Things You Shouldn’t Do In Thailand

Although Thailand people are acknowledged for their warm and hospitable nature, there are still certain things that can offend them. And, since every country has its customs, it is only your responsibility not to offend the people of the place you are visiting for a short time.

So, if you are about to visit Thailand, there are certain things you shouldn’t do in Thailand if you want your stay to be peaceful and memorable.

Here is a list of don’ts that you must keep in mind while visiting Thailand.

• Don’t Touch Any Person’s Head

The first thing you should avoid while in Thailand is touching other people’s heads. Unless you are with a family member or a kid, you cannot pat someone on the head.

Thai people consider the head as the cleanest and holy part of our body. Hence, if you are touching someone on the head, you are disrespecting that person.

• Don’t Touch The Monks

Thai people consider monks as the most respected figures. So, being positioned over a monk in Thailand is strictly prohibited.

Additionally, if you are a woman, you cannot make any sort of contact with the holy monks. Monks are not permitted to touch women, and if they have to hand them an item, they would usually place it on the ground to let women pick it up.

Keeping your distance from a monk is one thing you should do in Thailand. Also, if you are standing while a monk is sitting, you will offend Thai people as, in this case, you will be in a higher position than the monk.

• Don’t Involve In Romantic Activities

Until recently, people of Thailand didn’t even embrace hands in public. And, kissing in public or any other romantic gesture should be strictly avoided as per the Thais.

If you are visiting Thailand, don’t kiss or hug your partner in the public. The people there save these gestures for private.

• Don’t Wear Revealing Clothes

Thailand is a place of temples, and you would want to visit every magnificent temple of the country. However, you can’t wear a dress that shows too much skin as it is considered impolite in Thailand.

When in Thailand, don’t wear revealing clothes while visiting royal palaces and Thai temples. Your knees and arms should always be properly covered.

Avoid wearing miniskirts, shorts, and tank tops. Instead, wear jeans or pants with a top that covers your arms.

• Don’t Wear Shoes In The Temple

Temples are a holy place, and Thai people get offended when you wear shoes in the temples. Also, you should remove your footwear before entering the houses. Several restaurants in Thailand even prohibit the entry with the shoes on.

So, if you ever see a pile of shoes outside a shop or house, make sure to remove your shoes before heading inside.

Moreover, they consider the feet as the dirtiest and lowest part of the human body. So, spare yourself the trouble and don’t use your feet to kick the door shut or to pick something up. Also, it would help if you didn’t put your legs up on chairs and tables.

You must not point your toes at someone or something, particularly not towards the monks or Buddha statues.

• Don’t Visit Underground Casinos

Gambling is prohibited in Thailand so be sure to avoid any offline gambling activities. However, if you are an avid gambler and don’t want to limit yourself, try using online websites such as G Club casino or SCR888. In this case you will be safe from any troubles with Thai authorities.

Things Thai People Hate Foreigners For

There are also some things that foreigners regularly do to many Thais. As a foreign tourist, you should try to understand a different culture that although it’s a culture shock to you, respect should be shown to local people, places, and culture. Let’s find what are things that Thais hate foreigners for.

Prostitution can be seen as something common in Thailand since the law can’t fully control and restrict them. There are also many prostitutes in different forms such as prostitutes who work at Karaoke shop or massage parlor that can make a huge income and take a big part of Thai GDP. There is a roughly 50 billion gross income for this industry alone yearly. However, foreigners shouldn’t walk to someone and directly ask them if they are prostitutes and they would like to use their services. This is considered rude action and some Thais can get very mad. What you have to do is to go directly to the hub that clearly for that kind of activities, so you will be treated properly.

Another example that Thais hate foreigners for is that they are somehow noisy and don’t pay enough respect to things that related to traditional beliefs, spiritual beliefs or Buddhism. Thais pay respect to almost every invisible thing that exists spiritually including ghost stories. Many big trees with colorful rainbow cloth and ghost houses are respected by locals and might look insane for foreigners but avoiding to criticize those Thais beliefs will help you to avoid getting in trouble with them.

Conclusion

Apart from these things, you shouldn’t take photos with the animals, a bargain too low while shopping, or ride the elephants. Also, you must not disrespect the royal family of the country.

These are the most prominent things that you shouldn’t do in Thailand to keep yourself out of major problems. Although people of Thailand are kind-hearted and helpful, they’ll pardon you for most of your mistakes. But they would really appreciate it if you don’t make these mistakes in the first place.

John Fosdyle is the founder of Web Casino Star. He is a 36-year-old programmer who enjoys golf, cookery, and drone photography. He is tech-savvy and smart, but can also be very nerdish from time to time. He has a degree in computing and obsessed with creating new tech projects and eating pizza.