You’ll see odd things sometimes Behind the Bamboo Curtain.
You’ll notice businesses and government departments moving their employees around at short notice.
The Thai élite are paranoid that their senior staff will find ways of cheating them.
On the other hand, they can sometimes be very caring.
Benjawan had been taking a lot of time off work to look after her sick father recently.
The bank she works for has now fast-tracked her application for a transfer out of Bangkok to a branch in Chiangmai province where her family lives.
Family is Important to the Thai
You’ll find that most companies in Thailand will be flexible and accommodating when matters of family are concerned. There’s a strong concept of family in this country.
Her salary has dropped but not that significantly.
In any case, she believes her family comes first and any financial loss isn’t important.
A girl would leave her job to look after a relative, even if there wasn’t a prospect of a family inheritance to follow.
In fact, Gai, the bank’s cleaner, had given her notice last month for that very reason. Her family are poor.
Benjawan’s New Role
Last week, in her new role, Benjawan worked only three days. Her deputy has now been appointed in her place. She still has her office, moving her out would have been a step too far for an employee of her length of service and experience.
She concentrates now on new investment business. That doesn’t demand a great deal of contact with other bank employees.
Benjawan’s staff now use the word wanna (boss) when they speak to her ex-deputy and have dropped that title when talking to Benjawan.
I thought the change would have caused more problems but it clearly hasn’t.
I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised. Thainess always produces solutions where Face is not lost and conflicts are avoided.
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