Work Culture Differences: USA vs Thailand

By Nina Pant

Over the past summer I received an amazing opportunity to be a marketing intern at a company called Lucta, located in New Jersey USA. Lucta is a global B2B flavors and fragrances company with headquarters in Spain and many offices located in various countries like Brazil, China, Thailand, and more. As someone who has only had internship experiences in Thailand, I was nervous about being an intern in the US for the first time. Although I had been attending university in the US for 2 years, I still did not know what to expect of the American work culture. I knew this experience would be different from any other internship I had in the past, so I had a goal to be open minded and to absorb as much knowledge as I could over the next 2 months. My first day at Lucta started at 8:30 am. As I reached the office close to 8:00 am, I noticed that there were already so many cars there so early in the morning. This is the first difference I noticed from work culture in Thailand. During the previous summer when I was working at Osotspa in Thailand, work started at 9:30 am and there were less than 3 cars there. This highlights how American work culture emphasizes punctuality and early start times, while Thai work culture is a little bit more laid back and doesn’t put as much importance on rigid start times. As I walked into the Lucta office, I was warmly greeted by the receptionist. She was quite a bubbly person and had sparks of energy even though it was only 8 in the morning. The receptionist had strong communication skills, engaging me with thoughtful questions about my background, expectations for the day, and informing me about my schedule for the internship. Her welcoming approach put me at ease immediately, setting a positive tone for my experience at the office. Reflecting on my experience in Thailand, the difference in reception struck me immediately. At my previous internship in Thailand, the atmosphere at the start of the day was much more reserved. In Thailand, the reception area was typically calm, with a gentle exchange of greetings and a slower pace to start the day. The receptionist would greet me with a polite nod or a soft smile, and there was a noticeable focus on maintaining a peaceful atmosphere. The reception area was a quiet space where people exchanged gentle greetings, sometimes accompanied by a traditional wai, the Thai gesture of respect. The contrast between these two receptionists was that the American was more extroverted, energetic, and bubbly, while the Thai receptionist was peaceful, reserved, and relaxed. Even though it had just been a few brief moments into my Internship at Lucta, I had already noticed major key differences between the work culture environments of American versus Thai. The objective for the first week was to have 1 on 1 meetings with various people in the company. I met with the marketing roles, sales, accountants, lab technicians, flavor chemists, HR team, the CFO, and the GM. I had a wonderful experience talking to each one of them and I noticed the same energy that I had encountered with the receptionist I had spoken to on the first day. Each and every one of them had excellent communication skills. They were engaged, bubbly, enthusiastic, and welcoming. I really enjoyed the 1 on 1 conversations with the various people at Lucta. In contrast to my experience at Osotspa, I noticed that work culture is a lot more of a reserved atmosphere, especially during initial interactions. Thai culture often emphasizes politeness and hierarchy, which can make people appear a bit more formal or cautious until a relationship is established. While people in Thai workplaces are generally warm and welcoming, they may initially focus more on respect and modesty rather than openly expressing enthusiasm or energy in the same way I observed at Lucta. In Thailand, building relationships with coworkers often took time, unlike at Lucta, where everyone was immediately open and enthusiastic. Relationships with co-workers back home were developed over several weeks. I felt that they needed time to open up and feel comfortable, gradually becoming less shy and more expressive as trust built. This approach emphasizes patience and respect, reflecting a cultural preference for slowly developing bonds rather than diving straight into close, friendly interactions. In terms of the business aspects, I dove into the world of innovating new coffee flavors for the 2025 seasonal collection. Utilizing data analysis tools, I researched flavor and beverage trends using a platform called DataEssential to come up with new coffee ideas. By pairing a ubiquitous flavor such as vanilla, with a progressive flavor like ube, I was able to create a successful combination that could be a potential attraction for bold and open minded customers. I backed up my ideas with data driven insights, and repeated this process to come up with 10 other coffee flavors. The final touch was collaborating with the lab team to bring these flavors to life. Overall, working with flavors was an eye opening experience for me and my passion for this industry grew immensely. I attend multiple meetings such as new product launches, tasting sessions, and slideshow presentations discussing key factors for a new collection. I noticed that at Lucta, people were very collaborative and not afraid to voice their opinions and ideas. There was an equal distribution of power, creating an environment where everyone seemed comfortable speaking up, regardless of their role. This openness fostered a sense of mutual respect and made teamwork feel natural and productive. In comparison, meetings in Thailand often have a more defined power dynamic between the boss and employees. While opinions are still expressed and shared, there is a stronger emphasis on showing obedience and respect toward the boss. This respect shapes the way ideas are presented, often with more caution and deference to hierarchy. Overall, my internship experience at Lucta was truly eye-opening. Adapting to a completely new workplace environment challenged me to be flexible and open-minded. Both work cultures (American and Thai) have their own unique strengths. I am grateful to have experienced and learned from each, broadening my understanding of how work cultures in various countries differ, and learning from the positive aspects of both.