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The Thai greeting referred to as the wai (Thai: ไหว้, pronounced [wâːj]) consists of a slight bow, with the palms pressed together in a prayer-like fashion. It has its origin in the Indian Añjali Mudrā, like the Indian namaste and Burmese mingalaba.
- What Is A Wai?
- Why Wai?
- Degrees of Wai
- Saying Hello & Thank You
- When Not to Wai
A wai is a form of communication and a customary greeting in Thailand. Essentially, the palms of the hands are momentarily pressed together in a prayer-like gesture with fingers pointing upwards, usually close to the chest, and the head slightly bowed. While the movement may be quick, the meaning is deeply ingrained, and you will receive a wai wher...
As well as a greeting, and a way of saying goodbye, the wai is ultimately a sign of respect and is used instead of the traditional Western handshake or a wave. A wai can be a way of saying thanks, of showing understanding of a situation or person, and also as a polite way to apologize. You will also see Thais wai to temples, important monuments, pi...
As a rule of thumb, the position of your hands is indicative of the level of respect within the classic Thai greeting. All wais are not the same and the different gestures generally relate to who the other person is. The palms are pressed together with a gap between the thumbs and fingers and the elbows tucked in. The starting position is with the ...
What you soon realize is that greeting Thais in the right way, in their own language, will not only delight them but will certainly enhance your stay too; locals appreciate the effort and will pay respect to you by going that extra mile to make your trip memorable. As you wai, or even just to be polite if you choose not to wai, ‘hello’ is ‘sawasdee...
It is custom not to wai to children, even if you are greeted with the cutest wai from them. Instead, you can give a quick nod of the head, a warm smile or simply pull your hands up to the starting position and then drop them without moving the fingers up towards the face as a sign of acceptance. This is also the case when dealing with anyone in the...
Jun 23, 2022 · Greetings in Thailand are usually accompanied by the gesture known as a ‘wai’ (pronounced ‘why’). This is the placing together of both palms, with fingertips held at varying levels according to the person in front of you (which will be explained in more detail as this is the complicated bit).
The Royal Society’s Thai dictionary (2011) defines the word wai as “a gesture to show respect by putting hands together”, and at its core, that is exactly what wai is – a gesture of respect, even though it is often associated with greeting by foreigners.
Greetings are accompanied by the gesture known as a ‘wai’, which is the placing of two palms together, with fingertips touching the nose. A wai indicates the level of respect for another person and is an acknowledgement of seniority.
The wai may be used as a greeting, but it isn’t the equivalent of saying “hello” and there are times when use of the wai would be inappropriate. There are different types of wai for different situations and Thai people inherently know the correct form to use.
Jun 6, 2020 · One of the first things people will see when entering Thailand is the Thai greeting or Wai. Normally accompanied by pressing the hands together and placing them in front of the face and bringing the head forward and bending from the waist. ....
