It is always a good idea to research what the most common mistakes are made by foreigners in your destination of choice. Thailand is a fairly forgiving place but if you make the wrong misstep, you could end up greatly offending your host or, in some cases, end up on the wrong side of the law.
Wanderlust and Lipstick, luckily, has already done the research for you and has listed the top ten things you should avoid doing in Thailand.
Some key missteps to avoid are:
1. Use your feet
Pointing your toes or the bottom of your feet at people, places and things is considered extremely impolite. Having your feet facing toward, temples, Buddha images or monks is especially rude and unacceptable. You’ll also be chastised for using your feet to help shut a door, stepping over or kicking something.
2. Touch their head
Unless you’re in a very close relationship with someone or are with a child, you shouldn’t be touching or putting things over people’s heads. The head is considered the cleanest and most holy part of the body, so touching someone’s head is seen as disrespectful and will make others uncomfortable.
5. Raise your voice
As a whole, Thais are usually mild-mannered and soft-spoken… but you can hear foreigners a mile away! Keep your voice down in stores and restaurants, and stay calm if you find yourself in an argument. Raising your voice or yelling won’t help the situation and causes everyone involved to become embarrassed or lose face.
9. Hug a monk
Monks are forbidden to touch women and often won’t even hand them something directly, instead placing the item down for the woman to pick up. While men are allowed to be in contact with monks you’ll still usually see them keep a respectful distance. No one should stand over, or be positioned higher than, a monk.
In addition to Wanderlust and Liptstick’s top ten, we’d add: Do not speak ill of the royal family! Lèse majesté laws are active and very serious in Thailand so do not even jokingly say anything against the royal family unless you want to end up facing jail time!
To read more about things you should not do in Thailand, check out the full article at the link below.
Read full article:
10 Things NOT to Do in Thailand
Reposted from: Wanderlust and Lipstick
Picture credits: Flickr, Flickr, Pixabay, Pixabay, Pixabay
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