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Info4Migrants
THAILANDCountry prole
Project number: UK/13/LLP-LdV/TOI-615
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AREA 513,120 km2
66,720 mlnPOPULATION
GDP per capita
CURRENCY
$ 5,675
Language THAI
Baht (฿) (THB)
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COUNTRY BACKGROUND
Ocial name: the Kingdom of Thailand. The country’s o-
cial name was Siam unl 23 June 1939, when it was changed
to Thailand; it was renamed Siam between 1945 and 1949,
aer which the name Thailand was once again adopted.
Locaon: Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea
and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma
Capital: Bangkok
Climate: tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon
(mid-May to September); dry, cool northeast monsoon (No-
vember to mid-March); southern isthmus always hot and
humid
Ethnic Make-up: Thai 75%, Thai Chinese 14%, other 11%
(Malay, Mon, Khmer, mountain folks)
Religions: Buddhism 94%, Islam 4.6%, Chrisanity 0.7%, Hin-
duism 0.1%
Naonal Flag
Naonal emblem
THAILAND
Bangkok
CAMBODIA
LAOS
BURMA
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THAILAND FACTS
Languages
The Thai language is comprised of 44 consonants, 32 vow-
els and ve tones in Thai pronunciaon, along with a script
that has Indian origins. The Thai language, belonging to the
Tai family, is the main language in Thailand, although there
are several regional dialects as well. Other languages spo-
ken in Thailand are Chinese, Lao, Malay and Mon-Khmer,
while using English is becoming more prevalent in govern-
ment and commerce. English is also being taught as a sec-
ond language in secondary school and universies, which
means that an English-speaking visitor in Thailand has lile
trouble conversing.
Siamese cats
Siamese cats are nave to Thailand. In Thai they are called
wichen-maat, meaning “moon diamond.” A 14th-century
book of Thai poems describes 23 types of Siamese cats;
today only six breeds are le. Giving a pair of Si Sawat cats
(a type of Siamese cats) to a bride is supposed to bring good
luck to the marriage.
Buddhism
Thailand is a stronghold of Buddhism. Buddhists believe
that life does not begin with birth and end with death, butrather that every person has several lives based upon the
lessons of life not yet learned and acts commied (karma)
in previous lives.
Buddhists believe that selshness and craving result in
suering and that compassion and love bring happiness and
well-being. The true path to peace is to eliminate all desire,
a condion which Buddhists dene as ‘nirvana’, an inde-
scribable state free of desire, suering, or further rebirth, inwhich a person simply is, and is completely unied with his
surroundings.
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THAILAND FACTS
Unique ora and fauna
One of Thailand’s most curious creatures is the mudskipper,
which is a sh capable of walking on land and climbing trees.
It uses its ns to “walk” and can absorb oxygen through its
skin and lining in its mouth. It spends most of its me out of
the water, eang the algae in dal pools.
More than 1,500 species of orchids grow wild in Thai forests.
Thailand is the world’s number one orchid exporter.
Thailand is home to what may be the world’s longest snake,
the reculated python. The length of the largest one ever
found exceeds 10 metres. The country is also home to the
world’s longest poisonous snake, the king cobra. The cobra
can be over 6 metres long, and one bite from it can kill anelephant. The world’s smallest mammal, the bumble bat,
also lives here.
Naonal Emblem
The naonal emblem of Thailand is called the Phra Khrut
Pha, literally “Garuda as the vehicle” . The Garuda was of -
cially adopted as the naonal emblem by King Vajiravudh
(Rama VI) in 1911. However, the mythical creature had been
used as a symbol of royalty in Thailand for centuries. The
Garuda is depicted on seals, which are used by the King of
Thailand and the Government of Thailand to authencateocial documents and as its primary emblem.
The Garuda is a mythological beast in the Hindu and Bud-
dhist tradion. According to Hindu mythology, the Garuda
is the vahana (vehicle) of the god Vishnu (more commonly
known in Thailand as Narayana). The ancient kings of Thai-
land believed in divine kingship, and considered themselves
the incarnaon of the god Narayana. Thus the Garuda came
to symbolize the divine power and authority of the king.
