Do's & Don'ts

Thai people have a deep, traditional reverence for the Royal Family, and a visitor should be careful to show respect for the King, the Queen and the Royal Children. This includes, for example, standing up in the cinema as the Royal Anthem is played before every movie starts. You also should stand still, when at public places as the railway stations the anthem is played (at 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.) as well.

Visitors should dress neatly in all religious temples and shrines. They should never go without sleeves or in shorts, hot pants or other unsuitable clothing (otherwise you will never get into the Grand Palace & Wat Phra Kaeow compound. It is acceptable to wear shoes when walking around the compound of a Buddhist temple, but not inside the chapel where the principal Buddha image is kept. Each Buddha image, large or small, ruined or not, is regarded as a sacred object. Never climb onto one to take a photograph or do anything which might indicate a lack of respect.

Buddhist monks are forbidden to touch or be touched by a woman, or to accept anything from the hand of one. If a woman has to give anything to a monk, she first hands it to a man, who then presents it. Or they should place it on a cloth, carried by most monks.

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. Be careful, however, to do this correctly. There are many types of wai. The best way is to imitate a Thai who greets you.

Thais regard the head as the highest part of the body, literally and figuratively. Therefore, avoid touching people on the head and try not to point your feet at people or an object. It is considered very rude. Shoes should be removed when entering a private Thai home. Public displays of affection between men and women are frowned upon, but holding hands nowadays became pretty normal, especially in Bangkok.

Don't ever buy any jewelry in Thailand, unless you are very well aware of the value AND you are able to check if the articles are real or fake. Many tourists are cheated every year by jewelry scams. If they take you to one of those huge jewelry store, you normally (not always!) can trust that the articles are what they are told to be. But in those shops Thais get a reduction of 30-40%, so you pay at least that amount too much. Of course you're welcome to bargain them down to that price, or less even.

Meal time is an event in Thailand. Meals are eaten with the right hand. More importantly, Thai's do not use forks to put food in their mouths. A spoon is used for almost everything. It is respectful to use eat in this manner.

Do not raise your voice at anyone. You will just look ignorant and uncultured.

Showing the soles of your feet in Thailand is equivalent to flipping the bird in the United States. Don't do it. It's usually taken offense more by the elder group.

Don't ever be tempted to use or carry any drugs in Thailand. Trafficking or possession of drugs (including "soft" drugs) is in many cases punished with the death penalty. Only if you are lucky, you get a (very) long jail sentence. And Thai jails are very unpleasant places to stay in. Also do not expect that your embassy can do much for you. Many stories circulate about travellers who buy drugs from some guy on the street or beach, only to be busted later that day and forced to bribe the cop (about 10-50,000 baht