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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...
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.
Dec 19, 2017 · The wai, pronounced like the word “why,” is the traditional greeting of Thailand. Though foreigners should not go around giving the wai to everyone they see, they are often expected to return the greeting.
The most common way to greet others here in Thailand is called a wai. To wai somebody, you put your palms together at your chest, then raise them to your face while bowing slightly. You can wai someone while saying "hello," "goodbye" or "thank you."
Jan 11, 2024 · The National Identity Committee resolved on Thursday to designate the “wai” – the Thai way of greeting or paying respects – as a national identity, Deputy Prime Minister Somsak Thepsuthin said.
Aug 10, 2019 · In Nepal, instant noodles are synonymous with Wai Wai, whose ubiquitous packages can be found just about anywhere in the country, from villages in the plains to hamlets in the mountains. Behind Wai Wai’s household presence is one man—Binod Chaudhary, often dubbed the Wai Wai billionaire.
