THAILAND CULTURE

GROUP 7
Nguyen Ngoc Thao My 1557010119
Nguyen Hoang Chuong 1857010138
Nguyen Le Duy 1857010017
Le Kim Ngan 1857010242
Pham Minh Hau 1857010177

Instructor: Tran Nhat Nam

 Geographical
setting
About Culture
Thailand …
&

Society

Social Customs
&

Etiquette
 Located in Southeast
Asia

GEOGRAPHICAL SETTING
66 million people

Capital city: Bangkok

513,120 square
kilometers (1.6 times
bigger than Vietnam)
 GEOGRAPHICAL SETTING

Red – Thai people

White - Religion

Blue – Thai Monarchy

GEOGRAPHICAL SETTING

Tropical weather

The north is different

from the south
GEOGRAPHICAL SETTING

Most popular
and unique: tuk-tuks
POLITICS
Constitutional monarchy
the prime minister is the head
of government and a hereditary
monarch is head of state

Your Company Name

 sole official language: Central Thai

18 vowels - 20 consonants - 5 tones

grammar: analytic language

Regional dialects
some scholars: only Khorat Thai as a dialect of Thai
others: between Bangkok Thai and Central Thai

Social dialects
high form - about members of the royal family, high ranking
Buddhist clergy, and persons of high social status.

low form - in everyday situations

CULTURE AND SOCIETY Cultural Dimension

1. Power Distance

“Big gap between high status and low

status.

Low status people have to mind their

action toward high people status.
not have much right to fight with high powered people

indirect and the problem is hard to be solved

CULTURE AND SOCIETY Cultural Dimension

2.Individualism

a collectivism country

maintaining their relationship with their group

avoid speaking or acting directly towards others

CULTURE AND SOCIETY Cultural Dimension

3. Masculinity

Thailand is feminism

less competitive as compared to other countries

friendly and polite

help each other instead of being the best

women right is accepted in the society

CULTURE AND SOCIETY Cultural Dimension Confused
Uncertain

Uncertainty Bewildered
Disoriented

Avoidance
4. Unclear

not like changes,

stick to old stuff

avoid all the possible risks

“
“
there is a rule and regulation to follow, and Thai people do not wish to
break the rule because it is risky, they tend to follow only instead of
having conflicts after.
CULTURE AND SOCIETY Cultural Dimension

Long-term

5. Orientation

concern of their future, reduce the future

risks as much as possible

maintaining the relationship with others

such as relatives
CULTURE AND SOCIETY Religions and Beliefs

93%
1.2% BUDDHISM -
CHRISTIANS official religion
in Thailand

5%
ISLAM - the largest
0.8%
minority religious group ‘other’ or non-religious
 CULTURE AND SOCIETY

Major Celebrations

NEW YEAR
(31st Dec to 1st Jan)
starts with offerings and
worship at the local Buddhist
temple

celebrated with family, friends,

food and drink.

Your Company Name

 CULTURE AND SOCIETY

Major Celebrations

Magha Puga
(The third lunar month of the year)

an important Buddhist celebration

special event in which Buddha transmitted the

principles of Buddhism to ‘Arahants’ (A La Hán)
or ‘Enlightened Ones’

Buddhists - avoid sin, carry out good actions

and to purify one’s mind  the ‘heart of
Buddhism’.
CULTURE AND SOCIETY
Visakha Puja
Major Celebrations
(4th June)

the holiest of Buddhist religious

ceremonies

celebrates the birth, enlightenment and

nirvana of Buddha.

attend temple celebrations during the day

participate in circumambulations of the
local temple during the evening.
 CULTURE AND SOCIETY

Family

Household Structure and

Interactions
Family first!

general structure: patriarchal, with the household have

to listen to the oldest living man.

several generations live under the same roof

 CULTURE AND SOCIETY

Family

Treating the elderly

high level of respect

many practices of etiquette and general interactions

A sense of duty and responsibility

 CULTURE AND SOCIETY

Communication
Verbal

well acquainted  bluntness is accepted

indirect communication style and
avoid giving flat-out refusals
style of communication varies higher social status or unknown status 
depending on the relationship more cautious, polite and indirect

