Thai customs and etiquette: the wai, temples and everyday respect

The wai: Thailand's traditional greeting

The wai is a gesture of respect made by pressing the palms together in front of the chest or face, with a slight bow of the head. As a general rule, the higher the hands and the deeper the bow, the greater the respect being shown — a wai to a monk, an elder or someone senior is held higher and longer than a casual greeting between friends.

You do not need to wai everyone. It is not expected toward children, waitstaff or cashiers — a smile and a polite "khob khun" are enough in these everyday interactions. As a foreign visitor, you are not obliged to initiate a wai at all; it is polite to return one if someone wais you first.

Temple dress code

Shoulders and knees must be covered for both men and women when entering a Buddhist temple, and shoes must be removed before entering any sacred building. Hats and sunglasses should also be removed indoors. Some of the most important temples — Wat Phra Kaew (the Temple of the Emerald Buddha) in particular — enforce this strictly and can refuse entry to visitors who are not dressed appropriately. Carry a light scarf or sarong in your bag as backup cover-up if you might visit a temple later in the day.

Etiquette around monks

• Never point your finger or your feet at a monk, a Buddha statue or another person — feet are considered the lowest and least respectful part of the body.
• Do not sit at a higher physical level than a monk if you can avoid it.
• Women must not touch a monk or hand him an object directly; if a woman needs to give something to a monk, it is placed down for him to pick up, passed through a male intermediary, or placed on a cloth the monk holds out.

Why this matters

None of this is about rigid rule-following — it reflects genuine social values (respect for age, religious status and hierarchy) that shape everyday interactions well beyond temples. Visitors who show basic awareness of these customs are consistently treated with more warmth.