Having spent half of my life in the general area (mainly Thailand), I'd recommend not taking anything too expensive with you. The general tone is usually, "If it's got a blade, we can confiscate it...". There are stories of people having the Leatherman or a Victorinox confiscated from their car emergency kit, or at least being threatened with confiscation and a fine until they pony up some cash. The official guidelines usually lean towards no pocket knives of any kind being allowed in public - this is the kind of information you will receive from the consulate office.
I've always been lucky myself - carried a (locking) Vic pretty much the entire time I lived in Asia (about 10 years) and never had an issue. As long as you don't start waving your folder around on the street, it's very unlikely anyone will take notice. As soon as someone DOES notice, however, all bets are off.
Basically: Take something you won't mind having confiscated. Nothing that can't be replaced easily. Something discreet.
-edit- Oh by the way, most big cities in Thailand now have metal detectors at the entrances to most public buildings, such as shopping malls. You go through, the detector inevitably beeps, and they'll want to look inside your bag. So make sure your pocket knife is in an actual (preferably pants) pocket and not clearly visible flopping inside your backpack or whatever else you may carry.
