The Wai (Pr: WHY?)

When in doubt, Wai. 

Head good, feet bad.

These are two important cultural lessons we were taught our first week in Thailand. Instead of shaking hands hello as many Western cultures do, the Thais Wai. At first it was quite awkward, but is becoming increasingly more natural. And, *bonus*, I don't have to touch anybody to be polite. 

With the Wai, the higher your hands and the lower your bow your head, the more respectful it is. This is why when you see pictures of people with the King, they are all the way on the floor with their hands high above their heads. They are not capable of showing more respect. If you find yourself in Thailand, remember the simple rules. When in doubt, Wai. WAI WAI WAI.

Here is the Wai shown most respectfully to least respectfully.

This I would do to a monk. 

This is more everyday appropriate, possibly to the director at my school and fellow elder teachers. PS, this font change underline thing is killing me. If you know how to fix it in HTML, please tell me. Thanks.

This is even more commonplace. A quick hello to someone of an equal or slightly higher status. In Thailand, if you are trying, they usually acknowledge and appreciate it. So for farang, in most cases, this will suffice.