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THAILAND FACTS
Nest soup
Swilet nests are made from strands of saliva from the
male swilet bird. Swilet nests collected from Thai
caves can costmore than $900 per pound. It is one of the
world’s most coveted and expensive food items. The nests
used in bird’s nest soup are composed almost enrely of
saliva with lile or no plant material. The soup is made
by soaking and steaming the nests in water and is said tobe an aphrodisiac and to have various medicinal qualies.
The nests can gain high prices and many colonies are har-
vested commercially.
Flag
The naonal ag was introduced in 1917 by King Vaji-
ravudh (Rama VI). Its two horizontal red stripes symbolizethe land and its people. The white horizontal stripes rep-
resent the purity of Buddhism, the naon’s main religion.
The wide blue band across the center stands for the
monarchy. Before 1917, the ag had a picture of a white
elephant against a red background.
Name
Thailand’s name in the Thai language is Prathet Thai,
which means “Land of the Free.” It is the only country in
Southeast Asia that was never colonized by a European
naon. Thailand has had several names over the centuries.
For hundreds of years, it was known by the names of its
dominant cies, such as Sukhothai, Ayuhaya, and Thon-
buri. Since the 1800s, it has repeatedly switched back andforth between Siam (Sanskrit meaning dark or brown) and
Thailand.
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1 January: New Year’s Day
Celebrates the start of the
solar and Gregorian year.
1st day of the Chinese calen-
dar (February):
Chinese New YearObserved by Thai Chinese,
usually celebrated for three
days.
Full moon, 3rd Thai lunar
month (February):
Magha Puja
Buddhist observance com-
memorang the Buddha’s
teaching of Ovada Pamok-
kha.
6 April: Chakri Memorial Day
Commemorates the establish-
ment of the Chakri Dynasty
and the founding of Bangkok
by King Buddha Yodfa Chu-
laloke in 1782.
13-15 April:
Songkran Fesval
Tradional Thai New Year, and
the major holiday of the year.
Many people return home for
family reunions during this
period.
5 May: Coronaon Day
Commemorates the corona-
on of King Bhumibol Adulya-
dej in 1950.
Moveable date during May:
Royal Ploughing Ceremony
and Farmer’s Day
Ceremonial blessing of thecountry’s farmers.
Full moon, 6th Thai lunar
month (May): Vesak
Buddhist observance com-
memorang the birth, en-
lightenment and passing of
the Buddha. Also observed as
Naonal Tree Day.
Full moon, 8th Thai lunar
month (July): Asalha Puja
Buddhist observance com-
memorang the Buddha’s rst
discourse.
First waning moon, 8th Thai
lunar month (July):
Beginning of Vassa
Buddhist observance marking
the beginning of Vassa, also
known as Buddhist Lent
12 August: Queen’s Birthday
Commemorates the birthday
of Queen Sirikit in 1932; alsoobserved as Naonal Mother’s
Day.
23 October:
Chulalongkorn Day
Commemorates the passing of
King Chulalongkorn in 1910.
5 December:
King’s Birthday
Commemorates the birthday
of King Bhumibol Adulyadej in
1927. Also observed as Na-
onal Day and Naonal Fa-
ther’s Day.
10 December:
Constuon Day
Commemorates the promul-
gaon of the rst permanent
constuon in 1932.
31 December:
New Year’s Eve
The last day of the Gregorian
year.
Moveable day during winter:
Eid ul-Fitr
Muslim holiday celebrang
the end of the fasng month
of Ramadan.
Moveable day during winter:
Eid al-Adha
Muslim holiday commemorat-
ing the willingness of Ibrahim
to sacrice his son Ismael as
an act of obedience to Allah.
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
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Ko Tarutao
Ko Tarutao is one of the 51 islands that belong to the Tarutao Naonal Marine Park archi -
pelago in southern Thailand. One of Tarutao’s greatest aracons is its wildlife; the island
and its surroundings are home to sea turtles, whales, monitor lizards, crab-eang ma-
caques, mouse deer and others.
