How to behave in Thailand without offending anyone

Thailand is relaxed about visitors, but a few rules are kept by everyone from taxi drivers to ministers. Here is what matters on a Phuket holiday and even more if you are moving here: how to greet people, where shoes come off, how to behave in a temple, and what the law says about the monarchy and alcohol. We rely on guidance from Thailand’s Ministry of Culture and TAT, the laws themselves and official rulings.

Do’s and don’ts at a glance

The wai and saying hello

Thais greet each other with the word sawatdi and the wai: palms pressed together at the chest, head slightly bowed. The higher the hands and the lower the bow, the more respect. The younger person usually wais first and the older one returns it. As a visitor, a smile and sawatdi khrap (if you are a man) or sawatdi kha (if you are a woman) is plenty. Hand height, returning a wai and using names are covered in how to greet people in Thailand.

The Ministry of Culture also asks visitors not to greet Thais, especially women, with hugs or kisses. People are addressed by first name with the polite khun: Khun Somchai, Khun Mali.

Shoes: homes, temples and some shops

The Ministry of Culture is clear: shoes come off when entering homes and places of worship, temples included. Every temple has a rack or spot for shoes outside (TAT). If you see shoes lined up outside a private home, a massage shop, a small store or a clinic, take yours off too. Sandals that slip off easily make life simpler.

Head and feet

The head is the highest and cleanest part of the body. According to the Ministry of Culture you should not touch it or pass things over someone’s head. That includes patting children on the head, however cute it feels.

Feet are low. Don’t point at things or push them with your foot, and don’t step over people, food or books. When sitting on the floor in front of a Buddha image, point your feet away from it (TAT). Pointing with your index finger also comes across as rude: TAT suggests gesturing with an open hand, palm up.

The King, the anthem and the lese majeste law

The Ministry of Culture names three institutions never to insult: the nation, religion and the monarchy. With the monarchy this is criminal law, not just manners.

• Section 112 of the Criminal Code: whoever defames, insults or threatens the King, the Queen, the Heir-apparent or the Regent faces 3 to 15 years in prison. The text is quoted in Constitutional Court ruling No. 28-29/2555 of 10 October 2012
• The UK Foreign Office warns that the law is interpreted broadly, covers members of the royal family past and present, and has been used against people over online posts and shares
• Portraits of the King hang in shops, offices and streets. Don’t pose for joke photos with them or damage them
• The King’s portrait is printed on banknotes. If a note blows away, don’t stop it with your foot: feet are considered low, so it looks like disrespect to the King

The national anthem plays every day at 8:00 and 18:00 on TV and radio, and in schools and many public places people stop and stand (Prachatai English). The royal anthem plays in cinemas before the film. The Ministry of Culture asks people to stand in both cases, so stand up with everyone else.

Temples and dress code

TAT’s guidance for temples: men wear a shirt with sleeves and long trousers or shorts below the knee; women wear a skirt below the knee and a top with sleeves, not spaghetti straps. Sandals should have a back strap. Save swimwear and tank tops for the beach.

TAT also asks visitors to:

• Take off shoes and step over the threshold, not on it
• Remove hats and sunglasses, silence phones and keep voices down
• Not touch or point at Buddha images, and walk around sacred objects clockwise
• Not sit higher than a Buddha image or turn your back right next to it: step back first, then turn
• Not smoke, chew gum or snack while walking around
• Take photos where allowed, without getting in the way of people praying

Women must not touch a monk or his robes. To pass something to a monk, give it to a man to hand over or put it down so the monk can pick it up (TAT).

Buddhist holy days and alcohol-free days

On five Buddhist holy days alcohol is not sold all day: Makha Bucha, Visakha Bucha, Asanha Bucha, the first day of Buddhist Lent and the last day (Prime Minister’s Office announcement of 2025). Exemptions cover international airport terminals, licensed entertainment venues, hotels and venues hosting major official events. The next one is 26 October 2026, the end of Buddhist Lent. Dates for the year and what closes are in Thai holidays.

Saving face: no shouting, no public arguments

The Ministry of Culture asks people not to embarrass others in public. In practice: don’t raise your voice, don’t make a scene with a waiter, driver or receptionist, don’t argue in front of others. The person who shouts loses face and rarely gets what they want. A calm request and a smile go further. If you have been cheated, don’t fight it out on the street; call the tourist police on 1155 (see scams in Thailand).

Public displays of affection, especially in temples and religious places, are frowned upon too (Ministry of Culture). Black is not worn to happy occasions such as weddings, birthdays or visiting someone in hospital.

Tipping and service charges

There is no law on tipping in Thailand and you don’t have to tip. What may appear on the bill:

• Service charge, a percentage set by the restaurant or hotel. Under Revenue Department ruling กค 0702/4116 of 26 June 2017, it is part of the food price, is subject to VAT and counts as the business’s income, not a tip
• VAT: the Revenue Department lists the current rate as 7%

On top of the bill you can leave the change in a cafe or a little extra for a massage therapist or porter if you want to. It is a thank-you, not an obligation.

When you can buy alcohol

Since 29 May 2026, shops and venues can sell alcohol from 11:00 to 24:00 (TAT). Sales used to be banned in the afternoon as well, from 14:00 to 17:00: the gap was lifted on trial from late 2025, and an Alcoholic Beverage Control Committee notice of 27 May 2026, published in the Royal Gazette on 28 May, made the new hours permanent (Thai PBS). Outside these hours alcohol can be sold in international airport terminals, hotels, licensed entertainment venues during their opening hours and at official event venues.

Also worth knowing:

• Selling and drinking alcohol is restricted at temples, government offices, petrol stations, public parks and on public transport (TAT)
• The legal drinking age is 20 (TAT)
• No sales all day on the five Buddhist holy days, and on election day from 18:00 the evening before until 18:00 on polling day; details in Thai holidays
• The UK Foreign Office warns that posting photos of people drinking or in inappropriate clothing can be illegal

Smoking on beaches and vapes

Since November 2017 smoking has been banned on beaches listed by the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, with a fine of up to THB 100,000 or up to a year in prison (TAT). The first list included Patong in Phuket, Bo Phut on Koh Samui, Phra Ae and Khlong Dao on Koh Lanta, Pattaya and Bang Saen, Hua Hin and Cha-am. Smokers get designated areas with bins. According to the UK Foreign Office, smoking in public places is illegal in general, with fines of up to THB 5,000.

Vapes, e-liquids and IQOS are banned outright, with no exception for tourists. Penalties for bringing one in or carrying one are in can you bring a vape to Thailand.

If you are moving here

Since 28 August 2026, Thailand can deport a foreigner without a criminal conviction if the authorities decide their conduct goes against public order or morals (UK Foreign Office). That makes the rules above matter even more for long stays than for holidays: public rows, posts about the monarchy and drunken videos can cost you your visa. Learn a few Thai phrases in your first week; they help at the market and at immigration alike: Thai for travelers.

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