Thailand is often referred to as the ‘Land of Smiles’. That is not due to any coincidence; everyone having visited the country knows that the Thais as good as always have a smile up their sleeves. Nonetheless, there are a number of things the Thais generally dislike: do not point at anyone with your foot, and do not touch the head of a stranger.
Religion and Smiling
Buddhism is vital for the Thais and is one of the most important building blocks of the culture of the country. Everywhere in Thailand, there are temples and monks. Respecting other human beings and their faith is natural in Buddhism. Hence, Thais are not prejudiced against other cultures — which also means they expect people from other cultures to show respect for the Thai culture.
So, how can one show respect to the Thais and their culture? Well, smiling back is of course quite a good starting-point. There are, though, some rather good rules of thumb worthy of bearing in mind: It is considered very impolite pointing with one’s foot at somebody. Similarly, touching at someone’s head is also considered highly improper.
Culturally Correct Movements
In Thailand, people greet each other with a so-called ‘wai’. Doing one is no child’s play as there are several levels of wai. Without going to much into detail, the idea is to put one’s palms together, holding the fingers tight and stretched, and then raise them towards one’s head. There is your wai! Depending on the seniority and age of the person whom you are wai’ing, you should hold your hands at different heights; a younger person should hold their hands higher than an elder person.
Also the position of one’s head is important for a Thai passing someone elder or more senior. For many Thais, passing a foreigner — ‘farang’ — is equivalent of passing an elder Thai, irrespective of the fact whether the foreigner actually is elder or not. This is why you may see some Thais crouching when they pass you.
Face Loss, Food and Dancing
Losing one’s face is devastating for a Thai. That is why it is seldom a good idea yelling at Thais if they don’t do what you want them to. Should you do that, it is in fact quite likely you will be left solving the issue on your own — without any Thai assistance. The moral: even if things go wrong (and they indeed do more often than not!), the best solution is to keep just patient and calm.
Food is important for Thai people, and they passionately love their dishes. Maybe, that helps explaining why Thai food increasingly is getting so popular throughout the world. You can read more about what Thailand has to offer when it comes to culinary gastronomy in our Thai Food section. Please do remember that Thai food is hot, so think twice before ordering ‘extra spicy’!
Traditional Thai dancing is a popular feature in the entertainment business. Many restaurants offer dance shows as part of the dining experience. The dancers are often wearing decorative costumes depicting dragons, monkeys or fish. Singing is also popular — especially in the form of karaoke. Karaoke rooms/bars/discos can be found virtually everywhere in the country.
Art and Dress Code
It is not hard to find beautiful art in Thailand. In the north of the country, the supply of genuine handicraft is abundant with generally high-quality products. However, be careful before trying to bring antiques out of the country as certain permits may be required. This also holds true for Buddha images.
Normally, you can dress in whatever you wish in Thailand. Having said that, when visiting temples, you need to bring along more than only shorts or bikini. Lastly, Thais really enjoy taking a shower — not only one time a day but often two or even three times a day. Thus, hygiene is important to Thai people.
