Ibrahim Jabbari
You’re sure to see many monks during your time in Thailand, both inside the temples and outside on the streets, on buses, at festivals, and in a variety of everyday settings. Monks are highly revered and respected in Thai culture and disrespecting a monk is a huge no-no.
There are designated seats on public transport for monks, for example, and people should always give up their seat to a monk if no other is available. Females, especially, should be careful of their actions around monks. As well as not touching a monk or directly handing things to them (females should put any offerings etc. on a monk’s dish rather than into their hands), women shouldn’t sit next to a monk or their belongings. If you act inappropriately around a monk in Thailand you can be sure that regular people around you will quickly point out your errors with disapproval.
