AL_1 Posted January 8, 2005 Report Share Posted January 8, 2005 is there someone to explain me Thai greeting :?: name is wai ? is same meaning as shake the hand ? how do you it correctly ? i heard you do it differently for normal people, monk, and king familly ? when is good to do it ? don't do to children ? do it only to friends ? and last... is there some rules about who do it first ? younger do it first ? thx to grow my mind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Softie Posted January 8, 2005 Report Share Posted January 8, 2005 don't forget to greet the wather. Wai naam = swiming :!: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Softie Posted January 8, 2005 Report Share Posted January 8, 2005 ======= My Wai story Many years ago I was finally to be introduced to the father of my Thai girlfriend. He had a very senior position in one of the biggest companies here so was obviously a high status person. Furthermore he was not really comfortable with his daughter dating a farang English teacher. So I was apprehensive and practiced my most respectful wai over and over. At the moment his car drove up outside my girlfriend decided to wander into another room leaving me to face him alone. A man enters the room and instantly I go into my most humble and respectful wai, only to find that he is only the driver -- and the father follows him in looking at me with some puzzlement? LoL good story, it can happen to anybody Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedTriple Posted January 8, 2005 Report Share Posted January 8, 2005 At the moment his car drove up outside my girlfriend decided to wander into another room leaving me to face him alone. Gotta love that bit Here's a page I found a while ago with pics of the Wai. http://www.thaistudents.com/thebeach/thaiwai.html Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbyboy112003 Posted January 8, 2005 Report Share Posted January 8, 2005 "So don?t initiate a Wai with children or waitresses. You don?t need to return them either. If you entered a restaurant and were greeted with Wais all around, it might be appropriate to return the Wai to the owner and manger but probably not to the waiters." You know something? This is one of the main reasons that I did not wai when I was in Thailand (unfortunetely, the other reason was that no one wai'd me :shock: ) I am one of those ppl that shows everyone respect, including waiters and waitresses. I always say thank you....Mr. or Mrs....sir or ma'am. My inclination would be to wai everyone, so maybe it's better to just shake hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaperFlower Posted January 9, 2005 Report Share Posted January 9, 2005 When the younger person repect you by WAi. You can respond them by Wai too. This is Thai culture coz we said.."Rup Wai" We repect each other but you can repect by wai to one who is younger than u after they Wai u. If the young one Wai you and you do nothing means You are not attend or look down them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LIBE Posted February 3, 2005 Report Share Posted February 3, 2005 ======= My Wai story Many years ago I was finally to be introduced to the father of my Thai girlfriend. He had a very senior position in one of the biggest companies here so was obviously a high status person. Furthermore he was not really comfortable with his daughter dating a farang English teacher. So I was apprehensive and practiced my most respectful wai over and over. At the moment his car drove up outside my girlfriend decided to wander into another room leaving me to face him alone. A man enters the room and instantly I go into my most humble and respectful wai, only to find that he is only the driver -- and the father follows him in looking at me with some puzzlement? LoL good story, it can happen to anybody Wowowooooow!! You've done!! That's nice ... á¤èäËÇé .. äÃèµÒÂËÃá Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Wanika187 Posted March 10, 2005 Report Share Posted March 10, 2005 There are four ways to use Wai for....greeting, good bye, pay respect, appologize How to Wai...greeting, good bye, pay respect, appologize 1. pay respect to a monk ; Put your palm hands togethet, place your thumb between you eyebrow, then bow your head with courtoeus way. ( Actually, in traditional...we have to take off our shoe also.) 2. Pay respect to mother, father or elderly people; put you palm hands together, place your thumb on your nose then bow your head with courtoeus way. 3. Pay respect to friend or people at the same age; put you palm hands together, place your thumb at your chin then bow you head with coutoeus way. 4. Rub Wai " the elderly people reply back when young people make a wai" ; put your palm together, place on your chest..don't need to bow your head..but should smile and make your face turn to the people who make a wai to you. That's mean you pay attention to them. Young people should make a wai before the elderly people normally. There another kind of Wai...we called "Wai phra" or "Graab" Pay respect to the monk or buddha image...Or the dead people. ..But It's too many confusing for you for sure...If interrested I will reply after...ok? Enjoy your Wai in Thailand....If you can make it in a good maner..We will be very appreciate to see...:-) smile! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbyboy112003 Posted March 10, 2005 Report Share Posted March 10, 2005 Thai friends of mine often lament that sadly the "wai" is going out of fashion and more of a lazy nod is replacing it :roll: .Out of curiosity ,do folk on here also notice this trend? :? another cultural decadence? grrrrrr :evil: it'd be nice to know the answer to that but i just hope it's not happening. maybe just the only rab-wai part that's being replaced by a nod.. :?: (keeping my hope high..) that always happens with veteran teachers who can't walk in the school without tons of little kids keep wai-ing him. sorry.. no general answer here either Miss Misty? Could you please clarify "rab-wai" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbyboy112003 Posted March 10, 2005 Report Share Posted March 10, 2005 Misty wrote: "they may not have as much money as u do, but they still deserve to be treated equally. just be nice. " I can't agree more ...and thank you!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
okies Posted November 6, 2005 Report Share Posted November 6, 2005 well nothing much more for me to add here, but remember it's always the youngest to wai the oldest... not the other way around usually. If say your girlfriend meets your mother (who is Thai) and she dosen't wai her, then your mom does not need to give her a wai back, actually your girlfriend then is infact VERY rude. Happened to me and I heard it from my mom about a week, heh. But small kids do it too, they usually just clap their hands together and skip the bowing part. Commonly called "sawatdee goon" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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