Do's & Don'ts in Thailand

[KitKat]

Here are some very interesting facts to know if you're planning on traveling to Thailand.  Showing respect for Thailand's culture is very important and a must if traveling there.

"Dos and Don'ts in Thailand

One of the main reasons people travel is to explore other cultures and establish how other countries and cultures do things. It is then quite remarkable then to see people wandering around the kingdom imposing their cultural approach on the situations and events they encounter. Often these leads to confusion, worse, it sometimes leads to ugly scenes that are entirely avoidable with a modicum on insight on how things are done in Thailand. What follows then is a list of Dos and Don’ts for when you are in the kingdom:

The Monarchy

The monarchy is revered by all Thais and people will simply will not tolerate any lack respect towards any members of the royal family – past or present. If you come from a culture like that in the United Kingdom, where royals are often in the news and are sometimes subject to criticism, be especially careful. Criticism of the king and royal family is not just frowned upon in Thailand; it is against the law – a punishable offense that is taken very seriously. As an example to underscore the importance of this issue, in 2002 two journalists from the Far Eastern Economic Review published a short article about the relationship between, Thaksin Shinawatra, the country’s prime minister, and King Bumibol Adulyadej. As a result of the article, the journalists were threatened with expulsion for contravening Thailand’s tough lèse majesté laws.

Religion

Thailand’s national religion is Buddhism (although there are significant numbers of Muslims and a minority group of Christians) and it is very important to be respectful as far as the religion is concerned. Always dress ‘politely’ when entering a temple or religious shrine. As you are on holiday in a hot country, your perspective of polite dress might be colored by the situation you are in. However, shorts, bikinis, tops that show your bare arms, skirts that show your legs, open-toed sandals and generally dirty or unkempt attire is considered inappropriate. In some of the larger temples like Wat Prakeaw guards will actually forbid you from entering if you are dressed inappropriately, and you may have to hire sarongs and strips of material to cover yourself up before being permitted to enter. At the smaller temples you are own your own – do the right thing!

Buddha Images

Buddha images are sacred, whatever size or condition. Never climb on a Buddha image, and be very careful about taking photos – some images are so sacred photographs are forbidden. Abide by this rule or you may even be asked to leave. If you can’t cross your legs, don’t sit on the floor in front of temple’s Buddha image – in doing so you will point your feet at the Buddha which is an act of sacrilege (see Feet below). The 2004 film ‘Hollywood Buddha’ caused an uproar in Thailand and other Buddhist countries in the region when advertising posters for the film showed a central character sitting on the head of a Buddha image. Their reaction was most un-Thai like. Be warned.

Monks

Buddhist monks are not allowed to touch or be touched by a woman or accept anything a woman might offer. If a woman wants to give something to a monk it must first be given to a man, or put on a piece of cloth. The monk will then drag the cloth to him before picking the item up. Likewise a monk will not shake a man’s hand – that type of contact is forbidden. Monks travel on public transport and require the same respect there as they would receive at the temple. If a bus or train, etc. is crowded and a monk is likely to come into contact with people, do not hesitate to give the monk your seat. Often special seats are allocated for monks only – don’t sit in them!

Shoes

Do not wear shoes inside a temple where Buddha images are kept. Take your shoes off before entering someone’s home.

Greetings

Thais do not shake hands; they ‘wai’ – a gesture made by placing your hands together in front of your face a bowing a little. Generally, you should not wai to a child and a younger person should wai an older person first. However, these rules are possibly a little more flexible as far as a foreigner is concerned, the Thais you wai will generally very much appreciate you delving into the local custom and practice.

The Head

Whereas in the west a friendly pat on the head, especially the head of someone a bit younger than you, will be regarded as a friendly and supportive gesture, in Thailand any gesture towards the head will cause Thais to recoil and will be greeted with shock and possibly annoyance. Thais regard the head as the highest part of the body – the temple of the body as it were. As such touching someone’s head is entirely unacceptable.

The Feet

Whereas the head is the highest point of the body, the feet are the lowest. Do not point at things with your feet, and do not point the palms of your feet at anyone (see Buddha Images above).

