Religion
Neat and respectful dress should be worn in all religious
shrines. It is not considered polite to visit religious monuments
in shorts, miniskirts or hot pants. Trousers and jeans are
considered unsuitable attire for women visiting a temple.
Though shoes can be worn in temple compounds, they should
be removed before entering the chapel of the principal Buddha
image. Indeed, all Buddha images are regarded as sacred, regardless
of size, age or position, and should all be shown due respect.
Buddhist monks are not allowed to touch or be touched by a
woman, or accept anything from a woman's hand.
In a Muslim mosque, men should cover their heads, even with
an open handkerchief, and women should be well covered with
slacks or a long skirt, a long sleeved blouse buttoned to
the neck, and a scarf over the head. Everyone should remove
her/his shoes before entering the mosque. Mosques should not
be visited during a religious gathering.
The Monarchy
The Royal Family is highly revered in Thailand, and images
such as statues, photographs, pictures etc. should be shown
due respect. In a movie theatre, everybody is expected to
stand during the playing of the Royal Anthem and a portrait
of the King is shown on the screen.
Social Customs
Thais greet each other with a prayer-like gesture called a
Wai. Generally, a younger person Wais an older
person, who will then return it. Thais address each other
(and usually foreigners) by their first names (which is also
how they are listed in the telephone directory followed by
their family name) This is prefixed by the polite word Khun.
Public displays of affection, shouting and wild gesticulation
are to be avoided as they are considered impolite.
The head is considered the highest part of the body, while
the feet are considered the lowest, both literally and figuratively.
Touching someone's head or pointing at people or things with
the feet are, therefore, considered extremely rude. As with
entering temples, shoes are removed before entering somebody's
home.
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