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To wai or not to wai ?


gobbledonk

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When I was in Pattaya, everytime I left the resort, a host of door openers and domestics seemed obligated to 'wai' me enthusiastically. I jst responded with a polite 'Thank you!' and proceeded on my merry way.

 

 

 

I considered getting a pre-emptive strike in and waiing one of them before they got me - fortunately, I didnt. The Lonely Planet guide book tells me that :

 

 

 

1. A foreigner should never initiate the Wai

 

2. Never return a Wai from someone who is serving you

 

 

 

This seems logical if you are the King, or a high ranking diplomat, but surely the average tourist doesnt fit into this category. Perhaps someone can give me some background on this - I readily admit that I have little understanding of Thai culture, and trying to approximate a Buddhist wai may be farcical for me to attempt :}

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Here are some basic rules:

 

 

 

if someone is younger than you, do not wai

 

if you are good friends, then no need to wai as a simple hello will do

 

if someone is serving you, do not wai

 

if you are younger than someone who is not serving serving you then you should wai

 

if someone is higher in the social circle then you should wai

 

 

 

What the lonely planet says about a foreigner never waiing is in a way irresponsible and shows the authors inability to grasb the local culture and understand the rules....If you know the basic scenarios (as pointed out above) you will not go wrong or lose face....

 

 

 

Sanukboot.

 

 

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as most people know, a foreigner will be excused for most if not all cultural errors and to help wash over any hiccups along the road to cultural enrichment a smile always eases the situation....

 

 

 

Sanukboot.

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Simple really.

 

 

 

1) Never wai a child (even to return one)

 

2) Never wai someone younger than you first.

 

3) You should return a wai *unless* they are perceived lower status than yourself, e.g. waiter, doorman and (no doubt this will piss some of you off) especially a bar girl.

 

4) Always wai a monk (who will never return it by the way).

 

5) Wai an older person first (except where rule 3 applies).

 

 

 

 

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as to where the wai should be located:

 

 

 

Senior Person

 

thumbs should be at the level of the nose

 

fingertips should be at the level of the eyebrow(obviously depends how big your hand is)

 

 

 

Normal Person

 

Thumbs will be at the level of the chin

 

Fingertips at the level of the nose (again obviously dependant how big your hand is)

 

 

 

Hope this helps

 

 

 

Sanukboot.

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SanukBoot,

 

 

 

Thanks for the information it is something I have been pondering prior to making my first trip to LOS this August. But I have a question: The last time I flew Thai Airlines I got upgraded free of charge to first class, wonderful flight too! On boarding the plane the senior stewardess Wai'd to me, by your comments I should not return it but good manners dictate that I should not just ignore it. Is it polite simply to say hello?

 

 

 

Taipan

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Exactly correct, good manners from a western and Thai perspective dictates ignorance is wrong....but some higher class Thais and farangs may have a different view on this if you know what I mean.....

 

 

 

From a generic Thai perspective (what I have noticed from the missus and friends) they will give a polite smile and board the plane or they may say "Sa Waddee Kha/Krup".

 

 

 

From a western perspective a hello would be sufficient and if you wanted to impress you would return with a Sawadee Krub, Sabaai mai krub? Which is hello, are you feeling good?

 

 

 

Hope this helps.

 

 

 

Sanukboot.

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why bend your head memorizing rules?

 

 

 

So I make my life and my wifes life easier when we visit her family and friends in Thailand....:) Additionally, I enjoy understanding the culture....

 

 

 

Sanukboot.

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