Do you Wai?

When in Thailand I rarely wai myself, except maybe when meeting a Thai friends family.

Do you wai on a daily basis when in Thailand?

unless it is someone who obviously demands respect (eg: a boss or elderly family member, etc) i wouldn't wai...a simple nod and a smile is normally enough - and not so easy to get wrong!

some thais will "check hands" now anyway!

:-)

No, I just wai when it is someone I haven't seen for a while that us older or has more status than me......sometimes I don't worry about the 2nd one.

Here, in Nong Khai a long way from Bangkok, we wai very regularly. I would certainly wai every friend that visits and every official too, both when they arrive and when they depart.

I wai anyone who is buying me beer.

> When in Thailand I rarely wai myself

Me too, though I do occasionally wai others when appropriate. :)

Yes I do.

I think people who have been here longer also know when and how it is appropriate to do. Mutmee and Itchy have inspired me.

I always return a wai.

For a concise synopsis of Thai customs read Culture Shock, Thailand.

7- "I always return a wai."

Thai's in service, for example a restaurant wai customers and the Thai customers never return the wai. Wais are not returned down to children etc. The exception is that you must always wai bar girls.

Thanks Kevin, I didn't know that, I did know that you don't wai children though.

I did read culture shock years ago, looks like I should get it again, it was a great help.

UNtil then....
What about if you give somebody a gift, even if they are service staff, do you still not return the wai?

"...What about if you give somebody a gift, even if they are service staff, do you still not return the wai?.."

Well, I am guessing/speculating that if you are friends enough to give a gift then you have broken the status barrier and are accepting them as a peer. It is strange in that we don't have the same social status levels so it is not such a big deal for a farang to get it wrong, except the obvious silly cases. As Chanchao put it "wai everything that moves". LOL.

Thanks Kevin, you guess right.

I think we do have social status levels that we show in different ways...eg, it would be considered rude when first meeting the mother of a friend or teacher, etc and call them by their first name, unless otherwise informed. A person in power, eg. a policeman would also demand a different degree of respect or familiarity. etc etc.

Joy