Ayuthaya
Ayuthaya was founded in 1350 AD by King U Thong as the second capital of Siam aer
Sukhothai. Throughout the centuries, the ideal locaon between China, India and the
Malay Archipelago made Ayuhaya the trading capital of Asia. By 1700 Ayuhaya had
become one of the largest cies in the world with a total of 1 million inhabitants. In 1767,
the city was destroyed by the Burmese army, resulng in the collapse of the kingdom. The
city was re-founded a few kilometers to the east of the ruins, which now form the Ayut-
thaya historical park. Most of the remains are temples and palaces, as those were the
only buildings made of stone at that me.
Ko Chang
Located near the border with Cambodia, Ko Chang is the second largest island in Thailand
and the biggest in the Ko Chang Marine Park archipelago. Ko Chang is one of Thailand’s
most beauful islands with several waterfalls, thriving coral reefs, rainforests and long
white sandy beaches. The island is also home to a wide range of wildlife, including birds,
snakes, deer and a number of elephants.
Grand Palace
The construcon of the Grand Palace started in 1782 when the capital of Siam was moved
from Thonburi to Bangkok. The Grand Palace covers a wide range of architectural styles,ranging from a pure Ayuhayan style of the temples to a blend of Thai and Western for
later structures. It also includes the Wat Phra Kaew, home to the Emerald Buddha, one of
the oldest and most famous statues of the Buddha in the world.
Similan Islands
The Similan Islands in the western Andaman Sea are considered the best diving desna-
on in Thailand. The archipelago consists of nine islands covered in tropical jungle with
white sandy beaches. The views under the water surface are even more impressive. There
are two dierent kinds of diving spots around the Similan Islands. Diving sites facing eastconsist of gently sloping coral reefs while diving sites facing west feature massive granite
boulders, covered with hard and so corals.
POPULAR ATTRACTIONS
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Chiang Mai Night Bazaar
Chiang Mai is one of the top Thailand aracons. The famous Night Bazaar sprawls along
several city blocks along footpaths, inside buildings and temple grounds. It has handi-
cras, arts, clothing and and imported products of all descripons, and a number of large,
well-appointed modern shopping centers. At rst, the market was owned by Chinese mer-
chants, but since it grew in size as more commercial buildings were built, it was no longer
owned by a single group of people. Instead, there are many owners, and most of them
are Thai.
Railay
Railay beach (or Rai Leh) is a small peninsula that is only accessible by boat due to the
high limestone clis cung o mainland access. These clis aract rock climbers from all
over the world, but the area is also a popular aracon in Thailand due to its beauful
beaches and quiet relaxing atmosphere. Accommodaon ranges from inexpensive bunga-
lows popular with backpackers and climbers, to the renowned jet-set resort of Rayavadee.
Phang Nga Bay
Phang Nga Bay is one of the top aracons in Thailand and one of most scenic areas in
the country. It consists of beauful caves, aquac grooes and limestone islands. The
most famous island in the bay is a sea stack called Ko Ping Kan (more commonly known
as James Bond Island) which was featured in the James Bond movie “The Man with the
Golden Gun”.
Koh Tao
Koh Tao, literally Turtle Island, is a small island located near the eastern shore of the Gulf
of Thailand. Around 7000 new divers get cered on Koh Tao each year, making it one ofthe most popular desnaons in the world for learning to dive. Diving around the island
reefs is easy and fun and you can see an impressive variety of marine species such as
coral, turtles, lots of small sh, barracudas, and there is a very small chance of seeing a
whale shark. The average visibility is around 15-20 meters.
Ko Phi Phi
Ko Phi Phi is a small archipelago in the Krabi Province in Southern Thailand. Ko Phi Phi
Don is the largest island of the group, and is the only island with permanent inhabitants
while the smaller Ko Phi Phi Leh is very popular as a beach or for diving excursions. Tour-ism on Ko Phi Phi has grown exponenally only very recently, especially aer Ko Phi Phi
Leh was used as a locaon for the 2000 movie The Beach.
POPULAR ATTRACTIONS
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INTERESTING FACTS
1. In the past, all Thai young men, including the kings, became Buddhist monks for at
least a short period of me before their 20th birthday. Today, fewer young men observe
the pracce.
