The land of smiles is undoubtedly the most looked up to destination when it comes to holidaying. The kind gestures of localities, the colourful streets with wide spread cuisines and flattering attires will surely blow your mind. The Thais for sure are as welcoming as they seem to be, however there are certain things you must know when you travel to another country that’s not your own.
Respect the king beyond everything
People at Thailand love their king beyond words, as such any sort of a disrespect towards the king could put you into serious troubles. If not talking good about the king, just remember not to say anything that could sound insulting.
Know how to bargain
Tourists are charged highly irrespective of any country you visit and Thailand is not an exception. The street vendors, tuk tuks and taxis will charge you high if you do not have bargaining skills. So be careful to not get cheated by paying a high price.
Temple etiquettes
The Thais have dressing etiquettes that they follow when they visit temples and they expect you to follow them too while you are in their land. It is necessary for you to cover your shoulders and knees when you go to worship the god. Look around to see if people are entering the temple with shoes, if not then its best for you to enter the temple without footwear too.
Well-dressed woman? Might be a lady boy
Not every pretty lady who displays feminism in Thailand is a woman, they could be a ladyboy too. Known with different names like katoey, transgender, transvestite or cross-dresser the ladyboys in Thailand are found in every street, making it hard to identify the real women.
Travel by bus to save
Though the fancy tuk tuks and cabs grab all the attention of the tourists, if savings is on your mind then you should opt for public transport (MTS and BTS) in Thailand.
Respect the Thai culture
Everytime you see someone trying to bow their head with a wai gesture, you need to greet them the same way too, for not doing it would mean you are insulting them. The wai greeting with hands folded towards the chest and head bent down with fingers touching your nose is a way to show respect to someone elderly or of a higher social status. What you need to remember is that you could only wai to someone elder or of a similar or higher class and not to someone at a lower level, for example a service staff is not someone you should wai to. This would then be considered embarrassing.
Don’t point a finger, touch someone’s head or put your foot up
Pointing fingers at a person or an object is considered insulting so it’s best to use your whole hand instead of a finger. Never point a single raise your thumb for appreciation in Thailand for its considered rude.Touching someone’s head on the other end would be a sign of disrespect too, for Thai’s consider head to be sacred. Do not try raffling a child’s head or step over someone sitting or sleeping, for it is offensive.Never put your foot up on a table or chair irrespective of who is sitting in front of you. Make sure you do not raise your foot above someone’s head too.
Tuk Tuk drivers could be misleading
The tuk tuk drivers in Thailand have a number of contacts that they earn good amount of commission from. Which is why when you direct them towards your preferred destination they try to convince you to go to the place that they suggest. They sometimes might even say that the place you wish to go is closed today, so that you agree to go to their preferred place and they get their share of commission. So know how to deal with them while you are on your international trip to Thailand.
