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Chiang Mai Etiquette

Respect to the elder people Respect is really very important for Thai custom. There are many ways to respect to the elder people and teacher. Most of them are generally acknowledged by sense and societies. Things we always notice, are “Don’t shout”, “Don’t touch their heads” (like playing), and “elder first”.

Smile or giggling to accidents As you know Thailand is a “Siam of Smile”, people like to smile in every almost situation. I can tell you one thing for unconfused you is “smile means feeling of shy”. Sometimes they do when they lose the face or do not dare to speak something. Finally, sometimes it’s good way to do in order to forget your mistakes.

Taking off the shoes
Many people like cleanness especially if they own the place and it has to be welcome to anybody. Thai people believe the feet are one low part of body and it’s not supposed to be too higher than the ground. Taking off the shoes before getting to the temple or some place and even in the house is very good manner for Thai.

Dress
People get dress depending on the place, season, and situation in order to be not feeling strange to other people. The exactly custom of Thai’s is to reserve the manner especially Thai women. For example, we don’t accept people who go to temple by dressing the mini skirt with the spaghetti tab. Present the respect is one important way when you decide to wear something. It’s probably safe for you either.

Personal appearance is very important in Thailand as a measure of respect to other people, you will find that dressing appropriately means that you are shown more respect in return. This translates in many ways, even sometimes lowering initial offering prices at markets. While some allowance is made for the differing customs of foreigners, Thais respond more positively to well-dressed Westerners.

Traditionally, Thais are modest and conservative dressers. At a minimum your clothes should be neat, clean, and free from holes or tears. Except at the beach or at sacred sites normal western dress is acceptable for both men and women, except that you should avoid clothing showing a lot of skin. Pants are preferable to shorts, blouses should have capped sleeves, and if tank tops are worn, the straps should be thick (i.e., not spaghetti straps). Thai men generally wear pants, and most Thais view an adult man wearing shorts as fairly ridiculous; shorts are primarily worn by laborers and schoolchildren. Men's shorts should be knee length or more, if worn at all.

Taking off one's shoes at temples and private homes is mandatory etiquette, and this may even be requested at some shops. Wear shoes that slip on and off easily. Flip-flops, hiking sandals, and clog-type shoes are usually a good pragmatic choice for traveling in Thailand; only in the most top-end establishments are shoes required.

It is best to play it safe with wats and other sacred sites in Thailand; your dress should be unambiguously modest and cover your entire torso and most of your limbs. For men, ankle-length pants are mandatory; on top, t-shirts are acceptable, though a button-front or polo shirt would be best. Many recommend that women wear only full length dresses and skirts; you should make sure that your clothing covers at least your shoulders and your knees and some places may require that you wear ankle-length pants or skirts and long sleeved tops. Shorts and sleeveless shirts are highly inappropriate, as are short skirts. The rules are even more strict for foreign visitors, so even if you see a local in shorts it's not OK for everyone.

Swimsuits should not be revealing — many Thais swim in full clothing. Women should never go topless on the beach, especially beaches in national parks, as this is illegal and most Thais consider it offensive in the extreme. Women are sometimes advised to wear a T-shirt over their swimming gear; this is more important at primarily-Thai beach resorts, and will be almost entirely ignored at the most heavily westernized areas.

Let’s go to the temple  The temple or “Wat” is the most important place for Buddhism. As you know the 85% of Thai is Buddhist, so people always think that “Wat” is the quiet place for them to stay. Also they go to offer the food and appliances for the monks. Making a meditation is good thing to do together with prayer. Although you are not Buddhism, you might visit to the temples in Chiang Mai because many temples in here are presenting the ancient remains and history of the city.

Monks

Buddhist monks are meant to avoid the temptation of women, and in particular they do not touch women or take things from women's hands. Women should make every effort to make way for monks on the street and give them room so they do not have to make contact with you. Women should avoid offering anything to a monk with their hands. Objects or donations should be placed in front of a monk so he can pick it up, or place it on a special cloth he carries with him. Monks will sometimes be aided by a layman who will accept things from women merit-makers on their behalf.

Note that monks are not allowed to accept money, and offering money to a monk is considered a sign of disrespect in most Theravada Buddhist cultures. Therefore, should you wish to donate to a monk, you should only offer food. Those who accept money are almost always fakes.

The Royal Family

It's illegal (lese-majeste) to show disrespect to royalty, a crime which carries up to 15 years imprisonment. Do not make any negative remarks, or any remarks which might be perceived as disrespectful about the King or any members of the Royal Family. Since the King is on the country's currency, don't burn, tear, or mutilate it - especially in the presence of other Thais. If you drop a coin or bill, do not step on it to stop it - this is very rude, since you are stomping on the picture of the King's head that is printed on the coin. Also, anything related to the stories and movies The King and I and Anna and the King is illegal to possess in Thailand. Almost all Thais, even ones in other countries, feel very strongly when it comes to any version of this story. They feel that it makes a mockery of their age-old monarchy and is entirely inaccurate. In 2007, a Swiss man was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for spraying graffiti on the King's portrait, although he later expressed remorse and was pardoned by His Majesty personally (quote: "It troubles Me when such harsh sentences are passed.") and deported.

