What should I be careful not to do?
Short answer
Three things carry real weight: never insult nation, religion or monarchy; the head is high and sacred; the feet are low and rude. Most of the rest follows from those.
The three institutions
The government's own do's-and-don'ts list opens with the non-negotiable: never insult the nation, the religion or the monarchy. This is not etiquette in the soft sense — respect for these three is the frame everything else sits in.
In practice that means standing straight when the national anthem plays, which happens in public spaces and cinemas, and treating anything connected to the monarchy with visible care.
High and low: the body map
The head is the highest and most sacred part of a person. Do not touch someone's head, and do not pass objects over it — both read as disrespect rather than clumsiness.
The feet are the opposite pole. Do not point at things with them, do not step over people or over food, and take your shoes off when entering homes and places of worship. Buddha images deserve the same care — nothing that puts them low or treats them casually.
The everyday register
Greet with a smile and sawasdee rather than a hug or a kiss, which are not the local greeting, particularly with women. Save public affection for private places, and never inside a religious space.
The one that surprises visitors most: do not embarrass anyone in public. Losing your temper at a counter costs you standing rather than winning the argument — the composure is the point, and it is what people notice.
Good to know
- Stand for the national anthem — it plays in public spaces and cinemas
- Never touch a head or point with a foot
- Losing your temper in public costs standing, not wins arguments
