1) Thailand has a culture deeply influenced by Buddhism, with an emphasis on politeness, respect, and avoiding confrontation. 2) Thai society is hierarchical, and people are defined by their relationships and relative statuses. Proper greetings and etiquette are important. 3) The family is the center of Thai culture, and there are strict rules of respect between generations and among siblings. Maintaining family harmony is valued.

1. Laririt.
Madamba.
Serrano.
4 IND-1
THAI
CULTURE

2. Thailand
Capital: Bangkok
 Location: Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea
and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma
 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
 Currency: Baht

3.  Also Known as: “Land of
Smiles”, “Land of the Free”
 Former Name: Siam
 The only state in Southeast
Asia to escape direct control
by a European power.
FACTS

4. oBuddhism is followed by
90% of the population.
Buddha
o A great Indian sage born in the 6th
century BC.
o Siddharta Gautama, a noble
prince sheltered from the outside
world who left the palace.
o Concluded that all is suffering
and resolved to search for relief
from that suffering.
o Went to the forest and lived for
many years as a solitary ascetic
and ultimately achieved
enlightenment while sitting under
a sacred fig tree.
RELIGION

5. 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 thumb of both hands.
 The wai may be made while sitting, walking or standing.

6.  The person who is junior in age or status is
the first one to offer
 The senior person returns the wai,
generally with their hands raised
somewhere around their chest.
 If a junior person is standing and wants to
wai a senior 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.

7. Hierarchical Society Thais respect hierarchical relationships
 Social relationships are defined as one person being superior to the other
(i.e. parents are superior to their children, teachers to their students,
bosses to their subordinates)
 When Thais meet a stranger, they will immediately try to place you within
their hierarchy so they know how you should be treated.
 This is often done by asking what might be seen as a very personal
question in other cultures.
 Status can be determined by clothing and general appearance, age, job,
education, family name and social connections.

8. Don’t Ask.
There are some questions that should never be asked of a foreigner. Some of
these can be very embarrassing to them or make them feel very uneasy. And
in some cases you might get a very nasty or rude remark from them:
 “How much money do you make?”
 “What is your religion?”
 “How many wives do you have?”
 “How many small wives do you have?”

9. 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 honor their parents and to thank them for the time
and money spent on their education. Children shall always have gratitude
(“katanjoo”) towards their parents. The worse insult for a Thai person is to
be deemed ungrateful.
 Many words are used in Thai language to identify all the members of the
family.

10. Thai Family Values
 Within children there is also a hierarchy
 Every child has an elder, called “phi”
 Every child has a younger, called “nong”
 When speaking to an elder, Thai children always
use the word “phi”. When the difference of age is
not important, they only use the first name.
Younger children must respect the elder, listen to
their advice, and the elder should protect the
younger.

11. 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.

12. Thai Demeanour
 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.

13. 1) There should be an utmost
respect to the royal family
and religious figures.
2) Women should never touch
the monk.
3) Thais consider the sole of
the feet unclean.
4) It is an insult to touch
someone in their head.
ETIQUETTES

14. 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.

15.  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.

16. 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.
 Do not fill your plate. Take less amount.
 Wait until invited to drink. Do not touch cup or
glass.

17. Dining Etiquette
 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.

18. o Thai palate relishes
incredibly spicy food,
normally hotter than is
tolerated in even the most
piquant Western cuisine.
o Thai families usually have
an early breakfast of khao
tom (rice soup).
o Thais take eating very
seriously so business
people allow two to three
hours for lunch.
o Dinner is the main meal.
FOOD

19. 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.

20. Table Manners
 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.

21. Table manners 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 and wait to be asked
before taking a second helping.
 Do not lick your fingers.

22. Relationship and Communication
 Thais prefer doing business with people they respect.
 Relationships develop slowly and do not flourish after one meeting; it may
take several meetings.
 Always be respectful and courteous when dealing with others as this leads
to the harmonious relationships necessary within business.
 Thai communication is formal and non-verbal communication is often more
important than verbal communication.

23. Relationship and Communication
 Rank is always respected. The eldest person
in the group is revered.
 It is difficult for most Thais to say no, so you
must be cognizant of their non- verbal
communication.
 Watch your body language and facial
expressions, as these will be believed over
your words.

24.  Enormous importance in old
Siam.
 Battle mounts in warfare and in
heavy work of many sorts.
 Important export commodity and
were regularly shipped to India
for sale.
 Thai kings sought to capture
and keep at court in luxurious
splendor any white elephants
found in the wild.
 White elephants were regarded
as talismans of the kingdom’s
prosperity.
ELEPHANTS

25.  No western perspective or
shadow and subjects are
mainly religious scenes.
 Sculptural images of Buddha,
often made of bronze,
ranging from a few
centimeters to many meters
in height are another
renowned symbol of Thailand
and its culture.
 The image serves to remind
the faithful of the great life
and teachings of the Buddha.
ART

26.  The most popular subject of
illustrated Buddhist manuscripts
in 19th century Thailand.
 It was widely used as a
preaching text for funerals and
weddings.
 The monk who travels to heaven
and hell by the powers he
achieved through meditations
and great merit.
 The descriptions of heaven and
hell vividly reminded the
assembled community of the
future awaiting them in heaven
or hell and of the punishment
resulting from sinful behavior.
PHRAI MALAI

27.  When most Thais get together to
participate or watch a sporting
event, there is often as much
activity on the sideline as on the
field. This commotion relates to
one of the country’s grand
passion: gambling.
 Thais love to wager so that
nearly any activity can be
organized into a bet.
 Among the favorites are Thai
boxing (Muay Thai), fish and
kite fighting and net takraw.
SPORTS

28. William J.
Klausner,
Reflections
on Thai
Culture
(1976)
“PUBLICLY, THE THAI REMAIN MORE
VICTORIAN THAN THE VICTORIANS… IT
IS VIEWED AS IMPROPER AND
INAPPROPRIATE TO EVEN HOLD HANDS
IN PUBLIC. ONE OF THE MOST
PERVASIVE OF THAI CULTURAL
IMPERATIVES IS THE AVOIDANCE OF
SOCIAL CONFRONTATION. ONE IS
EXPECTED TO MASK ONE’S EMOTIONS
ESPECIALLY SOCIALLY DESTRUCTIVE
ONES LIKE ANGER, HATRED,
ANNOYANCE..”

29. Phya
Anuman
Rajadhon,
Essay on
Thai Folklore
(1968)
“FUNDAMENTALLY, THE CULTURE OF
THAILAND MAY BE SUMMED UP IN ONE
WORD, RELIGION. FOR EVERYTHING,
ARTS AND LITERATURE, SOCIAL
SYSTEM, HABITS AND CUSTOMS, I
DEVELOPED AROUND HER RELIGION…
TO THE PEOPLE AS A WHOLE
RELIGIOUS CULTURE IS STILL A LIVING
FORCE.”

30. END.