Have you ever wondered why Thais don’t use globally trending apps like WhatsApp or WeChat? There are over 44 million active internet users in Thailand and if you ask them what app they use for messaging, almost all of them will say “LINE”. Why is it so popular among Thais? A big reason is the adorable and funny LINE stickers. They make LINE a perfect tool for communication in Thai culture.
Thailand has always had a high-context culture, where non-verbalcues are just as important as the literal meaning of a spoken message. In aThai conversation, a simple nod can mean a lot more than just, “Yes”. It canmean “I agree”, “I understand”, or even, “I feel great sympathy for you”.
The society’s lowmasculinity index and high power distance also have a strong effect on the way Thaiscommunicate. These factors not only affect the way Thai people talk, but alsothe way they text.
Feminine society: It’s all about “Greng Jai” (Being considerate)
Thais are generally less assertive and less competitivethan people in countries with high masculinity indexes. Most of the time, Thaisare content to follow the majority. ‘Non-conformist’ is not a label that mostThais would want to have.
Communication in Thailand is all about avoiding being too direct so as not to offend others. One of the worst things you can do to a Thai person is to humiliate them in front of a group.
For example, if someone presents an unpopular idea ina work-related group chat on LINE, a direct response like “No, that won’t work”would be extremely unlikely. Instead, coworkers will try to be indirect byproposing a better idea or by, you guessed it, sending a sticker. This helpsmake the reply less confrontational.
Respect is crucial
Thai society has a high power distance. There are manyunspoken rules based on social hierarchy.
One of the very first things Thais learn is to berespectful to others. They are taught to speak in a soft and polite tone ofvoice and always end sentences with a “krub” or “ka” when addressing elders or peopleof a higher social position.
When it comes to texting in Thai society, cutestickers can always come in handy as they can help end a conversation in a lessawkward manner. A sticker can be an excellent tension breaker, or even a visualversion of a “krub” or a “ka”.
Cuteness overload
Social dynamics are not the only explanations forThailand’s sticker obsession. Thais just simply love anything that is cute, or“kawaii” in Japanese. This is because Thai culture is heavily influenced by Japanese and Koreancultures, especially when it comes to cute cartoons.
Express yourself
Stickers can also help people express certain emotionsthat can’t easily be expressed by plain text.
Unlike emojis, stickers are created by visual artists,who either work for LINE or independently. LINE users have access to a plethoraof stickers with many different artistic styles. They’re a great way to addlife and color to a conversation, making them more interactive andentertaining.
A maze of a keyboard
The Thai language has 44 consonant symbols, four tonediacritics, and 15 vowel symbols that can be combined into over 28 vowel forms!“How do they all fit onto one keyboard?” you might be wondering. Well, that’sexactly why it’s easier for Thais to simply use stickers. Since the Thailanguage doesn’t have capital letters, the “Shift” button is used to access theother half of the alphabet, meaning that typing Thai requires constantly switchingthe keyboard layout.
Growing your brand’s presence on LINE
Among many other interesting features, LINE BCRM allows businesses to send personalized messages to their customers on LINE. And for Thai customers, stickers are outstanding attention-grabbers. It is wise to partner with a web agency in Bangkok when it comes to LINE BCRM solutions.
To learn more about all the exciting marketing opportunities available on LINE, contact Lexicon today.