2. The longest toponym in the world is the full name of Bangkok: Krungthepmahanakhon
Amonraanakosin Mahintharayuhaya Mahadilokphop Noppharatratchathaniburirom
Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphimanawatansathit Sakkathayawitsanukamprasit.
It means “City of Angels, Great City of Immortals, Magnicent City of the Nine Gems, Seat
of the King, City of Royal Palaces, Home of Gods Incarnate, Erected by Visvakarman at
Indra’s Behest.”
3. Bangkok was once called the “Venice of the East” because its original buildings stood
on slts above the Chao Phraya River. However, as Bangkok grew larger, most canals were
lled and paved.
4. A century ago, northern Thailand was covered with dense hardwood forests. Today
only about a fourth of the country remains wooded. Thailand has the second-highest rate
of forest loss in Southeast Asia, exceeded only by Singapore.
5. Trac police in Bangkok wear facemasks because of dangerous levels of air polluon.
Addionally, police staons are equipped with oxygen tanks in case exhaust fumes over-
whelm the ocers. More than 20% of Bangkok’s police have some form
of lung disease. One Thai bank esmated that Bangkok’s polluon
problems cost the naon $2.3 billion annually in lost producon,
wasted energy, and health costs.
6. Thailand has a reputaon for sexual tolerance and
is considered very safe for LGBT travelers. Trans-
sexuals, also known as krathoeys or ladyboys,
are highly visible in society.
7. The 2004 tsunami hurtled a wall
of water 30 feet high over Thailand’s
coast, killing over 8,000 people (in-
cluding over 2000 tourists). An esmat-ed 1,500 Thai children lost their parents
and more than 150,000 Thais working in the
shing or tourist industries lost their livelihoods.
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8. Prostuon is technically illegal in Thailand, but the law is very rarely enforced. Es-
mates of the number of sex workers vary from 30,000 to more than 1 mil-
lion.
9. A century ago, more than 100,000 elephants lived in Thai-
land, with about 20,000 of them untamed. Now, there are
about 5,000, with less than half of them wild.
10. Thailand’s and the world’s longest reigning mon-
arch is Bhumibol Adulyadej, who became King Rama
IX in June 1946. He was born in the U.S. in 1927
when his father was studying medicine at Harvard.
He owns a patent on a form of cloud seeding and
holds a degree in engineering from Switzerland.
11. World-famous golfer Tiger Woods is the son of
an American father and a Thai mother.
12. Bangkok is one of Asia’s top tourist desnaons.
In 2005, more than 11 million foreign tourists visited in
the city.
13. The Ramakien is the naonal epic narrave of Thailand
and has inuenced everyday Thai life for hundreds of years. The
story is actually the Thai version of Ramayana, a poem rst told in
India 3,000 year ago.
14. Thailand has aracted many expatriates from developed countries.
15. The brothers who gave the world the term “Siamese twins” were born in 1811 in a
village near Bangkok. The twins Eng and Chang were joined at the chest and le Thailand
for the U.S when they were 17 years old. Each brother married, and between them they
had 22 children. In 1873, Eng caught pneumonia and died. Chang died a few hours later.
16. The rst case of HIV/Aids was reported in Thailand in 1984. Thailand currently has thehighest prevalence of HIV in Asia.
INTERESTING FACTS
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Thai cooking places emphasis on lightly prepared dishes with strong aromac compo-
nents and a spicy edge. It is known for its complex interplay of at least three and up to
four or ve fundamental taste senses in each dish or the overall meal: sour, sweet, salty,
bier and spicy.
Thai cuisine and the culinary tradions and cuisines of Thailand’s neighbors have mutually
inuenced one another over the course of many centuries. Regional variaons tend to
correlate with neighboring states (oen sharing the same cultural background and ethnic-
ity on both sides of the border) as well as climate and geography.
Thai food was tradionally eaten with the right hand while seated on mats or carpets on
the oor, which is sll the case in the more tradional households. It
is now generally eaten with a fork and a spoon. An import-
ant concept with Thai dining equee is khluk: mixing
the avors and textures from the dierent dishes
with the rice on one’s plate. The food is pushed
by the fork, held in the le hand, into the
spoon held in the right hand, which is then
brought to the mouth.
