general. If an appointment is very late and did not call to inform, then when he/she shows up, I turn them down, no matter what was the purpose

But again, usually no problem

[fatfather]

I am a businessman and have meetings with Thais fairly often and most of them show right on time if it is at all important.

I agree 100%. As long as it is not just any meeting but a business meeting the Thais show up in time. Other meetings are subject to Thai style interpretation of time. This shouldn't bother, we live in Thailand.

[mrtoad]

I have made 4 meetings this week for various things all with thai's ........... have any been on time?......... not one!!! and i dont mean 20 minutes late i mean 3 or 4 hours.......... and they turn up as if nothing is wrong............ then when I have ago at them for wasting my time waiting for them ............ i get the "pud maaaaaaaa " treatment from the g/f.................. can not win

So what is the secret to getting a Thai to keep to a meeting time???

Actually the ones that I deal with are always on time, it's normally my Singaporean colleague who is late.

[mmushr00m]

Yes I have, infact they arrived even before I did and I was 10minutes early.

[Briggsy]

Either you are doing business with tossers (how were you recommended or introduced to these people?) or they have deprioritised you for some reason.

Believe me, if they felt you were important to them, they would have been on time.

[sirineou]

I have made 4 meetings this week for various things all with thai's ........... have any been on time?......... not one!!! and i dont mean 20 minutes late i mean 3 or 4 hours.......... and they turn up as if nothing is wrong............ then when I have ago at them for wasting my time waiting for them ............ i get the "pud maaaaaaaa " treatment from the g/f.................. can not win

So what is the secret to getting a Thai to keep to a meeting time???

I am a great believer on working the telephone. Before any of my appointments I always call to confirm. Many things can happen between the time the appointment was made and the time of the meeting. Also when I make an appointment if I can, I always ask “ can we meet x time or xy time would be better for you, It has being my experience that, Thais in their desire to please and some times to save face, if not given a choice will agree to a time schedule that is not realistic for them.

[mangoman007]

I also agree: It comes down to respect. If they respect you, and your time, they will be on time. Although the higher the status of the person, the longer you will sometimes have to cool your heels (but no longer than 10-15 minutes). If you are being kept waiting all the time, then get a different job.