Other

The head is considered the holiest part of the body, and the foot the dirtiest part. Never touch or pat a Thai on the head, including children. If you accidentally touch or bump someone's head, apologize immediately or you'll be perceived as very rude. Similarly, do not touch people with your feet, or even point with them. If someone is sitting with outstretched feet, avoid stepping over them, as this is very rude and could even spark a confrontation. Squeeze around them or ask them to move. Even if the person is sleeping, it is best to go around, as others are likely to notice. Take care when you sit in a temple to cross your legs under you "mermaid-style" so your feet do not point at any person or statue. Do not pose alongside a Buddhist statue for a photo and certainly don't clamber on them. It's OK to take photos of a statue, but everyone should be facing it. It is considered impolite and disrespectful to visibly sniff food before eating it, particularly when eating in someone's home (this is true even if the sniffing is done in appreciation). Do not audibly blow your nose in public. Also, as doorway thresholds are considered a sanctuary for spirits, it's important not to step on a raised threshold, but rather to step over it. Keep this in mind especially when visiting temples.

Physical affection is rarely if ever shown in public — even married Thai men and women do not touch in public. However, it is not uncommon for same sex close friends to hold hands as an expression of affection. You may see a Thai woman expressing affection physically in public with a foreign man, but often this means that the Thai woman is a prostitute.

In Thailand, expression of negative emotions such as anger or sadness is almost never overt, and it is possible to enjoy a vacation in Thailand without ever seeming to see an argument or an unhappy person. Thai people smile constantly, and to outsiders this is seen as happiness or friendliness. In reality, smiling is a very subtle way to communicate, and to those who live in Thailand, a smile can indicate any emotion — from fear, to anger, to sadness, to joy, etc. "Saving face" is a very important aspect of Thai culture and they will try to avoid embarrassment and confrontation.

In public places (such as large markets) the National Anthem is played over loudspeakers at 8 A.M. and 6 P.M. When this is played, everybody stops what they are doing and stands still, and you should do the same. The Royal Anthem is played in cinemas before the film, and everyone must stand. It lasts about a minute, then everyone will continue where they left off.

Dos
understand that Thais have a tender fondness for uniforms, they just love getting dressed up.

- Do get used to Thais arriving for their appointments half an hour late, most of the country’s watches are ‘defunct’.

- Do, as a paying customer, understand that sales-girls prefer doing their make-up to serving you, beauty is of the up most importance here.

- Do understand that Thais have an infatuation for plastic bags, the sales-girls will even give you one for putting your chewing gum in.

- Do get used to Thais ‘jumping the queue’, they can wait 3 years for the first kiss from their boyfriends, but having to wait just 30 seconds in a queue at 7-11 is just unbearable.

- Do get used to using straws, after you have seen the state of most of bottle tops you will understand why.

Don’ts.
- Don’t, as a Farang girl, wear hotpants to the temple, you don’t need the monks breaking out in a sweat.

- Don’t even begin thinking of discussing literary classics with the locals, the whole country is only besotted by cartoon books.

- Don’t go smooching your loved one in the middle of the street, Thais prefer performing such personal ‘activity’ in the privacy of ones room.

- Don’t go patting you friend on the head, Thais are a little sensitive about such things.

- Don’t feel insulted at having to hear the likes of “Hey you” and “Where you go man” from the nation’s tuk-tuk and taxi drivers, do understand they’ve never learnt English at school.

Social Customs

• The don't of Thai social behavior are less clearly defined than those concerning the monarchy or religion, especially in a city like Bangkok where Western customs are better known and more widely accepted. However, what is acceptable in Bangkok may not be in the countryside where the old ways are still strong. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Thais DO NOT normally shake hands when they greet one another, but instead press the palms together in a prayer-like gesture called a wai. Generally, a younger person wais an elder, who returns it. Watch how the Thais do it, and you will soon learn.

• It is considered rude to point your foot at a person, so try to avoid doing so when sitting opposite anyone, and following the conception that the foot is a low limb: DO NOT point your foot to show anything to anyone, but use your finger instead.

• Thais regard the head as the highest part of the body both literally and figuratively. As a result, they DO NOT approve of touching anyone on that part of body; even in a friendly gesture. Similarly, if you watch Thais at a social gathering, you will notice that young people go to considerable lengths to keep their heads lower than those of the elder ones, to avoid giving the impression of looking down" on them. This is not always possible, of course, but it is the effort that counts.

• Public displays of affection between men and women are frowed upon. You may see some very Westernised young Thai couples holding hands, but that is the extent of the displaying of affection in this polite society.

• Losing your temper, especially in public, will more than likely get you nowhere. The Thais think such displays denote poor manners, and you are more apt to get what you want by keeping a cool head and concealing your emotions.

• DO NOT be surprised if you are addressed by your first name; for instance, Mr. Bob or Miss Mary instead of by your surname. This is because Thais refer to one another in this manner, usually with the title "Khun" "(Mr., Mrs., or Miss) in front. Follow the customs of the country as far as possible and you will make more friends during your stay. And the more friends you make, the more you will want to return to Thailand.