Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Greetings
You will notice that Thai men and women address and greet each other with the word "wai",
putting your hands together in a typical prayer position and bowing slightly. As a foreigner
you are not expected to initiate this gesture but it is a good idea to return it if someone does
it to you. The wai can be a few things including a thank you, goodbye, or I'm sorry. You may
notice that Thai people often ask "where are you going" rather than say "hello", to which
you can respond "just down the street".
Another common theme in Thai daily life is the concept of "sanuk". In Thai it means that
something is fun or to enjoy life but more than that it captures the Thai mentality. Thai
people are on a whole very smiley, happy people who work hard but also focus on taking
pleasure in their lives. It is an infectious spirit so you may find yourself more relaxed and
prone to good moods when you return home.
