Have you tried emailing more than once? I wanted assistance from JVC to replace a remote control and received no replies for several weeks, but I kept emailing and finally got a response, and a new remote.
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Are Thai Companies
Started by ignis, 2010-08-04 08:14
#52
lingyaiyai
Advanced Member Posted 2010-08-04 22:27:07
^ ^^ Both absolutely correct. Some people come here and still think they're in Kansas. Learn how to do things the Thai way if you really want to be in business in Thailand. Get somebody proficient in the local language and culture to deal with the locals. It really is simple common sense. Thomo seems to be completely missing the point in his or her numerous posts. The point being that if a Thai company has gone to the trouble of creating English language pages on their website they should employ someone to service the responses generated. In post number 12 he or she arrogantly states: "Learn Thai, or at the very friggin least have a Thai PA if you're doing business here, in order to contact Thai companies you're looking to deal with. It's simple common sense of the lowest level." Presumably he or she believes this to be the case even if one happens to live outside Thailand - Kansas for example. Does he or she know what 'www' stands for I wonder? Please remember to engage brain before allowing fingers to make contact with keyboard - it's "simple common sense of the lowest level"! #53
thomo
Senior Member Posted 2010-08-04 22:30:29
I have done business with companies in S. America, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Japan. Unfortunately Thailand is stuck in a different dimension. 
#54
thomo
Senior Member Posted 2010-08-04 22:37:08
Thomo seems to be completely missing the point in his or her numerous posts. The point being that if a Thai company has gone to the trouble of creating English language pages on their website they should employ someone to service the responses generated. Absolutely correct. Of course they SHOULD. But it's Thailand, so they don't... (or the person employed is the boss' niece or friend's daughter to whom he owed a favour.)  Hence the disbelieve, confusion and bemusement by many (slightly ignorant) foreigners attempting to do business here without knowledge of how Thais and Thailand work.  BTW... doing a thread on what Thailand should do to progress, would get about 100,000 posts.
Edited by thomo, 2010-08-04 23:04:57. #55
Peterbigeyes
Senior Member Posted 2010-08-04 23:45:10
Google translate for the win
#56
thedivezone
Senior Member Posted 2010-08-05 01:26:19
For all those frustrated with Thai web companies, i have found one that actually replies to e-mails AND sends the products as well : www.condomshopping24.com Highly recommended !
#57
yabaaaa
Member in Uranus Posted 2010-08-05 01:30:32
How many responses would an email written in Thai get from Western companies in the West? Learn Thai, or at the very friggin least have a Thai PA if you're doing business here, in order to contact Thai companies you're looking to deal with. It's simple common sense of the lowest level. And the international language of business is?????? Thai?????? If you don't agree that people doing business here should learn Thai or have a Thai PA to communicate and correspond with Thai businesses here, then I feel you haven't been here very long. 84 years 3 months 12 days 18minutes and 54 no 55 no 56 seconds does that help? 
#58
yabaaaa
Member in Uranus Posted 2010-08-05 01:34:34
who would respond to it in a language other than English??[/quote]
Someone who understands a bit about Thailand, and has been intelligent enough to have a Thai employed to communicate with local Thai business. It's really quite a simple concept. [/quote] I want to buy fridge from a Thai company with an English/Thai website and ????????? or is that not the kind of "business" you had in mind? Edited by yabaaaa, 2010-08-05 01:35:06. #59
wolf5370
Can't Ree Member Posted 2010-08-05 06:26:44
The title of this thread is: "Are Thai Companies un interested in doing business ?". It is not, 'should we speak Thai to interact with Thai companies that offer only emails for contact and have English language websites".
