The warm and polite character of the Thai nation has long been known to the world. I believe that people who come to Thailand have received warm, friendly, hospitable and courteous reception from the Thai people. Although Thai people seem shy, they actually get along easily with strangers and always smile. Therefore, Thailand is known as the "Land of Smiles". However, all ethnic groups in Thailand have some taboos. If they violate their taboos, it will cause dissatisfaction with the owner or others, and even cause strong opposition from the local people. Disease, death, or crop failure will occur in the future, and all will be considered as violating the taboos. caused by people. When in Thailand, do as the Romans do. There are some local customs and habits that you need to know when you come to Thailand.

Thailand - the Holy Land of Buddhism:

The status of Buddhism in Thailand is sacred and inviolable, and any blasphemous behavior may result in detention, even for foreign tourists.

Here are just some things that tourists should pay attention to:

You are not allowed to point your fingers at monks or touch (bodily) monks.

In particular, women are not allowed to shake hands with monks, and are not allowed to sit next to monks in cars. Even if a monk takes the initiative to say hello (which is often encountered by foreign women), they should politely keep their distance. Remember: When in town, do as the Romans do. If a woman wants to give something to a monk, she should ask a man to hand it over. If she wants to give it in person, the monk will open a yellow robe or handkerchief to accept the thing handed over by the woman. Monks are not allowed to touch women during the process.

Every Buddha statue, regardless of size or damage, is sacred. You must not climb on a Buddha statue to take photos, or do anything that disrespects the Buddha statue. When you meet a monk asking for alms, you must not give cash as this is a violation of the monk's precepts.

Some of Thai laws are related to the protection of religions. These laws not only refer to Buddhism, but also include other faiths in the country. People who do not understand religious taboos will arouse resentment in others even if they do not intentionally insult religion. In the mosque, men should wear hats, women should wear trousers or long skirts, and their hair should be wrapped with a scarf. You must also take off your shoes when entering a mosque.

Pay respect to the royal family:

Thai people respect their king, queen and royal family very much. Therefore, you must be absolutely cautious when criticizing the royal family in front of others. Thai law has the crime of disrespecting the royal family. penalty regulations. Therefore, tourists should be careful to display appropriate etiquette. For example, when royal family members are present in public places, it is best to pay attention to the actions of other people and follow suit.

Clothing:

Thai temples are sacred places recognized by Thai people. Please dress appropriately and modestly when entering Buddhist temples. Wearing any short skirts, shorts or topless tops will not be allowed. When entering a Buddhist temple, mosque or private residence, visitors are required to take off their shoes and be careful not to step on the threshold.

Thai women:

Usually Thai women are more conservative, please do not touch them (physically) without their consent.

Calling:

When Thais usually address people by their names, they add the word "Khun" before the name. It can be used by both men and women, and is expressed as "Mr." or "Mrs." , meaning "Miss". In Thai companies, employees often refer to each other as "Pee" (brother and sister) and "Nong" (brother and sister), giving people a cordial feeling.

The head is sacred:

Do not touch other people’s heads, and do not mess with other people’s hair. In Thailand, the human head is considered an important part of the body where spirits reside. If you accidentally bump someone's head, you should immediately and sincerely apologize. Thai people are taboo against outsiders touching the heads of children (especially young monks). Children's heads are only allowed to be touched by the king, monks and their parents. Even barbers cannot touch other people's heads and must say "I'm sorry" before getting a haircut.

When Thais sleep, their heads should not face west, because the sunset in the west symbolizes death. Only after death can the body be parked with its head facing west. When Thais build houses, they are also used to facing north or south. Sit south and face north, not west. In addition, it is considered impolite to grow a beard.

The left hand is unclean:

Thais believe that the right hand is clean but the left hand is unclean. The left hand can only be used to pick up unclean things. Therefore, holding important things with your left hand will be frowned upon. Left-handers can ignore it in daily life, but definitely not in formal situations. In more formal occasions, it is necessary to offer the gift with both hands. Using the left hand is considered to be contemptuous of others.

The soles of the feet are unclean:

Like the left hand, the soles of the feet are also considered unclean. Avoid putting your feet on the table while sitting. If you bump someone with your toes or point at someone, you will be severely scolded, and you must never point your feet towards the Buddha. Thai people think that the feet are humble and can only be used for walking and cannot do other things, such as kicking doors with their feet and pointing things with their toes. When sitting, do not raise your feet or point the soles of your feet toward others. When women sit down, the requirements are stricter and their legs must be close together, otherwise they will be considered uncivilized and lacking in education.