Humour
common during conversation
make conversations light-hearted, cover emotions of sadness when
discussing a tragic or difficult situation
CULTURE AND SOCIETY
Physical Contact:
Communication acceptable amongst people of the same
Non-verbal gender, but is usually minimal
Gestures:
not using hands to emphasise their point in conversation

overly dramatic gestures or frequent and rapid gestures  anger

pointing with a single finger  rude and accusatory

Eye Contact:
shows attentiveness. However, avoid intense eye contact

upon being instructed or spoken to by a superior, it is respectful to

lower one’s eyes
CULTURE AND SOCIETY

Food

Thai cuisine is much loved internationally

Thai restaurants are a feature of most large cities around

the world

In 2011, Thai dishes featured more than the dishes of any other
country on an online CNN poll
Pad Thai (Thai-Style Stir-Fried Noodles):

classic ingredients: egg, tofu, peanuts, bean, sprouts

traditional taste: a bit salty (fish sauce & dried shrimp),

sour (fresh tamarind paste and lime juice), sweet (palm
sugar) and not really spicy

To Ingredients: lemon grass, lime juice, fish sauce,

chillies and kaffir lime.

m Shrimp is then typically used as the key

ingredient.

Yu
CULTURE AND SOCIETY

Superstition

Good Lucky person finish the last piece

If you dream of a snake, you will meet your soul mate

left eye twitches  something good is going to happen to

you, right eye  something bad will happen
CULTURE AND SOCIETY

Superstition

Don’t cut the hair on Wednesday

Bad
Don’t leave home if you hear a gecko

Honk when driving pass the shrine or curve

Bend down + look between your legs  see a ghost

CULTURE AND SOCIETY

Art

Mural Painting in
Thai Temples
Murals on the sides and entrance walls recount
the life of Buddha.

Highly stylistic

Many symbols
CULTURE AND SOCIETY

Art

Khon -
masked dance
the pride of Thailand’s art
based on the tales of the Ramakien or the Glory of
Rama

a combination of dance, elaborate costumes,

singing, speaking, and music

reinforcing respect for those of a higher age and status

mutual dependence between leaders and followers
the honour of rulers and the triumph of good over evil
CULTURE AND SOCIETY

Temples and monks

More than
33000 temples dedicated
to Buddhism
merit making

prey to the Buddha for

good health,
good fortune advice
and wealth from monks
CULTURE AND SOCIETY

Temples and monks

monks are highly revered and respected and disrespecting a monk is

a huge no-no

designated seats on public transport for monks

females should be careful of their actions around monks

customary for young boys to ordain as a monk and live in temple for
a short time
Social Customs &
Etiquette

Naming
Convention Ajahn Chah
(a Thai Buddhadhamma
Buddhist monk)

Khun + First name : Miss, Mrs or Mr 

e.g: Khun Mary, Khun Simon

Ajahn + First name: people of

importance such as teachers, professors or monks Ajahn Brahm
( a British-Australian
Theravada Buddhist
monk)
Social Customs &
Etiquette

Naming
Convention

Surnames:  very formal occasions or written documentation

 
Nicknames: common 
Social Customs &
Etiquette

Meeting and
Greeting etiquette

THE WAI ไหว้

traditional form of greeting

giving by the person of lower status to

the person of higher status
Social Customs &
Etiquette

Meeting and
Greeting etiquette
place the palms of hands together in front
of the chest

How to Wai slowly lower your head

the height at which the hands are

held
how low the head comes down 
→ Respect and courtesy
Social Customs &
Etiquette

Types towards an
Meeting and
of Wai older or
Greeting etiquette superior person

showing respect
older or superior people
to a monk or a
in response to the wai of
Buddha image
someone younger or of
lower status.
Social Customs &
Etiquette

Meeting and
Greeting etiquette

Sawadee  ka (for female) /krap (for male)

warm, friendly , comforting way 

used at any age or status, informal or formal

situation
Social Customs &
Etiquette

Gift-giving
etiquette
other kinds of flowers
good quality
chocolates
or fruit

marigolds or carnations
(for funerals) gold, yellow or
any
green, black
bright color
or blue
(red  for a chinese thai)
(mourning and funerals)
Social Customs &
Etiquette

Gift-giving
etiquette

gifts are not opened when received

weddings and ordination parties: money

is usual gift
Social Customs &
Etiquette

Dining
etiquette
shared, except for soup

spoon - right and fork - left

sticky rice, a northern Thai delicacy, eaten with

fingers of the right hand

Never leave rice on your plate

Social Customs &

Don’t
Etiquette

Dining
lick your finger
etiquette blow your nose at the table

talk or laugh with your mouth full of food, no exceptions!

use a toothpick without covering your mouth with your other hand

make noises while you eat ( no slurping soups and noodles)

forget to thank your host with a polite kawp khun khrap/kha ("thank
you" male/female)
Social Customs &
Etiquette

Don’t sit with your feet pointing towards people

Taboo
Don’t touch the top of someone’s head

Avoid sleeping with your feet towards the family alter.

No physical interactions with monks

Thank you!