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#1
17-11-2004, 11:27
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Wai Means What
Do use the wai correctly. A Westerner should never wai first and anyone who is paying for any service is the boss and the bosses don't wai first.
Do wai an eldery person ANY IDEA WHAT "WAI" MEANS 
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#2
17-11-2004, 12:01
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There was a recent thread on wai'ing and wai ettiquette.. Do a search...
Many BM's use the never wai rule.. Me I dissagree, its not to be used indescrimately but if you are becoming a resident and assimilating to the culture its something you need to attempt to learn.. I am set to have an introduction and drink with Patongs no2 policman tonight (always handy) and you can bet your ass I will attempt to show the corect subordinate/ respect / face..
__________________
Men have only 2 emotional states, hungry and horny.. So ladies, if you see me without an erection, make me a sandwich.
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#3
17-11-2004, 16:42
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cant find any info with search !!!!
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#4
17-11-2004, 17:38
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What does Wai mean?
I suppose its a sort of hand shake without touching hands. Place the palms of your hands together (like praying). The higher you hold your hands the more respect you are showing. Is this what you wanted to know?
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#5
17-11-2004, 17:48
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Quote:
You also have to bow while in the praying position......
__________________
LIFES A BIT*H THEN U MARRY 1 
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#6
17-11-2004, 17:57
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Quote:
If you enter in "respect" in search, Then go onto the second page its in a thread called "what is" hope this helps 
__________________
LIFES A BIT*H THEN U MARRY 1
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#7
17-11-2004, 18:24
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Don't look stupid
I had some farang guy wai me in the airport at Phuket. Seemed out of place to me. On the other hand, when I hand over the money for the night's entertainment and I get a wai from the LBFM it is really cute!!!!
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#8
30-11-2004, 08:44
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the rules of wai
check out stickmanbangkok.com. on another thread, a bm quoted stickman's rules of wai, and it cleared up everything for me. i can't remember which thread it was on this forum, so i say go straight to the source. stickman has got great info on thai culture, from a farang point of view, so i'd highly suggest checking out his site.
evski.
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#9
30-11-2004, 15:19
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Cardinal rule of wai-ing! Always wai a monk!
Everyone must wai the king and queen, of course! But even the king will wai first to a monk!!! Very important part of Thai religion/culture!!!! Never disrespect a monk or speak jokingly of Buddha(or the king). Worst things you could do in LOS!!
__________________
LOS is warm, soft, smooth, and brown. 
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#10
05-12-2004, 03:01
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and
building upon what jaybee said, make sure you read up some subjects relating to thai taboos. you wai a monk, thai royalty, etc...but you also have to be careful with other things that we farang do instinctively. for example, you drop a coin and it starts twirling around, so you step on it to stop it--WRONG--the thai coin has an engraving of him imperial highness, and you just committed a horrible sign of disrespect and will now have several thais hop all over you and kick your ass. one entry on stickman mentioned a farang who unknowingly stepped on a newspaper that that particular day had a picture of the king on it...luckily no one noticed or he feared that serious consequences might have been endured. the thais believe that the top of the head is sacred and the feet are the lowest part of the body.
i haven't been to LOS, but my boss' wife is thai, and i've seen, during arguments, her raise her foot forward as a way of saying "fcuk you/off" essentially. jaybee is right, you must wai a monk or royalty, but wai them correctly. stickman basically says never wai anyone else because you most probably are doing it improperly. do your research. it's a good thing to know about. evski.
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#11
05-12-2004, 20:15
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I dont think ill ever meet any royalty, And if i see a monk ill bow my head at him but as far as im concerned thats as far as it goes, Dont get me wrong ill be as repectful as i can but im not buddist and where i come from we dont have royalty and we dont bow to priests(Some did and ended up with a sore **** but thats another story  ) As i said before i was brought up to see everybody as my equal's nothing less and nothing more, But by giving a wai to royalty,politicians,police etc, Your saying that there better than you which is wrong  Everybody has a different opinion on it and they mite not agree with mine, Which is 
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LIFES A BIT*H THEN U MARRY 1
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#12
23-08-2005, 15:13
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If its just the literal meaning of the word you want to know .. my handy dandy Thai/English dictionary says " vt. to greet,to salute (by bringing the hands together to the face);to pay respect to;to worship" .... I guess its like a Thai asking "what does the word handshake mean"
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#13
23-08-2005, 15:29
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I have only 'waiied' a Thai once, more instinctively out of embarassment - it was a BKK policeman on the street who had pointed out that my flies were undone. I worry about the religious aspect of waiing - I see it done to shrines, rather like the little curtsey and crossing that Catholics perform on entering churches; the prayer-like holding of the hands is problematic to me as someone who does not approve of superstitious behaviour and does not like to use or be seen to encourage the use of such gestures.
