Do and Don’ts

Thailand is the land of smiles for a reason. The demeanor and the pleasant attitudes the Thai people carry themselves, is unlike anywhere else in the world. It almost seems as though it is law for people to smile and greet you there.

This will be the case during the duration of your stay there as long as you follow some general “do’s and don’ts”.

First and foremost and most important, is showing the respect to the King. This is a DONT that might land you in either real big trouble, or jail. The Thai Monarchy is adored by majority of the nation and has been the case over the past many hundred years. In fact it is illegal to speak poorly of the Thai Royals. There is a law called “lese majeste” in which would almost certainly land you jail time. Do not lean on pictures of the King, or say anything negative about his looks or appearance, and in fact, you are not even allowed to step on a bill should you drop it. His face is on their money and your feet are considered your dirtiest part of you, this would get you in amazing amounts of trouble if people saw this. Use your hands. Stay out of trouble.

One important DO, is the correct bowing gesture when people bow to you. The wei greeting is a sign of respect and is done by placing your hands together in the prayer position and bow your head. It is not necessary to bow entirely.

Another DO, is be prepared with cash. Thailand for the most part, is a cash society. Cash rules there and if you are caught without, you might have a tough time with banking fees. They can add up in a hurry. Exchanging your money at the airport or at actual banks is highly advised over using ATMs all the time. Almost all hotels and air BNB have safes to lock up any money that you are not carrying with you at that moment.

This might seem like an odd one, but you DO need to keep your eyes open when going for a walk anywhere. The side walks, and sewer system are not nearly that of anywhere else. They are jagged, bricks missing, uneven and they will cause some serious issues.

One DON’T to keep in mind, is not touching the tops of anyone’s head. This is a huge sign of disrespect in most of Southeast Asia. They really really do not like that in Thailand.

Another major DO is the removal of footware when entering someone’s home or your hotel room. This is a biggy and a huge sign of respect for someone’s home, or for any temples you might enter. Do not be surprised to see clusters of shoes outside some businesses like massage shops or nail salons. Footware indoors in non-public spaces can be an issue.