Culture of Thailand

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Statue of a mythical Kinnon at Wat Phra Kaew, Bangkok

The culture of Thailand has evolved greatly over time, from its relative isolation during the Sukhothai era, to its more contemporary Ayutthaya era, which absorbed influences from all over Asia. Strong Indian, Chinese, Burmese and other Southeast Asian influences are still evident in traditional Thai culture.[1] Buddhism, Animism and Westernization also play a significant role in shaping the culture.

Thai national culture is a recent creation in that what is considered to be traditional Thai culture today did not exist in that form more than a hundred years ago. Its origin can be traced to the reign of King Chulalongkorn in the late-19th century. Chulalongkorn adopted the European trend of nationalism and centralization that was then prevalent and implemented it in Siam. Some of the actions that he took were to attempt to clearly define Siam's borders, promote a civic religion based on the Chakri Dynasty, the palace-controlled council of monks, and the culture of central Siam. The promotion of civic culture faced some temporary setbacks during the coup which brought about the end of the absolute monarchy in the 1930s and during a few years after World War II.

Nevertheless, the rise of Rama IX after World War II saw a renewed effort by royalists and nationalists to reestablish the primacy of civic culture in the country as a way to strengthen the monarchy. The present version of civic culture, largely based on an idealized vision of Central Thai culture (sometimes including Southern Thai) is a recent creation which combines aspects of fifth reign nationalism, Cambodian kingship, and personalistic populism. Regional Thai cultures such as the Lanna, Isan, Chinese origin, Portuguese origin [th], Persian origin was suppressed by the government.

Present day Thai civic culture defines Thailand as the land of Central Thais (Siamese), with a single religion, Theravada Buddhism, under the Chakri dynasty.[2]



Thailand is nearly 95 percent Buddhist, mainly of the Theravada school (which includes the Thai Forest Tradition and the Dhammayuttika Nikaya and Santi Asoke sects) and an unknown minority belonging to the Mahayana school. In addition there are minorities of Muslims in Thailand (5-6 percent), Christians (1 percent), and other religions.[3] Thai Theravada Buddhism is supported and overseen by the government, with monks receiving a number of government benefits, such as free use of public transportation.

Buddhism in Thailand is strongly influenced by traditional beliefs regarding ancestral and natural spirits, which have been incorporated into Buddhist cosmology. Most Thai people install spirit houses (Thai: ศาลพระภูมิ; RTGSsan phra phum), miniature houses outside their dwellings, where they believe household spirits live.[4] They present offerings of food and drink to these spirits to keep them happy. If these spirits aren't happy, it is believed that they will inhabit the household and cause chaos. These spirit houses can be found in public places and on the streets of Thailand, where the public make offerings.[5]



Thai greeting, the smile is an important symbol of refinement in Thai culture.


One of the most distinctive Thai customs is the wai. Used in greetings, leave-taking, as an acknowledgement, or accompanying an apology,[8] it comes in many forms, reflecting the relative status of those involved. Generally the salutation involves a prayer-like gesture with the hands, derived from the Añjali Mudrā of the Indian subcontinent, and it also may include a slight bow of the head. This salutation is often accompanied by a serene smile symbolizing a welcoming disposition and a pleasant attitude. Thailand is often referred to as the "land of smiles" in tourist brochures.

Public displays of affection are not overly common in traditional Thai society, especially between lovers.[9] It is becoming more common, especially among the younger generation.


Display of respect of the younger towards the elder is a cornerstone value in Thailand. A family during the Buddhist ceremony for young men who are to be ordained as monks.


Often, Thais will deal with disagreements, minor mistakes, or misfortunes by using the phrase mai pen rai, translated as "it doesn't matter". The ubiquitous use of this phrase in Thailand reflects a disposition towards minimizing conflict, disagreements or complaints. A smile and the sentence "mai pen rai" indicates that the incident is not important and therefore there is no conflict or shame involved.




It is also customary to remove one's footwear before entering a home or the sacred areas within a temple, and not to step on the threshold.

