Thai Traditional Salutation
1. The “Wai”
The Thai sign of salutation or mutual recognition is to raise
both hands, joined palm to palm, lightly touching the body some -
where tween the face and chest. The higher the hands are raised,
the greater is the respect and courtesy conveyed. The person who
is inferior in age or rank in the Thai social scale of precedence
initiates such a movement of the hands and the person receiving
the salutation immediately reciprocates. This formality is not
strictly adhered to by individuals who are on intimate terms. The
Thai salutation may be rendered while sitting, standing, walking
or even lying in bed during an illness. In rendering a salutation
while standing to a most respected person who is sitting, one as
a decorum of good manners, will stoop or bend the head at the
same time. When taking leave, the departing person will offer
a salute in the same manner, followed in turn by a corresponding
salute of the other person. Such a salutation is called a “wai”
( äËÇé ) in Thai, and is often seen in Thai Society.
The raising of the hands to “wai”, and the lowering of the
hands to a normal position after the “wai” are never done with
a sharp movement but rather in a more or less graceful manner
such as in slow motion. The upper parts of the arms remain close
to the sides of the body, without the elbows extended. The hands,
joined palm to palm, are not held far out from the body in an
erect position, but bent slightly inward.
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The above description, though inadequately expressed in
words, reflects more or less Thai traditional culture in pre - modern
days, when the way of life of the people was essentially different
from the present day. In the old days there was comparatively
no rush and speed, and no din such as one has to experience every
now and then, particularly in the hubbub of city life. Time in
those days depended on the people, and not the people on time.
The Thai “wai” in its idealized form may be often seen
on the stage in the Thai classical dramatic performance, the
“lakorn” ( ÅФà ). Here one is able to observe the artistic move -
ments of the hands of an actor or an actress, who, before per -
forming the “wai”, will place his or her hands, joined palm to
palm, with the finger tips draw slightly to each other, so as to
form a conventional shape of a “budding lotus” ( ºÑÇ¥ÙÁ ) as usually
offered in worship to a monk or to a Buddha image. The hands
in such a shape are called in Thai “phanom meu” ( ¾¹ÁÁ×Í ),
literally meaning to make the hands like a budding lotus. One
will sometimes notice such a “wai” among the cultured Thai,
in conformity more or less with idealized movement.
Thai etiquette implicitly requires that a junior in age or rank
initiate a “wai” as a sign of respect to a senior accompanied at
the same time with a slight bow. Also, as a mark of respect, the
junior, while in conversation with a senior of great age or rank,
will place his “budding lotus” hands to his chest when sitting
or standing, and every now and then, as circumstances demand,
when the senior is explaining something to the junior, raise his
hands as a respectful acknowledgment of what the senior is saying.
A person sitting on a chair before a high personage bends his
head a little and holds. his hands in a “budding lotus” shape placed
somewhere at or below the chest. Or instead of having the hands
posed in a “budding lotus” shape, the fingers may be clasped
or the hands held one upon the other and rounded like a Chinese
“wai” in the kowtowing fashion, or like a worshipful attitude
of a Christian in adoration. If a person squats on the floor before
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a great personage, such as the King or Queen, in the Thai tradi -
tional fashion with the appropriate posture called “nang phab
phiab” ( ¹Ñ觾Ѻà¾Õº ), that is, sideways with the lower limbs folded
backward and inward, he must recline slightly sideways with
the hands in a “budding lotus” shape resting on the floor as a
support. A person will slightly raise his or her hands in such a
posture every now and then, in the same manner as previously
described. When a person is receiving anything from a senior
he will raise his hands as a “wai” to the give as a polite gesture
of thanks before or after receiving it as circumstances demand.
When one is asking someone’s pardon or favour, one usually
makes such a “wai” too.
During a Buddhist sermon, or while a chapter of monks
is reciting ritual texts from the Buddhist Holy Scriptures, one
will notice that both the monks and the lay members assume a
solemn attitude of meekness and obeisance to the sacredness of
the ceremony with hands raised all the time in a “budding lotus”
shape. If the ceremony occupies a comparatively long time, the
raising of hands in such an attitude will be somewhat tiresome
and quite an ordeal for the inexperienced. This can be overcome
partly if one’s arms are held close to the sides of the body as a
sort of rest or support.
