Thailand is known as the land of smiles for good reason. As foreigners, we are often given a lot of latitude and grace about social norms because we are visitors. However, if you are lucky enough to find yourself teaching at a Thai school, remember these tips to get a lot more genuine smiles from your students and Thai colleagues.

  1. Dress for success. I’ve seen foreign teachers wear things at a Thai school they would never wear in their home country because it would be too casual. You don’t need to wear a suit in a Thai school but the other teachers will respect you more if you don’t look like a slob. If you really want to fit in, see how the teachers are coordinating their clothes on certain days of the week. At my school, everyone wore a yellow “king’s shirt” on Mondays. One Monday a teacher asked me why I wasn’t wearing yellow: “Don’t you love our king?” The worst thing you can do in Thailand is disrespect the king. The next week was my birthday, and I was given a “king’s shirt.” Message received. I wore it happily every Monday to everyone’s delight. Popular motifs include powder blue for the king’s mother and colorful batik.

  1. Watch Your Head! Or rather, don’t touch anyone’s head. The head is considered the most sacred part of the body. It’s tempting to see that cute little 5 year old running by and want to pat his head and give him a hug. Resist the urge. If you do forget and touch a Thai person’s head, apologize profusely.

Similarly, if you are passing another teacher to get past them, it is not polite to have your head higher than theirs. Do a little ducking action to make yourself shorter and show respect. They may do the same resulting in a little politeness dance, but just smile and go along. When your students come to ask you something, they will lower their heads because you are the higher authority.

  1. Mind your feet! If the head is the most sacred part of the body it goes to follow that the foot is the dirtiest. In most places, shoes are left outside the door in a neat row. If your colleagues are wearing theirs, go ahead and leave yours on. If you aren’t sure, err on the side of caution and leave them outside.

There will always be plenty of occasions where you find yourself sitting on a floor for a speaker or ceremony. Remember to never point your feet at anyone or move something towards someone with your foot.

  1. Hand it over. Thais have great respect for printed materials and books. Never place these things on the ground. If you want to hand someone a note or book, hold it with two hands as you present it to them.

  1. Why not wai? The traditional Thai greeting is made by placing 2 palms together and pressing your face to your hands. The more important the person, the higher a wai. To your friends, your lips would touch your hands. To the director of the school, to your nose, and to a monk your hands would touch at the forehead. One of the sweetest things about teaching at a Thai school is receiving the wai from a young student. It’s tempting to wai back, but just nod your head. Using the wai to a child is considered bad luck because you are affording them a status they have not earned yet in this life. It could be seen as wishing their life cut short instead of being affectionate.

  1. Put ice on your heart! Thais respect people who keep their cool (jai yen yen). As the foreign teacher, people may forget to explain to you what is going on. A sports competition is coming so classes are cancelled for the week. You have to wait to find out if your class will show up. You are supposed to have a Thai teacher in the room, and she disappears. It’s a Buddhist holiday, and you didn’t know school is closed. It will not do any good to become angry. If you have an issue try to resolve it with a smile on your face and never embarrass a Thai person.

  1. Remember, Yes means Yes, No, Maybe, I don’t know….. Thais don’t like to say no and disappoint you so they will often nod their head. Learn to look at someone’s entire body language and get the nuance of what is happening. A nod can mean “yes certainly” or “I have no idea what you are saying.”

As with anywhere, these rules could relax among friends. You might see someone patting a child’s head or skipping the wai. The key to remember is you are always the outsider so erring on the side of formality is always a polite bet.