The ways of the Thai’s can seem strange for a Westerner, especially one who has never set foot in South East Asia before. There are certain social norms that may be perfectly acceptable in your own country that are most certainly not in Thailand. When taking any holiday in a foreign country, it is a good idea to learn how it is appropriate to act, so that you do not offend the local people. Below is a list of the top five-ish rules that you should follow during your Thailand holiday.
The First Rule of the Thai Monarchy,
We Do Not Talk About the Thai Monarchy
Movie references aside, this should be the first thing that you should know before you ever enter into Thailand. The Thai Monarchy is extremely revered in this country, His Majesty The King more then any. His Majesty The King of Thailand is thought by many of the Thai people as being almost a demigod, so you can imagine the respect they have for him. This is all with good cause as the Thai Royal Family and especially The King has done an incredible amount of good for the people of Thailand.
It’s a bit of a stretch to say that you shouldn’t talk about the Thai Monarchy. It is perfectly okay for you to talk about them, but it is not okay to talk about them in a derogatory or insulting manner. This is a major offense in Thailand, so it’s best to just avoid any talk about them altogether. You never know, with so many things being lost in translation, a seemingly innocent comment that was of no intended offense could be misinterpreted. So it is best to not tempt fate.
Feet Are Dirty
In a country where most people are either barefooted or wearing sandals, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the feet are considered dirty. This also stems from the Buddhist culture where the feet are the lowest and dirtiest part of the body and the top of the head is the highest and cleanest part. It is at the crown of the head where the Buddha first achieved enlightenment after all.
When you are entering into a private residence or temple, you should always remove your shoes before entering. You shouldn’t really point at anything in Thailand, as it is considered rude, but it is especially important that you not point at anything with your feet. When Thai’s sit down, they will typically sit with their feet under their body so that they are not pointing at anyone. Also, be sure to not pick up anything with your feet as this is extremely rude. Basically, don’t do anything with your feet except walk, if you don’t, you may be using them to run. That is, run away from the people that are out to teach you a lesson in manners.
Respect the Monarchy and Buddha
Every Thai has a great respect for the Thai Monarchy as I have already mentioned, and most Thai’s (at least the Buddhists) have a great respect for the Buddha. Everything containing the image of the Monarchy (more specifically The King) or the Buddha should be given an equal respect. In continuing with our previous rule, be sure to not point your feet at an image of The King or the Buddha.
On a bit of a tangent, if you go shopping during your time in Thailand, it is good to know that it is illegal to take an image of the Buddha out of Thailand. Nine times out of ten you will probably make it through customs, but any image of the Buddha can be confiscated.
About Face
The concept of ‘Face’ here in Thailand is similar to what we would think of as ‘Respect’ or ‘Reputation’ in the west. For a lot of Thai’s the concept of face is of the utmost importance and they will likely do anything in their power to gain retribution over someone who makes them lose face. To make a Thai lose face, all you must do is make them look foolish, stupid or flat out wrong especially in the presence of other Thai’s. It is a good idea to always stay friendly with the local Thai’s, do not criticize anything they do, regardless of how backwards you may think. Thailand is the way it is, yelling and criticizing a Thai person is not going to change their behavior, but may cause trouble for you. Just smile and keep your mouth shut, it is their country after all.
Keep Your Shirt On
This goes to the ladies as well as men, but for this particular article I am specifically talking to the men. We all know that you are dying to get that killer tan that shirts just won’t let you achieve. Fair enough, you are on a tropical holiday, no reason to go home with white skin. However, there is a place to go shirtless and a place to go with a shirt. Actually there are only a few places that you should go shirtless, the beach being the big one, as well as anywhere else that nobody is going to see you (like your hotel room). Everywhere else you should be wearing a shirt.
So why should you wear a shirt everywhere that you go in Thailand? Think about your home country, would you go to a restaurant without a shirt, how about a bar, how about anywhere? It is extremely rude in most countries so why would you think things are different here? When you arrive in Thailand, look at what the Thai’s do. I guarantee that you will see few if any without their shirts on (Thai girls in bars being the one exception to this rule). In reality, the only Thai’s you will likely see without shirts are those training in Muay Thai, and even most of them will be wearing shirts.
Be considerate of the country that you are in, Thailand is much more conservative then all the hype will lead you believe. Keep your shirt where it belongs, on your body, and who knows, maybe it will just save you from getting skin cancer as well.
About Lawrence Michaels
