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Culturally correct: How to behave like a local in Thailand
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Even though my initial trip was about twenty-five years ago, I still remember my first thoughts about visiting Thailand. Those 
impressions started to form as I checked into my first-class hotel at 4 o'clock in the morning.
Despite what the clock read, the desk staff was bright and happy, smiling as they took our pertinent details and told us about our rooms. Given the hour, their enthusiasm was extremely impressive.
In contrast, our globetrotting group of six was grumpy. From home to hotel had taken 36 hours and we knew we would only be able to sleep a few precious hours before starting to work. This was a fact none of us wanted to process after such an arduous trip but those smiles sure helped. They reminded us that we were about to discover an exciting destination that called us from the other side of the world.
That did the trick.
Despite the lack of shut-eye, when my wake-up call came, I jumped out of bed, ready and eager to start my Thai adventure.
Throughout the journeys, smiles like those I spotted on our front desk staff in the middle of the night never disappeared. No matter what the job or what the situation, the corners of the mouths of the people to whom I was relating were forever turned upwards.
Grins were all around, in the boardroom, at the dinner table and in every single shop. They were even plastered on the faces of the ubiquitous tuk-tuk drivers as they made their way through the frustratingly crowded streets of Bangkok while covered in sweat.
So, when someone told me the smile is a national treasure in Thailand, I didn't think twice. Then, when I learned a smile is not just a smile in Thailand, but a way to express all kinds of emo
tions (embarrassment, uncertainty, annoyance, amusement, anger), I paused for concern, realizing that some of those grins I had been privy to were not cheerful at all.
No matter.
In fact, despite my new understanding, I continued to smile for the rest of the trip. no matter what I was feeling. In fact, since that visit so long ago I have adopted the Thai tradition to smile at every occasion, even when that occasion isn't necessarily a happy event. If it isn't, a smile can make it at least more palatable and, more importantly, it can also keep the others guessing, a game I immensely enjoy.
That said, here are a few other ways in which I learned to honor certain cultural habits practiced in Thailand that may not make sense in the USA:
+ In a Thai home, there are two lines on which to hang clothes: One high and one low. Most garments are put on the top but underwear and socks and such are pinned to the lower line. The reason for this is that in Thailand, it is believe that anything worn on the lower part of the body should not be held in a high position of any kind.
+ No matter how crowded the situation (say standing in a cramped elevator or pausing to make a crossing at a busy street corner), do everything you can to avoid touching anyone around you. In Thailand, such a move is seen as far too intimate to share with a stranger.
+ Don't be confused if your Thai colleague is called by several names because in this part of Asia nicknames are very common. In fact, once you get to know someone Thai and become a true friend, you will probably be given a nickname too.
Please note: This is by now means an exhaustive list on how to be culturally correct in Thailand. If you have more tips, please add a comment with that information. Thank you!
For more information on Thailand, take a look at this great article written by fellow Tampa Travel Examiner Kelly S Kelly: Click here
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