Responsible Travel
Thais are a warm and friendly people who generally welcome foreign visitors and appreciate efforts to understand their culture and society. There are numerous volunteer organisations for travellers who are keen on contributing, and they can be a rewarding way to learn more about Thailand, its people and environment.
Cultural Etiquette
The monarchy and religion (which are interconnected) are treated with extreme deference in Thailand. Thais avoid criticising or disparaging the royal family for fear of offending someone or, worse, being charged with a violation of the country’s very strict lèse-majesté laws, which carry a jail sentence.
Buddha images are sacred objects. Thais consider it bad form to pull a silly pose in front of one for a photo, or to clamber upon them (in the case of temple ruins). Instead they would show respect by performing a wâi (a prayer-like gesture) to the figure no matter how humble it is. As part of their ascetic vows, monks are not supposed to touch or be touched by women. If a woman wants to hand something to a monk, the object is placed within reach of the monk or on the monk’s ‘receiving cloth’.
From a spiritual viewpoint, Thais regard the head as the highest and most sacred part of the body and the feet as the dirtiest and lowest. Many of the taboos associated with the feet have a practical derivation as well. Traditionally Thais ate, slept and entertained on the floor of their homes with little in the way of furniture. To keep their homes and eating surfaces clean, the feet (and shoes) contracted a variety of rules.
Shoes aren’t worn inside private homes and temple buildings, both as a sign of respect and for sanitary reasons. Thais can kick off their shoes in one fluid step and many lace-up shoes are modified by the wearer to become slip-ons. Thais also step over – not on – the threshold, which is where the spirit of the house is believed to reside. On some buses and 3rd-class trains you’ll see Thais prop their feet up on the adjacent bench, and while this isn’t the height of propriety, do notice that they always remove their shoes before doing so. Thais also take off their shoes if they need to climb onto a chair or seat.
Thais don’t touch each others’ heads or ruffle hair as a sign of affection. Occasionally you’ll see young people touching each others’ heads, which is a teasing gesture, maybe even a slight insult, between friends.
Thais hold modesty in personal dress in high regard, though this is changing among the younger generation. The importance of modesty extends to the beach as well. Except for urbanites, most provincial Thais swim fully clothed. For this reason, sunbathing nude or topless is not acceptable and in some cases it is even illegal. Remember that swimsuits are not proper attire off the beach; wear a cover-up in between the sand and your hotel.
Essential Etiquette – Dos
Stand respectfully for the royal and national anthem They are played on TV and radio stations as well as in public and government places.
Smile a lot It makes everything easier.
Bring a gift if you’re invited to a Thai home Fruit, drinks or snacks are acceptable.
Take off your shoes When you enter a home or temple building.
Dress modestly for temple visits Cover to the elbows and ankles and always remove your shoes when entering any building containing a Buddha image.
Sit in the ‘mermaid’ position inside temples Tuck your feet beside and behind you.
Give and receive politely Extend the right hand out while the left hand gently grips the right elbow when handing an object to another person or receiving something.
Tourism
Most forms of tourism, despite the prevailing prejudices, have a positive economic effect on the local economy in Thailand, providing jobs for young workers and business opportunities for entrepreneurs. But in an effort to be more than just a consumer, many travellers look for opportunities to spend where their money might be needed, either on charitable causes or activities that preserve traditional ways of life. Thailand has done a surprisingly good job at adapting to this emerging trend by promoting village craft programs and homestays. Unfortunately, much of this is aimed at the domestic market rather than international visitors. But more and more, foreign tourists can engage in these small-scale tourism models that offer an insight into traditional ways. Travellers should also consider the environmental impact of their activities.
Diving
The popularity of Thailand’s diving industry places immense pressure on fragile coral sites. To help preserve the ecology, adhere to these simple rules:
oAvoid touching living marine organisms, standing on coral or dragging equipment (such as fins) across reefs. Coral polyps can be damaged by even the gentlest contact.
oWhen treading water in shallow reef areas, be careful not to kick up clouds of sand, which can easily smother the delicate reef organisms.
oTake great care in underwater caves where your air bubbles can be caught within the roof and leave previously submerged organisms high and dry.
oJoin a coral clean-up campaign that’s sponsored by dive shops.
oDon’t feed the fish or allow your dive operator to dispose of excess food in the water. The fish become dependent on this food source and don’t tend to the algae on the coral, causing harm to the reef.
Elephant Encounters
Throughout Thai history, elephants have been revered for their strength, endurance and intelligence, working alongside their mahouts harvesting teak, transporting goods through mountainous terrain or fighting ancient wars.
Many of the elephants’ traditional roles have either been outsourced to machines or outlawed, leaving the ‘domesticated’ animals and their mahouts without work. Some mahouts turned to begging on the streets in Bangkok and other tourist centres, but most elephants find work in Thailand’s tourism industry. Their jobs vary from circus-like shows and elephant camps giving rides to tourists to ‘mahout-training’ schools, while sanctuaries and rescue centres provide modest retirement homes to animals that are no longer financially profitable to their owners.
It costs about 30,000B (US$1000) a month to provide a comfortable living for an elephant, an amount equivalent to the salary of Thailand’s upper-middle class. Welfare standards within the tourism industry are not standardised or subject to government regulations, so it’s up to the conscientious consumer to encourage the industry to ensure safe conditions for elephants.
With more evidence available than ever to support claims by animal welfare experts that elephant rides and shows are harmful to these gentle giants, who are often abused to force them to perform for humans, a small but growing number of sanctuaries offer more sustainable interactions, such as walking with and bathing retired and rescued elephants.
