Useful Tips

Thai people are usually very tolerant as a result of their culture and religion. They have a social hierarchy in relation to age and status in the community, politeness is paramount. It is discourteous to lose one’s temper as this results in loss of face, yours that is, and will not result in anything positive. (Quick note here – Whilst westerners use voice tones to express mood, Thais generally do not. Their language is tonal but related to just that, the language. Raising one’s tone will not raise the status of what you are asking for. Thais will simply not understand that. If you do not get what you want, ask politely for a second time and, of course, smile when asking). So there is some etiquette of how to do things and how not to do things. Here is a list to help you on a day to day basis. Do •  Be polite •  Show patience and respect •  Smile (you will nearly always get one back) •  Laugh when things are not going to plan •  Dress appropriately if visiting a place of worship such as a Wat (temple) •  Remove shoes when visiting an indoor place such as a home or temple Occasionally, this applies to some shops especially in rural areas, but just look inside to see if visitors are wearing footwear. You will also see footwear placed outside the shop too Do Not •  Have any association with addictive drugs (apart from cigarettes and alcohol) •  Bring in any sex toys to the country •  Touch a Thai person on the head unless you are intimate with that person •  Point with the foot, this mainly applies at temples where Thais sit cross-legged •  Shout in a restaurant. (Blowing nose and licking fingers in a restaurant should also be avoided. However, in tourist areas, this is ok and would usually be ignored) There is some more information in our day to day section. If you would like to learn a few Thai language phrases too, then here is a great place to start and there is a useful print version to keep with you.

Useful Tips

Thai people are usually very tolerant as a result of their culture and religion. They have a social hierarchy in relation to age and status in the community, politeness is paramount. It is discourteous to lose one’s temper as this results in loss of face, yours that is, and will not result in anything positive. (Quick note here – Whilst westerners use voice tones to express mood, Thais generally do not. Their language is tonal but related to just that, the language. Raising one’s tone will not raise the status of what you are asking for. Thais will simply not understand that. If you do not get what you want, ask politely for a second time and, of course, smile when asking). So there is some etiquette of how to do things and how not to do things. Here is a list to help you on a day to day basis. Do •  Be polite •  Show patience and respect •  Smile (you will nearly always get one back) •  Laugh when things are not going to plan •  Dress appropriately if visiting a place of worship such as a Wat (temple) •  Remove shoes when visiting an indoor place such as a home or temple Occasionally, this applies to some shops especially in rural areas, but just look inside to see if visitors are wearing footwear. You will also see footwear placed outside the shop too Do Not •  Have any association with addictive drugs (apart from cigarettes and alcohol) •  Bring in any sex toys to the country •  Touch a Thai person on the head unless you are intimate with that person •  Point with the foot, this mainly applies at temples where Thais sit cross- legged •  Shout in a restaurant. (Blowing nose and licking fingers in a restaurant should also be avoided. However, in tourist areas, this is ok and would usually be ignored) There is some more information in our day to day section. If you would like to learn a few Thai language phrases too, then here is a great place to start and there is a useful print version to keep with you.