Tom yam
This herb-forward broth is oen re-
ferred to in English-language menus as
‘sour Thai soup’. The shrimp version
– tom yam kung – is the most lauded,
and jusably so: the combinaon
of fay prawns and a tart/spicy soup
result in an unusual but delicious and
disnctly Thai amalgam.
Laap
Thailand’s northeast in one rusc dish; laap
(also known as larb or larp) takes the form of
minced meat seasoned with roasted rice pow-
der, lime juice, sh sauce and fresh herbs. Be sureto eat it with scky rice, short, fat grains of rice that are
steamed and eaten by hand.
THAI CUISINE
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Khao soi
Typically revolving around chicken or beef, the oponal sides of lime, sliced shallots and
crunchy pickled greens provide a pleasing contrast with the rich, spice-laden, coconut
milk-based broth and so, squiggly wheat-and-egg noodles.
Som tam
Som tam, a spicy papaya salad, comes from northeast Thailand, but it has reached near-
cult status throughout the rest of the country. Slight regional dierences in ingredients
means placement on the sweet-or-sour scale may vary greatly between restaurants. Com-
mon to all recipes is shredded green papaya and a healthy dose of heat. Barbequed chick-
en and lumps of scky rice are the perfect companions.
Phat kaphrao
This street food staple combines meat ash-fried with holy basil (the eponymous kaphrao)
and a generous helping of fresh chilli and garlic. Served over rice and oen crowned with a
fried egg, it is the epitome of a one-dish meal in Thai style.
Green curryFor Thai food novices, there is probably no beer starng point than this intersecon of a
piquant/herbal spice paste and rich coconut milk. Remember to do as the Thais and cou-
ple the curry with a plate of jasmine rice – it is not meant to be eaten on its own as a soup.
Yam
As a side dish or drinking snack, you are bound to encounter this ubiquitous Thai salad
that combines meat or seafood with a tart/spicy dressing and fresh herbs. A good intro-
ducon to the genre is yam wun sen, slinky glass noodles paired with minced pork and
shrimp.
Kai yang
Thai-style grilled chicken owes its fame to the people of the country’s northeast, who mar-
inate the bird in a unique mixture of sh sauce, coriander root and garlic. Couple the bird
with scky rice and green papaya salad, and you have one of Thailand’s most legendary
meals.
Khao phat
For many Thai people, fried rice is comfort food. The variaons are endless, and the dish is
oen the result of improvisaon, but a staple at seafood restaurants across the country is
the simple but delicious khao phat puu, rice fried with hearty chunks of crab and egg.
THAI CUISINE
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Thais are tolerant of individualism, but nd comfort and security in being part of a group.
Mai Pen Rai (never mind) is the Thai expression which characterizes the general focus of
life - “it is to enjoy.” Thais are producve and hard-working while at the same me happy
with what they are and what they have. They are smiling, pleasant, humble and paent people who laugh easily, speak soly, are slow to anger, and never try to cause anyone to
lose face.
Thais are very proud of their cultural heri-
tage and enjoy talking about it with visitors.
Thais are proud that they have never been
ruled by a Western power.
Names and Titles
Thais address one another by rst names
and tles and reserve last names for very
formal occasions and wrien communica-
ons. Last names have only been used in
Thailand for the past y years. Two people
with the same last name are almost certain-
ly related.
Foreigners are oen addressed by their
given names because it is easier for Thais; it
does not imply familiarity. Thais will proba-
bly call you Mr. Joe or Mrs. Mary.
Titles, rank and honor are very important.
Introducons require only the given name
and tle. Mr., Mrs., or Miss + family name
are appropriate for visitors to use in formal
situaons.
Thai given names are preceded by Khun
(Mr. Mrs. or Miss), unless they carry a high-
er degree, such as doctor. Khun is used for
men and women, married or single. If you
don’t know a person’s name, address them
as Khun. Example: Anuwat (Given) + Waa-
pongsiri (Family) is Khun Anuwat.
Correspondence: Use Dear + Khun + given
name. Example: Dear Khun Mary.
