- Knowing how to greet and dress well in Thailand will earn you a great deal of respect as a traveler.
- Over 90% of Thais are Buddhists, and the religion strongly influences Thai cultural values.
- It's important to be respectful when visiting temples.
- It's also good practice to take your shoes off in homes, temples, and to avoid shaking hands, giving hugs, and touching your feet or others' heads.
When traveling to another country, it's easy to overlook that place's cultural norms.
But being culturally sensitive will help you not only gain respect as a traveler, but it will also help you gain insight into the values of the people you're visiting.
For Thailand in particular, basic knowledge of prominent philosophies of life such as "greng-jai," knowing when to wai, and how to dress, will help you have a more meaningful experience.
Use the "wai" gesture to greet locals.
The first must-know is how to greet locals in their language. Thais are all about being polite and respectful, even when greeting a stranger. To greet, you say "sa-waa-dii-ka" if you're female, or "sa-waa-dii-krap" if you're male, and use a gesture known as a "wai" as you say it.
The wai is a way to show respect that you will run into a lot in Thailand. Thais "wai" at the temple when they pray, will sometimes"wai" when they say kap-khun-ka (thank you), and when they greet others.
To perform a "wai," you place your palms together like a prayer over your nose, and bow slightly. You may use the greeting when you arrive and leave a place, when passing by locals, or when greeting a monk. If you find yourself in an informal setting it is OK to shorten the greeting to "sa-waa-dii."
Dress appropriately.
Thailand is a hot destination for backpackers. So when I started living here I was surprised to learn that backpackers are commonly seen as a nuisance. Thais rely on them for the tourism, but also despise them for the lack of respect they show to Thai culture, especially in how they dress.
This is because dressing "mai riap roi" in Thailand is one of the easiest ways to offend Thais. "Riap roi" is the general word for "appropriate" in Thai, and "mai riap roi" translates to not appropriate. To dress "riap roi," err on the side of conservative. You don’t need to go out and buy traditional Thai clothing, but you should wear clothes that cover your shoulders and knees.
You can get away with dressing how you like in big cities like Bangkok, but taking that extra step to dress appropriately will not only help you avoid sticking out as the "farang" (foreigner), but will also relay the message that you respect Thai culture.
Avoid bringing up politics and the Royal Family.
The Kingdom of Thailand is under The Royal Thai Government, where the King exercises sovereignty through the branches of government in place, and where his power checked by the Thai constitution. It's a great rule of thumb to avoid politics in any country you visit, but in Thailand it is especially important to avoid commenting on The Royal Family. The Royal Family is highly regarded and loved in Thailand, and speaking ill of them can lead to a legal penalty.
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