Foreigner Coexistence Seminar "Get to Know Thailand!" held on February 15th

In fiscal 2023, JAC held a total of six "Courses on Coexistence with Foreigners for Japanese People" free of charge as part of a project to help create workplaces that are easy for specified skilled workers to work in, including supporting smooth communication at the workplace and in daily life.

The sixth lecture on coexistence with foreigners, "Get to know Thailand!", was held online on Thursday, February 15. This seminar invited Mr. Hiromasa Iori (Forward Cooperative), who has worked in construction equipment sales in Thailand for three years and is currently involved in supervising and supporting foreign technical intern trainees at a supervision organization, as the lecturer. He spoke on a wide range of topics, from the basics about Thailand, such as Thai religion, history, food culture, and events, to the characteristics of Thai communication and useful Thai words to know.

For example, many Thai people are not good at setting long-term goals or working steadily, so praising them when they can do even small things will help them do their best; and Thailand has a conscription system, and military service is determined by lottery for 21-year-old men, so when offering a job, you should check the military service situation. It was an opportunity to learn very useful information that is different from other countries.

In useful Thai words, "Dee Dee" can be used to praise and encourage someone, and the "magic words" "Mai Pen Rai" can be used to cheer up someone who is feeling down. Please give it a try and communicate in Thai.

Main Q&A

• Q. Was there anything that surprised you in Thailand?
• In rural areas of Thailand, when building a house, people often build as much as they can with the money they have, and then resume construction once they have saved up more money.
• Q.Are there any religious considerations that need to be taken into account?
• In Buddhism, there is a belief that you should not touch the head. Never touch it.
• Q. Is Japanese language education widespread?
• Compared to other countries, Japanese language education is not that popular.
• Q. Is the grammar and pronunciation similar to Japanese?
• The grammar is not similar, but is closer to English.
  Japanese pronunciation is not difficult, but due to Thai customs, the end of words can sometimes rise.

And more.

Participant feedback (from the survey)

• I was able to hear some real stories about Thai people's personalities and how to interact with them.
• There were no companies or unions nearby that accepted Thai trainees, so I was glad to have the opportunity to learn about them.
• It was good that they not only explained the local and cultural aspects, but also the important things to keep in mind.
• Every class I learn a lot about the country, and there are many things that you don't learn in Japanese history, so I always enjoy the classes.
• I have been stationed in Thailand for 10 years, so my knowledge was below what I had.
• I have attended all of the sessions except for the first one. I hope to make it easy to understand and useful for the employment of foreigners in the future.

And so on.

If you weren't able to attend, be sure to check out the following:

Click here to watch what you missed

https://youtu.be/7bn0qwqa-40?si=dXzi0N_PuRJkFJIF

(Please note that due to privacy concerns, the Q&A Corner has been excluded.)

★Click here for the slides used

https://jac-skill.or.jp/news/files/document_20240215.pdf

In 2024, we will hold courses that will be even more useful to you, taking into account your requests and other feedback.
Thank you for joining us this year. We look forward to seeing you in 2024!

★For more information on the lectures on coexistence with foreigners, click here
You can view videos and materials for all courses. Please check them out!

https://jac-skill.or.jp/news/event/20230620.php

★Related articles here

What is the Thai national character? Introducing their personality and communication tips!

*Multicultural coexistence means "people of different nationalities, ethnicities, etc. living together while recognizing each other's cultural differences and striving to build equal relationships."