Thailand truly is the perfect introduction if you want to travel or if you want to go backpacking. If you are embarking on your first adventure to the country, then this guide will help you to have the best time while also making sure that you are being respectful to the locals.
Try and Cover Up
It doesn’t matter whether you are male or whether you are female because showing your skin can be frowned upon when you visit Thailand. This is especially the case if you are visiting temples or even places of worship. Make sure that you do your bit to respect the culture and also cover your knees and your shoulders if you are visiting a wat or a temple. If you are struggling with the heat, then taking a sarong is always a good idea. You can wrap it around your waist, or you can wear it over your shoulders. Wearing long sleeves or long pants that are made of silk will also help to protect you against the hot sun. It will also save you from having to deal with mosquito bites too. On beach areas, such as in Krabi and even Phuket, you can wear bathing suits and shorts without any issues. Covering up is just more respectful when in the city or a temple.
Take Your Shoes Off
When you enter some shops, private homes or even temples, you need to try and make sure that you take your shoes off. Flip-flops are very much accepted in Thailand as they are incredibly easy to slip on and off. One good rule is, if you see a pile of flip-flops at the door, you should probably take off your own shoes. If you follow this rule, then you should be fine. If you are staying at a hotel, you shouldn’t need to take your shoes off. If you want to stay local, look up this Pranburi hotel.
Don’t Talk about the King
King Bhumibol Adulyadej was truly revered by everyone and if you show any disrespect then you may find that you end up getting thrown in jail. When you talk about the royal family, it is a good idea for you to avoid bringing him up. If you do have to talk about him, then be positive. If you aren’t quite sure about the rules, then just try and avoid talking about him in general.
Eat with a Spoon
The best choice, if you want to eat Thai food, would be for you to use a spoon. Forks are usually used to push rice or even meat onto the spoon. You then need to use the spoon to bring the food up to your mouth. In Thailand, people do not stab their meat with a fork, and they also don’t stab their vegetables either. Chopsticks are used for Pad Thai, and they can also be used for other noodle dishes too. When you sit down to eat though, you will soon see that you usually only have a spoon and a fork at your table.