10 Things To Avoid In Thailand
All tourists traveling to Thailand, there is an announcement for you.
Your boarding passes will be issued shortly; we regret the inconvenience.
You could wait in the lounge for the time being and scroll through Facebook.
On second thoughts, why don’t you check out the dos and don’ts in Thailand?
Okay people, thanks for bearing this airport announcement gag we just did but on a serious
note, knowing about the culture of a country before vising it is a good idea.
Yea we know, Thai people are the most hospitable and forgiving lot but you could do them a
favor by learning Thai culture, what say?
Number 10.
Don’t Get dirty Was the title misleading because we aren’t
talking about having sexual encounters in the country!
Yea, we caught you there!
Okay, now that we have your attention let’s tell you that Thai people aren’t a fan of
the ‘messy look’!
They prefer being prim and proper and you’d be expected to follow this hygiene rule!
Even if you come across a physical laborer, you’d find him wearing clean clothes on
a hot summer day.
So no matter if the temperature strikes 35 on the Celsius scale, you aren’t going about
the streets looking like a hot mess!
Number 9.
Don’t hug monks Thailand emphasizes on respecting monks and
that is why you would never see anybody positioned higher than the monks!
An important thing to keep in mind is that monks are not allowed to touch women.
They won’t even hand over a thing to a woman and would rather place it down for her to
pick it up herself!
In fact, they would never sit directly next to a woman also, so women, the next time you
see an empty seat next to a monk, don’t sit there because then he’ll automatically
stand!
Men on the other hand can interact with monks but should still maintain a respectful distance.
Number 8.
Don’t raise your voice Now Thai folks are very soft spoken and mild
mannered.
There is little chance that you will find them raising their voice.
Did you know they notice foreigners easily?
Yea, by hearing them from a mile away!
Now while you are in Thailand, try to not get into arguments or at least maintain your
cool.
This is because yelling does not help in that country and the involved people will feel
embarrassed or lose face!
You wouldn’t want that to happen, right?
Number 7.
Don’t touch their head Thai people consider the head to be the holiest
part of the body and touching it is considered disrespectful.
So in case you aren’t with a kid or are extremely close to the other person, do not
touch their head.
We repeat, DO NOT touch their head or put anything on it!
A playful ruffling of hair will also make people uncomfortable because they’ll feel
you have disrespected them.
A small thing but can make a big difference in how much you enjoy this vacation in Thailand!
Number 6.
Don’t Keep Your Shoes On Another disrespectful thing you could do in
Thailand is enter a temple or house with your shoes on.
Yes, Thai people consider wearing shoes inside a house, shop or temple as a sign of disrespect
towards them and their culture.
To add to this, some restaurants also expect you to remove your shoes before you enter
and have your tummies filled!
The next time you see a pile of shoes outside a place, consider removing your own before
barging in.
It’s for your own good!
Number 5.
Don’t make out If you are a frequent traveler, you must have
seen that different countries have different opinions about PDA.
While Europeans can be seen touching tongues on the streets, Thailand is just not the place
for that kind of romance, uhmm we mean openly!
You wouldn’t see Thai people hugging each other or even holding hands in public, so
that makes the more intimate gestures strictly a bedroom matter.
The focus was on BEDROOM because that’s where you lock all intimacies before stepping
out on Thai streets!
Number 4.
Don’t put your feet up By this we mean that you aren’t putting
your feet anywhere that is not meant for feet.
You get the point, don’t you?
See, Thai culture sees feet as the dirtiest part of the body and pointing it towards someone
or a pure place is definitely a disrespect, so keep clear!
And what if you are sitting on the floor?
Tuck in under you so it stays away from others, simple!
This rule extends to not kicking or pointing with your feet.
We wonder if football is banned in Thailand, oh that could be our next google agenda!
Number 3.
Don’t Take your clothes off The fact that Thailand is tropical and you’d
feel hot has to be kept aside when you plan to jet off to this holiday destination!
If you are on the beach, in a certain type of a bar or in your room, then by all means
ditch your clothes but other than that, your t-shirts aren’t coming off!
Also you have to be extra cautious of your clothes when you are stepping inside a temple.
The preferred attire for women is white with shoulders and legs fully covered.
No tank tops or short skirts are making an appearance there, okay?
Number 2.
Don’t point They say, pointing is second nature to Westerners,
is it true?
Well, in case you smiled at that one, we’ll warn you!
Pointing a finger would be translated as an insult in Thailand, now do you want to stick
to this natural response of yours?
Don’t be dumbfounded, the alternative here is to point your whole hand in the direction
you want to bring someone’s attention to.
Extend all your four fingers in the direction and keep your thumb flat against the palm.
Simple and safe!
Number 1.
Don’t insult the royal family Talking against the ministry of any country
can put you in a messy situation and when you spit anger about them while you are in
their country, God save you!
We don’t mean to scare you and like we said, Thai people are forgiving, so you can chill.
Now that you are relaxed, let’s be honest.
If don’t want to offend the locals or end up in jail, keep your negative comments about
the King or Royal family to yourself!
Which of these Thai traditions astounded you the most?
Tell us in the comment section below.
Subscribe to our channel if you liked this video.
And while you're here, check out our other videos and tell us what you think of them.
You can also find us on twitter, facebook and instagram.
Thanks for watching.