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?
10 comments:
Hi Terence,
It is really nice of you to share with us such an important taboo which we should never attempt when in Thailand. I have been to Bangkok and Phuket but have never encountered this before. What I learn is to not pass negative remarks about their king, the Thais are not forgiving on that. Unlike in Singapore, we can freely talk about the political scene and not anger anyone. In fact, everyone gets excited when we speak of the political scene in Singapore. =D
Overall, I think a good way to overcome any cultural barrier is to always put on a smile, be polite and humble (sounds like what I peer teach for interviewing). I think the bell boy saw your sincerity when apologising and thus decided to forgive you.
I hope you enjoy your upcoming phuket trip. It is really fun there. *you can ride a motorbike without licence and it is perfectly legal. =)
Hello Terence!
It was an interesting post that you have shared, and I cannot agree more that the Thais (or in fact many societies) do value their 'heads' as the part that's accorded the most respect. I also noticed this when I was in Thailand a year back. Even their Ronald Macdonals guy poses with his hands placed in the Thai greeting manner (if i'm not wrong, positioned around the chin or something). They have a few hand greeting positions positioned at different levels, with the forehead being the one with the utmost level of respect, think usually shown to their King or the monks?
But it was really lucky that you didn't get blamed for that! This post is really something noteworthy about Thailand! :D
Hi Terence,
Like Chee Kian, I was only aware of their stringent lese Majeste laws but not about this touching of the head thing. I feel like I've just escaped from a minefield after reading this.
But its a good thing that it was Thailand and that the person didn't take it to heart so there wasn't too much damage done. In any case, at least you've learnt something enough to ensure that you don't make the same mistake again.
So don't touch people's heads in Thailand and stop horsing around with bellboys? Two good lessons to take away from that one I reckon.
Cheers,
G.
Hey Terence,
yes, i cannot agree more that the Thais never ever pass negative remarks about the King; like all other monarchs, the King of Thailand is greatly revered and respected.
As for body parts, I do know that the head is considered the highest and respected part of the body and hence the most important. Conversely, the feet is considered the dirtiest part of the body.
What I didn't know was that touching a Thai's head can be deemed as being rude. It's so strange because we are so accustomed to the fact that stroking of the head as a gesture of affection and praise - Well, this is something fresh and worth noting!. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Terrence,
Wow, it is interesting to read your post. I also write about tapping head stuff, but in my case, i am in bellboy position.
Mmm, i think its quite difficult to learn your destination's culture especially for short trip. But we still have chance, by open our eyes widely and observe surroundings. very nice sharing :)
Chee Kian>
Yupx! Subsequently, I was told not to mention about politics as well, especially during that June period where everyone was exceptionally feisty! The Thais take their politics very seriously, too seriously in fact! There was actually a "vote no" campaign going on at that time as well. It is an option to not vote for any political party, quite redundant though. :P
>Candice
Hi! Thanks for dropping by!
Yupx! I did come across the Ronald Macdonald with his palms placed together in a greeting! Quite the Macdonald's way of adapting to the Thai culture. Guess I have to take a leaf out of Macdonald's book!
Hey Govin!
The bellboy was pretty cool about it. It could be that he knew that I was ignorant and did not want to pursue the matter. And one more thing when in Thailand. Before the start of every movie in the theatres, the Thai National Anthem will be played. And everyone has to stand at attention. So do take note as well! I was quite stunned when everyone else around me and my friends stood up!
> Alvin
Yes! The feet is considered the dirtiest part of the body. As such, the Thais do not like it if you point at things with your feet!
But the Thais are generally cool people. Most have a very laid back attitude and are hence very easy going.
>Fiza
Yupx. It was quite difficult for me to fully grasp their culture. Hence, the mistake.
I remember you telling me once that you were heading to Thailand? Was it fun? Hope you had tons of fun there! The food, shopping and of course! The Thai massage!!
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