People in Thailand are full of knowledge and beauty, they have a permissive culture, and if you ever plan a trip to Thailand, you need to thoroughly learn about their culture. However, to avoid embarrassment or worse, here are a few things to avoid doing in Thailand.
1. Do not question people’s loyalty towards the king
Picture of Thai King is found in every household in Thailand. Thai people love their king, so make it a note that you never question any Thai person’s loyalty towards their kings. Do not criticize the king, this is not considered as impolite, instead is a crime. Play safe and avoid any conversation related to king and his kingdom. If in a cinema hall, make sure you stand up when everyone else does to watch the 2-minute ceremonial tribute for the king.
2. Do not raise your voice or get angry with locals
Thai people generally do not shout at each other or show anger, they always pass a smile no matter how annoyed they are. Aggression and confrontational behavior are far less common in Thailand than in the West and we do not want you to face the raging monster that lays beneath the smiley Thai. Your aggressive behavior will rarely produce any constructive result.
3. Never say something bad about anything in Thailand
Never say something bad about the food, home, or possessions of an individual. Thai people absolutely love their culture, food; take extreme pride in their things and take very good care of everything they have. Do not say anything bad about what they love, they will surely be offended.
4. Do not stop a coin with your foot
So, you have dropped a coin and it’s rolling away from you. Do not do what you always do, i.e. to step on it with our foot to prevent it rolling away or getting lost down a drain. This is not a wrong practice when you are in your country, but in Thailand, it’s a wrong thing to do. By stamping your dirty foot on a coin with the kings head on, the side is found to be discourteous by loyalists.
5. Do not point at objects with your feet
Yes, this is disrespectful and you might hurt the sentiments of the locals by just pointing your feet towards objects on display. Thai’s consider feet dirty and pointing them on anything is offensive.
Keep the above-mentioned tips in your mind, enjoy a safe, and worry free trip to Thailand. Happy exploring!