People and Culture and other Phuket, Thailand Local Custom Tips

People and Culture

Thais believe that life should be enjoyed, the Thais are tolerant and hospitable and are very easy to get along with.
Good manners, common sense and a smile are necessities in Thailand.

The Royal family and religion are extremely sacred in Thailand, and it is against the law to to defame them or make fun of them, this is punished by imprisonment!

Language
The national language is Thai. English is spoken in most tourist places.

Religion
95% of the population of Thailand practice Buddhism, 4% are Muslim and the remainder are Christians, Hindus or Sikhs.

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Songtran (Thai New Year) is celebrated every year on April 13 to April 15.

Nowadays Songkran caters to tourists with the throwing of water. This is done with hoses, water guns, hoses, buckets and at times can be quite dangerous!

But this is not how it use to be, or still is in non tourist areas.

Back in the early days the Thai people started this festival to teach their families the following:

They must respect their families and the elderly, so during this festival the children would come home to visit their families bringing gifts. They would also visit neighbours, so this is why the real meaning of Songtran is about paying respect.

It is also a time for cleansing and this is traditionally done by puring a small amount of water into someones hand, not the drenching that happens today. Many elderly Thais still practice this the old way.

Thankyou to KAN WIN for allowing me to use his beautiful Photo's.

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If you are planning to visit a Buddhist temple, dress conservatively and take your shoes off when you enter the temple.

Women are not allowed to touch monks and the monks cannot accept anything from a woman's hand.

Rear seats on buses are for the monks and other passengers have to vacate these seats if necessary. You will also see a couple of seats reserved for monks in the departure areas of some airports.

Never lose your temper or raise your voice no matter how frustrating the situation is.
Only patience and humour will get you any results.
Thais believe that the head is the most sacred part of the body, so never touch or pat anyone in Thailand on the head.

The feet are considered the lowest part of the body, so don't ever point at things with your feet. When sitting down, make sure the soles of your feet are not facing towards anyone.

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