What are the customs in Thailand?

The Kingdom of Thailand, referred to as Thailand, was formerly known as Siam. In June 1939, it was renamed Thailand, which means "Land of Freedom". It covers an area of ??514,000 square kilometers. With a population of 56.2 million, 95% of the residents believe in Buddhism, which is the state religion. The king is the highest patron of Buddhism and follows the Buddhist calendar.

The etiquette of the Thai people follows Buddhist etiquette. There are more than 260,000 monks in the country. Every man in his 20s has to be a monk for three months, and he has to be a monk for at least three days before he can become a monk. Obtaining adult qualifications, the royal family is no exception. Thailand has more than 40,000 temples and more than 100,000 pagodas. The number of temples in Thailand is unparalleled in Southeast Asia. Thai is the national language. The capital is Bangkok.

The Kingdom of Thailand currently implements a constitutional monarchy and a cabinet system. The cabinet holds administrative power and consists of 40 cabinet members. On December 22, 1978, Thailand implemented a new constitution. The National Assembly is a bicameral system. The 225 members of the Senate are nominated by the Prime Minister and the Chairman of the Senate and appointed by the King of Thailand. The 324-member House of Representatives is elected by popular vote. Thailand is a member of ASEAN.

Thailand is located in Southeast Asia, with a long coastline and numerous temples. In order to increase foreign exchange earnings, the Thai government attaches great importance to tourism and has established many hotels and tourist facilities in the capital Bangkok and Pattaya to attract foreign tourists. Thailand designated 1987 as the Tourism Year, with 3.5 million tourists coming to Thailand and foreign exchange earnings of nearly 2 billion U.S. dollars, an increase of 32% over the previous year. Tourism has become a cash cow for Thailand.

Thais like red and yellow, but avoid brown. People notice the advertising, the packaging. Trademarks and clothing all use bright colors, and it is customary to use colors to represent different dates: Sunday is red, Monday is yellow, Tuesday is pink, Wednesday is green, Thursday is orange, Friday is light blue, and Saturday is purple. People often wear different colors of clothing according to different days. In the past, white was used for funerals, but now it is black. The flag of Thailand is composed of red, white and blue colors. Red represents the nation and symbolizes the strength and dedication of people of all ethnic groups. White represents religion and symbolizes religious purity. Thailand is a constitutional monarchy, the king is supreme, and blue represents the royal family. The blue center symbolizes the royal family among all peoples and pure religion.

As the saying goes, "When entering a country, ask questions; when entering a country, do as the Romans do." Anyone who is visiting Thailand for the first time and doing business must pay attention to abide by Thai customs and etiquette, otherwise misunderstandings may easily occur. Thais believe that gods live under the threshold, so never step on the threshold of a Thai house.

Historically, Thai people generally do not like to take risks and are cautious when doing business. They would rather rely on their own strength and develop by accumulating little, rather than make drastic decisions, borrow large amounts, and invest on a large scale. Because they are overly cautious and do not trust others easily, many business departments have a strong family flavor. Thai businessmen attach great importance to interpersonal relationships. In their view, instead of fighting with each other and working hard to obtain some benefits, it is better to give these benefits to those honest and humane opponents. For goods, they value quality more than brand. As long as the goods are genuine, even unknown products can be recognized. In addition, like most Chinese people, they also care about face and attach great importance to others' opinions of their appearance. If they can make the other party feel psychologically satisfied, the negotiation can undoubtedly be carried out in a very harmonious atmosphere.

People say that Thailand is the "Land of Smiles" and they are particularly amiable to foreigners. Business targets are almost all enterprises of the overseas Chinese system. Like overseas Chinese in other countries, doing business must be based on personal trust, and formal contracts still tend to be looked down upon. The streets in the city are chaotic and chaotic. Not to mention morning and evening, they are often crowded even during the day, making movement quite time-consuming.

In Thailand, arguing with others in public and acting aggressively are considered the most shameful behavior by Thai people. Since the left hand is considered unclean, the right hand must be used to exchange business cards and receive items.

Wear a suit when visiting government offices. In the business world, just wear a shirt and tie. When visiting a large company or government office, you must make an appointment. It is polite to be on time for the appointment. It is advisable to have business cards in English, Thai and Chinese that can be printed locally in two days.

Thais attach great importance to the head, but despise the feet. They believe that the head is the seat of the soul and is sacred and inviolable. Remember not to touch other people’s heads—even the heads of children (China People often touch children's heads because they love them). Thais consider it a great shame to be touched on the head. If the elders are present, the younger ones must sit on the ground, or squat and kneel, so as not to be higher than the elders' heads, otherwise it will be disrespectful to the elders. People who are sitting should also avoid letting others pass things over their heads. If you hit a child on the head with your hand, it is believed that he will definitely get sick. Thai people cannot sleep with their heads facing the west because sunset in the west symbolizes death. Thais park their heads west only after death. Therefore, Thai people are used to building their houses with the front facing north so that they can turn their heads to the south when sleeping.

Thais particularly respect the Buddha and the King. The Buddha and the King are supreme in the hearts of Thai people. You must not say rash words to the Buddha and the King in front of Thai people.

In front of Thai people, it is impolite to sit cross-legged or point your soles towards others.

Whether you are sitting or standing, make sure the soles of your shoes are not clearly visible to Thai people. When sitting down for business negotiations, never expose the soles of your shoes, as this is considered extremely impolite and unfriendly in Thailand. The feet may not be used for anything other than walking. If you lift the door with your feet, you will be despised by the locals. Pointing to someone with your feet is also disrespectful.

It is difficult for Thais to make a decision on a matter, so outsiders must not show impatience. Hospitality in the business world is meticulous and tiring. When getting along with Thai businessmen, don't boast about your country's economy, and don't ask how many wives the other person has.

It is best to carry traveler's checks or cashier's checks in Thailand and use less cash. The security situation in Thailand is not very good, so you should avoid walking alone or taking mobile taxis at night.

In Thailand, if tourists make rash actions towards temples, Buddha statues, monks, etc., they are regarded as "heinous sins." Be especially careful when photographing Buddha statues. For example, if someone rides on the Buddha statue because it is so big and thinks it is fun, it is likely to cause a big disturbance. Tourists were once punished for stepping on the Buddha statue to take photos. When entering a Thai private house or temple, you must take off your shoes or sandals. From the entrance to the temple, you have to walk barefoot. When you are a guest at a local home and you find a Buddhist altar in the room, you must take off your shoes and socks immediately. People wearing hats must also take off their hats immediately. The status of a monk is extremely high. Therefore, merchants must "do as the Romans do when entering the country" and cannot be careless. In order to receive the monks, business negotiations often had to give way. When traveling in Thailand, you can see handicraft shops selling Buddha statues everywhere. You should be very respectful when buying a Buddha statue. You must not treat it as a plaything, place it randomly or touch it roughly. This behavior will cause Thai people to be unhappy. Thailand has regulations on alcohol sales hours: no alcohol is allowed to be sold after 2 a.m. This is the law of the country.

Except in very Westernized situations, Thais do not shake hands when they meet, but put their hands together on their chests. When you first arrive in Thailand, you should pay attention to the local people's greeting ceremony of joining hands together, which is called "Wai" in Thai. Outsiders can also salute in the same way. The higher you raise your hands, the more respect you show for the guests, but the height of your hands should not exceed your eyes. Generally, the palms should be put together between the forehead and the chest. Note that those with lower status or younger people should first salute the opposite party. Only monks are not restricted and do not have to return the clasped hands salute to anyone. Even if they meet the King and Queen of Thailand, they do not have to return the salute, but just nod and smile.

Thais do not call each other by surname, such as "Mr. Chen", "Mr. Li", "Ms. Zhang", but "Mr. Jianguo", "Mr. Zhangda", "Ms. Xiulan" ". When visiting a Thai home, take off your shoes before entering the house. When interacting with Thai people, you can give some small souvenirs, and the gifts should be packaged in advance. Sending flowers is also appropriate.

When shopping in Thai stores, except for department stores and bookstores, the price tag is just a decoration, often two or three times higher than the actual price. You have to learn how to bargain with the shopkeeper when buying things. Thais never sign with red pen, because it is their custom to use red pen to write their last name on the coffin after death. Dogs are a taboo image in Thailand. The best time for business activities is from November to March, when the climate is pleasant. The local raw water is not drinkable. The water in hotels and restaurants is bottled drinking water sold on the market, so there should be no problem.

Customs regulations allow you to bring 200 duty-free cigarettes, 50 snowflakes, or half a pound of tobacco. The entry and exit limit is 500 Bahts in Thai currency. There is no limit on foreign currency. The amount must be reported to customs first and can be taken out when leaving customs. If you do not declare it, you may get into trouble when leaving the country. The currency of Thailand is the Thai Baht. Taxi tips are 10%, optional. There are minibuses available from Bangkok Airport to the city. Do not take a white taxi. The buses are not marked with the destination, only the number. It is difficult to take a ride before you get used to them. Restaurants and hotels add a 10% tip to the bill. Other services give 3 to 5 Baths each time.