Ibrahim Jabbari
Thais place importance and significance to different parts of the body. The head is seen as the most spiritual part of the body and you should never touch a person’s head … although, most people wouldn’t go around touching strangers’ heads in any case! This goes for children too—an affectionate ruffling of the hair could cause offence to Thai parents.
Thais are not overly touchy-feely in general. It’s not so common to see Thais holding hands, hugging, or otherwise touching in public, and kissing and other public displays of affection are a big no.
Although it’s preferable to walk around two people, rather than cutting between them, if you must pass between two people you should stoop slightly so that your head is lower than theirs. It is also polite for Thais to stoop slightly when walking past somebody they know has a higher social status than them.
The feet are seen as dirty and symbolically low. You should never touch somebody with your foot, sit with the sole of your foot pointing outwards, or point your foot at a person or a Buddha image. Even crossing your legs can cause some people to inwardly wince. This means no holding doors open with your feet, pushing your bag along with your feet, or otherwise using your feet in place of your hands. There are many times when you should take off your shoes too.
Pointing with a finger is also seen as impolite, as is beckoning somebody with a crooked finger. Thais will often use their lips to point, pushing out the lips to indicate a direction. Alternatively, use the whole hand, with all fingers outstretched, to point. To beckon somebody, the palm should be face down with all fingers extended and the action from the wrist.
Thais are generally very tolerant and understand foreign visitors will sometimes make a faux pas. As long as it’s not something major, like showing disrespect to the religion or monarchy, yelling in public, or walking around semi-naked, many Thais will overlook cultural differences.
