Saying "Hello" in Thailand

When traveling to another's country, there are always things that you can do to show that you have taken an interest in the local culture beyond what tourists may generally show.

Being able to do a simple greeting is a start but in Thailand, it is not just saying the words but knowing the correct gestures that go with the words will show locals that you respect their customs and culture and may even get a few smiles and maybe new friends. (Just think of all the things you may have witnessed from Amazing Race!).

Beginning, the “THAI WAI”

“Thai Wai” is what you do with your hands when you are making a greeting.  Thai people rarely shake hands as a form of greeting.  They may do so to make Westerners more comfortable but most commonly, Thai people will offer a “Wai.”  Aside from saying hello, the “Wai” is used to show respect, to show gratitude and can sometimes be used for an apology. 

When you first enter a place, to say HELLO, put both of your hands together into a prayer gesture in front of your chest with the tips of your fingers just below chin level.

The “Thai Wai” also is used to show the respect to the person you are greeting.  You will place your hands higher in front of your face depending on the age or the status of the person you are saying hello to.  If the person is an elder, public official or another important person, your hands will be higher so that the fingertips are slightly above the nose.  If you are greeting a Monk, they will receive the highest of all Wai which will put your thumbs about eyebrow level.

 

Another thing to remember, to not return a friendly “Wai” would be considered to be rude.  In Thailand, only the king and monks are not required to return someone’s wai and that again shows the respect level of status.

As well, if you have an object in your hands (food, drink, etc), either place the object down or bow your head slightly in acknowledgment. It will also be considered rude to attempt a “half-wai” with something sticking out of your fingers.

A person could accidentally cause embarrassment by offering a wai to someone considered to be of a lower social standing as doing so can cause them to lose face.  If is not necessary to give a “wai” to children, beggars or people who you are paying for a service (e.g., servers, drivers, and bellboys at hotels).

Saying Hello

In Thailand, this greeting can be used anytime regardless of the time of day or night.  Some other Southeast Asian countries do have different forms of greetings depending on the time of the day.  The greeting is gender specific and knowing the difference as a foreigner will again be greeted very warmly by the Thai people.

The basic greeting in Thai is “SAWASDEE” and sounds like “SAY-WAH-DEE” with an ending depending on gender.  Males will end their greeting by saying “KHRAP.”  The “R” is rarly pronounced so it will sound like “KAP.”  Women will end their greeting by saying a drawn out “KHAAA.”  The “kap” is stated with a sharp raised tone while the “kha” drops in tone. And of course, your hands are in the “Thai Wai.”

So to summarize:

-        -  Men say hello with: sah wah dee khrap!

-        -  Women say hello with : sah wah dee khaa

Sabai Dee

After saying Hello, your greeting can be expanded by asking someone how they are doing.  After your “Sah-wah-dee,” a person will often followed up with "Sabai-dee-mai" and the correct gender ending for the person speaking (either khrap or kha). What is being asked is, "good and happy, no?"

The correct response for when someone asks you “Sabai-dee-mai” would be:

-          "Sabai dee" if you are doing well

-          "Mai sabai" if it is not so good

Information about Thailand

Thailand is officially "The Kingdom of Thailand" and was formerly known as Siam.

Thailand is the ONLY South-East Asian country to NOT have been Colonized by any of the Western Countries during the 19th century expansionism.

Located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos; to the east of Laos and Cambodia; to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia; and to the west by the Andaman Sea and Burma.

Thailand is a Constitutional Monarchy.  King Rama IX is the current King and has reigned since 1946.  He is the longest serving monarch in Thai history and world's longest serving head of state. He is extremely well loved and respected by the Thai people.

Thailand is the world's 51st largest country in total area.  There are approximately 64 million people living in Thailand making it the 20th most populous country.  Bangkok is the capital and largest city.

75% of the population is ethnically Thai.  The official language is Thai and the primary religion is Buddhism.  Approximately 95% of the people practice Buddhism.

An exciting educatonal opportunity

"Sah-wah-dee khrap"

Hello 

This February, I have been given an amazing opportunity to visit the country of Thailand with a group of American educators to view the Educational system and experience the Culture and History of the Thailand people and country.

This opportunity is apart of a "Study Tour" organized through the Hopkinton Public Schools called "Go Global - Teach Global." Headed by the Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Mary Ann DeMello, and organized in part by EF Tours, 22 educators from at the Hopkinton Public Schools and nearby New Hampshire will be departing on an 11 day tour of Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Kanchanaburi, which is home to the "Death Railway, JEATH Museum and the "Bridge Over the River Kwai."

The Vision Statement of the Park West School Division states "We will bring the World to our students to prepare our students for the World."  An opportunity like this can be one way that educators from the PWSD could gain experience to share with their students on places far outside the PWSD.  This is one of my goals to consider during this Study Tour.