THAI PEOPLE
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WaiThe wai is the common form of greeng
and adheres to strict rules of protocol.
Raising both hands, palms joined with the
ngers poinng upwards as if in prayer,
lightly touching the body somewhere be-
tween the chest and the forehead, is the
standard form.
The wai is both a sign of respect as well
as a greeng. Respect and courtesy are
demonstrated by the height at which the
hands are held and how low the head
comes down to meet the thumbs of both
hands.
The wai may be made while sing, walk-
ing, or standing. The person who is junior
in age or status is the rst one to oer the
wai. The senior person returns the wai,
generally with their hands raised to some-
where around their chest. If a junior person
is standing and wants to wai a senior per-
son who is seated, the junior person will
stoop or bow their head while making thewai.
If there is a great social distance between
two people, the wai will not be returned.
Hierarchical SocietyThais respect hierarchical relaonships: so-
cial relaonships are dened as one person
being superior to the other. Parents aresuperior to their children, teachers to their
students, and bosses to their subordinates.
When Thais meet a stranger, they will
immediately try to place you within a hi-
erarchy so they know how you should be
treated. This is oen done by asking what
might be seen as very personal quesons
in other cultures.
Status can be determined by clothing and
general appearance, age, job, educaon,
family name, and social connecons.
Thai DemeanourThais place great emphasis and value on
outward forms of courtesy such as po-
liteness, respect, genial demeanour and
self-control in order to maintain harmo-
nious relaons. Many of their rules of
equee are by-products of the Buddhist
religion.
It is a non-confrontaonal society, in which
public dispute or cricism is to be avoided
at all costs.
• Being openly angry with someone might
aract the wrath of the spirits, which in
turn could cause violence and tragedy.• Openly cricizing a person is a form of vi-
olence as it hurts the person and is viewed
as a conscious aempt to oend the per-
son being rebuked
• Loss of face is a disgrace to a Thai so they
try to avoid confrontaons and look for
compromises in dicult situaons.
• If two pares disagree, one will need to
have an outlet to retreat without losingface.
SOCIETY AND CULTURE
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IMPORTANT TIPS
Dining Equee
If you are invited to a Thai’s house:
• Arrive close to the appointed me, al-
though being a few minutes late will not
cause oence.
• Check to see if the host is wearing shoes.
If not, remove yours before entering the
house.• Ask another guest to conrm the dress
code.
• Step over the threshold rather than on
it. This is an old custom that may be dying
out with younger Thais, but erring on the
side of conservasm is always a good idea.
Table manners
• A fork and spoon are the usual eang
utensils. However, noodles are oen eaten
with chopscks.
• The spoon is held in the right hand and
the fork in the le. The fork is used to
guide food on to the spoon. Scky rice, a
northern Thai delicacy, is oen eaten with
the ngers of the right hand.
• Most meals are served as buets or withserving plaers at the centre of the table
family- style.
• You may begin eang as soon as you are
served.
• Leave a lile food on your plate aer
you have eaten to show that you are full.
Finishing everything indicates that you are
sll hungry.
• Never leave rice on your plate as it isconsidered wasteful. The words for food
and rice are the same. Rice has an almost
myscal signicance in addion to its
humdrum ‘daily bread’ funcon.
• Never take the last bite from the serving
bowl.
• Wait to be asked before taking a second
helping.
• Do not lick your ngers.
Gi Giving Equee
• If invited to a Thai’s home, a gi is not
expected, although it will be appreciated.
• Gis should be wrapped aracvely,
since appearance maers. Bows and rib-
bons add to the sense of fesvity.
• Appropriate gis are owers, good quali-
ty chocolates or fruit.
• Do not give marigolds or carnaons, as
they are associated with funerals.
• Try to avoid wrapping a gi in green,
black or blue, as these are used at funerals
and in mourning.
• Gold and yellow are considered royal co-
lours, so they make good wrapping paper.
• Only use red wrapping paper if giving a
gi to a Chinese Thai.
• Gis are not opened when received.• Money is the usual gi for weddings and
ordinaon pares.
