Customs in Thailand

Hopefully one of your primary concerns when heading to Thailand will be to ensure you are not culturally offensive. Here are a couple tips on how to ensure you are culturally sensitive in Thailand.

A woman may not touch a monk or give anything directly to him.
Do not sit next to a monk on the bus.
The seat closest to the door is usually given up for monks that board buses.
The head is considered the highest and most sacred part of the body. Therefore, do not touch the head and the shoulders and do not reach over people’s heads to get things.
The feet are the least sacred part of the body. Never point at a person or object with your feet. Remove your shoes before entering a Thai home and some businesses. If you are unsure whether to remove your shoes, look around and see if there are other shoes outside, or just take them off.
When walking or passing in front of people, especially older people, either sitting or standing, one should excuse oneself and lower the body a bit. Walk around a person lying on the floor resting or asleep. Never step across.
Physical contact with members of the same sex is both acceptable and common, and does not necessarily reflect sexual preference.
Shaking hands is not a common form of greeting in Thailand. A correct wai is gracious and a smile is sufficient.
Wai - the "Wai" is a sign of greeting or mutual recognition and respect. Buddhist monks never return a Wai from any layman or royalty but acknowledge a Wai with a nod.
Being proper is extremely important in Thailand whether at work, at school or in public. Thais are very honest. Their comments are not meant to offend, and are not offered in malice. You can expect many comments about your weight and skin colour. For some individuals this can be unsettling, but just learn to smile, accept, and to joke about whatever comments are given.
Expect Questions - Thais are very curious. Expect questions about where you come from, what you do, and how long you have been there. Answer their questions politely and smile.
Displaying Emotions - Thais place a great deal of importance on maintaining composure, and on not stirring up the emotions of others. Conflicts should be resolved quietly and respectfully. A smile can be more useful than a frown.
Especially important in Thailand is saving face. Do not act in a way that would make another person lose face in front of others. The Thais will not acknowledge individuals who express anger openly. Thais admire a cool heart (jai yen) rather than a hot heart (jai ron) and approach problems with the “mai pen rai” (never mind) attitude. If you adopt “mai pen rai” into your regular vocabulary and mindset, your life in Thailand will be a lot easier. If you reprimand, scold, talk down to or criticize a Thai person in front of another person, foreigner or Thai, you could potentially be losing an allay forever. You could also offend the Thai person and lose their respect as well.

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites