Thailand is an
amazing place to visit. With its food, landscape and interesting cultural
experiences, not to mention some nice beaches to relax on, it’s an intriguing
place to explore. Full of curiosities, this is a country that blends
cosmopolitan high rises with the farming community, fishing villages and
Buddhist temples. How could a place like this fail to capture your attention?
Then there’s the
culture, which is wonderful to learn about and even better to experience. Of
course, you have only one way to experience the country and that’s to head to the airport, board one of the many flights to Thailand and live it.
The King
The monarch of
Thailand is a hugely important figure for the Thai people, and he’s a symbol of
unity and national identity. There are images of the king throughout Thailand,
in people's homes, on television and on all of the Thai money. One very
important thing to note about this is that it’s a serious offence to show any
disrespect for the king.
The country's
national anthem is played twice a day through loud speakers throughout the
country. People usually stop what they’re doing and stand still for the
duration of the song, and although tourists don't have to do this, to do so is
a show of respect.
Thai etiquette
Thailand is a
predominantly Buddhist country, and in Buddhist tradition it’s important not to
touch people on the head, as this is considered the highest point of the body.
Footwear is usually removed when entering a temple or a home, but don’t point
your feet at anyone (including an image of Buddha), as this is disrespectful.
It’s also impolite to show immense emotion in public. Make sure that when
entering a place of worship you’re dressed appropriately: in clean clothing
that is not too revealing.
Greeting
The traditional
Thai greeting is called the “wai,” and it involves putting your hands together
in front of your chest as if you’re praying, and bowing your head a little.
This is a nice way of showing respect. It’s even flexible — you can use it to
say thank you or greet somebody.
Siam
Thailand was known
as Siam until the mid-20th century, and this is where Siamese cats originate.
The original phrase for conjoined twins, 'Siamese twins' originated from two
brothers from Siam — Chang and Eng — who were joined at the chest.
Bangkok's other name
And finally, a
really fun fact about Bangkok: the capital of Thailand actually has the longest
name of any city in the world. It's called "Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon
Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom
Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam
Prasit", which means " The city of angels, the great city, the
residence of the Emerald Buddha, the impregnable city (unlike Ayutthaya) of God
Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the
happy city, abounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly
abode where reigns the reincarnated god, a city given by Indra and built by
Vishnukarn.”
Wow! Did you get
all of that?
Images by melanama, used under Creative Commons
license.
This post has been contributed by Thomson.
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