In Thai culture, different body parts are worthy of different levels of respect. This respect is determined by the height from the ground. For example, the head is the highest and should be revered, while the feet are the lowest and are therefore used to show disrespect. As such, touching a Thai on the head is a serious no-no. Showing the bottom of your feet, or pointing your feet, to someone is very rude. This is why you’d see people hitting each other on the head in Thai comedies so often – it’s supposedly funny to break the taboo on TV. A bit like the Three Stooges.

Below is the list of body parts most commonly used in Thai.