Thailand has some of the same manners and habits in regards to etiquette as most Asian countries do. Thais place a lot of value and emphasis on outwardly expressed displays of courtesy, and as a result you can observe that most people are very respectful, polite, congenial, and show great self-control. Thais draw many of their etiquette rules and customs from their Buddhist background.

Expressing Emotions in Thailand
You will find that in Thailand, people have great self-control and refrain from engaging in confrontational behavior, especially in public. To criticize or engage in a dispute with another person in public is definitely looked down upon, and in actual practice, rarely happens. This is because not only is it considered bad etiquette to do so, but there is also an underlying concern that angry emotions can actually cause a person to experience personal tragedy, due to the fact that their own anger might anger the spirits. Criticism is not taken lightly in Thailand, as it is considered to be a direct attack on a person, almost equal to an act of violence. As a result, most people in Thailand will go out of their way to settle any disagreements through finding a mutually acceptable compromise. By doing this, neither person has to risk “losing face.”

Personal Etiquette in Thailand
When two people meet or are first introduced, the standard greeting that is shared is known as the wai. This greeting will first be given by whichever person is lower in status or age, by raising the hands, joining the palms with fingers upward in a prayerful fashion, and then touching the joined hands to the body between the forehead and chest. The person with higher status or more advanced age will then return the greeting, although they will touch their hands to a lower position on their chest. First names are generally used, with the title of Khun preceding the person’s name, as this is the non-gender specific form of address.

Because of the fact that greetings are based on a person’s status, hosts will introduce guests before greetings are exchanged, so that everyone will know how to perform the wai. If you are an invited guest in a Thai home, you should be on time. Stepping on the threshold instead of over it is considered in bad form according to traditional Thai customs, and you should remove your shoes upon entering the home if you see the host is not wearing shoes.

Dinner Manners
Although chopsticks are commonly used when eating noodles, a spoon and fork are the most used eating utensils. However, the spoon and fork are used differently than they are in Western cultures, as the fork is held in the left hand and is used to guide food onto the spoon which is held in the right hand. To show that you received enough to eat and are no longer hungry, it is considered polite to leave just a little bit of food on your plate after a meal. However, be sure that the food you leave is not rice, as rice has a special significance in the Thai culture, with the word for “rice” being the same as “food.” You should also never take another helping of food without being asked, and never be the one to take the last bit of food from a bowl.