Doing the Thai Wai or Thai Greeting Correct

Nothing expresses so immediately and so charmingly the innate hospitality and grace of the Thais than the wai. Visitors encounter this universal greeting and show of respect throughout their stay, from the cabin attendant’s welcome as the board a Thai airplane to their hotel receptionist’s farewell when they depart.

And all Thais are delighted when a foreigner returns the gesture, even if they may not be aware of the full etiquette involved. Simply, the wai is made by raising the hands, palms together, to a position lightly touching the body somewhere between chest and forehead.

The head is slightly bent when wai’ing, and the whole movement should be performed slowly and gracefully. There are, however, finer points to it, although Thais are not offended if foreigners fail to follow them.

For example, the higher the hands are raised the greater the respect shown. Also, it is correct for a younger person, or someone of junior status to be the first to wai before the senior returns the gesture. A greeting, a farewell, a show of respect, or of thanks, the wai is both a courtesy and a significant social custom, the shape of the hands representing a closed lotus bud, a symbol of purity.