Thailand Do's and Don'ts: Thai Etiquette for Visitors

Thailand is easy-going with visitors, and nobody expects you to know every custom. A handful of rules matter a lot, though: respect the royal family and Buddhism, keep your feet low and your hands off people's heads, cover up at temples and keep your cool. Thais call good manners มารยาทmaa-rá-yâat, and being rude is เสียมารยาทsǐa maa-rá-yâat, literally "to lose your manners". Get the big things right, smile, and a quick ขอโทษkǎw-tôot ("sorry") covers the small slips.

Heads high, feet low

Thais see the head as the highest, most respected part of the body and the feet as the lowest. That one idea explains a whole list of don'ts:

• Don't touch or pat anyone on the head, not even a child you don't know.
• Don't point your feet at people, monks or Buddha images. On the floor, sit with your feet tucked to one side or under you.
• Don't put your feet up on a table or a chair, and don't point at things or push them with your foot.
• Don't step over people sitting on the floor or over their things. Walk around, or ask ขอทางหน่อยkǎw taang nàwy, "excuse me, can I get past?", with your particle and a slight stoop.
• Take your shoes off before you enter someone's home: a pile of shoes by the door is your cue. Many small shops, clinics and massage places want shoes off too. If you're not sure, ask ต้องถอดรองเท้าไหมdtâwng tàwt rawng-táao mǎi, "do I need to take my shoes off?"
• Pillows are for heads, so don't sit on one. Thai children are told it gives them boils.

Greetings, names and politeness

• Wai people older than you when you greet them, and return a wai from anyone your age or older. Don't wai children or shop staff first, and when they wai you, a smile and a nod is the right reply. Our page on the wai shows how and when.
• Call people คุณkun plus their first name or nickname, never their surname. Thais use first names even at work. Our page on Khun, Phi and Nong explains the rest.
• End polite sentences with ครับkráp if you're a man or ค่ะkâ if you're a woman. The particle does the job "please" and a friendly tone do in English, as our krap and ka guide explains.
• Hand things over with your right hand, and with both hands to someone older.
• Ask before you walk into someone's office or take a photo of a person: ขออนุญาตkǎw à-nú-yâat, "may I?", with your particle.
• Call someone over with your palm facing down, fingers waving towards you. Beckoning with one crooked finger, palm up, comes across as rude, and so does pointing at a person with your finger.

Temples, monks and Buddha images

Cover your shoulders and knees, take off your shoes before you enter a hall with a Buddha image, and never climb on a Buddha image or pose for a joke photo with one. Women should never touch a monk or hand him anything directly. Treat every Buddha image with respect, even a souvenir: Thais keep them on a high shelf, never on the floor. Our pages on temple etiquette and on monks and merit go into the details.

The royal family

The monarchy is deeply revered, and the law protects it: under Section 112 of the Criminal Code, defaming, insulting or threatening the King, the Queen, the heir or the regent carries three to fifteen years in prison per offence. Don't joke about the royal family or criticise them, not in a bar and not online, where sharing someone else's post can count too. The law applies to foreigners as well. Stand for the royal anthem before films in cinemas and for the national anthem when it plays in public at 08:00 and 18:00, as our page on anthem etiquette explains. And never stop a rolling coin or a banknote with your foot: they carry the King's portrait.

Keep your cool

Shouting at a waiter or arguing with an official makes you lose face, and it rarely gets results. Stay calm, ใจเย็นๆjai yen-yen ("cool heart"), smile, say clearly what you need, and keep any criticism private. Thais rarely say a flat no, so listen for the polite version. Our pages on saving face and kreng jai explain why.

Out and about

• Dress: away from the beach, cover up a little. No swimwear or bare chests in town, in shops or on the back of a motorbike taxi. Topless sunbathing is frowned on everywhere.
• Affection: holding hands is fine, but kissing and cuddling in public still makes many Thais uncomfortable, especially older ones.
• Bargaining is normal at markets, with a smile and a sense of humour. Prices in malls, 7-Eleven and restaurants are fixed.
• Tipping isn't expected, but leaving the change is appreciated, and upmarket restaurants often add a service charge.
• Meals: spoon in the right hand, fork in the left, dishes shared, as our page on Thai food culture explains.

Laws that catch visitors out

• Vapes and e-cigarettes are illegal. You can't bring them in, buy them or carry them, and tourists do get fined, or worse. Leave them at home.
• Alcohol is sold from 11:00 to midnight; the old afternoon break from 14:00 to 17:00 was scrapped in 2026. On the major Buddhist holidays, shops, 7-Eleven and ordinary restaurants don't sell it at all (only licensed hotels, airports and nightlife venues may), and nobody sells it from 18:00 the day before an election until 18:00 on election day.
• Cannabis is medical-only again: since 2025, shops may sell it only to customers with a prescription, and smoking it in public can get you fined.

When you get it wrong

Everyone slips up, and Thais are forgiving with foreigners who are clearly trying. ขอโทษkǎw-tôot with your particle, and perhaps a small wai, fixes almost anything, and you'll usually hear ไม่เป็นไรmâi bpen rai, "never mind". You'll learn both in Unit 1 of the free course, where your first Thai conversation starts with a wai.