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Religion
Neat and respectful dress should be worn in all religious shrines.
It is not considered polite to visit religious monuments in
shorts, miniskirts or hot pants. Trousers and jeans are considered
unsuitable attire for women visiting a temple. Though shoes can be
worn in temple compounds, they should be removed before entering
the chapel of the principal Buddha image. Indeed, all Buddha
images are regarded as sacred, regardless of size, age or
position, and should all be shown due respect. Buddhist monks are
not allowed to touch or be touched by a woman, or accept anything
from a woman's hand.
In a Muslim mosque, men should
cover their heads, even with an open handkerchief, and women
should be well covered with slacks or a long skirt, a long sleeved
blouse buttoned to the neck, and a scarf over the head. Everyone
should remove her/his shoes before entering the mosque. Mosques
should not be visited during a religious gathering. |
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The
Monarchy
The Royal Family is highly revered in Thailand, and images such as
statues, photographs, pictures etc. should be shown due respect.
In a movie theatre, everybody is expected to stand during the
playing of the Royal Anthem and a portrait of the King is shown on
the screen
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Social
Customs
Thais greet each other with a prayer-like gesture called a Wai.
Generally, a younger person Wais an older person, who will
then return it. Thais address each other (and usually foreigners)
by their first names (which is also how they are listed in the
telephone directory followed by their family name) This is
prefixed by the polite word Khun. Public displays of
affection, shouting and wild gesticulation are to be avoided as
they are considered impolite.
The head is considered the highest
part of the body, while the feet are considered the lowest, both
literally and figuratively. Touching someone's head or pointing at
people or things with the feet are, therefore, considered
extremely rude. As with entering temples, shoes are removed before
entering somebody's home. |
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