Traditions of Thailand

The Thai are very concern about respecting greeting one another. Wai is the traditional Thai mode of greeting. Joining of palms and bowing their heads is the traditional way of greeting. The juniors usually make the gesture first, and as the higher the hands are, the more the respect is being conveyed in the greeting. The Thais would address an elder by adding a Pi before their names and Nong for a child to show endearment. According to the Thai people, head is considered to be the purest part of the body. Hence, pointing or touching someone is with feet is considered to be extremely rude. Taking off shoes before entering a temple, house or restaurant is a common phenomenon in Thailand. Couples are not allowed to display their affection in the public. Women are also supposed to make way for Buddhist monks when they are passing so as to prevent an accidental physical contact. In Thailand, traditional Buddhist families are to send their son to endure three months of monk hood when they were 20 years of age. According to traditional Buddhism marriage, couple are to first bow before the idol of Buddha. Funerals in Thailand usually last for a week and crying are strongly discourages so that the soul of the departed is not troubled. Thai folks celebrate festivals, their past, religions, historical and cultural events.

Having the majority believing in Buddhism, the traditions and customs of Thailand shows how much a religion had influence their country and people. Buddhism has greatly influence the Thai in their daily lifestyle, actions, traditions and mindset.

Reference:

http://sociologyindex.com/social_customs_and_traditions_thailand.htm

http://www.asiarooms.com/en/travel-guide/thailand/culture-of-thailand/thai-customs-and-traditions.html