So I do not wai, partly for that reason, partly because of the Stickman article and partly because it is an awkward gesture for someone who hasn't been brought up doing it. I am a farang, always will be: I bow a little, don't object to being waiid but avoid all forms of priests and royalty (as I do in my own country). Although I have an intense dislike of religion and royalty, I follow the dive boat rule - never discuss politics or religion. Last edited by Tyfon : 23-08-2005 at 15:32.
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#14
23-08-2005, 15:32
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I more or less agree with Alibabba 23 on this point as I dont believe in religon in any form but would if the opportunity rose bow to the Thai royalty.
__________________
If I have to explain it.Then you will never understand.
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#16
23-08-2005, 15:45
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I was brought up to be respectful of others and that manners maketh the man, probably an age thing. I am of the opposite opinion in that I am the foriegner and therefore should respect and adhere to anothers culture, I found a wai was awkward at first because it was not my norm and probably do it wrong and at the wrong time but learn by my mistakes. I consider it similar to a handshake and shows respect for the other person, don't consider it to be religious just polite and followed by a big old smile they seem to like me doing it. Seems same as taking your shoes off when entering their house, not tapping their head etc. I think as a foriegner you should attempt to integrate when in anothers country rather than sticking to your own customs and rules, don't we feel the same when others come to our countries?
__________________
If I havn't done it already, then i'm gunna do it today.
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#17
23-08-2005, 17:15
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They are before my time, So I asked my gran and she remembered  Your showing your age Tyfon...5555555..
__________________
LIFES A BIT*H THEN U MARRY 1
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#18
24-08-2005, 16:30
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Quote:
Good explanation of WAI on http://www.1stopchiangmai.com/how_to/wai/ 
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#19
24-08-2005, 16:38
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worked it out from old posts and experince in LOS
domifletch link is a good one.
__________________
MAY THE BEER BE COLD AND ALL YOUR BETS WINNERS
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#20
24-08-2005, 16:43
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Just a thought for people who say they would never wai anyone .. what if you were back in your country and you offered your hand for a handshake to a visiting foreinger and they refused it. ... What would you think of them?
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#21
24-08-2005, 16:51
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If it was the same as a handshake, Then why is it not the same for everyone? Why do people who are not in "Power" so to speak have bow lower and raise there hands higher, And why do they have to wai first?
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LIFES A BIT*H THEN U MARRY 1
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#22
24-08-2005, 17:22
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Because here status is everything.. Highly rigid class society..
Even the greeting establishes status from the outset.. That then defines if someone is Pii or Nong etc.. They have a hard time even talking to each other without these clues to status (wonder how that works on the phone)..
__________________
Men have only 2 emotional states, hungry and horny.. So ladies, if you see me without an erection, make me a sandwich.
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#23
24-08-2005, 17:26
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Uhmmm .. different culture? ... different strokes for different folks? .. When in Rome do as the Romans do? Even with handshaking you don't shake hands with everyone .. e.g kids,close friends ,your mother. Last edited by Gumleaf : 24-08-2005 at 17:29.
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#24
24-08-2005, 17:45
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I will wai but only at chest with slight head bow ,dont see a problem maybe its the way most aussies feel most people are equal not really a class society.
Just like i will shake the hand of a homeless person or someone with "higher" postion in society in australia ,as a friendly gesture not a "higher ""lower" respect issue.
__________________
MAY THE BEER BE COLD AND ALL YOUR BETS WINNERS
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#25
24-08-2005, 17:54
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Quote:
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