yes i know. but i mean to the level of extreme of overworking one's self to save face.

I'm really not to sure if this is actually a matter of face, but in Thailand, face is everything.

Reality is of little concern. Appearance is everything.

I think it is much more than not wanting to be caught lying.

It's about time Thai's got into the 21st century, and concerned them selves with the truth, rather that saving face. The more you ignore there facile concerns the quicker they will learn.

As one who has personally experienced the negative consequences of "face" in the Thai public service (Dept of Public Welfare) I can assure you that "face" is not the same as just being embarrassed at having made a mistake, or being caught lying, as you would find in Farangland. In LoS it is a much deeper and stronger influence: an all-pervading, unseen, unspoken force that stifles progress and restricts everyone's effectiveness.

better still: tell another colleague and ask him/her to relay the message to your subordinate. - I've seen this more times than I care to count, and it pisses me off that my Thai boss is a coward to step up to me or a colleague face to face and say what bugs her. more than once, if it is a serious or uncomfortable issue, we have told her that if she has a problem, she should deal with it personally. - I know I am in Thailand and I should be the one to adapt, but I do it in many other ways. I just refuse to sort things out for someone else who is supposed to be in charge and manage 8 other people.

I think it's her ego/pride you're talking about. I think it's not only the Thais who mind how they perform in front of other people.... http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/imag...s/rolleyes.png

While many apologists will wax on and on about the importance of face in Thai society, I have come to believe that it is just a catch all for immature people who don't like being caught in a lie.

Well all these management books they forced me to read, basically they all said the same thing.

Avoid criticizing your subordinates in front of other colleagues, especially colleagues beneath him or her you are addressing. If possible have a private meeting.

Make sure you focus on the action, not the person himself.

Don't slander in you coffee break, the subordinate and his colleagues must feel you are still confident in him or her.

I could go on a bit but this sounds like saving the poor henchman's face.

Imo nobody likes to be caught in a lie or fail or be even be embarressed. Most people want people to appreciate them rather then to frown at them. Some countries call this face.

Losing face??
 

hello this may seem like a strange question. but it is important. i want to know how important reputation is in Thai culture because my girlfriend is Thai and i really need to know this but she is busy and may not admit if she is concerned about this. i need to know if Thai people will worry about losing face. simply because my girlfrend seems very concerned that she will look bad so she keeps taking more responsibility than she can handle and i am concerned it will damage her health

Or you could just admit you are wrong once in a while...
Or if embarrassed you might just laugh it off...

Well they say burnouts are common even in the west