With a cup of tea in my hand from my girlfriend’s mom and the sound of laughter in the air, I was confident that I had made a good first impression with my girlfriend’s family.
I lay back on my chair, put my feet up on a stool and relaxed.
Suddenly, the room went silent and my partner looked at me aghast.
My feet were pointing directly at her mother. A big no no in Thai culture. Thai people consider the feet to be the lowest part of the body, and pointing them at someone is a sign of disrespect.
Thankfully, it didn’t ruin the day. Thai people are generally very forgiving of cultural mistakes by foreigners. Nevertheless, in order to avoid a mishap like mine, here is a list of a few things that you should be aware of before you arrive in Thailand.
- Do not insult the royal family! Even in jest. Thai’s are fiercely protective of their Royal Family and they are very popular – you will see their pictures everywhere so make sure you show respect when talking about them. Pointing at images depicting members of the royal family is also considered inappropriate.
- Show maximum respect to monks and images of Buddha. Buddhism is the predominant religion in Thailand. Don’t sit next to the monks; if you are woman don’t touch them. Dress moderately at temples. Copy the behaviour of Thai people and you shouldn’t go wrong.
- Respect your elders. Offer them your seat on the bus. Let them go ahead of you in the queue in the supermarket and do not drum your fingers on the conveyor belt when they have a long chat with the cashier.
- When entering someone’s home you should remove your shoes – otherwise you will be viewed as rude. As an aside to this, it is very, very hot in Thailand so regularly wash your feet (and all other parts of your body). Nasty niffs are not welcome anywhere!
- Thai people are likely to be smaller than you – this doesn’t mean they are there to be patted on the head. The head, like the feet, should not be touched.
- You will not see much kissing in Thailand. I know this to my cost. A playful peck on the cheek of my girlfriend, which was welcome in England, got me ten minutes of earache as I was lectured about how Thai people ‘don’t do this type of thing in public’.
- More of a safety tip than a cultural tip, this one: Pedestrian crossings are there just to make the road look pretty. Technically, they work the same way as they do in the western world, but this seldom happens in Thailand. My advice: Wait for a local to cross first and stand right beside them.
Keep all this information in mind and you will be fine. But, if you do find yourself in an awkward spot and are not sure what to do, smile. In the country known as the land of smiles, a friendly grin can be your best friend.