Precautions in public places:

In public places in Thailand, do not behave in a disgraceful manner, such as hugging, kissing or shaking hands, as this is considered inconsistent with local customs of. In addition, nude sunbathing is only allowed on certain beaches. In other places, Thais do not like this behavior. Although it does not constitute a crime, it goes against Thai Buddhist concepts.

Birth taboos:

In Thailand, when a baby falls, the midwife can only use a bamboo knife to cut the umbilical cord, not scissors. After the baby is born, the baby's placenta is placed in an earthen pot and buried behind the house after the baby is one month old. Newborn babies have to be soaked in cold water several times a day until their face is white and their lips are purple before being picked up. It is said that this can prevent the child from getting sick. When neighbors, relatives and friends visit the mother, they are not allowed to talk about heat and cold, sweat rash, illness and death.

Other taboos:

Thais do not use red pen to sign, because after a Thai person dies, he or she must write his or her surname on the coffin with a red pen. It is prohibited to hang clothing, especially pants and socks, in places where people often walk, such as doorways and roofs. In some rural areas, it is taboo to praise other people's children for their beauty. Can't pick water lanterns. Thai people hold the Loy Krathong Festival every December during the full moon of the Thai calendar. This is the most lively festival in Thailand. When watching the water lanterns, you must be careful. No matter how delicate and beautiful the water lanterns are, you must not pick them up, otherwise you will be severely punished.

Food:

Thai people’s staple food is rice and they like to eat hot and sour food. Due to the hot weather all year round, they are accustomed to drinking ice tea. Thai dishes usually use fresh ingredients. The taste of the dishes is mainly spicy, and there are a variety of seasonings, such as chili, curry, rain dew, shrimp paste, coconut milk, etc. Thai food mostly consists of light vegetarian food, including fish, vegetables and rice, plus some spices and sauces. But no matter whether the meal is rich or not, there must be soup, which is similar to the style of Cantonese cuisine in my country.

Currency:

Thailand’s currency is Baht, and 1 Baht is equal to 100 Satang. There are two types of coins: copper yellow and tin white: copper yellow is 20 serdens and 50 serdens; tin white is 1 baht and 5 baht. The green banknote is 10 baht, the green banknote is 20 baht, the red banknote is 100 baht, and the yellow banknote is 500 baht.

Time difference:

It is 7 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time and 1 hour behind Beijing time.

Language:

Thai is the national language. However, English is also widely used, especially in shops, restaurants, tourist spots, and hotels. English is almost a commercial language. English road signs in Thailand are nationwide.

Thailand is a tropical country near the sea. It is rich in rice, green vegetables, sugar cane, coconuts and seafood. Therefore, Thai cuisine mainly uses seafood, fruits, and vegetables.

Thai food is characterized by spicy, sour, appetizing, and addictive as soon as you eat it. That’s because the seasonings of Thai food are very unique, and many of them are unique to Southeast Asia and even Thailand. The most commonly used condiments are:

1. Thai lemon Thai lemon is small, sour and rich in fragrance. Smelling it is often unforgettable. It can be used to make lemon juice drinks, beer flavoring, and most importantly, it is used to make Thai food seasonings. Thais squeeze lemon juice into almost every dish, giving it a rich fruity aroma and a typical Southeast Asian flavor.

2. Fish sauce Fish sauce is a typical southern Thai condiment. It is a soy sauce-like condiment made from fermented small fish and shrimps.

3. Thai Chaotian pepper It is a small but extremely spicy pepper. It is said that Thai chili pepper is the hottest chili pepper in the world.

4. Curry sauce Curry sauce uses coconut milk as the basic ingredient, and there are many seasonings, including lemongrass, shrimp paste, fish sauce and more than a dozen locally grown spices, peppers, etc., ranging from mild to There are all kinds of spicy ones, you can choose from them.

In addition, lemon leaves and lemongrass are also commonly used ingredients in Thai cuisine.

Thai people like spicy food and like to put fish sauce and MSG in their dishes, but they don’t like soy sauce, braised food, and don’t put sugar in their dishes. Thailand's national style "Curry Rice" is made with rice, meat (or fish) and vegetables mixed with spicy soy sauce. Thai people like to eat fish, shrimp, chicken, eggs, etc., but generally do not like to eat beef or drink alcohol. The order of meals is not particular, it depends on personal preference. Desserts are usually seasonal fruits or various desserts made with flour, eggs, coconut milk, and palm sugar. Thai food is brightly colored, with red and green colors, and is a feast for the eyes.

