Cultural Issues in South East Asia

Before you set out for that holiday or business trip to the South East Asian region, be aware that there are some cultural issues that may impact on your experience. None of these are frightening or off-putting in a big way, just good to know about and expect. Forewarned is forearmed as they say.

Probably the most discussed cultural issue in the bulk of South East Asian countries is the concept of face. Face, and not losing it, is an issue we do not place a great deal of importance on in the west, but be prepared for it in this part of the world.

So what does this saving face mean? It means that when people deal with each other there is a greatly heightened awareness and priority on avoiding a perception of embarrassment or humiliation. This applies to you and to the other parties involved. An example would be a conversation between a student and their teacher. The teacher explains a process, and the student does not understand. In the west this would not be a very big deal at all. The student would be happy to, (and in fact be expected to), alert the teacher that they did not understand, and ask for it to be explained in a different way.

In the South East Asian countries of say Thailand or Indonesia, this type of situation would need to be handled carefully. From the students perspective, they firstly would not want to appear slow or inattentive, and may have an issue in asking for a clarification in the class environment. Also, as they would hold their teacher in high esteem, they would definitely not want to allude that they lacked the skills to explain things clearly. From the teachers perspective, they may find it difficult to accept a student expressing confusion in the classroom.

So in these countries, the student may well hold their tongue and either ask a fellow student, or seek to speak to their teacher in private later.

Another issue on this region that visitors may come across is etiquette at religious places. The term for a temple in Buddhist countries such as Thailand and Cambodia is Wat. When visiting a Wat, be sure to dress conservatively. There is no need to be formal, but please do not go in beach clothes or your short disco dress! Additionally, you will inevitably see a collection of shoes at the door. This is simply as the correct etiquette is to take your footwear off before entering. So if you are planning a day of serious temple visiting, a good tip is not to wear lace up shoes. You will find yourself exhausted by the end of the day if you do.