Originally Posted by jpatokal
Depends on your business. Wearing a tie certainly won't hurt (and is necessary for sales, finance etc), but the standard business 'uniform' throughout SE Asia is a long-sleeve shirt with no tie and the topmost button open.
I don't agree. Singapore is the most relaxed but even there a visiting business man would be wise to wear a tie. Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam are all more formal, and as a visiting business man I would always wear a full suit for meetings. Of course, as soon as introductions are done the jacket can be taken off.