Lisa

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These are some of the pics i took on my holiday.


 * Diary Entries**

Lisa Entry 1 Lisa Entry 2 Lisa Entry 3 Lisa Entry 4 Lsia Entry 5

These are some positive experiences had by others travelling to Thailand: http://www.43places.com/entries/view/1317943

http://www.43places.com/entries/view/1000126

And some not so positve: http://www.43places.com/entries/view/1355112

http://www.43places.com/entries/view/932293

Potential Situations:__ International visitor:** A member of the hotel staff, a room service attendant, was taking the guests food into his room and did not remove his shoes before entry. This is very offensive to the Thai people as it shows disrespect to Buddha.
 * __PART B


 * Solution to situation:** As a manager and also having traveled to Thailand very recently, i was aware of the fact that this was offensive. As soon as the problem came to my attention i apologised to the Thai gentleman straight away. I explained to him that most employees were unaware of this custom and i was only aware as i had just travelled there. He understood that they werent aware and i advised him that i would let any staff members that would go into his room know of the custom and ask them to follow it out of respect. He was very understanding and happy with the solution as another Thai custom is that they avoid conflict.


 * A staff member from a different background:** As a manager i asked a fellow employee in the switchboard to show a new trainee, who was from Thailand, around the basics of the hotel. Approximately 30 minutes later the employee came back to me confused and furious and she stated that she was showing the trainee around when she asked where the toilets were, so the employee showed her and the trianee proceeded into the male toilets. the employee was confused and did not understand why she would do that and confronted her saying that females were not allowed in the male toilets, to which the trainee screamed she was a male and she had a sex change but still had male parts and stormed off.


 * Solution to situation:** Because of my understanding of thailands culture and how alot of the residents make money with that preference i was able to explain the situation to the employee to put her at ease and give her understanding. I was also able to explain to the new employee that this sort of situation does not arise very often in this country and that he might experience some difficult situations however its nothing to be ashamed of. I also gave him the opportunity to come and talk to me whenever he felt necessary to which he was very pleased and excited about working with us.


 * Ways to handle the complaints:**
 * Listen to what they have to say then ask whatever questions you have.
 * Apologise sincrerly.
 * Solve the problem as quick as possible.
 * Report the situation to a higher staff member.
 * Offer the customer something, give them options.
 * Follow up on the situation to ensure the customer is satisfied.
 * __My Cultural Experience:__**

Forms of address: The most common form of address in Thailand is //the Wai//, which follows a very strict protocol. The Wai is a greeting and also a sign of respect, and is usually started by the younger person. However, from my cultural experiences here and in many other countries I have found that unless you can greet them in the exact way they do, it is best to greet them with a sincere welcome and a smile. Levels of formality / informality: When I was in Thailand it wasn’t very formal, as it’s a very touristy place everyone was very laid back. I’m sure if I was there on business and went to the right areas they could be very formal as well. Work ethics: When I was travelling I learnt that Thai people have a very strong work ethic as they have to work very hard to feed their large families and they have to work in some very busy times being in an all year round tourist environment. Personal grooming: From my experiences Thais like to be clean and unostentatious as a way of reflecting the state they want their mind to be in. Family obligations: The family is the cornerstone of the Thai society and family life is considerably more close knit than a western family. The Thai family is a form of hierarchy, with the parents at the top, and the children are taught to honour their parents. Religious holidays: From my experiences I know that Thais are extremely religious and perceive all holidays to be religious. Some of the holidays are: · January 1 - New Year’s Day · February (full moon day) - Makka Bucha · April 6 - Chakri Day · April 13 - Songkran, Thai New Year · May 1 - Labor Day · May 5 - Coronation Day · May 7 - Ploughing Ceremony · May (full moon day) - Visakha Bucha · July (full moon day) - Asanha Bucha commemorates the first sermon of Buddha · August 12 - Queen’s Birthday · October 23 - Chulalongkorn Day · December 5 - King’s Birthday · December 10 - Constitution Day · December 31 - New Year’s Eve Customs: Some Thai customs are: · Don't //wai// unless you know what you're doing. · Do dress modestly. Thais now understand that Americans may show up in shorts and tank tops in public, but would never do so themselves. Wearing long pants, and clean, neat clothes, will gain you an extra measure of respect. · Do not point your feet at anyone. · Do not touch anyone on the head. · Do show respect for the king. · Do watch for con games.

__Bibliography:__ [|http://www.gay-thailand.net] [|http://www.thailand.com] http://del.icio.us/chooky_2082