Lonely Planet does not recommend riding on elephants or viewing elephant performances. We also urge visitors to be wary of organisations that advertise as being a conservation centre but actually offer rides and performances.
Hill-Tribe Hiking
Though marginalised within mainstream society, Thailand’s hill-tribe minorities remain a strong tourism draw, with large and small businesses organising ‘trekking’ tours (these can range from proper hikes to leisurely walks) to villages for cultural displays and interactions. Economically it is unclear whether hill-tribe trekking helps alleviate the poverty of the hill-tribe groups, which in turn helps to maintain their separate ethnic identity. Most agree that a small percentage of the profits from trekking filters down to individual families within hill-tribe villages, giving them a small source of income that might prevent urban migration.
In general, the trekking business has become more socially conscious than in past decades. Most companies now tend to limit the number of visits to a particular area to lessen the impact of outsiders on the daily lives of ordinary villagers. But the industry still has a long way to go. It should be noted that trekking companies are Thai owned and employ Thai guides, another bureaucratic impediment regarding citizenship for ethnic minorities. Without an identification card, guides from hill tribes do not qualify for a Tourist Authority of Thailand (TAT) tour guide licence and so are less than desirable job candidates.
Trekkers should also realise that the minority tribes maintain their own distinct cultural identity and many continue their animistic traditions, which define social taboos and conventions. If you’re planning on visiting hill-tribe villages on an organised trek, talk to your guide about acceptable behaviour.
Here is a general prescription to get you started:
oAlways ask for permission before taking any photos of tribes people, especially at private moments inside their dwellings. Many traditional belief systems regard photography with suspicion.
oShow respect for religious symbols and rituals. Don’t touch totems at village entrances or sacred items hanging from trees. Don’t participate in ceremonies unless invited.
oAvoid cultivating the practice of begging, especially among children. Talk to your guide about donating to a local school instead.
oAvoid public nudity and be careful not to undress near an open window where village children might be able to peep in.
oDon’t flirt with members of the opposite sex unless you plan on marrying them.
oDon’t drink or do drugs with the villagers; altered states sometimes lead to culture clashes.
oSmile at villagers even if they stare at you. Ask your guide how to say ‘hello’ in the tribal language.
oAvoid public displays of affection, which in some traditional systems are viewed as offensive to the spirit world.
oDon’t interact with the villagers’ livestock, even the free-roaming pigs; these creatures are valuable possessions, not entertainment. Also avoid interacting with jungle animals, which in some belief systems are viewed as visiting spirits.
oDon’t litter.
oAdhere to the same feet taboos that apply to Thai culture. Don’t step on the threshold of a house, prop your feet up against the fire or wear your shoes inside.
Homestays
A visit to a homestay is one of the best ways to experience Thailand’s rural culture, not to mention a way to ensure that your baht are going directly to locals. More popular with domestic tourists, homestays differ from guesthouses in that visitors are welcomed into a family’s home, typically in a small village that isn’t on the tourist trail. Accommodation is basic: usually a mat or foldable mattress on the floor, or occasionally a family will have a private room. Rates include lodging, meals with the family and cultural activities that highlight the region’s traditional way of life, from rice farming to silk weaving. English fluency varies, so homestays are also an excellent way to exercise your spoken Thai.
Essential Etiquette – Don’ts
Get a tattoo of the Buddha Nor display one you already have. It is considered sacrilegious.
Criticise the monarchy The monarchy is revered and protected by defamation laws – more so now than ever.
Prop your feet on tables or chairs Feet are considered dirty and people have to sit on chairs.
Step on a dropped bill to prevent it from blowing away Thai money bears a picture of the king. Feet + monarchy = grave offence.
Step over someone or their personal belongings Aaah, attack of the feet.
Tie your shoes to the outside of your backpack They might accidentally brush against someone: gross.
Touch a Thai person on the head It is considered rude, not chummy.
Touch monks or their belongings Women are expected to step out of the way when passing a monk on the footpath and should not sit next to them on public transport.
Volunteering
There are myriad volunteer organisations in Thailand to address both the needs of the locals and visitors’ desires to help. A regularly updated resource for grassroots-level volunteer opportunities is Volunteer Work Thailand (www.volunteerworkthailand.org). Be aware, though, that so-called ‘voluntourism’ has become a big business and that not every organisation fulfils its promise of meaningful experiences. It is essential that you do your own thorough research before agreeing to volunteer with any organisation.
A number of NGOs undertake local conservation efforts and run rescue and sanctuary centres for wild animals that have been adopted as pets or veterinarian clinics that tend to the domesticated population of dogs and cats. At centres and sanctuaries that rely on volunteer labour, your hard work is often rewarded with meaningful interactions with the animals.
Northern Thailand, especially Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, has a number of volunteer opportunities working with disadvantaged hill-tribe groups. There are also many volunteer teaching positions in northeastern Thailand, the country’s agricultural heartland.
When looking for a volunteer placement, it is essential to investigate what your chosen organisation does and, more importantly, how it goes about it. If the focus is not primarily on your skills and how these can be applied to help local people, that should ring alarm bells. Any organisation that promises to let you do any kind of work, wherever you like, for as long as you like, is unlikely to be putting the needs of local people first.
For any organisation working with children, child protection is a serious concern, and organisations that do not conduct background checks on volunteers should be regarded with extreme caution. Experts recommend a three-month commitment for volunteering with children. Visit www.thinkchildsafe.org for more information.