What is actually going on
Thailand is unusually easy to travel and unusually easy to misread. It was never colonised, which shaped everything from the monarchy to the legal system; it is overwhelmingly Theravada Buddhist, with a large Muslim population in the south and Chinese, Lao, Khmer, Malay and highland minority communities throughout. What looks like relaxed informality usually sits on top of a fairly precise set of rules about hierarchy, face and respect.
You are not expected to get any of it perfect. You are expected to try, and the effort is noticed.
The things worth knowing before you arrive
- The head and the feet. The head is the most respected part of the body, the feet the least. Do not touch anyone’s head, and do not point your feet at a person or a Buddha image.
- The monarchy. Treated with genuine reverence, and protected by strict lèse-majesté laws. This is not a topic to be flippant about, including online.
- Temples are working religious sites. Shoulders and knees covered, shoes off where indicated, and never climb on a Buddha image for a photograph.
- Monks. Women should not touch a monk or hand anything to one directly. On buses and trains, the reserved seats are reserved.
- Keeping calm. Losing your temper in public reads as a loss of face for everyone present and will make a problem harder to solve, not easier.
What we have written
- Thai temple etiquette — the practical version, before your first wat.
- The ethnic groups of Thailand — who actually lives here.
- From Siam to Thailand — the name change that redefined a nation.
- The temples of Ayutthaya — the old capital and what the ruins mean.
- Loy Krathong — the floating-lantern festival, and what it is for.
- Yi Peng — the northern lantern festival, and the rules around it.
- Muay Thai in Bangkok — the national sport, watched properly.
- Sala Keoku — one man’s concrete vision of the cosmos.
- Songkhla old town — Sino-Portuguese Thailand in the deep south.
- Everything in Culture — the full archive.
Food is culture here too, and the regional differences are sharper than most visitors expect — the Thai food guide covers the four kitchens and how to order in each.
Thai culture: your questions, answered
What should I wear to a temple in Thailand?
Shoulders and knees covered, for everyone. Remove your shoes where indicated, which is usually before entering any building containing a Buddha image. Larger temples often lend or rent a sarong if you turn up unprepared.
What is considered rude in Thailand?
Touching someone’s head, pointing your feet at a person or a Buddha image, raising your voice in public, and any disrespect towards the monarchy — the last of which is a criminal matter, not merely a faux pas.
Do I need to wai when someone wais me?
It is polite to return one, but you are not obliged to, and nobody expects a foreign visitor to get the hierarchy of it right. Never wai a child or service staff first — a nod and a smile is the correct response there.
Is Thailand a Buddhist country?
Predominantly, yes — around 90% Theravada Buddhist. There is a substantial Muslim population, particularly in the far south, along with Christian, Hindu and Sikh communities and animist traditions that run alongside Buddhism almost everywhere.
Taste it for yourself
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Hands-on: Book a Thai cooking class on GetYourGuide — market tour, wok and recipes to take home.