English for Work · English for Thai Professionals
Unit 0: The Stance
Clear, Courteous, Not Small
This opening module sets the stance of the whole series. You do not need more decorative English. You need English that lets you stay polite without becoming small.
Before this lesson: none. This is the starting point.
After this lesson: Unit 1 — Emails that Move Work
In Thai, softening language often protects the relationship. Words such as ขอโทษ, รบกวน, ถ้าสะดวก, and แล้วแต่ครับ keep the air smooth.
When those habits move straight into workplace English, the listener may hear something else: delay, uncertainty, or a request that is still optional.
| What we intend | What a workplace reader may hear |
|---|---|
| I am being polite. | This is not urgent. |
| I do not want to push. | There is no real request yet. |
| I am being humble. | I do not trust my own recommendation. |
| I do not want to argue. | I have no constraint that matters. |
The problem is not politeness. The problem is politeness that stops the work from moving.
The four-point stance
- Start with the work, not with an apology. Apologize when you wasted time or made an error. Do not apologize for having a task.
- Every useful message needs an owner, a deadline, or an ask. If none of these is present, the message is not finished.
- Politeness lives in clarity and respect for other people’s time. It does not live in extra decoration.
- You can lower the heat without lowering yourself. Use reasons, options, and a steady tone. Do not use self-shrinkage as a shield.
Core pairs
Not this
“Sorry to bother you, I just want to ask if maybe we can possibly consider changing the date.”
Use this
“Could we move the review to Thursday? Friday is too tight for the client file.”
Not this
“This is just my small opinion, but perhaps we should think about the budget.”
Use this
“I recommend we freeze new items this week. The budget is already over by 8%.”
Not this
“Whatever you think is fine.”
Use this
“Both options work. If we need the faster one, we should choose B.”
Pragmatic note
คำว่า sorry ในที่ทำงานใช้ดีใน 3 กรณี: ส่งสาย, ส่งข้อมูลผิด, หรือรบกวนนอกเวลาโดยไม่มีนัด นอกนั้นให้ขึ้นต้นด้วยสิ่งที่ต้องการให้เกิด คนอ่านอีเมลไม่ได้มานั่งรางวัลน้ำใจของคุณ เขามานั่งหาว่าต้องทำอะไรต่อ
คำว่า just และ maybe ในภาษาพูดทั่วไปฟังนุ่ม ในอีเมลทำงาน ถ้าใช้ซ้อนกันหลายคำ จะทำให้คำขอเล็กลงจนคนเลื่อนไปอ่านฉบับหน้า
Watch-out list for this unit
| Do not use as a default opening | Keep for real cases |
|---|---|
| Sorry to bother you Just a small idea If it’s not too much trouble Whenever you’re free Whatever you think |
Sorry I missed the deadline. Sorry for the confusion in the last email. Is this a good time? (when calling or messaging after hours) |
Practice
Rewrite each sentence so it stays polite, keeps its spine, and includes a request or a deadline. Do not make it longer than necessary.
- ขอโทษที่รบกวนนะครับ ถ้าไม่ยุ่งอยากให้ช่วยดูไฟล์หน่อยได้ไหม
- นี่เป็นแค่ความคิดเล็ก ๆ นะคะ อาจจะยังไม่ถูกต้อง
- แล้วแต่พี่เลยครับ อย่างไรก็ได้
- ผมไม่แน่ใจหรอกครับ แต่รู้สึกว่างานนี้อาจไม่ทัน
- รบกวนเมื่อว่าง ๆ ส่งมาได้ไหมครับ ไม่รีบหรอกครับ แต่จริง ๆ พรุ่งนี้เช้าต้องใช้
Possible answers
- Could you review the file by 4 p.m.? I need it for tomorrow’s summary.
- I recommend we cut slide 6. It repeats the same data.
- I can do either date. If the client is joining, Tuesday is safer.
- The current plan will miss Thursday. We need one extra day or fewer items.
- Please send it by 9 a.m. tomorrow. That’s the cutoff for the report.
Try this in one minute
Take one message you sent this week. Delete the first apology if no mistake was made. Keep only the ask and the time. Read it again. If it still sounds adult, the stance is working.
Cultural insight
Did you know?
Thai workplace courtesy often shows respect by making the speaker smaller. International workplace English more often shows respect by making the next action clearer. You do not have to abandon courtesy. You move it from self-reduction to responsibility.
Peace at work begins when speech does not injure the other person and does not erase your own place in the task.
Glossary
- Stance: the position you take in language, not only the words you choose
- Ask: the action you want the other person to take
- Constraint: a limit that must be respected, such as time, budget, or quality
- Kreng jai: the Thai habit of avoiding pressure in order to protect the relationship
- Pragmatics: how language works in a real social situation
Next in this series
Unit 1 — Emails that Move Work
Open the path
Series home · 0 Stance · 1 Email · Watch-out · 2 Strength · 3 Meeting · 4 Report · 5 Pitch · 6 Follow-through
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