Ronald Reagan was in the White House loosening the government's grip on business. Andrei Agassi had just turned pro. Japanese management was all the rage in corporate America. And the Berlin Wall was about to crumble.

In the mid-eighties, with the US economy recovered from recession, an unprecedented excess of wealth was awash in the land. And it was not hard to see which cultures were dominating the world's geopolitical stage.

What second language would you have your children study? English? Japanese? Certainly not Russian - well, not before Putin came to power (given that you belong to his St Petersburg clique). And, for a well-to-do South Korean family, certainly not Thai.

Yet it was Thai that Hong Ji-hee studied, with the encouragement of her doctor father who thought that it was time to do something new and not just follow the herd - time for Hong to get out of her comfort zone.

Hong studied Thai language and culture at Chulalongkorn University for a year. She then swam upstream to Chiang Mai University for another year and finally spent her last four years in the South at Songhklanakarin University. The six-year sojourn in Thailand made a long-lasting impression on her.

"By living here, I was able to absorb everything Thai first hand, whether it was the language, the culture - these I got to know intimately. I have also experienced many things that tourists normally wouldn't be able to - the food, the secret natural hideaways," says Hong.

She founded the Korea-Thailand Communication Centre, or K-TCC, in 2002. Her company works as the missing link between Thailand and South Korea, fostering good rapport. K-TCC's services include guided tours in Thailand and Korea, advice on bilateral trade, and cultural and entertainment services such as taking care of Korean stars on their visits to Thailand.

"I found more similarities than differences between the two cultures. We are like siblings, in a sense," says the 38-year-old managing director, who divides her time between K-TCC's Bangkok and Seoul offices.

Hong, or Tuk-ta ("Doll" in Thai), says that misinformation is the company's biggest challenge.

"Many times Korean tourists came to Thailand and were ripped off. They no longer wanted to return to Thailand and the word-of-mouth got out of hand," says Hong, whose company wants to fill this information gap.

K-TCC has four main businesses.

"We act as translators for governments and businesses," she explains. "Secondly, we provide information on Korean pop culture, for example, on singers, actors, movies and soap operas in Thailand. Looking after intellectual property rights of Korean entertainment products is our third source of revenue. Lastly, we organise inbound tours for Koreans and outbound tours for Thais going to Korea."

With the Korean pop craze reaching its zenith in the Kingdom, her business - contrary to popular perception - is not a money-printing factory.

"Living expenses are relatively low in Thailand. That's the main reason we survive," reveals Hong, who is more concerned with importing quality products than those that would make a quick buck or two.

"Some Korean films are violent," she says. "We won't advise screening them. We want to introduce movies that will create a good feeling and understanding towards Korean culture. We want Thais to fall in love with our culture. I think 'Full House' is a good example."

When superstar Rain was here, Hong succeeded in asking the popular singer's manager not to charge his hefty Korean rate for appearances.

"I just want good feelings to flow between the two countries," she says. "If I wanted to get rich, I could have done so quite easily."

Building on trust, K-TCC's website attracts 100,000 hits a day. Thailand is the No-1 destination for Koreans. It is relatively cheap and offers many beautiful attractions. Yet some Korean tourists who have travelled here return with bad feelings. Tour companies overcharge them and leave a bitter taste in their mouths. K-TCC is here to right the wrong.

"There are tours which cost Bt10,000 to Bt15,000, but then tourists are overcharged as they are taken to golf courses, shady jewellery shops and overpriced spas. So in reality, they end up paying something around Bt40,000. They are taken for a ride.

"For us, though, there are no hidden costs. We charge Bt25,000 to Bt30,000. And that's it. We will take them to places with high standards, say, where Thai people actually go to shop. This way, everyone is happy."

K-TCC's business has grown through word of mouth. Hong says the number of inbound Korean tourists has quadrupled from last year.

In addition to spas and golf tours, health tours form a speciality niche that has been gaining greater popularity. Also proving to be a big hit are packages where Koreans can come to Thailand to study English.

"Thailand is a great country, but Koreans are plagued by misunderstanding and fears of the unknown. For example, they got really scared by the tsunami. The media portrayed it very luridly and Koreans bought into that wholesale. The same thing with the coup. We just want to reassure them that there is nothing to worry about. Thailand is still safe to visit," affirms Hong, who spends 20 to 25 days a month in Thailand.

However, one important aspect of Thai culture that Hong had difficulty with initially was the "sabai-sabai" attitude.

"Many Thais are too laid back," she says. "They like to say 'never mind'. This might cause misunderstanding with Koreans who tend to do things speedily and take no nonsense."

Single, she wants to devote herself to building closer ties between Thailand and Korea.

"If our relationship is like a tree, then K-TCC will be the fertiliser," she says.

Watcharapong Thongrung

The Nation