The Top 5 Ways that Foreign Visitors Cause Offence to Thai People

The people of Thailand are generally easy going, but some things do wind them up the wrong way. During my eight years living in Thailand I have found that there are types of behaviour that we foreigners should avoid if we want to be respected by the locals. Here are just five of them;

1. Losing your temper in Thailand is a big no-no. The people of Thailand pride themselves on being able to stay calm, and the philosophy of Buddhism encourages individuals to not be a slave of their emotions. Raising your voice in Thailand, or in any way showing your aggression, will not help you get your way and could in fact make things go a lot worse for you. Thai people most definitely have little time for people who act aggressively in order to get their way and would view such behaviour as childish. Road-rage should be avoided completely as this could lead you into a world of trouble.

2. Causing a Thai to lose face is something to be avoided at all costs. Making a person seem foolish or stupid is seen as a far more serious action here than in the west. It is better not to confront anyone directly or accuse anybody of anything. If you cause a Thai to lose face you might easily create an enemy who will never forget; even though, they might not have even objected to the slight at the time.

3. You should avoid wearing beach clothes unless you are on the beach. Thai people respect people who dress well; Thailand is a hierarchical society and the easiest way for them to judge a stranger is by the way they dress themselves. In cities where they are not usually familiar with tourists then you should wear a shirt with a collar and long trousers if you want to impress.

4. The people of Thailand have great respect for their king and their religions; this means all religions. You should never say anything negative about either of these institutions and you should avoid any political discussion in case you cause upset. Thailand is not a culture where it is important for everyone to express their views about everything.

5. The people of Thailand are generally proud of their country and themselves. They are often aware of some of the problems that the country faces, but believe that this will be something that they will correct by themselves without outside intervention. They don't tend to enjoy foreigners who are constantly telling them all the things that are wrong with Thailand. They seem to prefer those visitors who come to enjoy their country and not who come to fix it.