Is 'wai' greeting a serious thing? Is it inappropriate to 'over-wai'?

11/28/2017 12:49:19 AM

In Thailand, there’s a superstition that wai’ing someone younger than yourself takes a year (maybe years?) off of their life.

A couple of times when I have wai’ed Thai friends that were noticeably younger than me, I was chided (mostly jokingly) that I had shortened their life.

11/27/2017 8:36:51 PM

In some places it is rude to wai someone significantly younger than yourself. This may have been a factor as you describe a ‘girl’.

11/27/2017 10:24:53 AM

Farang tourists usually don’t wai properly, when they do. They’re usually quite awkward, and hand placement and movement are usually incorrect, or awkward at best.

Waiing is also considered in Thailand, Cambodia and Laos an insider’s thing. Foreigners are not expected to, nor expected to know how to.

Waiing high three times is weird, at best. That would be something addressed to a monk, maybe. Keep it simple. A single wai, a couple of seconds, mid-height, is enough. Or just a simple thank you.

Credit:stackoverflow.com‘

About me

Hello,My name is Aparna Patel,I’m a Travel Blogger and Photographer who travel the world full-time with my hubby.I like to share my travel experience.

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