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Cultural Etiquette
1. Cultural Dos and Taboos
2. Thais will shake hands in Western fashion, especially in business circles, but they will be especially pleased if you make the effort to greet them using the traditional greeting. Used in both arrival and departure situation, the traditional Thai greeting involves pressing the hands together as if in prayer, keeping arms and elbows close to your body, and bowing the head to touch the fingers, while saying Wai (which is pronounced "why").
3. Stick to formal forms of address, complete with titles, unless invited to do otherwise; such formality will demonstrate respect.
4. When introduced to a monk, never touch him; simply give a verbal greeting without shaking hands.
5. When visiting a temple or holy site, one should not walk in front of Thais praying.
6. Be restrained in temperament; one should avoid losing control of one's emotions and refrain from being overly assertive as such expressiveness is considered to be in poor taste.
7. In many Asian cultures, including Thailand, avoiding confrontation is the norm. Rather than answering negatively in an outright manner, Thais will more likely make excuses. Sometimes, they may even pretend that they do not understand the language being spoken; or they may tell you that they must check with someone at a higher level, when such a person doesn't exist. Likewise, they find it difficult to accept a direct negative answer.
8. In many Asian cultures, including Thailand, laughter and smiling frequently denote emotions other than pleasure and happiness. Smiles may hide embarrassment, shyness, bitterness, discord, and/or loss of face. Learning to interpret smiles and laughter may be difficult but a necessary process in the East nonetheless.
9. When eating, expect to eat with Western style forks and spoons. Keep the fork in the left hand and the spoon in the right. Cut with the side of the spoon, not the fork and use the fork to push food onto the spoon.
10. One should not finish the last helping of food from a serving dish. It is preferable to wait until it is offered and then refuse politely the first time. If it is offered again, one may then accept as it is an honor to have the last helping of food.
11. Although Thais often smoke after dinner, one should not freely light up a cigarette or cigar. Always ask permission first and once it is given, be sure to pass cigarettes around to the men at the table. Note that traditional Thai women do not smoke or drink in public; it is, however, acceptable for Western women to do so.
12. If you are invited for a meal to someone's home, one can take flowers, cakes or fruit as a gift. One should avoid marigolds or carnations, however, as they are associated with funerals.
13. It is not the custom to unwrap a gift in the presence of the giver as to do so would suggest that the recipient is greedy and impatient. Expect the recipient to thank you briefly, then put the still-wrapped gift aside until you have left.
14. Note that public displays of affection between those of the opposite sex are frowned upon. Contact between people of the same sex, however, is permitted..
15. With regard to body language, in many cultures, the left hand is considered unclean. Eat with your right hand only and avoid touching anything or anyone with your left hand. Accept gifts and hold cash in the right hand as well. Note also that the foot is also considered unclean and so one should not show or expose the bottom of the foot to anyone. One should also avoid pointing the forefinger at another person. One can beckon with the palm down and the fingers waved toward the body.
16. Good topics of conversation include tourism, travel, plans for the future, organizational success, culture, and food. Topics to avoid in conversation include any criticism of Thai culture, religion, bureaucracy, or politics. One should also avoid discussions of sex or the roles of the sexes, while boasting should be eschewed.
17. Business dress in Thailand is conservative; suits for both men and women. Outside of business, dress is generally elegant but casual. Beach wear should be confined to the beach and shorts should not be worn in urban centers. Visitors should always dress modestly in temples and holy sites.
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