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.
Talofa Talofa Talofa is a salutation or greeting in the Samoan language of the Samoan Islands. "Talofa" echoes in such phrases as "ta'alofa" in Tuvalu, "aloha" in Hawaiian and "aro'a" in Cook Islands Māori. Another Samoan salutation "To life, live long!" properly translated "Ia ola!" also echoes in places such as Aotearoa (New Zealand), where the formal greeting in Māori is Kia ora and in Tahiti (French Polynesia) where it is 'Ia orana. "Talofa" is also the greeting of the island of Lifou (New Caledonia), and of the island state of Tuvalu. The word was brought to Lifou by the Samoan