Thai women wearing sabai, Jim Thompson House

Traditional clothing[edit]

Thai women wearing Isan Modifide sinh dress for Prapheni Bun Bang Fai in Roi Et



Thai dining etiquette[edit]

In the reign of King Mongkut (Rama IV); King Chulalongkorn the Great (Rama V), Prince Chulalongkorn at that time, was educated by an English woman, courted Western diplomats and leaders and travelled abroad. Observed and learnt western dining and he found out the fork and knife are not suitable for Thai food (no need to chop anything). He introduced the fork and spoon and so began the use of cutlery in Thailand. Thais use the fork to push the food onto the spoon (right hand), which then goes into your mouth instead of making the meat stable for the knife function.[11] Nowadays, Thai dining is mixed with various countries’ dining cultures, so Thai people use a lot of styles to eat not only with spoon and fork one but also chopstick, knife and bare hand as well.

Regional Thai dining[12][edit]
  • Central part of Thailand


  • Northern part of Thailand


  • Northeastern part of Thailand, “Isan”


  • Southern part of Thailand


Ways of serving food in Thailand[edit]


  • Individual Dish


  • Separated Dish


A selection of northern Thai dishes, served as starters
Table setting[edit]
  • Individual dish


  • Shared dishes


Manners and customs[edit]
  • Ordering

For shared dishes, the senior of the group orders his or her rice side dish first and then another selects dishes which everyone can eat, trying to balance a full range of tastes, ordering fish or seafood, pork, shrimp, chicken and vegetarian dishes. Spicy, sweet, salty, and bitter will all be represented, often all in one dish. Dishes are served serially as they are prepared, not all coming at once.

  • Dining
Thai meal in a village temple

Thai people eat using a fork and spoon. The spoon acts as the main tool and the fork is the supporting tool pushing the food onto the spoon and a shared spoon is used to convey food from a shared dish to the diner's rice dish. Some people use their own spoon to scoop the food from the shared dish directly, but this is improper. If the shared dish is curry, it is transferred to an individual little cup first. Then they sip the soup from the spoon. Sipping it from the cup directly is not proper, Making undue noise during eating and sipping is impolite in Thailand. Talking during the meal is de rigueur. Thai foods contain inedible bits such as lemongrass stalks. They are put on the edge of the dish or on a dish provided for refuse.
After finishing eating, placing the spoon and fork down close together on the bowl or plate, gathering any remainders to one side of the dish and stacking the empty plates at the side of the table is a signal to the server that the table may be cleared.
To be polite when using a toothpick, hide the mouth with one hand as you wield the toothpick with the other.

  • Bill

The bill is usually picked up and paid by the host or the wealthiest or most important or eldest person.[14][15] If customers are friends the bills are usually paid separately.

Birth traditions and beliefs[edit]



Thai people universally have one, or occasionally more, short nicknames (Thai: ชื่อเล่น name-play) that they use with friends and family. Often first given shortly after birth by friends or an older family member, these nicknames are overwhelmingly one syllable[16] (or worn down from two syllables to one). Though they may be simply shortened versions of a full name, they quite frequently have no relation to the person's full name and are often humorous and/or nonsense words. Babies may be given a nickname of a relative or named for a characteristic of birth, e.g., "little". Traditionally, nicknames would relate to things of low value, e.g., "dirt", which was to convince evil spirits lurking in the vicinity that the child was not worthy their attention. Today this folk custom is on the decline.

Some common nicknames translate into English as "small", "fatty", "pig", "little", "frog", "banana", "green", or "girl/boy". Though rare, sometimes Thai children are given nicknames in the order they were born into the family (i.e., "one", "two", "three", etc.). Nicknames are useful because official Thai names are often long, particularly among Thais of Chinese descent, whose lengthy surnames stem from an attempt to translate Chinese names into Thai equivalents, or among Thai with similarly lengthy Sanskrit-derived names. In recent years, English language words have become popular nicknames. Examples include: "Ice" (ไอซ์); "Bank" (แบงค์); "New" (นิว); "Ball" (บอล), and even "Beer" (เบียร์).[16]


A traditional wedding in Thailand.







The Thai dowry system is known as the sin sot (Thai: สินสอด; RTGSsin sot). It roughly translates to "bride price".[17] The groom will be expected to pay a sum of money to the family, to compensate them for the loss of a daughter and to demonstrate that the groom is financially capable of taking care of their daughter. Bride prices of 50,000 to 300,000 baht have been documented, but bride prices can sometimes run into the tens of millions of baht.[17] In many cases, the bride price is purely symbolic and will be returned to the bride and groom after the wedding has taken place. Whether the practice of sin sot is a tradition or a scam has been debated by critics. One observed, "All that talk of face and argument for cherished tradition? It's a thinly veiled con. Behind that gobbledygook, it's the same old forces of the material world and about the parents getting enough cash to buy a new pickup, pay outstanding debts or acquire something to elevate their status."[18]

Thailand outlawed marital rape in 2007.[19][20]

Thai of Chinese origin are mix styles, they also assembled monks, groom ceremony entrance, while other is Chinese marriage but more simply.



