Culture and Traditions

Traditional Culture

The basis of the Thai customs and traditions lie in the family. Young Thais are taught to pay respect to and follow the admonitions of parents, elders, teachers and Buddhist monks who, in the past, formed a highly educated class.

Traditions

Thailand is known as the land of smiles. The Thais smile for many reasons. In some cases it is a way of saying hello or thank you, or in making a request, to apologize for something, or smooth over bad feelings or to even show embarrassment.

It is not in the nature of Thai people to show their anger and emotions especially if it entails shouting or arguing loudly, in public. The expression ’jai yen yen’ which literally means cool your heart is generally used if one is beginning to get angry or frustrated. Hugging, embracing, kissing or anything like that on streets or in public places is unacceptable by the norms of Thai society.

Part of the Thai people's nature is their generous hospitality. For example: whilst greeting guests into their houses or offices, they firstly offer them a glass of water. This is often the same in a restaurant, even before one orders anything.

The more traditional way to greet people though is with a ’wai’. This is done by putting their hands together as in praying and raising them to about eye level. This gesture is the Thai way of paying respect to each other, not only when they meet but also on leaving or to say a thank you. It makes Thai parents very proud to see their young babies and children wai and show such respect .

Respect is shown for their religion and also to the monks. Shorts and scantily dressed women are frowned upon at entering a temple as is it is considered very improper for women to touch a monk.

In every village town in Thailand, the national flag is raised each day at 8.00 a.m. and lowered at 6.00 p.m. The national anthem is played during these ceremonies. It is also played on the radio/TV stations at this time and at cinemas prior to any film. In this, the Thai’s are showing their utmost respect for their king.

The music of the Thai national anthem was composed in 1932. There is also a Royal Anthem, to honour the king. This is played at many public occasions to express the love and respect which the Thai people have for their monarch.

The flag has five horizontal stripes. The colours are red, white, blue, white, and red.

The red stripes stand for the nation and the white ones for religion. The wider blue band in the center, occupying one-third of the total area, symbolizes the monarchy. These three concepts: nation, religion and monarchy are what unite the Thai population.

Everyone in Thailand has a nickname which is usually given to them at birth. Most people call their friends using their nicknames and it’s not unusual for them not to know their real name !

Thai culture is inevitably changing with time due to the contact with Western civilization. Although most Thai's stick to their own culture, some are influenced by what they see on television and those visiting Thailand; more so in the tourist areas of the country.

Traditionally a symbol of beauty is the whiteness of ones skin. To the Thai people a darker tanned skin is the symbol of the peasant, or poor person who often works the fields or on the streets. They believe the paler you are, the higher you are in status. It is therefore quite common to see a Thai person with an umbrella when the sun is shining.

A person’s head is considered to be very sacred, therefore as a general rule it is best not to touch anyone on the head. It is also considered rude to use ones foot to point at anyone or anything, and to always walk around a person rather than step over them.