Having been to Bangkok for a few times, I had the
opportunity to experience the famed warmth and friendliness of the Thai
people. The Thai people tend to be
courteous and helpful, always greeting others with a constant smile.
During the course of my six day trip in Thailand, my friends
and I got on good terms with the bellboy of the hotel we were staying at.
Displaying the typical Thai hospitality, the bellboy was always ready to answer
our queries and give us directions to the best of his abilities, in English of
course.
On one of the days, I
was horsing with the bellboy while teaching him certain English words. He
pointed to my shoulder and asked what it is called in English as he had a
luggage he was trying to hoist up the rack. In a playful gesture, I patted him
on his head in a way to tell him to think about it. The instant my hand touched
his head, his joyful expression changed to something very solemn. Taken aback,
I begin apologising profusely to him, not knowing of what I have done wrong.
Luckily for me, the bellboy calmed down very fast in the typical
“mai pen rai” (nevermind) attitude
and shrugging off what had just happen. But he did tell me not to touch his
head again. It was later when I found out that the Thais view their heads as
the highest part of the body and must be given due respect. Even though it is not entirely right to touch
someone’s head, I have never deemed it to be outright rude with this playful
gesture.
This situation was clearly a case of not knowing and being
mindful of their culture. In the future, reading up on the culture of the country
I am visiting is a must to prevent any social faux pas. I was lucky that the person I offended
was forgiving. In another case, perhaps I may not be so lucky?