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USEFUL HINTS
Respect to the Royal Family
Show respect for the King and his family – Thais will not appreciate even the friendliest
jest about their monarch. Thai people have a deep respect for their King, an aecon
that reciprocates his many accomplishments and sacrices for the country. Remember
that respect for the King isn’t just polite, it’s the law.
Thai Family Values
The family is the cornerstone of Thai society. Family life is oen more closely knit than
in western cultures. The Thai family is a form of hierarchy with the parents at the top.
Children are taught to honour their parents.
Hello in Thai
Unlike in other Southeast Asian countries, Thai people use the same greeng regardless
of the me of day or night.
Although English spellings vary, the standard Thai greeng is: sawasdee -- sounds like
“sah wah dee” -- with a wai gesture and a smile. Women end their greeng with a
drawn-out “khaaa” which falls in tone. Men end
their greeng by saying “khrap!” with a sharp,
upward tone. The “r” is rarely pronounced, so
the ending sounds more like “kap!”.
Especially for Women
Men conduct most business. However, many
tradional gender barriers are disappearing.
More and more women are holding execuveposions in the workforce.
Ladies may not enter a bot, the restricted area
of a wat (temple). Never touch a monk, hand
him anything or sit next to or higher than him.
When vising a mosque, cover your body. Wear
slacks, a long skirt, a long-sleeved blouse with a
buoned neck, and a headscarf.
Tradional Thais believe a woman can lose face
if a man touches her in public.
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Smiling
There’s a reason why Thailand is called ‘The Land of Smiles’. Smiling is a complex form
of communicaon that doesn’t always mean one thing. It’s been said that Thais have at
least 13 smiles they use for dierent situaons. A lot of westerners can be confused when
Thais will smile in a very serious situaon. Foreigners also misinterpret a Thai smiling
or laughing at them as not taking something seriously or being made fun of. This is not
the case. People might smile when they are embarrassed or sad just as much as when
they want to be playful. They aren’t disregarding a serious situaon as much as trying to
maintain the harmony menoned before. Be paent with yourself when trying to read
peoples’ smiles and smile a lot yourself. While bargaining, confronng somebody, or just
meeng a stranger, a smile will go a long way.
Collecvism
Thais are very communal. Most Thais sleep in the same bed with their parents into their
early teens and almost always share beds with their siblings. Families are very important
and many live in close proximity to their relaves. A lot of people don’t require the same
amount of alone me that most westerners do. There is a belief that the group is more
important than the individual. Any polical leader that has gained the love of the Thai
people has done so by creang a sense of unity for the Thai people. Their culture has
expanded by this communal idea and building posive relaonships. This is why some-
mes villagers are able to connect more with groups of foreigners than an individual.
Somemes, westerners can be seen as too individualisc or even selsh. If you are able to
show the proper courtesy while traveling in Thailand, people will want to get to know you
and accept your individuality beer.
Confrontaon and saving faceAnybody who has spent a lot of me in Thailand has seen a foreigner ip out at a restau-
rant for not geng what they’ve ordered, food taking too long, or somebody being
served rst who arrived aer them. In a western country, directly confronng the waiter
or asking to see the manager will get you quick results, whereas in Thailand people will
likely ignore you. The reason for this is that it is almost never acceptable to lose your cool
in public. Also, it is considered disrespecul to embarrass a person for doing something
wrong. The best thing to do is talk in a way that doesn’t cause disharmony. For example,
if your food is taking too long at a restaurant, instead of saying, ‘I ordered this 45 minutes
ago! Why is the service so slow?’ say, ‘Excuse me, did I remember to make my order?’ Ifyou ever see a confrontaon between two Thais, people generally defuse the situaon by
smiling, saying everything is OK, and gently oering a soluon that works for everybody.
USEFUL HINTS
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DOS AND DON’TS
Body Gestures
DO understand the meaning of the “wai”,
the Thai bow of politeness
DON’T point with one nger. It’s considered
impolite.
DON’T show aecon in public or even
touch someone of the opposite sex.
DON’T pass something over someone’s
head. The head is considered sacred in
Thailand.
DON’T point with your feet or use your feet
to touch something. Feet are considered
dirty, because they are the lowest part of
the body.
