Different 'wai' Hand Greeting Styles?

[MetroGirl]

Hmm......never thought about the specific style before......when I do the "wai wai", I just do them "one style fit all"

As long as you know how to do "a very nice one" - then U can use for all occasions - at least for ME here

Never any complain coming out from any receivers

Edited November 4, 2008 by MetroGirl

[unforgiven]

I was wondering, there is the common lotus style where you cusp your hands together, but then i've seen that other style where the hands are seperated except for the index, middle finger, and thumbs touching eachother, the palms facing outward and upwards towards the person you're greeting, and you touch your forehead. Is the latter reserved for royalty? hope i explained it well enough

Don't know about the Royalty thing but there is a different style of wai that I have noticed based on seniority of people waiing each other.

Senior males tend to raise their hands up to their faces fairly quickly when wai-ing each other and others of lower social rank.

Junior / younger males hold the why a bit longer than the above but rarely bend at the waste unless it is to wai someone of very high profile.

Females tend to bend at their wastes more while holding the wai a bit longer, in particular when wai-ing senior folk of higher rank /status etc.

Interestingly, we (me) don't really pay much attention to the way Thais wai but if you watch it during the course of your day you will notice subtleties that should give you a hint as to how/when to wai.

Very abstute observations.Also the higher the top fingers are to the face=meetting someone of higher status and timing is involved ;)things are a bit different in essan and had Yai

Edited November 4, 2008 by unforgiven

[Jimjim]

Silly foreigner, don't you know;

Wais are for thais. ...

NOTE: (this is a play on words, based on an old American television commercial for Trix breakfast cereal where the tag line was; "Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids")

Still I believe the statement is applicable here. You are a foreigner so why would you even contemplate a wai to a thai?

I certainly think that's just what we need; more foreigners wai'ing every, doorman, waiter, limbless beggar on the street as well as all the soi dogs. It adds so much respect to our barely tolerated presence here.

Remember no wai at all is far better than a badly executed wai. However if that isn't enough to dissuade you, and as a foreigner you are still dead set on learning how to wai like a thai, there are a plethora of internet sites which will guide you in your endeavor.

As for me, never wai'd, never will. You'll just have to deal with it.

My other catchy phrase is: "Why wai, are you thai?"

(edited for spelling)

I've heard many foreign people in Thailand say this and I think it's BS. It's the wrong kind of logic. So if I'm not Thai I shouldn't eat Thai food? If I'm not Thai I should not learn to speak Thai? etc. etc. Many Thais like it when foreigners try to wai even if they get it wrong. I've heard many of them say this. Yes, in Thailand there may be more cultural norms to break than any other country, but Thais are much more forgiving if you get them wrong than say, the Japanese. It's the thought that counts.

As for different wai styles, I had a Thai friend who did not place his palms flat but would cup his hands and place them together with only the tips of his fingers and bottom of his palms touching. I don't think it was to only those above him because he did it in every wai I saw him do, which was plenty. No idea why he did it that way and I never did ask him.

[Jimjim]

Sorry Mr. Daniels, you are wrong wrong and wrong. No doubt a student of the good ol USA. Perhaps a few tourists wai a waitress when they shouldn't but the bulk of long-term expats in Thailand have learned to blend in a bit more than the average ugly..sorry.

As for your other catchy phrase at the end, you ever wonder y that when you walk buy in earshot you hear, their goes that Kwai?

Please don't blame it on him being American. Cheers.

[bkkjames]

Sorry Mr. Daniels, you are wrong wrong and wrong. No doubt a student of the good ol USA. Perhaps a few tourists wai a waitress when they shouldn't but the bulk of long-term expats in Thailand have learned to blend in a bit more than the average ugly..sorry.

As for your other catchy phrase at the end, you ever wonder y that when you walk buy in earshot you hear, their goes that Kwai?

Please don't blame it on him being American. Cheers.

Sorry mate. With his arrogance, I doubt he would even admit to being one, even if he was.

[unforgiven]

Silly foreigner, don't you know;

Wais are for thais. ...

NOTE: (this is a play on words, based on an old American television commercial for Trix breakfast cereal where the tag line was; "Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids")

Still I believe the statement is applicable here. You are a foreigner so why would you even contemplate a wai to a thai?

I certainly think that's just what we need; more foreigners wai'ing every, doorman, waiter, limbless beggar on the street as well as all the soi dogs. It adds so much respect to our barely tolerated presence here.

Remember no wai at all is far better than a badly executed wai. However if that isn't enough to dissuade you, and as a foreigner you are still dead set on learning how to wai like a thai, there are a plethora of internet sites which will guide you in your endeavor.

As for me, never wai'd, never will. You'll just have to deal with it.

My other catchy phrase is: "Why wai, are you thai?"

(edited for spelling)

I've heard many foreign people in Thailand say this and I think it's BS. It's the wrong kind of logic. So if I'm not Thai I shouldn't eat Thai food? If I'm not Thai I should not learn to speak Thai? etc. etc. Many Thais like it when foreigners try to wai even if they get it wrong. I've heard many of them say this. Yes, in Thailand there may be more cultural norms to break than any other country, but Thais are much more forgiving if you get them wrong than say, the Japanese. It's the thought that counts.

As for different wai styles, I had a Thai friend who did not place his palms flat but would cup his hands and place them together with only the tips of his fingers and bottom of his palms touching. I don't think it was to only those above him because he did it in every wai I saw him do, which was plenty. No idea why he did it that way and I never did ask him.

yes your very correct.with the thais in this regard ,it's the thought that counts!!!

[Tod Daniels]

Proudly I AM American; deal with it or carry it to your grave…

No where in my post did I advocate not eating thai food or not learning the native language, both which I feel are important to co-exist with the ever smiling yet diminutive inhabitants of this country. I was commenting on the tendency for foreigners to over do "thai-wai". I realiz it is my take on all things thai, and that my version of reality may not be compatible with yours. It neither discounts my opinions nor validates yours.

As we can see by this oh-so informative post:

Many Thais like it when foreigners try to wai even if they get it wrong. I've heard many of them say this.

It would seem "many thais" like to see foreigners looking foolish, which is really fine by me.

If as a foreigner living here, you feel the need to become one with the 'Borg-like collective" or embrace your "thai-ness"; by all means wai yourself silly, go wai-ld (wild).

Please turn out the light when you leave thailand..

Edited November 22, 2008 by tod-daniels