Welcome to Thailand!
Thais are easygoing, warm and friendly in general, but at the same time do not like to be offended, especially where revered customs and habits are concerned. Patience, tolerance and good temper display a commendable amount of Thai’s quality. But Thais are ultrasensitive, even jokes could cause embarrassment or displeasure to them. So travelling to Thailand to explore its remarkable cultures could be an encounter if you do not bear in mind from the very beginning about its Monarchy, Religion, Buddha Images, Monks, Head and Feet, Shoes, and Drugs etc important customs. The following travel tips of Thai Dos and Donts aim to well inform you before travelling in order to avoid trouble and embarrassment when you are in the kingdom. If you’re not sure what to do or how to behave in a specific situation, just look at what the Thais are doing and do the same. If it fails, just smile.
Do not ever show disrespect towards the Thai Royal Family. Thai people have a deep, traditional reverence for the Royal Family, failing or deliberately failing to show some respect towards the King or the Monarchy in any situation where it is expected, is not only an offense, but can also get you in prison.
Thailand Donts
- Do not ever show disrespect towards the Thai Royal Family. Thai people have a deep, traditional reverence for the Royal Family, failing or deliberately failing to show some respect towards the King or the Monarchy in any situation where it is expected, is not only an offense, but can also get you in prison.
- Do not criticize the regime or the ruling families. In Thailand even the most innocent critic turns lightly to lese-majesty crime, leading to a long years of prison.
- Do not ever show disrespect to Buddha images, large or small, ruined or not, which is regarded as a sacred object. And never climb onto one to take a photograph or do anything which might indicate a lack of respect. Sacrilegious acts are punishable by imprisonment even if committed by foreign visitors.
- Do not take Buddha images out of the country, which is against the law unless special permission has been granted. However, stores will sell them to you, but won’t necessarily tell you about the regulations.
- Do not cross your legs when you are in the presence of a monk, no matter you are sitting on the floor or in a chair.
- Do not eat rice with your fork, eat with a spoon instead. The fork is used to push the food into the spoon, and the spoon is used to eat. It is also considered impolite and disrespectful to leave some rice in the plate. So make sure you will finish it all.
- Do not be too affectionate in public. Kissing, cuddling and similar behaviour are frowned upon if in public, especially amongst older Thais.
- Do not get involved with anything or anyone about drugs. Do not take any packages through Thai customs for anybody! If you are caught carrying drugs, you risk the death penalty or life in prison. So be warned!
- Do not ever accept any bag or anything from someone you don’t know very well, as it may contain drugs. And beware of your own compatriots, there are many scams of all kinds run by foreigners and aimed at foreigners.Trafficking or possession of drugs (including “soft” drugs) is in many cases punished with the death penalty. Also do not expect that your embassy can do much for you.
- Do not sunbathe nude, which is offensive to most Thai people.
- Do not touch Thai’s head or ruffle their hair. Thai regard the head as the highest part of the body, literally and figuratively.
- Do not point at people or things with your feet. This is considered very rude, as the feet are considered as the most inferior parts of the human body. And do not sit on the floor of a Temple with your feet pointing at the Buddha Image!
- Do not be offended by questions about age, salary or marital status, which are common questions Thai ask each other when first meet.
- Do not smoke in the street, nor to drop litter in the street. You can be fined 2,000 Baht for doing so.
- Do not shout in public in anyway (to anybody). 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 and calmly.
- Do not accept any offers from strangers to assist you in finding the right places to do your shopping. If you need a taxi, just ignore all the touts and go straight to the public taxi counter.
- Do not participate in any form of gambling. Gambling is against the law in Thailand and penalties are very severe!
- Do not get involved in prostitution in Thailand, which is not only put your health at serious risk, but also high chances of getting robbed.
- Do not keep your valuables in a hotel safe deposit box. Some safe deposit boxes are the most unsafe places for safekeeping. Entrust your valuables only to respectable hotels.
Thailand Dos
- Do dress properly in all religious temples and shrines. Do not ever go without sleeves or in shorts, hot pants or other unsuitable clothes.
- Do remove your shoes before entering a temple or a private Thai home.
- Do treat monks with the highest respect. Buddhist monks are forbidden to touch or be touched by a woman, or to accept anything from the hand of a woman.
- Do show respect to the Thai hymn when the Thai national hymn is played in public places at 8.00 am and 6.00 pm every day. Most Thai people will stop and stand still, although a tourist is not expected to do so.
- Do ‘wai’ (pronounce like why) which is the traditional gesture of greeting and thanking. It is done by joining hands in front of the chest and bending the head (the higher the hands, the more respect you’re showing). You can also wai as a way to apologize.
- Do exercise tolerance, particularly when it comes to order food, pay a bill or waiting for change. Expect a longer time than where you come from. Do be patient, and try to keep calm no matter what the problem or provocation may be.
- Do buy gemstones at a reputed establishment, but be careful of scams or be rip-offs if you follow tuk-tuk drivers’ recommendations.
- Do give a tip at a nice restaurant, and do, if you wish, donate money to a respectable charity.
- Do speak politely to the authorities to avoid to be sat around all day.
- Do try to avoid any conflict of any kind with a Thai person (man or woman), because they can get hot tempered and react in very extreme ways in order not to “losing face”.
- Do try to bring some small presents if you’re invited somewhere, as the Thai love to make presents to each other (it’s really the thought that matters).
