Tips for Visitors to Thailand By Fabian Samuel

Introduction• A resident of India, Fabian Samuel currently serves as

chief operating officer of the manufacturing and distributing company Indfrag Ltd. Fabian Samuel enjoys traveling across Asia in his free time and has visited Thailand as well as several nearby countries.

Visiting a new country most often involves learning about a new culture and its customs, beliefs, and policies. For Western visitors to Thailand, the learning curve can be steep. For example, while Western pedestrians have the right of way in crosswalks, Thai motor vehicles have priority everywhere and expect walkers to cross at footbridges.

Tips• In terms of the law, however, the most important thing to

remember is to always respect the King, as signs of disrespect to him or any member of the Royal Family is illegal and can result in imprisonment.

On a more spiritual level, travelers to Thailand should understand that the head is sacred. Touching another adult on the head is never acceptable, nor is standing over someone. By contrast, the feet are considered low and base. One should never show the soles of their feet to another in Thailand, nor should one wear shoes in a person's home. Finally, one should respect the Thai custom of helping one another “save face,” which means never causing another person embarrassment or shame regardless of intent.