Funeral pyre of Chan Kusalo, the patriarch-abbot of northern Thailand.



Funeral services are not restricted to humans. Funerals for pets, sometimes lavish, are not uncommon, particularly in Bangkok. One company that specializes in pet funerals cremates up to 400 animals per month. The owner says that, "Bangkok is an extremely religious city ... those beliefs extend to all parts of life. Most of our customers realise that their pets can't gain enough merit on their own in this life, so it is up to them to do for them. Funerals are an obvious choice."[22]

National anthem and respect for the flag and king[edit]



Traditional arts[edit]

Mural of the epic Ramakien, written by King Rama I, the Thai version of the Ramayana, on the walls of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Grand Palace, Bangkok


Thai visual arts were traditionally Buddhist only. Thai Buddha images from different periods have a number of distinctive styles. Thai temple art and architecture form a unique combination of elements derived from ancient Siamese architectures. Thai contemporary art often combines traditional Thai elements with modern techniques.[24]



There is no tradition of spoken drama in Thailand, the role instead being filled by Thai dance. This is divided into three categories: Khon, 'Lakhon, and Likay, Khon being the most elaborate and Likay the most popular. Nang drama, a form of shadow play, is found in the south.

There is also Thai folklore, Sri Thanonchai as an example.


A Khon dance performance.




Today "ram Thai" (Thai: รำไทย), 'Thai dance'. Thai dance, like many forms of traditional Asian dance, can be divided into two major categories that correspond roughly to the high art (classical dance) and low art (folk dance) distinction.




Schoolgirls and boys playing khrueang sai in front of a temple

The Music of Thailand includes classical and folk music traditions, e.g., Piphat and Mor lam, respectively, as well as Thai pop music, e.g., "String". Thai classical music is synonymous with those stylized court ensembles and repertoires that emerged in its present form within the royal centers of Central Thailand some 800 years ago. These ensembles, while being slightly influenced by older practices and repertoires from India, are today uniquely Thai expressions. While the three primary classical ensembles, the Piphat, Khrueang sai and Mahori differ in significant ways, they all share a basic instrumentation and theoretical approach. Each employ the small ching hand cymbals and the krap wooden sticks to mark the primary beat reference.




Muay Thai match in Bangkok, Thailand

Muay Thai (Thai: มวยไทย, RTGS: Muai Thai,  [muaj tʰaj], lit. "Thai boxing") is a native form of kickboxing and Thailand's signature sport. It incorporates kicks, punches, knees and elbow strikes in a ring with gloves similar to those used in Western boxing and this has led to Thailand gaining medals at the Olympic Games in boxing.

Association football has overtaken muay Thai as the most widely followed sport in contemporary Thai society. Thailand national football team has played the AFC Asian Cup six times. The team reached the semifinals in 1972 and the round of 16 in 2019. The country has hosted the Asian Cup twice, in 1972 and in 2007. The 2007 edition was co-hosted together with Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. It is not uncommon to see Thais cheering their favourite English Premier League teams on television and walking around in replica kit. Another widely enjoyed pastime, and once a competitive sport, is kite flying.



Phra Maha Chedi Si Ratchakan at Wat Pho, Bangkok.

The Major part of the country's cultural legacy and reflects both the challenges of living in Thailand's sometimes extreme climate as well as, historically, the importance of architecture to the Thai people's sense of community and religious beliefs. Influenced by the architectural traditions of many of Thailand's neighbors, it has also developed significant regional variation within its vernacular and religious buildings.

Buddhist temples in Thailand are known as "wats", from the Pāḷi vāṭa, meaning an enclosure. A temple has an enclosing wall that divides it from the secular world. Wat architecture has seen many changes in Thailand in the course of history. Although there are many differences in layout and style, they all adhere to the same principles.

As the phrase "Thai stilt house" suggests, one universal aspect of Thailand's traditional architecture is the elevation of its buildings on stilts, most commonly to around head height. The area beneath the house is used for storage, crafts, lounging in the daytime, and sometimes for livestock. The houses were raised due to heavy flooding during certain parts of the year, and in more ancient times, predators. Thai building and living habits are often based on superstitious and religious beliefs. Many other considerations such as locally available materials, climate, and agriculture have a lot to do with the style.

