| Thai Culture |
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| Thai people are very kind, generous, and easygoing. When you are in Thailand, you will see big smiles everywhere worthy of the title, Land of a Thousand Smiles. Buddhist teachings are the dominant way of life. Most Thai men, when they are 20 years old or before marrage, will be ordained as a monk to preserve Buddhism and to study the Buddha’s teachings. This brings respect to the family as well as teaches men to have a good manner and be better husbands in the future. Every morning at sunrise, you will see monks walking barefoot in their saffron robes carrying a simple bowl collecting alms from the laymen or laywomen. In exchange for donating food, the lay people make merit. Thai people believe in rebirth, so people try to have a good manner and make merit for their future life. In addition to the respect for monks and the Buddhist traditions, young people show respect for old people as they carry on the importance of Thai traditions. One way we show our respect is by doing a “Wai” or joining the palms of the hands together (as if in a prayer) and bowing the head. The hands are kept close to the chest for peers or raised to the chin to those who are older or raised higher to the forehead to monks. The greater the height, the greater the respect. This is similar to the “Namasate” in India although we say in Thai, “Sawad dee Krab” for men and “Sawad dee Kha” for woman. Another sign of respect involves pointing the feet away from others when sitting on the floor. This is because the feet are considered the low part of the body. On the other hand, the head is seen as the high and holy part of the body. Therefore, it is not polite to touch a Thai person on the head. Buddha images, monks, and teachers are all highly respected by the Thai culture. |
| Thailand is a tropical country with warm weather all year round.The Thai culture has magnificent traditions and a rich culture. There are beautiful temples, historic ruins, and friendly charming people. |
| There are four main regions of Thailand with a total population of over 60 million people. Each region of Thailand -- North, South, Northeast, and Central, has its own dialect and interesting way of life. 94% of Thai people are Buddhist with each region having their own beautiful temples giving Thailand over 300,000 temples throughout. |