Thailand Guides - Social Customs

While politeness is in style all over the world, there are a few guidelines you can follow that your Thai hosts will appreciate.

Thai Greeting

Thais don't normally shake hands when they greet one another, but instead press the palms together in a prayer-like gesture called a Wai. Generally, a younger person wais an elder who returns it. However, if someone greet you with a Wai, it is polite to do the same in return. And don’t be surprised if a Thai addresses you as ‘Khun’ or say ‘Khun’ before saying your name such as Khun Robert. This is a polite form used when Thais refer to someone. You may also notice that Thais always address someone by their first name.

Don’t take it as an intrusion to your privacy if your Thai friend greets you with questions like ‘Where have you been?’ or ‘Where are you going?’ Considered impolite in other cultures, this is a typical way of greeting each other in Thailand. To avoid awkwardness, simply say that you are going to do some business.

Another behaviour that foreigners may find idiosyncratic happens during a conversation. It is unusual if Thais sometimes do not look at you while they are speaking with you. For Thai, it is considered impolite to look at someone in the eye when talking to them.

Putting on a Smile

In Thailand, almost everything in life involves a smile, even blunders and mishaps. Westerners often mistake this for being laughed at. For example, if a waitress forgets an order and laughs, she is not showing contempt, just making the best of a bad situation. If you complain, do so gracefully as anger usually gets you nowhere.