Phuket People  The
Thais are charming, friendly people. They genuinely like visitors, and appreciate
others sharing their love of Thailand and all things Thai. They are tolerant and
readily overlook the usual tourist gaffes. However, most of us would like to avoid
giving offense, and you should note the following hints on getting along in Thailand.
The main thing to remember is simply this: SMILE and all Phuket will smile with
you.
Since smiling is contagious, you will find yourself smiling more and
more. A smile in Thailand is used for many situations and not only to show
amusement. Thai people will smile at unsuccessful attempts to do something. This
is not meant to be rude as they smile with you, rather than at you. If you find
yourself in such a situation, just SMILE. A smile is also used to excuse
oneself. It is the correct mechanism for repairing minor breaches of etiquette.
Thai people can smile their way out of any situation. There is no verbal accompaniment,
so anything said that may be regretted later is avoided. The smile could be translated
verbally as "Sorry -- no comment". A smile can show embarrassment.
If a Thai person has made a mistake, they'll feel guilty and will be pleased to
make amends -- even if they are smiling. Smiling may also show your appreciation.
For small services a smile will be accepted as a "thank
you" or "you're welcome". Some words of advice
For more detail about the local culture, visit our Phuket
Culture page. - Please treat BUDDHA IMAGES with great respect.
If taking a souvenir photo, please do not lean or climb on the image. Neither
should you point your feet in the direction if the Buddha. This is considered
very rude.
- When ATTRACTING ATTENTION, use your hand and beckon
with your palm downwards. This avoids pointing your finger at the body, which
is considered impolite. Neither should you clap or snap your fingers.
- Try
to restrain from showing overt AFFECTION for your partner in public, i.e.
fondling or kissing. This causes embarrassment. (Times may be changing to some
extent, especially in Bangkok, but it's best to err on the side of conservatism
-- be considerate of your host culture.)
- It's fun to BARGAIN for
souvenirs and goods with good humour. A smile could be worth a great deal.
- Do
not touch another's HEAD or HAIR. If you should do so accidentally,
it's polite to apologize. The top of the head, inhabited by the khwan (spirit
essence) is considered to be the most important part of the body, and the feet
are the least important and the dirtiest.
- Therefore remember to keep
your FEET to yourself. Do not rest them on a table and do not step over
anybody or their food. Do not point your feet at anyone.
- Women should
not touch a MONK or the robes he wears. If a women does touch a monk, he
must follow an elaborate purification ritual. A woman should not hand any object
directly to a monk. Instead: give it to a man to hand over to the monk; set the
object down and let the monk pick it up; drop it into his bowl; or place it on
a piece a saffron cloth, which the monk keeps handy for this purpose.
- RELAX.
An essential value in Thai culture is remaining calm -- maintaining a cool heart,
or jai yen. Displaying anger or impatience entails a loss of face. Remember,
a smile can work wonders!
- Remove your SHOES before entering the
main building of a temple and when visiting a home.
|