Shouting and Shows of Annoyance

In Thailand shouting and shows of annoyance are entirely frowned upon, whatever the situation. There may be times when you face frustrations, do so quietly a calmly. Shouting and showing annoyance are signs of lack of discipline and in doing either you are in fact showing yourself up. This might lead to the Thai you are talking to trying to help you ‘save face’ by smiling and possibly even laughing to defuse the situation. For westerners in particular, there could probably not be a less appropriate reaction and often it serves to exasperate a situation. The results are often explosive. Rather than deal with the subtle intricacies of this aspect of culture, simply do not get angry – things will work themselves out much better if you can avoid it.

Drugs

Thailand takes drugs very seriously and is trying to eradicate unlawful drugs entirely. Don’t either partake or trade in illegal substances. Clubs and places of entertainment are sometimes raided and people made to put forward urine samples. If you test positive, penalties will be harsh. Trading in drugs will lead to the death penalty or likely decades in prison.

General

Kissing, cuddling and similar behavior are frowned upon if in public – especially amongst older Thais. Younger Thais are unlikely to be as shocked, but to avoid their possible discomfort, avoid the behavior.

Thais are generally shy people and few are likely to walk up to you and engage in conversation. If this happens, and the conversation moves towards the purchase of gems, gold, jewelry or other such items, beware. Every year people get caught up in purchases of items at entirely inflated prices that have little or no value because they are told they can sell these items at a profit in their home countries. Remember you are here on holiday – not here to make a fast buck. If something seems too good to be true – it is.

Smoking in the street is illegal – you can be fined 2,000 Baht.

Dropping litter in the street is illegal – the same fine applies.

Do not engage in purchase of wild animals whether protected or not. Aside from the moral issues, punishments are very harsh."

[oberst]

Thanks for writing this stuff. I am hopefully moving to Thailand in August and so am trying to swot up on it. Have you got any other things that people like myself should know?

[KitKat]

And thank you, oberst.  One of the first things my son, PK, taught me was too never complain when in Thailand. They just don't understand complaining b/c they rarely ever complain about anything themselves. 
I was once eating at a restaurant with my son in Nong Khai with a couple of Isara volunteers and we all placed our dinner orders at the same time, but when the dishes came, mine was not included. I waited, waited, waited, and patiently waited longer, but my ordered dish never came. PK, finally, after seeing my great disappointment and hunger,(it was about 8:30 pm by now)went over to the manager, whom he knew, and mentioned it to him. After a while I finally received my order. No apologies from the wait staff were ever made. I told PK that if I didn't received my order I wasn't going to pay and he said you'll be expected to pay it anyway.  What? I said. I don't think he was kidding me. I was just happy I finally received my order. 

If I think of anything else that might be helpful to you, I'll post it here. 

[Nick]

Thanks for the extremely conclusive guide! I hope to make it over there eventually, and this will help greatly. I forget that people in other cultures look at certain things very differently than we do. Also, concerning your dinner story, I too would not have paid and probably would have become very frustrated and complained 

[M3R1IN]

frommers travel guides on Thailand have a great section on cultural etiquette in Thailand, thats how I got to know the dos and donts

[Soulessaint]

Thank you for this information, Kitkat. Gbya

[ianh68]

And thank you, oberst.  One of the first things my son, PK, taught me was too never complain when in Thailand. They just don't understand complaining b/c they rarely ever complain about anything themselves. 
I was once eating at a restaurant with my son in Nong Khai with a couple of Isara volunteers and we all placed our dinner orders at the same time, but when the dishes came, mine was not included. I waited, waited, waited, and patiently waited longer, but my ordered dish never came. PK, finally, after seeing my great disappointment and hunger,(it was about 8:30 pm by now)went over to the manager, whom he knew, and mentioned it to him. After a while I finally received my order. No apologies from the wait staff were ever made. I told PK that if I didn't received my order I wasn't going to pay and he said you'll be expected to pay it anyway.  What? I said. I don't think he was kidding me. I was just happy I finally received my order. 

If I think of anything else that might be helpful to you, I'll post it here. 

