By Shabnam Mehta
In 2017, my company asked me if I wanted a transfer to Thailand. I have worked with Aditya Birla Group for nearly my entire career and until then, in Mumbai, with the same boss and colleagues. I was given a few months to decide. Along with the excitement, there was a sense of trepidation as my family’s situation meant that my spouse and child could not move with me. In my earlier trips to Bangkok as a tourist, I had found the city a delight, the people warm and friendly. But now I wondered if I really knew anything about the city or did I just seen it through rose-tinted glasses as do the millions who visit it annually.
Finding Thai language teachers was challenging but there was plenty of online resources. I began to understand quickly, as the commonality of words with Sanskrit and the linkage of alphabets through the Brahmi script became apparent. Soon I could understand standard greetings and read basic Thai. In mid- February of 2018, I moved to Bangkok.
Very quickly I noticed the skewed ratio favouring women at the office. I was the only non-Thai, and apart from my new manager and the office driver, every other employee in my department was a woman. Most conversations were in Thai, and it was tough to sit through meetings where I could only understand a few words. “Lost in Translation” now made complete sense. However, the overall environment at work was welcoming, and quietly my colleagues would give me little treats to eat. I have often wondered how Thai women stay so slim when they seem to be eating constantly. When I ask them the secret, they just stare at me, confused. It remains a mystery!
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