Bangkok Local Customs

In most Asian countries it's common to understand the remains of British influence, in the students' dress code. In Bangkok we saw a parade with students using traditional costumes and some...

A common Thai greeting is to place your hands together in a prayer like position. All the greetings I've experienced were held close to the mouth. I am told the the height of the hands shows respect....

Thailand is officially a Buddhist country and some 95% of Thais are Buddhists. Always remember to remove your shoes and dress smartly when entering a temple (sleeveless shorts and short skirts are not...

A person can notice coming to Bangkok that many people (men and women) are wearing light pink shirts. Dress shirts, polo shirts or tee shirts in light pink. Winston, my VT friend, explained how the...

The must Do: -dress properly when visiting a temple -treat monks with the highest respect -try to learn a few Thai phrases -smile -enjoy DON'T EVER TRY TO: Don't show disrespect towards the...

A good way to learn the Thai language is through listen .Listening to Thai music can improve your listening skill as well as to learn new words . One band that is easy to listen to with many...

thailand is a powerhouse in growing various fruits from around the world and it has a large fruit agro-industrial industry besides the traditional rice growing. evidence of this is that you can buy...

Thai and Western ideas about what constitutes acceptable physical contact in public are fundamentally different! While people of the same sex can often be seen holding hands on the street, you will...

Religion has an important part in life for many people in Thailand. And Buddhism is the main religion. Praying and sacrificing with incense and flowers are ways of showing respect to god. Take of your...

During Songkran, most office buildings, banks as well as family-run shops and restaurants shut down completely, while big shopping malls usually remain open. During Songkran,Thais throw water at...

Beer Lao is not a thailand beer original, it is manufactured in nearby Laos by the Lao Brewery Company, but it is imported in large quantities from laos as it is becoming popular as a beer drink with...

Bargaining is meant to be fun so the first rule is that you should never get angry or rude with merchants. Sometimes merchants will be rude to you in an effort to make farangs lose face but don't...

We were fortunate enough to be visiting Wat Arun when a troop of lion dancers arrived to bless all the shrines for Chinese New Year. After the dancing they lit the usual deafening fire crackers for...

Thais admire serenity and regard overt expressions of emotion as immature and unsightly. This is especially true in the case of anger or impatience. If you show anger, you will immediately lose the...

Thai massage is believed to have been developed by Jivaka Kumar Bhaccha, physician to Buddha, more than 2,500 years ago in India. It made its way to Thailand, where the Ayurvedic techniques and...

In Buddhist culture, the feet are the lowest and most unclean part of the body, while the head is the highest part of the body. Touching someone on the head, or shaking your foot, or pointing with...

Again, as everyone would know by now, not only do I collect fridge Magnets but also shot glasses and here in tourist friendly thailand, there are literally tons and tons of assorted souvenir items to...

An interesting fact that not many travelers know is that Bangkok is not called Bangkok in Thai. It's official name is Krungthep Maharnakorn...... it goes on and on and on, there is actually a song...

You see these everywhere, form the small and humble to the elaborate and not exactly small. These are built to applease and house any spirits (mainly tree dewlling ones,) that are displaced due to...

We saw this poor old dog in Chinatown over a few holidays - it lived in a phonebooth near our hotel, in one of the Chinatown shopping streets. Seemed to be quite tolerated here - people would stand...

Singha Beer is the number one domestic beer in thailand while Heineken Beer is the number one international brand beer than is brewed in thailand! It is brewed locally by the Asia Pacific Brewery, the...

There are many Thais with Chinese ancestors ,so you will often see Chinese style shrines all over the country .On certain ocassions such as Chinese New Year you will see people paying respect to Gods...

Flower-power I always adored in the 60's with the lovely Hippie childeren. I guess it is the smell of nature, and you see in Thailand those special flower-shops of arranging flowers used in...

On the banks of the Chao Phraya river, you will see rickety old wooden houses on stilts and covered boats. The people that live here are called the boat people. They do not have much money but seem...

In Thailand gambling is illegal but this ban is a classic example of no meaning yes. Go to many places around the country and it doesn’t take long to hear by word of mouth that a lot of card games and...