Thailand travel advice
Thailand is well know for is tolerance and hospitality, and the average tourist will easily adjust to the local customs. For some the Thai culture might be unfamiliar but in most situations the use a common sense, good manners, polite behaviour and friendly attitude will be sufficient to have a good relation with Thais. Especially your smile will ensure a positive response. However it is worth to know the main points of a behaviour code in Thailand.
Thai social customs.
The don'ts of Thai social behaviour are
less clearly defined than these concerning the monarchy or religion,
especially in a city like Bangkok where western customs are better
known and more widely accepted. However, what is acceptable in
Bangkok may not be in the countryside where the old ways are still
prevalent. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Shoes
should be removed when entering private Thai homes
Thais do
not normally shake hands when they greet one another, but
insteadpress the Palms together in a prayerlike gesture called a
wai. Generally, a younger person wais an elder, who returns it.
Watch how the Thais do it, and you will soon learn.
It is
considered rude to point your foot at a person, so try to avoid
doing so when sitting opposite anyone, and following the conception
that the foot is a low limb; do not point your foot to show anything
to anyone, but use your finger instead.
Thais regard the head
as the highest part of the body both literally and figuratively. As
a result, they DO NOT approve of touching anyone on that part of the
body, even in a friendly gesture. Similarly, if you watch Thai at a
social gathering, you will notice that young people go to
considerable lengths to keep their heads lower than those of the
elder ones, to avoid giving the impression of "looking down" on
them. This is not always possible, of course, but it is the effort
the counts.
Public displays of affection between men and
women are frowned upon. You may see some very Westernized young Thai
couples holding hands, but that is the extent of the displaying of
affection in this polite society.
Losing your temper,
especially in public, will more than likely get you nowhere, The
Thais think such displays denote poor manners, and you are more apt
to get what you want by keeping a cool head and concealing your
emotions.
Do not be surprised if you are addressed by your
first name; for instance, Mr. Bob of Miss Mary-instead of by you
surname. This id because Thais refer to one another in this manner,
usually whith the title "Khun" (Mr., Mrs., or Miss) in front. Follow
the customs of the country as far as possible, and you'll make more
friends during your stay. The more friends you make, the more you
will want to return to Thailand.
The Thai Royal
Family.
The Thai love and are proud of their royal
family. You should not make any bad comments about the royal family
as this will not be tolerated by all Thais.
You are not be allowed take photos or
touch any royal exhibits when you will visit palaces or museums.
It's obligatory to stand when the King's anthem is played in
the cinemas.
Religion
Visitors should
dress neatly when going to religious shrines. They should never go
shirtless, or in shorts.
It's all right to wear shoes while
walking around the compound of a Buddhist temple, but not inside the
chapel where the principal Buddha image is kept. Don't worry dirt
when you have to take them off; the floors of such places are
usually clean.
Each Buddha image, large or small, ruined or
not, is regarded as being sacred object. Never climb onto one to
take photograph or do anything that might show lack of respect.
When you sitting in a temple always ensure that your feet
are not directed towards Buddha image.
Buddhist priests are
forbidden to touch or to be touched by a woman or to accept anything
from the hand of one. If a woman has to give anything to a monk or
novice, she first hands it to a man, who then presents it. Or in
case of a woman who wants to present it with her hand, the monk or
novice will spread out a piece of saffron robe or handkerchief in
front of him, and the woman will lay down the material on the robe
which is being held at one end by the monk or novice.
In a
Muslim mosque, men should wear hats and women should be well-covered
with slacks or long skirt, a longsleeved blouse buttoned to the
neck, and a scarf over the hair. All should remove their shoes
before entering the mosque and should not be present if there is a
religious gathering.