Therefore, posts stating that you should speak/write Thai to do business here (or even buy anything) is irrelevent however much it may be true. The fact is that for any economy to grow it has to do international business. For any company therefore to thrive in such an environment, there must be English speaking sales staff. If 6k a month Mrs SomTam can't make muster, then to do such business, they need to hire someone that does - or do what many ompanies do and contract out to an Indian helpdesk. It does not take much to have brochures and price lists (PDF files) in English and auto send out both Thai and English versions based on the 'contact us - For price lists - click here' button - or on an autoreply on the company email. This would allow for automated responses (that are basically free one set up) and gives a professional feel. Online ordering and payment can also remove a lot of the headache. That way only serious (speific) sales queries or orders in English need to be routed through to the better paid better qualified reps. Not rocket science. The op's question is a valid one I feel. #60
jackr
Titanium Member Posted 2010-08-05 07:00:20
Very rarely not had a response to an email here, from dentists to exercise equipment, rare bottle of booze, books, fibre glass, service centres, you name it. Perhaps your email address is flagging up their filters and being trashed. Do you have a crappy Hotmail account? Also be sure to have a non-spammy subject and make the content nice and basic.
#61
ignis
Platinum Member Posted 2010-08-05 09:21:41
Very rarely not had a response to an email here, from dentists to exercise equipment, rare bottle of booze, books, fibre glass, service centres, you name it. Perhaps your email address is flagging up their filters and being trashed. Do you have a crappy Hotmail account? Also be sure to have a non-spammy subject and make the content nice and basic. No do not have a crappy hotmail or yahoo account.. use @gmail.com or @thail.com... Subject: is product + number as per there website. Oddly have emailed a number of Companies in the past for small items never a problem prompt reply, goods bought and received, things between 300 baht to about 5,000 baht... Just now wanting to spend 60-70.000 baht get no replies... 2 of the website state 'We speak Thai. English & German' so far have sent 2 emails one in English, 3 weeks later more or less the same in German. #62
MrBrad
Senior Member Posted 2010-08-05 12:25:14
Worldwide today English is the lingua franca (a medium of communication between peoples of different languages). Within Thailand, between hilltribe groups and Thai merchants or teachers, Thai (maybe Lanna Thai, maybe Standard/Central Thai, some kind of Thai) is most probably the lingua franca.
The hilltribe folks and those with whom they do local business most likely do not communicate with emails and websites. The merchants with websites have a different target for their customers. If they're setting up the website for show only, how are we, the potential customer to know? Assuming that management genuinely is interested in attracting customers from afar, then they should be prepared to communicate with their customers in today's language of business, i.e., English. If they are doing a great deal of business with clients in, say, Japan or Chile, then it would be wise to employ sales people who can speak and write Japanese or Spanish. But, as is true in the tourism sector, English is the common language. It all boils down to good management. If top-level managers really cared about the growth of their company and wanted additional sales--which is manifested by the satisfaction of the customers--they would make sure that business could be conducted effectively. As in The Emperor Has No Clothes, who's brave/foolish enough to tell them? #63
Payboy
Bored Member Posted 2010-08-05 13:30:13
They all knew how to say in English, “are you married, how long have you lived in Thailand, where do you work, do you have a house.” I think I've met some of them. One has even progressed to the much more complicated composition "Where you come from mister?" 
#64
TAWP
Libertarian Member Posted 2010-08-05 14:07:56
How many responses would an email written in Thai get from Western companies in the West? Learn Thai, or at the very friggin least have a Thai PA if you're doing business here, in order to contact Thai companies you're looking to deal with. It's simple common sense of the lowest level. And the international language of business is?????? Thai?????? If you don't agree that people doing business here should learn Thai or have a Thai PA to communicate and correspond with Thai businesses here, then I feel you haven't been here very long. Wait, a company in America that wishes to buy a product from an exporting company in Thailand...should hire a Thai person, even though the website is in English and they advertise that they are happy to respond in that language etc? I really don't think it is the language per se that is the issue. Not when even letters in Thai can be meet with forever silence... #65
ignis
Platinum Member Posted 2010-08-05 16:17:33
L O V E this one posted today about a Thai Company
xyz@co.th - I called up about the price and was told to email a request? Which I did...no response...don't know how to proceed there... #66
mrtoad
Titanium Member Posted 2010-08-05 16:25:26
How many responses would an email written in Thai get from Western companies in the West? Learn Thai, or at the very friggin least have a Thai PA if you're doing business here, in order to contact Thai companies you're looking to deal with. It's simple common sense of the lowest level. Looks like you have a friend.
