Thailand is often called the land of smiles and any visit will prove this name to be just. Thai people are naturally very laid back and ‘sanuk’, meaning fun is an important part of life. Thailand is the only country is South East Asia which has never been colonized by a Western power and it is this which makes Thailand a place of spiritual mystery to the Western visitor. It is a country steeped in unique culture and traditions.

The Revered Thai Monarch

One of the most important aspects of Thai culture is the monarchy. The royal family has earned enormous respect from the Thai people and pictures and shrines paying homage to various members of the royal family align most streets and are present in almost all shops and houses. In 2006 and 2007, yellow shirts were worn by almost all Thai people on Mondays as a sign of respect in anticipation of the kings 60th year on the thrown in 2006 and his 80th birthday in 2007.

The Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho

Buddhism is the main religion with some 95% of people following the ways of Theravada Buddhism. This forms a major part of everyday life in Thailand and orange robed monks are a common site in any part of Thailand, from high-tech luxury malls to the most rural villages. Thailand also follows a Buddhist calendar and most Thai people and businesses use the Buddhist year of 2551. New Year is celebrated from the 13th to the 15th of April and the traditional ceremony involves pouring water over images of Buddha. Nowadays the festival is a time when the whole country erupts into a huge water fight, with people standing on the street with hosepipes and water guns waiting to soak passers by.

A Spirit House

Another important part of Thai culture is ghosts or spirits. All Thai people believe in spirits and most houses will have a small spirit house or ‘saan pra poom’ where Thai people will leave food and other offerings for the well-being of the departed. You will also see a lot of spirit houses around central Bangkok and Thai people will often wai in respect while passing. Fortune tellers hold a position of huge respect in Thailand and almost every major decision in Thai life must be taken with counsel from a fortune teller first, from the date for a wedding, to the location for a building. Most Thai people will make often visits to fortune tellers.

A Golden Statue Showing the 'Wai' pose.

The Thai way of greeting is the wai which involves placing the palms of ones hands together and bowing the head. The higher ones hands are held, the more respect is shown. This is an essential technique to master for anyone visiting Thailand and is used when saying hello or goodbye. Another major philosophy in Thai culture is that the head is the most sacred part of the body and the feet are the least sacred. It is considered extremely rude to touch a Thai persons head and even ruder to put your feet anywhere near anyone’s head. When the King travels by car, along with closing all the roads, the pedestrian bridges are also closed so that nobody’s feet will be above the King’s head and if a coin with the King’s head is dropped, it must be picked up immediately.