Facts and Statistics
Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma
Capital: Bangkok
Climate: tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest
monsoon (mid-May to September); dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to
mid-March); southern isthmus always hot and humid
Population: 64,865,523
Ethnic Make-up: Thai 75%, Chinese 14%, other 11%
Religions: Buddhism 95%, Muslim 3.8%, Christianity 0.5%, Hinduism 0.1%, other 0.6% (1991)
Government: constitutional monarchy
Languages in Thailand
The Thai language is comprised of 44 consonants, 32 vowels and five
tones in Thai pronunciation, along with a script that has Indian
origins. The Thai language, belonging to the Tai family, is the main
language in Thailand although there are several regional dialects as
well. Other languages spoken in Thailand are Chinese, Lao, Malay and
Mon-Khmer, while English use is becoming more prevalent in government
and commerce. English is also being taught as a second language in
secondary school and universities, which enables the English speaking
visitor in Thailand to have little trouble conversing.
hai Society & Culture
The Wai
. The wai is the common form of greeting and adheres to strict rules of protocol.
. Raising
both hands, palms joined with the fingers pointing upwards as if in
prayer, lightly touching the body somewhere between the chest and the
forehead, is the standard form.
. The wai is both a sign of respect
as well as a greeting. Respect and courtesy are demonstrated by the
height at which the hands are held and how low the head comes down to
meet the thumbs of both hands.
. The wai may be made while sitting, walking, or standing.
. The person who is junior in age or status is the first one to offer the wai.
. The senior person returns the wai, generally with their hands raised to somewhere around their chest.
. If
a junior person is standing and wants to wai a senior person who is
seated, the junior person will stoop or bow their head while making the
wai.
. If there is a great social distance between two people, the wai will not be returned.
Buddhism in Thailand
. Thailand is a stronghold of Buddhism.
. Buddhists believe that
life does not begin with birth and end with death, but rather that every
person has several lives based upon the lessons of life not yet learned
and acts committed (karma) in previous lives.
. Buddhists believe
that selfishness and craving result in suffering and that compassion and
love bring happiness and well-being.
. The true path to peace is to
eliminate all desire, a condition which Buddhists define as 'nirvana',
an indescribable state free of desire, suffering, or further rebirth, in
which a person simply is, and is completely at one with his
surroundings.
. Buddhism is practised in Thailand by over 90% of the population.
Hierarchical Society
. Thais respect hierarchical relationships.
. Social relationships are defined as one person being superior to the other.
. Parents are superior to their children, teachers to their students, and bosses to their subordinates.
. When Thais meet a stranger, they will immediately try to place you within a hierarchy so they know how you should be treated.
. This is often done by asking what might be seen as very personal questions in other cultures.
. Status can be determined by clothing and general appearance, age, job, education, family name, and social connections.
Thai Family Values
. The family is the cornerstone of Thai society.
. Family life is often more closely knit than in western cultures.
. The Thai family is a form of hierarchy with the parents at the top.
. Children are taught to honour their parents.
Thai Demeanour
. Thais place great emphasis and value on outward forms of courtesy
such as politeness, respect, genial demeanour and self-control in order
to maintain harmonious relations.
. Many of their rules of etiquette are by-products of the Buddhist religion.
. It is a non-confrontational society, in which public dispute or criticism is to be avoided at all costs.
. To be openly angry with someone might attract the wrath of the spirits, which in turn could cause violence and tragedy.
. Openly
criticizing a person is a form of violence as it hurts the person and
is viewed as a conscious attempt to offend the person being rebuked
. Loss of face is a disgrace to a Thai so they try to avoid confrontations and look for compromises in difficult situations.
. If two parties disagree, one will need to have an outlet to retreat without losing face.
Etiquette & Customs in Thailand
Meeting Etiquette. The wai (as mentioned above) is the traditional form of greeting, given by the person of lower status to the person of higher status.
. Thais generally use first rather than surnames, with the honorific title Khun before the name. Khun is an all- purpose form of address that is appropriate for both men and women
. In general, wait for your host and hostess to introduce you to the other guests. This allows everyone to understand your status relative to their own, and thus know who performs the wai and how low the head should be bowed.
Gift Giving Etiquette
. If invited to a Thai's home, a gift is not expected, although it will be appreciated.
. Gifts should be wrapped attractively, since appearance matters. Bows and ribbons add to the sense of festivity.
. Appropriate gifts are flowers, good quality chocolates or fruit.
. Do not give marigolds or carnations, as they are associated with funerals.
. Try to avoid wrapping a gift in green, black or blue as these are used at funerals and in mourning.
. Gold and yellow are considered royal colours, so they make good wrapping paper.
. Only use red wrapping paper if giving a gift to a Chinese Thai.
. Gifts are not opened when received.
. Money is the usual gift for weddings and ordination parties.
Dining Etiquette
If you are invited to a Thai's house:
. Arrive close to the appointed time, although being a few minutes late will not cause offence.
. Check to see if the host is wearing shoes. If not, remove yours before entering the house.
. Ask another guest to confirm the dress code.
. Step over the threshold rather than on it. This is an old custom that may be dying out with younger Thais, but erring on the side of conservatism is always a good idea.
Table manners
. A fork and spoon are the usual eating utensils. However, noodles are often eaten with chopsticks.
. The spoon is held in the right hand and the fork in the left. The fork is used to guide food on to the spoon. Sticky rice, a northern Thai delicacy, is often eaten with the fingers of the right hand.
. Most meals are served as buffets or with serving platters in the centre of the table family- style.
. You may begin eating as soon as you are served.
. Leave a little food on your plate after you have eaten to show that you are full. Finishing everything indicates that you are still hungry.
. Never leave rice on your plate as it is considered wasteful. The words for food and rice are the same. Rice has an almost mystical significance in addition to its humdrum 'daily bread' function.
. Never take the last bite from the serving bowl.
. Wait to be asked before taking a second helping.
. Do not lick your fingers.
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