Traditional games of Thailand[edit]

  • One-legged rabbit (Thai: กระต่ายขาเดียว; RTGSkratai kha diao)[26] is a type of "catch-me" game. The catcher will call out the rabbit, and the rabbit must stand on one leg and jump or tiptoe to catch other players and switch to rabbit instead. This game will exercise your legs and practice balancing on one leg. The number of players are divided into two teams, or may not have a team at all. Normally, there are two or more players. At the first time, the player will select the rabbit or team by "rock-paper-scissors". The loser becomes a rabbit.

In the case of solo player, the rabbit must stand on one leg, then jump to chase and touch any part of the body of other children who have run away. Everyone must stay within the designated area. A player who runs out of space loses the game and must be switched to rabbit, but if the rabbit is exhausted and cannot stand on one leg, it was that defeated and must be punished.

In team play, the rules are similar to the solo player, but the rabbit team will send a representative to catch the other team to all the people. Those arrested will have to wait outside until the rabbit team can catch all of the rival teams. Rabbit team can switch to teammates to catch on until they are exhausted, and if the all of the members in rabbit team are exhausted and cannot stand on one leg, the rabbit team lose the game and must be punished too.

  • Banana stalk hobby horse riding

Banana stalk hobby horse riding or "khee ma khan kluay" in Thai is a traditional game of Thailand that Thai kids frequently played in the past. They use a banana stalk to make the parts of a horse such as head, ear, and horsetail. The materials for making a banana rib hobby horse are banana stalk, knife, small bamboo pin, and string. First, find a banana stalk around 1.5 m long. Cut it in the form of the head, neck, and ears, then use a small bamboo pin to connect the ear to the head of a horse. The remaining part of the banana stalk becomes a horsetail. Attach a string between the head and the tail of this banana stalk horse and place on the shoulder of the rider.

Kids sit on the horse and pretend they are riding a real horse, shouting "hee hee" or "yee haaah", sounds typical of people on horseback. They may race with friends if they have more than two players. The team that runs faster is the winner.


People floating krathong rafts during the Loi Krathong festival in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Important holidays in Thai culture include Thai New Year, or Songkran,[27] which is officially observed from 13–15 April each year. Falling at the end of the dry season and during the hot season in Thailand, the celebrations notoriously feature boisterous water throwing. The water throwing stemmed from washing Buddha images and lightly sprinkling scented water on the hands of elderly people. Small amounts of scented talcum powder were also used in the annual cleansing rite. In recent decades, water fights have been increasingly industrialised with use of hoses, barrels, squirt guns, water-filled surgical tubing, and copious amounts of powder.

Loi Krathong is held on the 12th full moon of the Thai lunar calendar, usually early-November. While not a government-observed holiday, it is nonetheless an auspicious day in Thai culture, in which Thai people "loi", meaning "to float" a "krathong", a small raft traditionally made from elaborately folded banana leaves and including flowers, candles, incense sticks, and small offerings. The act of floating away the candle raft is symbolic of letting go of all one's grudges, anger, and defilements so that one can start life afresh on a better footing.

National Elephant Day or Chang Thai Day is a holiday in Thailand, held on March 13, which celebrates the cultural and historical significance of the elephant in Thailand.


Reading and Internet[edit]

Eighty-eight percent of Thai people read books and spend an average of 28 minutes per day doing so, according to a poll[28] conducted by the Thai Publishers and Booksellers Association (PUBAT) and Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Economics and Research Centre for Social and Business Development.

A total of 3,432 Thais aged 15–69 in 12 provinces, including Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Songkhla, Nakhon Si Thamarat, Nakhon Ratchsima, and Khon Kaen, were interviewed from December 2014 to January 2015. While 88% of Thai respondents said they read books, 12% said they did not. They cited as reasons lack of time, bad eyesight, and dislike of reading.

Averaged over the entire population, Thais spend 28 minutes a day reading books. The reading sub-set of the population averages 46 minutes a day. Of this group, those aged under 20 spend the most time reading books, 56 minutes a day. That figure shrinks as people age until they reach 61, when people tend to get back into reading.

By comparison, 71% of Thais use the Internet almost every day for an average of 92 minutes. Those who spend most time on the Internet are people under 20, on average 224 minutes a day, while those over 61 spend ten minutes a day on-line.

