Top Ten Things NOT to do in Thailand – the basics

Thailand has a complex culture that you will not fully understand during your first visit, or second, or maybe ever. Here's a few basics to get you started.

By Tim Newton

 

  

Thailand is a wonderful place, full of new adventures, different cultures and a surprise around every corner. You better believe it. Thailand is unique in the region with very little overt western influence throughout its history and a proud culture that puts the needs of its people first, ahead of appeasing westerners. Most of this is a mystery to be discovered but sometimes you’ll just mess it all up by not knowing the basics. Here’s Thai culture DOs and DON’Ts Lesson One.

 

1. Pointing with your feet

…or doing just about anything with your feet. Thais consider the feet the most lowly part of the body (physics and gravity support their contention). As the head is revered as the top of the body and closest to heaven, the feet are close to the ground and just ‘dirty’. So doing anything with your feet, especially pointing with them when seated, is against the grain of Thai culture. Tuck your feet away when seated and try not to point you feet in the direction of a Thai person. For example, if you’re sitting cross-legged in the company of Thais you’ll probably be inadvertently pointing your feet at someone.

 

Whilst we’re on the feet, remove your shoes when going into a Thai person’s home or even some shops and offices. Take the lead of the people before you. If they’re taking off their shoes, do the same. You will see a lot of slip-on shoes and sandals worn around in Thailand, for good reason. You’re always slipping them on and off.

 

 

 

2. Touching the head

From the feet we head north to the head, the loftiest and most holy part of the body. Touching someone on the head, if you’re not intimate with that person or unless they’re very young, is going to be taken as an disrespectful or, at least, a cultural faux-pas. Thais take their hair very seriously, washing it often and grooming their ‘do’ endlessly during the day. Pull up at a set of traffic lights and you will often see the true reason Thai’s have large rear-view mirrors on their motorbikes – they will be touching up their hair whilst waiting for the lights to turn green. It’s also cited as a reason for the Thai resistance to wearing motorbike helmets.

 

 

Full story: https://www.phuketgazette.net/lifestyle/top-ten-things-not-thailand-basics

 

 

-- © Copyright Phuket Gazette 2018-02-27

 

how about this headline ''Top Ten Things Thais Should Respect''..mabey its time !!

Edited February 26, 20188 yr by mok199
speliing

How about, for the 10th times, stop publishing these nonsenses that even Thai

people to adhere to them any longer and those acts are largely forgotten and

disregarded of the rush to social media mentality and the me, me, and only me society...    

 

11. Don't believe a bar girl who tells you " I lub you loong time !" 

11. As The Ferrets song says....."Aaaahh don't, fall in love." 555

4 minutes ago, ezzra said:

How about, for the 10th times, stop publishing these nonsenses that even Thai

people to adhere to them any longer and those acts are largely forgotten and

disregarded of the rush to social media mentality and the me, me, and only me society...    

 

Ill have you know the Thai Visa  team work "very hard" to find these  stories and bring them to us .

49 minutes ago, webfact said:

Top Ten Things NOT to do in Thailand

 

11. Don't believe that you matter one whit to any Thai State employee. You do not. Unless there is money to be made.

# 9) never trust a Fart...

It would appear that Mr Newton has just read the first chapter of the latest edition of the Lonely (Loony) Planet...

26 minutes ago, Thaiwrath said:

11. Don't believe a bar girl who tells you " I lub you loong time !" 

 

This is just plain wrong. Many, many bar girls have told me that they love me, and I believe all of them.

 

All very nice.

But

1) keep control over your finances at all times.

2) Keep your partner away from ex-pats bar girls wives, she will try and poison your relationship.

3) belieave 3% of what your told.

4) Believe  5% of what you see.

5) Don't take things to serious, its supposed to be fun to live here.

 

Just a few pointers left off that list

Anyone got a few more.?  

 

 

Edited February 26, 20188 yr by stanleycoin

If the respect was reciprocal all ok but unfortunately Thais have no respect for others or cultures so basically f*** em

Heres another 1, never allow family/ neighbours borrow tools.

If you do you will either never see your tools again, or they will be returned broken.

