The Thai people – kind , soft spoken, ever smiling and waiing. Their relentess wai escapes all normality but gives us visitors a momentary assurance that we are welcome, a sign we search for in a foreign country. And I love doing the wai which has the same significance as the namaste in India – but in India we don’t go namasté ‘ing about like the Thais. The namasté is left to the more traditional/older gen, the non-urban and skillfull hotels that want to welcome tourists in the traditional spirit. It is giving me quite a kick wai'ing around in Bangkok.
The wai is a greeting strikingly similar to the namasté with the palms clasped in front of the body. But the ordinary Thai does the wai with a great sense of earnesty – lowering the head and body slightly and looking below. There are two variations of the wai – a normal wai and a wai to a superior. It is believed that the Thais learnt the wai from India, and it is no surprise because historically India’s had a lot of influence on Thai customs and religion.
My Yoga teacher does the wai (to each of his students) with his eyes nearly closed as if to a superior. This is strange because it breaks all guru-shisya (teacher-student) norm in India, where it is the guru who is considered superior until the student masters the knowledge which the guru imparts.
The wai is a greeting strikingly similar to the namasté with the palms clasped in front of the body. But the ordinary Thai does the wai with a great sense of earnesty – lowering the head and body slightly and looking below. There are two variations of the wai – a normal wai and a wai to a superior. It is believed that the Thais learnt the wai from India, and it is no surprise because historically India’s had a lot of influence on Thai customs and religion.
My Yoga teacher does the wai (to each of his students) with his eyes nearly closed as if to a superior. This is strange because it breaks all guru-shisya (teacher-student) norm in India, where it is the guru who is considered superior until the student masters the knowledge which the guru imparts.
But not everyone will wai you – don’t expect the cab driver to wai you, nor the passer-by and nor the metro ticketers. But they will wai you when they welcome you to a restaurant or hotel or receives money or even a credit-card ;). Now I have habitually started wai'ing the Yoga teacher and the hotel bell-boy.
I think Indians will need to re-learn the Thai wai.
Hi Radhika,
ReplyDeleteNice blog!
As I've told you, I've been reading the "cultureshock" of Thailand, in which, concerning the wai, is told this:
"Do not wai servants, labourers, children and other people of an obviously lower social status than yours. If you insist on doing so, guided or misguided by an inappropriate desire to be equal and friendly instead of a more appropriate recognition that people can ben unequal and remain friendly, you will create a situation of extreme embarassment for the inferior which may terminate any chance for future social encounter. You will also make yourself look ridiculous."
I think we are lucky that Thai people have a lot of understanding regarding farangs' or foreigners' attitude. Thai "etiquetteé is just sooo complex!
Sylvie