- Do bend your body a little to show that you apologise for the disruption or inconvenience when walk crossing others. It is a simple politeness, not a humiliation in any way.
- Do keep smiling! The Thai smile when they feel embarrassed, that’s all and it’s true.
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1. Be cautious about taking part in rituals with spiritual significance, such as that to show respect for dead people, undertaken in places such as bars. Mostly Thai people are delighted if you understand what it is, agree with the principle, and wish to participate yourself. Sometimes though, someone can get angry, either because they incorrectly believe you are trying to disrespect the ritual, or perhaps they think that it should be only for Thai people. If you do find a place where your participation is accepted, you can get a very rewarding deeper connection with some people in the conversation, as you are less of a customer tourist.
2. Do not get up on stage in Agogo to dance. It seems like a fun thing to do if you are a tourist who is new to Thaland. Thais, and non Thai residents of Thailand will just think that you are an annoying idiot.
3. This is a VERY important one! If you go into one of the very many Thai bars that have a computer keyboard that allows you to choose music from the Internet, if you want to play music from Thailand, FIRST ASK if the bar has a licence to play Thai music. If you don’t, the reaction you get will be extremely harsh and unforgiving. Thai people are very forgiving about aspects of Thai culture and dos and donts in Thailand, for foreigners who might not understand things. This is not the case for playing Thai music. You are supposed to know about it.
4. Do not disrespect bar girls for what they do. Most have a lovely nature and do not deserve to be spoken badly about because they make someone happy, just because of Western cultural predjudices.
5. Do eat the street food. You won’t get sick!
6. Be aware of requirements for driving. To drive a motorbike of any engine size, you require a Thai motorbike driving licence. The police regularly stop people and check for it. You require to wear a helmet if you don’t you will get fined. If you drink and drive your motorbike, it is very unlikely that you will get away with it for long before being caught.
7. If you want to buy property, unless you are lucky, avoid estate agents and their internet websites. Most of it is unavailable or sold and you will be taken around to see properties that you have no interest in. Better to drive around an area looking for a property you like with an
advert for sale on it with a phone number. Use a small Thai estate agency or law company for buying your property. If you get introduced to a non Thai person who is going to deal with you, just walk away. Your bill will likely be extortionate, you will have to get the help of other Thai people to assist the ” trustable knowledgable foreigner” and you will have a host of problems.
Just a few more quick points:
1. Service in Thailand is second to none. You will struggle to make it as far as the bar before someone takes your order. You are regularly asked if you are ready for another drink, that will be brought to you. When you want to pay, just raise a finger. A girl will be at your table within three seconds. Getting your change might take as long as 20 seconds, but only if the establishment is extremely crowded.
2. Taxi fares are totally dependant upon where you are going, at what time, and whether you have company.
3. Tuk Tuks in Thailand, except in areas of Isaan near Loas, are not public transport. They are a gimmic for inexperienced tourists, like plastic Loch Ness monsters sold to people foreign to the UK.
4. Don’t book up accommodation from a travel agency based outside of Thailand before you travel. You will get severely, and painfully ripped off. Unless you are in Bangkok, reasonable en-suite accommodation, with a balcony, TV, etc is around 15 U.S. D per night. Unless you go at the WORST time of the year, December or January, to a very popular destination, there won’t be a problem with availability when you get there.
A few more.
1. Most people, in most normal every day settings, do not palm their hands and bow as a greeting. They do if they are working in a formal setting, or in a hotel or resteraunt that is Expensive.
2. Thai,s are not keen on hard physical work, and if a job requires such, the bill might be quite high. Building work is typically done by Cambodians. I do my own gardening after hearing the quotes I get.
More
1. There is some rubbish on the Internet about dos and donts in Thailand. Not touching the head is one. You will regularly see a girl sitting on a chair, with her friend looking through her hair and running her fingers through it looking for a white hair to pluck out. This process involves the hands being on the friend,s head. When I get my head stroked, it by the use of a Thai persons hands being on my head.
2. Thai people are very quiet and avoid confrontation. This is not correct. The Thai men will tend not to get hot headed, angry or loud with a foreign person, either male or female. Many Thai women are the exact opposite, talk loudly and very quickly shout abuse at you if you have said something that slightly annoyed them.
3. Thai people often have a much warmer reaction to foreign people who are obvious first time tourists. Oddly, this seems very much to depend upon location. It is not the case in Bangkok, but can be in other places. ” You know too much, no good” .
4. Like most people in the world, most Thais love a down to earth sense of humour, but unlike most other places in the world they are more open about it. It is not rude or unacceptable to have a down to earth funny conversation with people that you have just met.
5. One of the most wonderful things about the Thai people is that they do not evaluate you based upon your age and appearance. So many westerners think it’s disgusting that a Thai girl can be nice to, and go with a man who happens to be older. Thai girls would rather do that than be with an arrogant supercilious younger man who likes to look in the mirror and who believes that girls are exclusively for him. Thai girls find that a real turn- off. How refreshing!!
The Thailand I know, seems very different from the glossy pleasant place you depict. Violence to women is rife. Rudeness is the norm. Smiles are rare indeed. Whilst you cant speak badly of the royal family (and off to jail you go…) they do not have a great respect or liking. Laziness is endemic, and finishing a job properly is almost unheard of.