Thai law has a number of special sections concerning
religious offenses, and these cover not only Buddhism, the
religion of the majority of the people, but also any other faiths
represented in the Kingdom. It is, for instance unlawful to
commit any act, by any means whatever, to an object or a
place of religious worship of any community in a manner likely
to insult The religion. Similarly, "whoever causes any
disturbance at an assembly lawfully engaged in the
performance of religious worship of religious ceremonies" is
subject to punishment, as well as "whoever dresses or uses
a symbol showing that he is a priest or novice, holyman or
clergyman of any religion unlawfully in order to make another
person believe he is such person."
In less legal language, here are a few tips on what to
do and what not to do on a visit to a religious place:
Dress neatly. Don't go shirtless, or in shorts, pants,
or other unsuitable attire. If you look at the Thais around you,
you'll see the way they would prefer you to be dressed -- which,
in fact, is probably not very different from the way you'd
dress in a similar place back home.
It's all right to wear shoes while walking around the
compound of a Buddhist temple, but not inside the chapel
where the principal Buddha image is kept. Don't worry about
dirt when you have to take them off; the floors of such places
are usually clean.
In a Muslim mosque, men should wear hats and
women should be well-covered with slacks or a long skirt, a
longsleeved blouse buttoned to the neck, and a scarf over the
hair. All should remove their shoes before entering the mosque
and should not be present if there is a religious gathering.
Buddhist priests are forbidden to touch or to be touched
by a woman or to accept anything from the hand of one. If a
woman has to give anything to a monk or novice, she first
hands it to a man, who then presents it. Or in case of a
woman who wants to present it with her hand, the monk or
novice will spread out a piece of saffron robe or handkerchief
in front of him, and the woman will lay down the material on
the robe which is being held at one end by the monk or novice.
All Buddha images, large or small, ruined or not, are
regarded as sacred objects. Hence, don't climb up on one
to take a photograph or, generally speaking, do anything
that might show a lack of respect.
Thais DO NOT normally shake hands when they greet
one another, but instead press the palms together. In a
prayer-like gesture called a wai. Generally, a younger person
wais an elder, who returns it. Watch how the Thais do it, and
you will soon learn.
It is considered rude to point your foot at a person, so try to
avoid doing so when sitting opposite anyone, and following
the conception that the foot is a low limb; DO NOT point
your foot to show anything to anyone, but use your finger
instead.
Thais regard the head as the highest part of the body
both literally and figuratively. As a result they DO NOT approve
of touching anyone on that part of the body; even in a friendly
gesture. Similarly, if you watch Thais a social gathering, you
will notice that young people go to considerable lengths to
keep their heads lower than those of the elder ones, to avoid
giving the impression of "looking down" on them. This is not
always possible, of course, but it is the effort that counts.
Public displays of affection between men and women
are frowned upon. You may see some very Westernised
young Thai couples holding hands, but that is the extent of
the displaying of affection in this polite society.
Losing your temper, especially in public, will more than
likely get you nowhere. The Thais think such displays denote
poor manners, and you are more apt to get what you want
by keeping a cool head and concealing your emotions.
DO NOT be surprised if you are addressed by your first
name; for instance, Mr. Bob or Miss Mary instead of by
your surname. This is because Thais refer to one another in
this manner, usually with the title "Khun" (Mr., Mrs., or Miss)
in front. Follow the customs of any country as far as possible,
and you will make more friends during your stay. The more
friends you make, the more you will want to return to Thailand.
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