Thai greeting Thai greeting The Thai greeting referred to as the "wai" (, ) consists of a slight bow, with the palms pressed together in a prayer-like fashion. It has its origin in the Indian "Añjali Mudrā", like the Indian "namaste" and Burmese "Mingalar Par". The higher the hands are held in relation to the face and the lower the bow, the more respect or reverence the giver of the "wai" is showing. The "wai" is traditionally observed upon formally entering a house. After the visit is over, the visitor asks for permission to leave and repeats the salutation made upon entering.
Salutation address: If the recipient is a doctor, it is possible to use "Docteur," or, more formally, "Monsieur/Madame le Docteur," or, more casually, "Cher Docteur", as salutation. This is often done for doctors of medicine. For other doctors, it is not common, even if the use is increasing, following the Anglo-Saxon custom. Basically one has to be consistent with the address: a letter sent to "Dr N. N." will use a salutation formula including "Docteur", whereas a letter sent to "M./Mme N. N." will not. If the recipient is a lawyer, notary (or various other legal positions), the proper salutation will