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Quick Tips

TIPS FOR BUSINESS TRAVELLERS & TOURISTS

If you are visiting Bangkok or other places of Thailand, these quick tips will be very useful in making your stay a pleasant one.

The Royal Family

Thai people have a deep, traditional reverence for the Royal Family, and a tourist should be careful to show respect for the King, the Queen and the Royal Children. It is illegal to show disrespect to royalty. It is treated as a crime and carries a punishment of up to 15 years imprisonment. Abstain from making any negative remarks, or any remarks which might be perceived as disrespectful about the King or any members of the Royal Family. Since the King is on the country's currency, do not burn, tear, or mutilate it - especially in the presence of other Thais. If you drop a coin or a bill, do not step on it to stop it - this is very rude, since you are stomping on the picture of the King's head that is printed on the coin.

Respect for the Thais

The Thais are polite and decent people and are very tolerant of foreigners wandering on their beaches and with their women. It only makes sense to reciprocate in a similar manner and express your respect for the Thai people and respect for their culture and customs. Public displays of affection between men and women are frowned upon. Physical affection is rarely, if ever, shown in public - even married Thai men and women do not touch in public. However, it is not uncommon for same sex close friends to hold hands as an expression of affection. You may see a Thai woman expressing affection physically in public with a foreign man, but often this means that the Thai woman is a prostitute - do not mistake this as Thai culture.

Social Norms

Greeting aThai

Thais don't normally shake hands when they greet one another, but instead press the palms together in a prayer-like gesture called a wai and bow slightly. This is derived from the Hindu namaste culture from India, and still widely practised. Generally a younger person wais an elder, who returns it. Among Thais, there are strict rules of hierarchy that dictate how and when the wai should be given. Basically, inferiors salute superiors first. You should not wai service people or street vendors. The higher your hands go, the more respectful you are. You will also often see Thais doing a wai as they walk past temples and spirit houses. As a foreign visitor, you are not expected to know how to wai, nor to reciprocate when wai'd to; while you're unlikely to cause offense if you do, you may well look slightly strange. If somebody makes a wai to you, a slight bow alone is more than sufficient for ordinary occasions, and for business, most Thais will shake hands with foreigners instead of waiing anyway.

Be careful with your legs

Thais regard the head as the highest part of the body, literally and figuratively. The head is considered the holiest part of the body, and the foot the dirtiest part. Therefore, avoid touching people on the head and try not to point your feet at people or an object. It is considered very rude. If you accidentally touch or bump someone's head, apologize immediately or you'll be perceived as very rude. Similarly, do not touch people with your feet, or even point with them. If someone is sitting with outstretched feet, avoid stepping over them, as this is very rude and could even spark a confrontation. Squeeze around them or ask them to move. Even if the person is sleeping, it is best to go around, as others are likely to notice. Shoes should be removed when entering a private Thai home.

Doorway thresholds are considered a sanctuary for spirits. Take care not to step on a raised threshold, instead cross over it. Keep this in mind especially when visiting temples.

When visiting a Temple (Wat)

If you come to Bangkok and don't see a Wat (temple) then you have missed the most important thing. Though, there are certain guidlines you should follow when entering temples. The strictness of rules changes with the level of importance of the temple you are visiting. At the Royal Palace, no bare shoulders or shorts should be worn. Generally, if your knees are covered, you will be fine. Don't point your feet towards the buddha in a temple when you kneel down. The head is considered closest to heaven and good, the feet the furthest and bad. Shoes off. It is acceptable to wear shoes when walking around the compound of a Buddhist temple, but not inside the chapel where the principal Buddha image is kept. Take care when you sit in a temple to cross your legs under you mermaid-style so your feet do not point at any person or statue. Do not pose alongside a Buddhist statue for a photo and certainly don't clamber on them. It's OK to take photos of a statue, but everyone should be facing it.

Buddhist monks are meant to avoid the temptation of women, and in particular they do not touch women or take things from women's hands. Women should take care not to touch or hand anything to the monks. Objects of donations should be placed in front of a monk so he can pick it up, or place it on a special cloth he carries with him. Monks are sometimes aided by a common man who will accept things from women on their behalf. Please note that monks are not allowed to accept money, and offering money to a monk is considered a sign of disrespect in most Theravada Buddhist cultures. Therefore, should you wish to donate to a monk, you should only offer food.

Never be above a Buddha statue, and never touch a shrine.

What to wear

Bangkok is hot and sticky nearly through out the year. You will require to walk a lot if you really want to enjoy sight-seeing and shopping. Hence wearing cool clothes and light comfortable shoes would be more practical. A small hand towel, face cloth or wet wipes come in very handy, especially if you're going to venture around markets. Even though it may be hot, you should avoid wearing shorts, as a mark of respect for the Thais. The Thais dress rather conservatively. Exposure of human skin is treated with disrespect. Women should avoid exposing their bodies too much while moving around in the streets and more especially in the temples. Off course, on the beach, it is perfectly acceptable to put on beach wear.

Taking off one's shoes at temples and private homes is mandatory etiquette, and this may even be requested at some shops. Wear shoes that slip on and off easily. Flip-flops, hiking sandals, and clog-type shoes are usually a good pragmatic choice for travelling in Thailand - only in the most top-end establishments are shoes required. 

Tips for Shoppers

Bangkok has a kind of unique shopping culture. Simply venturing aimlessly into the city, hoping to find what you are looking for, is not a good idea. Plan your shopping around specific areas, say, China Town (which is an outdoor market place) in the morning hours, and Siam (which has several air-conditioned malls) in the afternoon hours. Outdoor Markets are good to visit in the mornings or evenings when it's a little cooler and usually less frantic. In the heat of the day, air-conditioned malls are better places to be.

Most shops open from about 10 AM to 10 PM. So you will have plenty of time to shop. Small shops, even in large shopping malls, usually close on Sundays, while large department stores are open seven days a week. Shopping hours can be irregular, especially on weekends and Public Holidays.

If you want the best prices around, spend time to shop around and compare prices. Take advantage of VAT refunds and tourist discount cards.

Be careful when you are buying something from a pavement stall. You cannot be sure of the quality. Further, heavily discounted goods are usually rejects or of inferior quality. Inspect items closely for any visible signs of defects/poor quality.

Bargaining is a common practice in the market place. However, prices are fixed in malls, department stores, supermarkets and large retail shops.

General Tips

Buy a good map of Bangkok city and plan your daily excursions before moving out of your hotel. You will save a lot of time, energy and money.

Most of the time, places within an area can be reached on foot, thereby eliminating unnecessary travelling. If you do need to travel, avoid travelling around the city during rush hours (mornings from 7:30 AM - 9:00 AM and in the afternoons from 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM). Variety of commuting options are available, viz. taxis, tuk-tuks, public buses, canal and river boats, motorbike taxis, the Skytrain (BTS) and underground train (MRT). Bangkok's traffic is quite notorious. Hence BTS and MRT are better options.

Beware of thieves and pick-pockets, especially in busy market places. Do not leave your belongings and bags behind in any shop or in your taxi.

Avoid talking to strangers. If a stranger approaches you with any kind of story, be it with tales of fantastic jewels or something unusual only he has privileged knowledge of, chances are good you have been targeted for some sort of tourist scam. Avoid indulging into a conversation with such strangers. If anyone attempts to harass you, reach for your mobile phone or walk to the nearest public phone and tell the harasser that you're calling the Police.