Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CULTURAL ETIQUETTE
Monarchy and religion are treated with extreme deference in Thailand. Thais avoid criticising or disparaging the royal
family for fear of offending someone or, worse, being charged for lèse majesté, which carries a jail sentence.
Buddha images are sacred objects. Thais consider it bad form to pose in front of one for a photo or to clamber upon
them (in the case of temple ruins); instead they show respect by performing a
wâi
(a prayerlike gesture) to the figure no
matter how humble it is. As part of their ascetic vows, monks are not supposed to touch or be touched by women. If a
woman wants to hand something to a monk, the object is placed within reach of the monk or on the monk's 'receiving
cloth'.
From a spiritual viewpoint, Thais regard the head as the highest and most sacred part of the body and the feet as the
dirtiest and lowest. Shoes are not worn inside private homes and temple buildings, as a sign of respect and for sanitary
reasons. Thais also step over the threshold, which is where the spirit of the house is believed to reside.
Thais don't touch each other's head or ruffle their hair as a sign of affection. Occasionally you'll see young people
touching each other's head, which is a teasing gesture, maybe even a slight insult, between friends.
Social Conventions & Gestures
The traditional Thai greeting is made with a prayerlike palms-together gesture known as
wâi
. The depth of the bow and
the placement of the fingers in relation to the face is dependent on the status of the person receiving the
wâi
. Adults
don't
wâi
children and in most cases service people (when they are doing their jobs) aren't
wâi-ed,
though this is a mat-
ter of personal discretion.
In the more traditional parts of the country, it's not proper for members of the opposite sex to touch one another, either
as lovers or as friends. But same-sex touching is quite common and is typically a sign of friendship, not sexual attraction.
Older Thai men might grab a younger man's thigh in the same way that buddies slap each other on the back. Thai wo-
men are especially affectionate with female friends, often sitting close to one another or linking arms.
Thais hold modesty in personal dress in high regard, though this is changing among the younger generation. The im-
portance of modesty extends to the beach as well. Except for urbanites, most provincial Thais swim fully clothed. For
this reason, sunbathing nude or topless is not acceptable and in some cases is even illegal. Remember that swimsuits are
not proper attire off the beach; wear a cover-up in between the sand and your hotel.
