The Sino-Thai connection in the AOT project

When Nora, a Thai girl from the administrative department, handed over a gift box to wish her a happy Mother's Day, Jiang Wenjun, a contract officer assigned to the China Harbour Engineering Co's AOT project, realized that today, Aug 9, is Thai Mother's Day.

The gift box contained Thai aromatic essential oils and a packet of Chinese jasmine tea and a bilingual greeting card with the words "Gratitude is like the fragrance of flowers, blessings that transcend mountains and rivers" written in both Chinese and Thai.

Jiang recalled that when she first arrived in Thailand, she couldn't even get the angle right for the Wai, the traditional Thai greeting. It wasn't until she attended the "Sino-Thai Cultural Bridge" training program organized by the project department that she learned that the height of the fingertips in the Wai is related to the level of respect.

That night, Chinese and Thai employees gathered with their mothers for a celebration. The long table was adorned with Thai jasmine garlands and mango sticky rice, as well as handmade dumplings from Chinese employees. Nora taught Jiang how to weave flower trays with plantain leaves, while Jiang showed Nora how to make Chinese knots with red strings.

At the "Quality Month" event that started on Sept 1, Chinese and Thai employees were divided into five teams for a skill competition. The highlight was the "Blind Test", where participants had to identify material specifications by feel alone. Thai employee Somchai identified three different bolt specifications thanks to years of experience, while the manager of the equipment department Long Ting recorded tapping sounds on his phone for soundwave analysis.

For Jiang, integration occurred in deeper aspects. The new-employee training system she oversees made Chinese employees learn about Thai etiquette and culture, while Thai employees gain insights into the management philosophy of Chinese enterprises.

When Chinese engineers learn to sprinkle water as a blessing during the Songkran Festival, and Thai employees understand the cultural significance of red envelopes during Spring Festival, relationships stronger than concrete are forged.