Fish, shrimp, and crab are the main dishes of restaurants in Thailand. The representative of Thai cooking technology is barbecue food, including barbecue, grilled chicken legs, grilled fish, grilled lobster, grilled sea crab, and grilled banana. , roasted potatoes, roasted eggs, etc. In Chiang Mai in northern Thailand, there is also an unforgettable "Kang Du" dinner. Both the host and the guests at the party must wear indigo collarless tops, and the men must wear a fabric scarf around their waist. Everyone must also take off their shoes when entering the restaurant. There are no stools in the restaurant, just a small round table called "Kang Du".

After the host enters the restaurant, every five or six people form a circle and sit cross-legged on the floor, with tableware placed on the ground. At the beginning of the banquet, a refreshing drink is served, and then the food is served. The dishes are all famous dishes. The rice is glutinous rice, which is placed in a bamboo basket and eaten into balls with hands. While eating, enjoy folk music and ethnic dance.

Unique Thai soups and dishes:

Thai food is deeply influenced by China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and even Portugal, but it is unique and tastes unique. Its main methods include the following.

Chinese wok stir-frying over high heat is a method similar to Cantonese cuisine. Fresh vegetables and Thai seasonings can be stir-fried to create extremely fresh dishes. The main representative works are: rice noodles (fried rice noodles with shrimp, pork, eggs and sweet and sour sauce), Thai curry chicken, coconut chicken (chicken juice, lemon and coconut milk) and beef salad.

YAM (no Chinese alternative has been found yet). The method is a bit like a combination of soup and cold dishes. Thailand is located in the tropics, so it has given birth to many famous YAMs. One of the more famous ones is a papaya salad called "SOMTAM". This salad is based on papaya shreds, dried shrimps, and lemon juice, and is mixed with fish sauce, garlic, and crushed chilies for a spicy taste.

For Thai people, stew is a lubricant that maintains family harmony and enhances the relationship between husband and wife. Thailand's lemon shrimp soup has a unique taste, which may be difficult for foreigners to accept. First of all, the soup is extremely spicy and contains a lot of curry. Therefore, only foreigners with special tastes will like it.

The world calls Thailand the "land of beauty" and Bangkok the "city of gourmet food". "Sticky rice pilaf" is one of the most popular meals in Bangkok, along with rice dumplings (a type made of special green rice dumpling leaves, only the size of an egg), fried bananas (peeled bananas wrapped in sugar and placed Fried corn, sweet potato soup, coconut shell ice cream, etc. are all rich in local flavor.

The characteristics of Thai food are sour, spicy, appetizing, and addictive as soon as you eat it.

Thai people’s main meal is rice, accompanied by one or two curry dishes, a fish, a soup and a salad (lettuce). The order of eating can be determined by everyone's preference. Utensils are forks and spoons. Desserts are usually fruits or various desserts made with flour, eggs, coconut milk, and palm sugar. You can enjoy delicacies from all over the world in Bangkok. In large restaurants, you can also enjoy Thai dance performances. Local Thai food is famous for its "spicy" flavor, with many types of fried and stir-fried dishes. Famous dishes include "Tom Yum Goong" (hot and sour soup made with shrimp, crab, pork, and chicken) and "Gaeng Chud Moo" (vegetable vermicelli soup). . There are many restaurants and restaurants in Chiang Mai, including restaurants that serve dishes from various countries and restaurants that serve authentic Northern Thai delicacies. The best way to taste authentic Northern Thai cuisine is to eat Chiang Mai’s traditional Khan Tok Dinner. Khan means bowl, and Tok means short round platform. Khao Tuk dinner involves sitting on the floor around a short round table, eating authentic dishes in bowls, and served with sticky rice, which is common in Northern Thai cuisine. Usually, there will be traditional Thai music and folk dance performances during Khao Tuk dinner. Famous dishes in Northern Thailand include grilled chicken, SomTam papaya salad (a salad mixed with shredded papaya, dried shrimps, lemon juice, fish sauce, garlic and optionally mixed with crushed chilies) and a kind of sour meat called Naem.

Thai seafood shredded salad powder Chiang Mai lemon chicken salad Xiang Ning Chiang Mai chicken salad Thai fruit salad Thai fruit salad Samba Mukdahan egg salad Samba Mukdahan egg salad Utai Tha Uthai Thani fish cakeThai chicken curry coconut milk