How to be a responsible traveller in Thailand

While Thailand is generally very welcoming and understanding of visitors, disrespectful behaviour will annoy them the same as anywhere else. Here are some things we picked up that will help you be the best tourist they have ever met. :)

How to greet Thai people properly:

While I imagine most Thais have understanding for how foreigners don't know all of their customs, NOT doing the ones below are seen as very disrespectful in Thai culture, so by doing them as well, you will definitely gain points with the locals.

"Wai" = done when greeting a Thai person (for example when entering a restaurant) or when saying thank you. All it means is to put your hands together in front of your chest and do a slight bow. Elbows close to body. The higher you lift your hands, the more respect and gratitude you're showing. Therefore, a wai with your hands in front of your face is usually reserved for displays of deep gratitude or for greeting monks.

"-ka/-krab" = In Thailand it is respectful to end certain words and phrases with -ka/krab when speaking to others. You only omit -ka/-krab for close friends and family.

For example, the word for hello in Thai is "sawadee", but you will never just say that to a Thai person you meet. You always have to say "sawadee - ka" or "sawadee- krab".

"-ka": end words with -ka if YOU are female (regardless of the gender of the one you are addressing). What matters is YOUR gender. This is different from say, many European languages where a word changes depending on the gender of the person you are speaking to.

"-krab": end words with "-krab" if YOU are male.

Examples of where -ka/krab is used is when you say hello, thank you and sorry.

Hello = "sawadee -ka/krab"

Thank you = "kop-kun -ka/krab"

Sorry = "kor tod -ka/krab"

So for example, to say thank you respectfully, you will do a wai - a slight bow with your hands in front of your chest - and say "kop-kun -ka/krab" with a smile (Thais love to smile so a smile from you will often be greeted by an even bigger smile! :))

Don't shake hands unless the other person initiates the handshake as it is not customary.

I know this might seem confusing now but you will quickly get it! Also because you will see every Thai person do this too.

Learn a few Thai words and phrases:

Locals will love you and it will make communication especially in less touristy areas where English is rarely spoken a lot easier. Now, I obviously don't expect you to learn Thai fluently for a 2 week trip, but for example learning how to say 'hello', 'thank you', 'sorry', 'yes' and 'no' and how to order food/shop in a market for example by learning how to ask how much something is can help a lot.

Send me a message on instagram @bananas_fortravel and I can send you a few helpful language cards for common phrases and words we used everyday in Thailand! :)

Dress modestly:

Especially when visiting temples it is important to cover both shoulders and knees, so it's a good idea to always carry something with you that you can quickly cover up with if you stumble upon a pretty temple you'd like to see. Thai people in general dress more conservatively so dressing in more revealing clothing (even just a top and shorts) will make you stand out. We found the exception to be on the islands where it didn't matter as much what you wore, but in cities and especially in local areas, I generally wore a little bit more rather than a little bit less to be respectful of the culture. Swimwear on the beach is fine.

Don’t insult the royal family:

Talking badly about the royal family is seen as a criminal offence and can even land you in prison. To be on the safe side, just don't mention the royal family at all and never show disrespect towards the royal family or pictures of them (including on money).

If you hear the national anthem in the morning, usually played from public speakers around 8 am, you are expected to stop and stand still until it’s over as a sign of respect.

Temple etiquette:

• Cover your shoulders and knees

• Take your shoes off before going inside a temple

• Don't point your feet towards either a Buddha image or a monk as this is seen as impolite.

• Greet monks properly if you pass them (see below)

• Don't be loud or disturb anyone if they're praying

Be respectful of monks:

About 95% of Thais are Buddhist and it's a big part of the country's culture and daily life. You will see monks wherever you go and they are often deeply respected and honoured by the Thai. Show respect by being respectful of the monks too. Don't touch them or approach them and give way to them if you meet them on the street. If greeting a monk do the highest level of a wai bow by raising your hands all the way up to your eyebrows and say the special greeting reserved for monks which is "satu", pronounced "sah-too" (instead of the common sawadee-ka/krab).

How to travel in Thailand sustainably:

Plastic is everywhere, and this is sadly something that the locals often won't care about. Literally EVERYTHING gets bagged. Buying something already in a bag? It doesn't matter. They will but it in another plastic bag and give it to you. And they are QUICK. You've barely even put your groceries on the counter before they're already in a bag. Buying a drink or even asking for water at a restaurant? It will come with a straw. Always.

Even if many locals unfortunately haven't realised the full extent of how bad and harmful plastic pollution is yet, and I hope this will change, I am sure it is something that you're familiar with.

So what you can do is to bring your own bag and straws. It's easy. I always carried one or two plastic bags in my handbag that I quickly whipped out at the counter before they could give me a new one.

Bagging everything is so common that you might even get met with confusion if you ask for no bag, so having your own bag turned out to be the most pain-free solution.

Either way, learning how to say "no bag" and "no straw" are two good phrases.

No bag = mai mee thuung

No straw = mai mee faang

(Double-check Google Translate for pronunciation)

Also please DO NOT add to the pollution and always throw away your rubbish properly in a bin, EVEN if you already see lots of rubbish laying around. Don't be part of the problem and please practise Leave No Trace when you travel. 🙏🏼💛