In 2013 the Thai National Statistical Office conducted a reading survey[29] that found that Thais aged over six spent an average of 37 minutes a day reading. The survey was not focused specifically on reading books, but also reading journals, the Internet, tablet computers, and smart phones.

See also[edit]


  1. ^ "Culture". Tourist Authority of Thailand (TAT). Archived from the original on 2015-02-13. Retrieved 13 Feb 2015.
  2. ^ von Feigenblatt,, Otto F (2009). "The Thai Ethnocracy Unravels: A Critical Cultural Analysis of Thailand's Socio-Political Unrest" (PDF). Journal of Alternative Perspectives in the Social Sciences. 1 (3): 583–611. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  3. ^ "CIA World Factbook: Thailand". US Central Intelligence Agency. 2007-02-08. Retrieved 2007-03-07.
  4. ^ Bengali, Shashank (2019-04-18). "The spirit houses of Bangkok keep watch over a frenetic modern Thai city". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2019-04-20.
  5. ^ a b Cornwell-Smith, Philip (2005). Very Thai. River Books. pp. 182–184.
  6. ^ Chareonla, Charuwan (1981). Buddhist Arts in Thailand. Magadh University, Bihar, India: Buddha Dharma Education Association Inc. Retrieved 13 Feb 2015.
  7. ^ Phya Anuman Rajadhon, Life and Ritual in Old Siam: Three Studies of Thai Life and Customs, New Haven, HRAF Press, 1961
  8. ^ Wattanasukchai, Sirinya (7 June 2019). "Simply saying 'sorry' for crimes is not enough" (Opinion). Bangkok Post. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  9. ^ "Physical Contact and Personal Space in Thailand". Thailand Family Law Center. Retrieved 2014-10-31.
  10. ^ Wilson, Ara (2004). Intimate Economies of Bangkok: Tomboys, Tycoons, and Avon Ladies in the Global City. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California. ISBN 978-0-520-23968-5.
  11. ^ Vann, Mick. "Dining Thai - Style at Sap's Fine Thai Cuisine" (PDF). Sap's Fine Thai Cuisine. Austin TX. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  12. ^ ณ สงขลา, วันดี. "การรับประทานอาหารของคนไทยภาคต่างๆ". อาหารไทย.
  13. ^ Wiens, Mark (2014). Eating Thai Food Guide. p. 20.
  14. ^ "Eat Thai Food".
  15. ^ "Thailand Etiquette". Etiquette Scholar. Retrieved 2018-10-27.
  16. ^ a b "Top 10 most Common Thai nicknames, and some weird ones". Learn Thai With Mod. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
  17. ^ a b Biggs, Andrew (29 July 2018). "Marriage at any price". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
  18. ^ Malakul Lane Na Ayutthaya, Tuptim (5 January 2018). "The Price of a Woman, Thailand Edition". Khaosod English. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  19. ^ "Thailand outlaws marital rape". The China Post. 2007-06-22. Retrieved 2013-08-17.
  20. ^ "Asia-Pacific | Thailand passes marital rape bill". BBC News. 2007-06-21. Retrieved 2013-08-17.
  21. ^ Declercq, Valentin. "Muslim Marriages in Thailand". GAM Legal Alliance. GAM Legal Alliance. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
  22. ^ Yeung, Peter (2019-01-29). "Why People are Spending $10,000 on Pet Funerals in Bangkok". Vice. Retrieved 2019-01-29.
  23. ^ Svasti, Pichaya (2016-02-15). "Flagging up respect for the nation". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  24. ^ "8 young Thai artists to know". Art Radar. 2014-10-31. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  25. ^ a b Simon de la Loubère, The Kingdom of Siam (1693), Oxford University Press, 1986
  26. ^ "One-legged rabbit". Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  27. ^ "Songkran Festival - 2016 | Thailand: Flights, Hotels, News, Thai Girls, Pattaya, Phi Phi Islands, Phuket". Retrieved 2015-12-26.
  28. ^ Praneetlekha, Kawin (2015-02-24). "Internet usage cuts time spent on books". The Nation. Retrieved 24 Feb 2015.
  29. ^ "The National Statistical Office said Thai people spent 37 minutes on reading in one day". Thai PBS. Thai PBS. 2014-10-17. Retrieved 24 Feb 2015.

External links[edit]