I have to take issue on the question of paying up even if you did not get your order. You obviously have to assess the situation and not put yourself in any danger by compaining, but there is a principle here. I am most respectful of Thai culture (and am shocked by some farangs' ignorance of it) but if paying for a meal you don't get is a part of that culture, then it is a part that is just plain wrong. Farangs who accept such treatment uncritically are part of the problem. (PK, I know you and exclude you from this, but were you kidding your mom or not?)

Here is a little story of an incident in Tesco Lotus (many witnesses so a "safe" place to complain.) An elderly farang (not me) enquires whether certain goods  are in stock. "Mai mee" comes the reply. "But I was here two weeks ago and you said you would order them and they would be here in a week." "Mai mee". "Get the manager, please. I am not moving until I see the manager."

Ten minutes later manager arrives with entourage. Much discussion in a huddle. Manager goes out back with shop assistant and returns with aforementioned goods.

Moral: education and training contribute to the evolution of all cultures, including Thai.

[PK]

Nicely said, ianh68. I agree whole-heartedly. And your example has been something I too have experienced.

I was definitely kidding my Mom about not paying for food you don't get. That's never happened and I'm sure Thais would never allow it. It was an exaggerated example of the "no complaints" (mai pen rai) part of the Thai culture. When I first came here 5 years ago I used to complain about a lot of things, but now (thanks to the Thai people) I've learned to relax a little and pick my battles. I guess learning to adjust is much easier than teaching 66 million people to adjust to me. lol

ianh68, You have a lot of knowledge and respect for the Thai culture. If there's ever anything you can add to the discussions here on the forum, we'd love to hear it. Thank you for your input.

[ianh68]

Spot on PK! Ninety percent of the things we tend to fret about are really not that important, so relax and pick your battles (though don't shy away from them if there is an important principle at stake.) Polite but firm.

I suppose what I am saying is that all cultures deserve some respect, including the one we left behind when we came to Thailand. It is important to get the right balance in order  to preserve our integrity and individuality.

It is easy on first reading to accept uncritically the tenets of a foreign and "exotic" culture. The more familiar you become the more you can see its shortcomings (the education system in Thailand is a case in point).

However, while we are guests in the country it behoves us to act accordingly whatever we might think. Unless and until I am in a position to alter things I really can't (and won't) complain.

[KitKat]

Thank you PK, I'm very happy this incident has been clarified. I've always wondered if you were kidding me.  
Situations get very confusing when you're in a foreign country trying to understand and respect their culture.

ianh68, I truly agree with you and you explained it perfectly. 
Thank you for your input. 

[ZeroG]

This discussion reminds me of a conversation I had with a chinese co-worker. I started to notice she would get a confused look on her face when I would say a caloquialism like "wrapped around the axle."
I told her it is a saying we have, like "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" and explained what that meant. She said, "Oh, we have a similar saying  in China." Then she said a phrase in Chinese. I asked what does that translate to in English. She said "When in a village, do as the village people do."

The look on her face was even stranger when I started laughing and waving my arms to form the letters in YMCA.

[oberst]

I have just been offered a job in Bangkok and I was wondering if I could ask the lovely people here to give me advice on pretty much everything. Reccommendations and tips

[Jennie]

Congrats again Jon!! If you can narrow it down a bit I'd love help out. Practical stuff? Like Transportation/Traveling to/within Thailand? Cultural? Food/Music/Entertainment? etc...

[ianh68]

Just wanna say that KitKat's list that started this topic is one of the best I've read.

[thartley]

Just wanna say that KitKat's list that started this topic is one of the best I've read.

I have not been here very long, but I agree.  I ask alot of questions when I am at the ILC about things I am not sure of, whether certain things are okay to do or not. 

Today while having breakfast at MutMee, I noticed a table full of foreign students.  They were having a morning study session.  One of them was asking about something on her feet, perhaps ant or mosquito bites. All of a sudden, one of the girls seated at the table kicks off her sandal and puts her foot on the table for others to look at.  I was thinking "OMG!" they must not have been briefed.  But then I thought, that is actually really icky in ANY culture so she just should have known better.  People eat at these tables.

Luckily, Kirk does a decent job of giving a verbal "cultural orientation" when volunteers arrive.  I however, was not fully conscious for about a week when I got here, so most of that slipped right on past the grey matter.