The general Thai or Chiang Mai Culture is also interesting for the foreigners to learn before planning to visit. As well as the etiquette that is quite important to acknowledge. People are very friendly but if you show a little Thai custom, it might have a greater esteem and confidence for you.
Do’s and Don’t
Yours a little chance to know what we both do and don’t in our country. Something is very important and some is not but some may even same with your country. You are not surprised with all of things you see in here.
Wai
“Wai” means lifting two hands together up to the chest and bow the head. Thais’ always do for greeting to other people and also apologize and thank. Anyways, it can be shown for among rich and poor, young and elder, monk, teacher and even power spirit such as death people and holy. Although nowadays Thai people continuously forget about this custom, it’s still the one way to show Thai people. And people wai to each other in every part of Thailand.
Respect to the elder people
Respect is really very important for Thai custom. There are many ways to respect to the elder people and teacher. Most of them are generally acknowledged by sense and societies. Things we always notice, are “Don’t shout”, “Don’t touch their heads” (like playing), and “elder first”.
Smile or giggling to accidents
As you know Thailand is a “Siam of Smile”, people like to smile in every almost situation. I can tell you one thing for unconfused you is “smile means feeling of shy”. Sometimes they do when they lose the face or do not dare to speak something. Finally, sometimes it’s good way to do in order to forget your mistakes.
Taking off the shoes
Many people like cleanness especially if they own the place and it has to be welcome to anybody. Thai people believe the feet are one low part of body and it’s not supposed to be too higher than the ground. Taking off the shoes before getting to the temple or some place and even in the house is very good manner for Thai.
Dress
People get dress depending on the place, season, and situation in order to be not feeling strange to other people. The exactly custom of Thai’s is to reserve the manner especially Thai women. For example, we don’t accept people who go to temple by dressing the mini skirt with the spaghetti tab. Present the respect is one important way when you decide to wear something. It’s probably safe for you either.
Let’s go to the temple
The temple or “Wat” is the most important place for Buddhism. As you know the 85% of Thai is Buddhist, so people always think that “Wat” is the quiet place for them to stay. Also they go to offer the food and appliances for the monks. Making a meditation is good thing to do together with prayer. Although you are not Buddhism, you might visit to the temples in Chiang Mai because many temples in here are presenting the ancient remains and history of the city.
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DOS & DON’TS
Dos
understand that Thais have a tender fondness for uniforms, they just love getting dressed up.
- Do get used to Thais arriving for their appointments half an hour late, most of the country’s watches are ‘defunct’.
- Do, as a paying customer, understand that sales-girls prefer doing their make-up to serving you, beauty is of the up most importance here.
- Do understand that Thais have an infatuation for plastic bags, the sales-girls will even give you one for putting your chewing gum in.
- Do get used to Thais ‘jumping the queue’, they can wait 3 years for the first kiss from their boyfriends, but having to wait just 30 seconds in a queue at 7-11 is just unbearable.
- Do get used to using straws, after you have seen the state of most of bottle tops you will understand why.
Don’ts.
- Don’t, as a Farang girl, wear hotpants to the temple, you don’t need the monks breaking out in a sweat.
- Don’t even begin thinking of discussing literary classics with the locals, the whole country is only besotted by cartoon books.
- Don’t go smooching your loved one in the middle of the street, Thais prefer performing such personal ‘activity’ in the privacy of ones room.
- Don’t go patting you friend on the head, Thais are a little sensitive about such things.
- Don’t feel insulted at having to hear the likes of “Hey you” and “Where you go man” from the nation’s tuk-tuk and taxi drivers, do understand they’ve never learnt English at school.
Dos
Don’ts.
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