#67
wolf5370
Can't Ree Member Posted 2010-08-05 16:57:28
How many responses would an email written in Thai get from Western companies in the West? Learn Thai, or at the very friggin least have a Thai PA if you're doing business here, in order to contact Thai companies you're looking to deal with. It's simple common sense of the lowest level. Looks like you have a friend. Yes, friends in banalty and flawed reasoning. The question to ask isn't, "How many responses would an email written in Thai get from Western companies in the West?" as English is THE international business language. The question should be "How many responses would an email written in English get from companies in Korea/Japan/China/India/Indonesia/Vietnam?" and I guess the answer in all cases would be a whole lot more than here. #68
Heng
some grey dots Posted 2010-08-05 17:39:47
There are folks who are apparently looking to make sure that the international business language is used and another group entirely who are just intent on conducting business.
My bet is on the latter team.
#69
thomo
Senior Member Posted 2010-08-05 18:06:53
Yes, friends in banalty and flawed reasoning. The question to ask isn't, "How many responses would an email written in Thai get from Western companies in the West?" as English is THE international business language. The question should be "How many responses would an email written in English get from companies in Korea/Japan/China/India/Indonesia/Vietnam?" and I guess the answer in all cases would be a whole lot more than here. Absolutely. Hence why it's simple common sense to either learn Thai, or to have a Thai assistant to help with contacting and dealing with local businesses. Don't think that Thailand is suddenly going to adapt to your ways, you need to adapt to Thailand to succeed here. Edited by thomo, 2010-08-05 18:35:24. #70
mark45y
Mr. Whippersnapper Posted 2010-08-05 18:54:52
Worldwide today English is the lingua franca (a medium of communication between peoples of different languages). Within Thailand, between hilltribe groups and Thai merchants or teachers, Thai (maybe Lanna Thai, maybe Standard/Central Thai, some kind of Thai) is most probably the lingua franca. The hilltribe folks and those with whom they do local business most likely do not communicate with emails and websites. The merchants with websites have a different target for their customers. If they're setting up the website for show only, how are we, the potential customer to know? Assuming that management genuinely is interested in attracting customers from afar, then they should be prepared to communicate with their customers in today's language of business, i.e., English. If they are doing a great deal of business with clients in, say, Japan or Chile, then it would be wise to employ sales people who can speak and write Japanese or Spanish. But, as is true in the tourism sector, English is the common language. It all boils down to good management. If top-level managers really cared about the growth of their company and wanted additional sales--which is manifested by the satisfaction of the customers--they would make sure that business could be conducted effectively. As in The Emperor Has No Clothes, who's brave/foolish enough to tell them? There is a feeling among Thais and a lot of posters on Thai Visa that Thailand is an old conservative country steeped in tradition that is very slow to change. That is just nonsense. Foolishness. Stupidity. Thailand completely changed in a matter of a few years from 1930 to 1950. And it was all due to one PM who felt his nation needed to be westernized. Thais used to eat with their hands, and the women were topless to use a couple of examples. After the PM began issuing edicts to eat with spoons and forks and ladies please put on a shirt everything changed. Unfortunately the PM that made all the changes was a fascist and probably should have been executed for war crimes but that is another story. For those who lived in or worked in Singapore in the 1960’s you know the drastic changes that country made to get where it is now. The PM however was not a fascist war criminal and he had more leeway than the PM’s of Thailand in that the military was on his side and was never as strong as the Thai military industrial complex anyway. Thailand has far more natural resources and potential than Singapore ever had or has. The only difference was leadership. Thailand could change in 5 years if there was some enlightened leadership and one of the first changes would be to start speaking English as in Singapore and follow the immigration policies that Singapore had as far as attracting quality administration. It doesn’t happen in Thailand because the powers that be don’t want to rock the boat. They are nearsighted and don’t realize the potential for everyone to be far better off. You are exactly right it is a matter of telling someone he does not have any clothes on. #71
Deeral
Super Member Posted 2010-08-05 19:22:35
