{"id":2258,"date":"2015-01-26T09:00:22","date_gmt":"2015-01-26T09:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/thai\/?p=2258"},"modified":"2015-01-23T09:11:09","modified_gmt":"2015-01-23T09:11:09","slug":"politeness-in-thai-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/thai\/politeness-in-thai-culture\/","title":{"rendered":"Politeness in Thai Culture"},"content":{"rendered":"

Politeness is a very important part of Thai culture, but of course there are differences between the Thai and Western ways of being polite. While the people in Thailand are generally quite friendly and understanding – which is not surprising considering tourism is the biggest industry in the country – a little politeness goes a long way. After all, wouldn’t you rather the Thai people actually like you rather than just tolerate you when you’re traveling in their<\/em> country? For newbs to Thailand and Thai culture, here’s a beginner’s guide to being polite:<\/p>\n

\"Start<\/a>

Start with doing the exact opposite of the people in this cartoon.<\/p><\/div>\n

Smile<\/h1>\n

Thailand isn’t known as the Kingdom of Smiles for nothing. Thai people don’t expect you to speak their language, and they probably don’t speak yours, so a simple smile says a lot there. That shouldn’t be hard, anyways – whether you’re exploring a glittering temple, sitting on a beautiful beach, or digging in to a spicy papaya salad, chances are you’ll have a huge grin on your face throughout your entire trip.<\/p>\n

Use the Polite Particles “Ka” and “Krap”<\/h1>\n

Even if you’re only going to learn the words “hello<\/strong>” (\u0e2a\u0e27\u0e31\u0e2a\u0e14\u0e35 – s\u00e0-w\u00e0t-dee) and “thank you<\/strong>” (\u0e02\u0e2d\u0e1a\u0e04\u0e38\u0e13 – k\u00f2p kun) in Thai, make sure you attach the appropriate polite particle. For women, that’s\u00a0\u0e04\u0e48\u0e30 (k\u00e2) or \u0e04\u0e30 (k\u00e1) and for men\u00a0it’s\u00a0\u0e04\u0e23\u0e31\u0e1a (kr\u00e1p). The reason there are two for females is that\u00a0\u0e04\u0e48\u0e30 (k\u00e2) is used at the end of statements, while\u00a0\u0e04\u0e30 (k\u00e1) is used at the end of questions. To be polite, your hellos and thank yous should sound like this:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • \n

    Hello (male) = \u0e2a\u0e27\u0e31\u0e2a\u0e14\u0e35\u0e04\u0e23\u0e31\u0e1a – s\u00e0-w\u00e0t-dee\u00a0kr\u00e1p<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n
  • \n

    Hello (female) =\u00a0\u0e2a\u0e27\u0e31\u0e2a\u0e14\u0e35\u0e04\u0e48\u0e30 – s\u00e0-w\u00e0t-dee\u00a0k\u00e2<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n
  • \n

    Thank you (male) =\u00a0\u0e02\u0e2d\u0e1a\u0e04\u0e38\u0e13\u0e04\u0e23\u0e31\u0e1a – k\u00f2p kun\u00a0kr\u00e1p<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n
  • \n

    Thank you (female) =\u00a0\u0e02\u0e2d\u0e1a\u0e04\u0e38\u0e13\u0e04\u0e48\u0e30 – k\u00f2p kun\u00a0k\u00e2<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    This is a simple and easy way to ensure that you’re being polite in any situation. As you learn more Thai, don’t forget to add the polite particles. There are certain situations where it isn’t necessary, but it’s better to just go ahead and play it safe by being extra polite. For more on how to use these particles, check out our video:<\/p>\n