The Monarchy
The monarchy is revered by all Thais and people will simply will not tolerate any lack respect towards any members of the royal family – past or present. Criticism of the king and royal family is not just frowned upon in Thailand; it is against the law
Religion
Thailand’s national religion is Buddhism (although there are significant numbers of Muslims and a minority group of Christians) and it is very important to be respectful as far as the religion is concerned. Always dress ‘politely’ when entering a temple or religious shrine
Buddha Images
Buddha images are sacred, whatever size or condition. Never climb on a Buddha image, and be very careful about taking photos.
Monks
Buddhist monks are not allowed to touch or be touched by a woman or directly accept anything a woman might offer. If a woman wants to give something to a monk it must first be given to a man, or put on a piece of cloth. The monk will then drag the cloth to him before picking the item up.
Shoes
Do not wear shoes inside a temple where Buddha images are kept. Also take your shoes off before entering someone’s home.
Greetings
We do not shake hands; we ‘wai’ – a gesture made by placing your hands together in front of your face a bowing a little. Generally, you should not wai to a child and a younger person should wai an older person first. However, these rules are possibly a little more flexible as far as a foreigner is concerned.
The Head
Whereas in the west a friendly pat on the head, especially the head of someone a bit younger than you, will be regarded as a friendly and supportive gesture, in Thailand any gesture towards the head will cause Thais to recoil and will be greeted with shock and possibly annoyance. We regard the head as the highest part of the body. As such touching someone’s head is entirely unacceptable.
The Feet
Whereas the head is the highest point of the body, the feet are the lowest. Do not point at things with your feet, and do not point the palms of your feet at anyone.
Thais are generally shy people and few are likely to walk up to you and engage in conversation. If this happens, and the conversation moves towards the purchase of gems, gold, jewellery or other such items, beware. Every year people get caught up in purchases of items at entirely inflated prices that have little or no value because they are told they can sell these items at a profit in their home countries. Remember you are here on holiday – not here to make a fast buck.
Remark: * take out from “Discovery Thailand.com” |
DOs & DON’Ts*
