Learn about the top five do's and don'ts while traveling
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| Ryan: All about Thai lesson 10 - Top Five Thai Dos and Don'ts! Welcome back to our All About Thai series. |
| Rawinporn: sà-wàt-dii khâ. |
| Ryan: On All About Thai, we bring Thai culture to you. |
| Rawinporn: That's right. We are covering the dos and don't in Thailand. |
| Ryan: This should be interesting. |
| Rawinporn: Some foreigners, especially Westerners, may find it difficult to navigate many culture norms of Thai culture. |
| Ryan: I know, but how can we start? |
| Rawinporn: Well, I'll introduce some five dos and five don'ts in Thai culture. |
| Ryan: Okay. Let's go! |
| Rawinporn: First, do smile. |
| Ryan: Thai smile under any kind of situation; to say hello or thank you, to make a request, to apologize, to smooth over bad feelings, or to show embarrassment. |
| Rawinporn: Exactly! Only fool lose their temper in public. |
| Ryan: And second do is |
| Rawinporn: do show respect for the king and royal family. |
| Ryan: Yes, as we've learned from the previous lesson ties have a deep traditional reverence for the royal family. |
| Additionally, when you hear the national anthem theme, you should show respect by standing. |
| When can we expect to hear the national anthem? |
| Rawinporn: Normally twice a day at 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM |
| Ryan: Okay, I see. |
| Rawinporn: Moreover, before every movie at the cinema, everyone is expected to stand. |
| Ryan: Lastly, you should never insult or joke about the king or royal family. |
| Rawinporn: Exactly. The next do. |
| Ryan: Do dress properly when visiting a temple. |
| Rawinporn: You shouldn't wear shorts or tank tops. For females, when giving or accepting anything from a monk, you shouldn't make direct contact. |
| Ryan: When visiting the most popular tourist attractions like the Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, you should dress properly. Long trousers or a long skirt are fine. |
| Rawinporn: The next do is do Wai. |
| Ryan: Can you tell us again how to Wai? |
| Rawinporn: Definitely. Wai is the way that Thai’s greet people by holding their fingertips together close to the chest or face and bowing. |
| Ryan: How about in a business situation? If my partner is Thai, should I do Wai or shake hands. |
| Rawinporn: I think it is nicer if you do Wai. |
| Ryan: Okay. Got it. |
| Rawinporn: The last do for today is |
| Ryan: Do take your shoes off before entering Thai's houses and temples. |
| Rawinporn: Yes. I think this one is similar to many Asian countries. We do take off our shoes before entering houses or tempo. |
| Ryan: Now let's go for don'ts. |
| Rawinporn: The first don't is don't touch Thai women without permission. |
| Ryan: So would you say that they are very conservative? |
| Rawinporn: Frankly speaking, Thai Society nowadays is more and more like the West, but many people are still conservative. |
| Ryan: Aha. I see. |
| Rawinporn: So it is impolite and improper to touch hack or kiss Thai females, especially at the workplace. |
| Ryan: And the next don't, |
| Rawinporn: is don't show affection in public. |
| Ryan: Similar to the first point, ties are still conservative. Holding hands is. But try to avoid doing so near a temple. |
| Rawinporn: Exactly. We really feel awkward when we see foreigners kiss their lovers on the street. |
| Ryan: I'll keep that in mind. And the third don't, is don't place your feet on the table or point at anything with your feet. |
| Rawinporn: And don't step over touch anyone with your feet, because we believe that feet are the lowest thing. |
| Ryan: The next don't is the opposite of the previous. It's about the head, which ties consider to be the most sacred part of the body because it's the highest. |
| Rawinporn: Yes. Therefore, do not touch anyone on their head or ruffle their hair. |
| Ryan: In case we didn't mean to touch someone's head. What should we do? |
| Rawinporn: In that case, it is fine, but make sure you apologize to that person. |
| Ryan: And last don't for today is |
| Rawinporn: don't be upset if someone asks you about your age, salary, or marital status. |
| Ryan: I guess this is quite rude in some cultures |
| Rawinporn: I know, but it is common for Thai to ask those questions even when first meeting someone. |
| Ryan: I see. This is quite different though. |
| Rawinporn: Please join us next time for more information on Thai at All About Thai series. |
| Ryan: Until next time. |
| Rawinporn: sà-wàt-dii khâ. |
| Ryan: sà-wàt-dii khráp. |
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