Listening—Why I pay close attention to what Thais have to say: 

With a unique culture borne of its long history, Thailand is also an international country that welcomes people from neighboring countries and beyond. It overflows with the appeal of diversity. Reflecting this feature of the country, people are intensely curious about new goods and services, show a high degree of adaptability to digital technology, and lead Southeast Asia in communications using social media.

I have been involved in business in Thailand for 18 years, and one thing I am always particular about is to listen carefully to what people, whether employees or partners, have to say. The reason? Many surprising opinions and brilliant ideas you’d never expect come out of this rich diversity of different cultural backgrounds. Moreover, the Thai people have both the broad-mindedness to respect opinions that conflict with their own ideas without rejecting them and the adaptability to reflect this diversity of opinion in solutions. I feel every day that this ability to engage in lively discussions and deliver diverse answers is one of the highlights of business in Thailand.

Dealing with Thai sei-katsu-sha since the early-1970s, the Hakuhodo Group has been present in Thailand for nearly 50 years, including a period operating through a representative office. Most recently, I had the pleasure of launching Hakuhodo International Thailand. I look forward to supporting Hakuhodo Group companies in Thailand more closely than ever with knowledge and tools, and to contributing to the creation of a bright future for Thailand.

Roles and titles current when this article was published in August 2020.