When you travel to a different continent, you step into a different world. You will notice some of them instantly, while others will take a bit of time to hit you. When you travel to Thailand for the first time, you are likely to miss some major differences because you are overwhelmed with the many new experiences. Of course, there are the obvious things, like the language, the clothes, the fact that they go to Ufa982 and not your usual betting outlet. But there are many others that go beyond the obvious that you should know about when travelling to Thailand: they will help you avoid making a fool of yourself, or worse.
General Behaviour
This may not be very obvious from the start but if you keep an eye out, you’ll notice that people behave differently from what you’re used to. On the one hand, public display of affection is not appropriate in Thailand. For some, especially of an older generation, it can even be offensive. The usuals – holding hands in the street or wrapping your arm around the other – are mostly acceptable, but kissing is not. And most importantly, touching someone’s head is very inappropriate.
The other thing you’ll likely notice is that you’ll see smiles everywhere. But don’t mistake them for what you’re used to – there are a dozen different smiles used in Thailand, each one with its own significance, ranging from the “polite” smile (yim thak thaai) used when meeting someone new to the “I told you so” smile (yim yaw) that is used to tease the other. Smiles are a subtle form of communication that takes quite a bit of time to master.
Religion
You’ll stumble upon many temples – wats – in Thailand. Some of them host art expositions, others, various performances… and there are, of course, those that are places of worship and hold objects of religious significance. Visiting them can be the highlight of your trip – but you’ll have to behave appropriately while there.
For one, you have to dress appropriately when visiting a temple – sleeveless tops, mini skirts, flip-flops and shorts are a no. Taking pictures of the relics in the temples is all right but touching them is forbidden. And climbing on them is even more so.
When meeting a monk, a polite and respectful conversation with them is perfectly fine. Touching them, in turn, is not – especially for women. And taking their picture is only allowed with their permission (by the way, this applies to everyone else, too).
Taboos
Remember when we pointed out that touching one’s head is offensive in Thailand? The head is considered the most sacred part of the body, and touching it will cause great offence. But this is not the only taboo you have to keep in mind when travelling there.
For one, you should never use the soles of your feet to point at someone. The soles are considered the dirtiest part of the body – if they even point at someone accidentally, you’ll come across as offensive. The same is true for moving or picking up things with your feet: you’ll instantly make them dirty and undesirable. And so is stepping over an object lying in your way: you should go around it or bend down to move it out of the way instead.
Perhaps the most important taboo in Thailand is related to the Royal Family. On the one hand, the crowned heads of Thailand are very popular – talking ill of them may attract more than just a few disapproving glances from people around you. Besides, Thailand has pretty harsh laws about lèse-majesté – insulting royalty may even land you in jail. Speaking of which, make sure you never ever step on money that falls onto the ground, as it has the face of the royals on it, and – as we already established above – feet are the dirtiest, lowliest part of the human body.