Sometimes, the English language version of their website was only created to impress potential Thai customers. The firm wants to create the impression that it is modern and has international connections. You can sometimes observe that the Thai language version has been updated, while the English version remains as an empty shell, unchanged from whenever it was created. Low level Thai staff often freeze when they see English, and then hit the Delete key, thinking that if it is in English, it must be junk mail. I tend to agree - but what the companies are thinking when they get an email in English isn't clear. THey can't understand it so the best thing to do is ignore it - I don't think they realise that with every reply they fail to make they lose just a little bit more face....but at least they avoid any "unpleasantness" or "confrontation". It's all just part of Thai customer service - if it involves any effort on their part the vast majority just don't want to know #72
elkangorito
Licensed professional Cynic and 'Boundary Pusher'. Posted 2010-08-05 20:25:29
Yes, friends in banalty and flawed reasoning. The question to ask isn't, "How many responses would an email written in Thai get from Western companies in the West?" as English is THE international business language. The question should be "How many responses would an email written in English get from companies in Korea/Japan/China/India/Indonesia/Vietnam?" and I guess the answer in all cases would be a whole lot more than here. Absolutely. Hence why it's simple common sense to either learn Thai, or to have a Thai assistant to help with contacting and dealing with local businesses. Don't think that Thailand is suddenly going to adapt to your ways, you need to adapt to Thailand to succeed here. If I am correct, the internet is rather a global thing. As such, anybody in any other country other than Thailand, can access an English Thai website (presented in English) & can comprehend what is indicated on the website. A possible scenario. Non Thai internet user (English speaker of any nationality): Wow! This is just what I am looking for. Even better, I can send them an email & get more info. After 2 or 3 weeks; Non Thai internet user (English speaker of any nationality): I haven't received a reply to my request. I think I'll send them another request for info. After a further 2 or 3 weeks; Non Thai internet user (English speaker of any nationality): Obviously, they don't want my business. I'll go elsewhere. Businesses generally make it easy (or easier) for prospective clients to access information etc. Prospective clients do not generally learn a new language so that a target business/seller can conduct it's sales. Translated conversation with prospective seller after some months; Non Thai internet user (English speaker of any nationality): Thanks for your reply. I really like your product but it has cost me about <insert appropriate cost> to get information from you, also considering that it took me quite some time to find someone willing to help me (a Thai person who is capable of proper translation). As such, what discount will you give me? Thailand needs to adapt to the rest of the world...one way or the other. By pandering to their inability to change, one only exacerbates the problem in Thailand. Thanks thomo, for helping Thailand to avoid any sorely needed changes. #73
thomo
Senior Member Posted 2010-08-05 21:05:49
Thailand needs to adapt to the rest of the world...one way or the other. Congratulations, you're learning. Quote By pandering to their inability to change, one only exacerbates the problem in Thailand. Perhaps complain about your inability to understand Thailand and the way Thailand works on an internet forum... That should learn them. I, nor you, are going to convince Thailand to change. Go with the (Thai) flow here, you'll find the doors open far quicker.
#74
thomo
Senior Member Posted 2010-08-05 21:08:19
And btw, I'm sure I've mentioned it before... if anyone wants a 100,000 post thread, I suggest 'What should Thailand do to progress, in order to match the West'. After all, some people expect it to be the same.
Perhaps have the second title as 'why won't they do it?' A million post thread if ever there was one.
Edited by thomo, 2010-08-05 21:09:16. #75
thomo
Senior Member Posted 2010-08-05 21:15:03
By pandering to their inability to change, And btw, I'm not entirely sure that when conducting business in a very foreign culture and language, hiring a local to help communication, because you haven't learned the language, is pandering their inability to change. More like not doing so just ends up with you being very frustrated and bewildered, and left without your business deal, with the Thais none the wiser. Kind of like this thread really. Frustration and bewilderment with the culture/language barrier and how it left you empty handed, and how it doesn't work like in the West.
Edited by thomo, 2010-08-05 21:16:03. |
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