Be a Welcome Guest: Thai Customs for Families

The wai: hello and thank you

The wai is the Thai greeting: palms together in front of the chest and a small bow of the head. The younger person usually gives it first, and for an elder the thumbs rise to the tip of the nose.

• Let your child try a wai with the adults they meet. Thai children are taught to wai their elders.
• When someone wais you, put your palms together in return. You do not need to bow.
• Say hello and thank you in Thai. The three words are below.
• Do not greet Thai people with a hug or a kiss, especially women.

Heads and feet

In Thailand the head is the most respected part of the body and the feet the lowest.

• Never touch anyone's head, not even a child's. A pat on the head, kind at home, is rude here.
• Do not point your feet at people or at Buddha images, and never rest them up high, on a table for instance.
• Do not step over people, or over food or books on the floor. Walk around.
• Take your shoes off before going into a home or a temple hall, and wherever you see a row of shoes at the door.
• Point with your whole hand, not one finger.
• Lower your head and shoulders a little as you walk past adults or monks who are sitting.

At the temple

A temple is a place of worship first. Families are welcome when they treat it that way.

• Cover shoulders and knees: a top with sleeves, and shorts or a skirt past the knee, or light pants. No sleeveless, cropped or tight tops, and no beachwear. Dress children the same way; it is the safe choice.
• Take off shoes, hats and sunglasses before the hall, and step over the raised doorstep, not on it.
• Sit with your feet tucked behind you, pointing away from the Buddha and from monks.
• Do not climb on Buddha images or take selfies with them, and never place yourself higher than one.
• Silence phones, keep voices low and walk. A temple is not a playground.
• Do not photograph people while they pray.
• Leave snacks, cigarettes and alcohol outside the temple.
• Women do not touch a monk or his robes. To give him something, a woman sets it down near him or asks a man to pass it.

The anthem, the King and the law

Thai people hold the nation, the religion and the monarchy in deep respect, and Thai law protects the monarchy.

• Stand still when the national anthem plays at 8 in the morning and 6 in the evening, often over speakers in public places.
• Stand when the royal anthem plays before a film at the cinema.
• Treat pictures of the King and the royal family with respect. Thai banknotes carry the King's image: never tear or deface one.
• Never insult the nation, the religion or the monarchy, even as a joke. Thai law treats it as a serious crime, for visitors too.

Around town

• Keep your cool. Never embarrass anyone in public, staff included. Raise a problem quietly, in person.
• Dress modestly away from the beach. Thais value modest dress, so keep swimwear for the beach and the pool.
• Ask before taking a close photo of someone, and of other people's children.
• Do not bring e-cigarettes or vapes into Thailand. They are illegal, for visitors as well as Thais.
• Wait your turn, say thank you, and leave each place as tidy as you found it.

Temples on Samui

• Big Buddha (Wat Phra Yai) Tops or scarves that cover the shoulders, long pants or long shorts, and no beachwear, the Tourism Authority of Thailand asks.
• Wat Plai Laem Close to Big Buddha, with the same dress.
• Wat Khunaram Long pants or a skirt that covers the knee, and a shirt, scarf or sarong for the shoulders. A monk's preserved body is on show here, so tell younger children before you go.