DON’T talk with your hands or put your
hands in your pockets while talking to
someone.
DON’T step on a threshold when going
through a doorway. Step over it instead.
Thais believe that a spirit lives in thethreshold.
Business Meeng
DO expect men to primarily conduct busi-
ness, although women are beginning to get
more involved in Thailand’s business world.
DON’T rush negoaons. Business deci-
sion-making can be slow in Thailand.DO expect to be addressed by your tle and
rst name, i.e. Mr. Bob. This isn’t to be rude
or disrespecul.
DO introduce colleagues of a lower profes-
sional status before introducing yourself in
a formal business situaon.
Greengs
DO greet with a wai if you feel comfortable.
However, as a foreigner, you aren’t expect-
ed to iniate a wai, but you must always
return a wai to be polite.
DON’T greet children, waiters, vendors,
etc. with a wai. If they greet you with a wai,
simply smile and nod back at them.
DO shake hands if not oered a wai.
Religious Equee
DO dress conservavely. Women should
wear long skirts or pants and covered
shoulders. Don’t wear sandals.
DON’T take photos at a temple.
DO remove shoes upon entering.
DON’T sit with your feet poinng towards a
Buddha. Sit cross-legged or with your feet
tucked under you.
DON’T touch a monk, give him anything, sit
next to him, or sit above him.
DON’T touch a Buddha image. They are
sacred. Don’t climb on top of it, move it, oreven sit next to it to pose for a picture. It’s
disrespecul.
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CORPORATE CULTURE
Relaonships & Communicaon
In Thailand, business decisions may takemuch me as decisions pass through many
levels before the nal decision is reached.
Frankness is not appreciated. Be subtle in
responding with a negave reply. It is di-
cult for most Thais to say no, so you must
be aware of their non-verbal communica-
on.
Thais prefer doing business with people
they know and respect. Relaonships de-
velop slowly and do not ourish aer one
meeng; it may take several meengs.
Thai communicaon is formal and non-ver-
bal communicaon is oen more important
than verbal communicaon. Watch your
body language and facial expressions, asthese will be believed over your words.
Rank is always respected. Degrees, especial-
ly from presgious universies, bring status.Thais may list these on their business card.
Thais respect foreigners with powerful con-
necons.
Business Meeng EqueeAppointments are necessary and should be
made in advance.
It is a good idea to send a list of who will beaending the meeng and their credenals
so that Thais know the relave status of the
people aending the meeng and can plan
properly.
You should arrive at meengs on me as
it signies respect for the person you are
meeng.
Always send an agenda and material about
your company as well as data to substan-
Always be respecul
and courteous when
dealing with others, as
this leads to the har -
monious relaonshipsnecessary within busi -
ness.
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CORPORATE CULTURE
ate your posion prior to the meeng.
Remain standing unl told where to sit.
The hierarchical culture has strict rulesabout rank and posion in the group.
DressThai society is divided into upper and
lower classes. At formal occasions, dress
is expected to match one’s social staon.
Appearance is very important. Wealth is
greatly admired. High-status Thais oen
overdress, especially considering the hot
climate.
Western clothing is very common. Modest
clothing is recommended. General dress is
informal but always neat and clean. Cloth-
ing should be stylish and cool.
For Businessmen: Pants and shirts (white
or colored) with or without a e. A light
suit or jacket increases status. In the eve-
ning, dark business suits or formal tradi-
onal Thai shirts are worn. Senior execu-
ves wear light weight suits to work.
For Businesswomen: Conservave dress-
es or skirts and blouses (not sleeveless).
Simple blouses and calf-length loose pants
and long wrap-around or tube skirts are
common.
Business CardsBusiness cards are given out aer the inial
handshake and greeng. In theory, you
should give your card to the most senior
person rst. Using your right hand, deliver
your business card so the Thai side faces
the recipient. Look at a business card for a
few seconds before placing it on the table
or in a business card case. As in most Asian
countries, it is polite to make some com-
ment about the card, even if it is only to
acknowledge the address.
Since Thais judge you
based on your clothing
and accessories, ensure
that your shoes are al -
ways well-polished.
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