About 40 some years ago on an inter-city bus, the luggage-handler kid ('grapao rotmay") walked through the bus and rubbed me on the head. I read him his pedigree good, in Thai. "Why did you do that?  Foreigners don't like that" and a Thai expression. Not sure if I got to the part about his father and mother not teaching him. Certainly didn't get to the part that I would say I didn't stomp on his father's head.  I was just spreading a little Thai culture to the less cultured. I figured that I have to put up with it, so he can as well.

Edited February 26, 20188 yr by Damrongsak

NO1 DONT ever live yere.

49 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Heres another 1, never allow family/ neighbours borrow tools.

If you do you will either never see your tools again, or they will be returned broken.

That is a universal rule. 555

Don't point. Well I was told this one and believed it until I saw a Thai pointing. I decided to take notice of if Thais point. Well, they do it all the time. Don't point in anger. Well Thais do this all the time but I wouldn't recommend this. Don't get angry with Thais full stop. Thais (I know this is a bit of a generalisation) cannot control themselves. 

As for not wearing shorts to places like immigration is just nonsense.

Public shows of affection with a pic showing a couple holding hands. Well times have changed and you see this all the time.

11. Breath the air. 

1 hour ago, baansgr said:

If the respect was reciprocal all ok but unfortunately Thais have no respect for others or cultures so basically f*** em

Because all others are inferior

1 hour ago, stanleycoin said:

All very nice.

But

1) keep control over your finances at all times.

2) Keep your partner away from ex-pats bar girls wives, she will try and poison your relationship.

3) belieave 3% of what your told.

4) Believe  5% of what you see.

5) Don't take things to serious, its supposed to be fun to live here.

 

Just a few pointers left off that list

Anyone got a few more.?  

 

 

Buy and use a dash cam, never, never drive without it. Turn the sound off so that when you present the video to police they can't hear you screaming obscenities at Thai drivers.

                                                                                                                                            

actually i follow all these rules and i am having a great time in Thailand.

 

especially the rule about dressing nicely. it makes at huge different at immigration, banks and just about everywhere I go.

 

54 minutes ago, meatboy said:

NO1 DONT ever live yere.

anyone would like to comment on my post?

read this first,this morning on the 5.30am.news shows a mother holding her sons hand as they cross the road FOR SAFETY.

look away NOW then as they crossed the road SHE THROWS HIM IN THE RIVER.

1 hour ago, stanleycoin said:

All very nice.

But

1) keep control over your finances at all times.

2) Keep your partner away from ex-pats bar girls wives, she will try and poison your relationship.

3) believe 3% of what your told.

4) Believe  5% of what you see.

5) Don't take things to serious, its supposed to be fun to live here.

 

Just a few pointers left off that list

Anyone got a few more.?  

 

 

good points, especially #2. I would say if you are serious about a Thai woman never admit to having gone to Pattaya. Even if it was just one time.

 

if you live in Pattaya, you are doomed.

26 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

actually i follow all these rules and i am having a great time in Thailand.

 

especially the rule about dressing nicely. it makes at huge different at immigration, banks and just about everywhere I go.

 

I agree with this totally as Oscar Wilde stated "you can never be overdressed or over educated".

11.) Don't show any fear or aggression towards soi dogs. Relax and ignore them completely and they will leave you alone. They can read your body language at a distance and if you look tense and fearful that sets them off.

 

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2150956-dogs-really-can-smell-your-fear-and-then-they-get-scared-too/

 

Edited February 27, 20188 yr by NCC1701A

 

got as far a number 2 then realised this is nonsense. as a backpacker here in the early 90s i remember reading about the not touching the head thing, i asked thais at the time and they said it was not true any more. from time to time since i have asked thais about this and it no one seems bothered about being touched on the head.

 

if you're going to post a cultural article make it relevant and factually correct.

Any opinions on this: is it rude to present banknotes, say at the supermarket checkout, not all the 'right way up'? I tend to pay no attention to this when I pull a bunch of notes out of my pocket (I never carry a wallet - too bulky) but notice that the cashiers always meticulously rearrange the notes before putting them in the till, as if that somehow affects their value.

2 hours ago, colinneil said:

Heres another 1, never allow family/ neighbours borrow tools.

If you do you will either never see your tools again, or they will be returned broken.

True. Worse still, never lend a Thai person money. The odds of getting it back are similar to the odds of Charlton Athletic winning the Premier League. 

 

 

12) It's pronounced PattaYA, not PaTTAYa.