Working in Southeast Asia for a European company comes with plenty of cross-border bumps and quirks. Instant-messenger apps are the default communication tool for offices in these parts and Line is the dominant one in Thailand. Line suits this part of the world, where communication is personal, relationship-based and consensus-driven. Changing status “On holiday” works just like a regular out-of-office email and formal things are done in person with a paper record. The world might feel smaller and more uniform thanks to automation but cultural quirks in communication persist.