Psychologically, if a person receiving a “wai” from a junior,
is egoistically conscious of his superiority, he will return the
“wai” with the hands raised to position not higher than the chest.
If, by virtue of his great age or rank, he is not obliged to make
a “wai” in return, he may merely raise his right hand side - wise
and with a nod, or nod only, as a favorable recognition or appro -
val. This is called “rap wai” ( ÃѺäËÇ ). In Thai this literally é
means “receiving a wai”. In most cases a superior person seldom
condescends to perform a “wai” first when meeting or greeting
an inferior person. Normally a senior will return the “wai”
of a child with a nod or other appropriate gestures only, as a
sign of approval or goodwill. Of course there is an exception,
if the child is a prince or an honourable member of a high digni -
tary’s family.
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As noblesse oblige, a high personage will initiate a greeting to
an inferior by extending his or her outstretched hand
in a Western style hand - shake instead of a “wai”. The inferior
one after a hand - shake will sometimes make a “wai” also, as if
the hand-shake is incomplete without a “wai” as an expression
of respect .
Buddhist monks by virtue of their holy yellow robes, will
not return the obeisance of “wai” to a layman however old or
great in rank, not even to the king. This is not, in Thai etiquette,
presumption on the part oft he monks. The appropriate way for
a monk to respond in such a situation is by a gesture of acknow -
ledgement either by speech or a facial expression of good-will. At
least he should assume a serene face as befitting a monk.
Traditionally, when country folk or any other simple people
meet someone whom they consider a great personage, such as
the King or Queen, a high prince or princess, a prelate, or a digni -
tary of importante, who commands the highest respect, they
will instinctively sit down on their haunches, with the hands raised
in a “budding lotus” shape, as a sign of great respect. Not until
the high personage has passed or departed will they assume a
normal position. While passing a Buddhist temple, a devout
person will make a “wai” before it as an act of reverence.
To write something on a subject such as the “wai” which
is intimately known more or less by everybody who is Thai, is
metaphorically like drawing a picture of a dog or a horse, which
is a well - known animal, rather than drawing a picture of a mytho -
logical animal which is real only in imagination. Any shortcomings
of description in delineating the former, even in certain unimpor -
tant details, may instantly be detected even by a boy, but not
with a description of the latter. What has been written here,
therefore, is perhaps incomplete, because there are variances,
in differing degrees, among the people of different classes of
society in different localities and social surroundings of the
country. The best thing to do for a person interested in such a
study is to observe in real life how it is done; the description which
has been written here is a generalization which serves as an outline
and a guide only.
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The Thai manner of salutation is similar to that of most
races on the mainland of South - east Asia. Fundamentally they
are all the same. The difference lies in the details peculiar to a
race due to many cultural factors. The Hindus and the Chinese
have not only their own forms of “wai”, which are allied to the
Thai “wai”, but also other symbols of respect which pertain to
their cultures and which will be reviewed in a succeeding chapter.
No doubt the “wai” in its origin is ancient and world - wide and
may be found among many races in one form or another. It was
originally perhaps a form of submission based upon the stronger
over the weaker ones. Through the process of time it has developed
into the mere form of salutation of the present day.
In pre - modern days, a Thai would not greet a foreigner
with a “wai”, nor would a foreigner “wai” to a Thai. This was
due probably to reluctance on either side through misunder -
standing or other reasons. Whenever a Westerner, or a “farang”
as he is called, adopted the Thai form of greeting, as an expression
of good - will and friendliness, there would often be joking remarks
such as “farangs know how to wai too”. On the other hand a
farang would seldom greet a Thai, though his equal, with a “wai”,
for what reason one can only conjecture. Happily such a thing
is now of the past, as people now understand each other more
closely and sympathetically.
To most of the Thai, the “wai” is preferred to hand shaking
for the reason that, the “shaking of one’s own hands” is hygieni -
cally better than the shaking of other people’s hands. A firm
cordial hand - clasp sometimes gives the Thai a somewhat painful
sensation, if the hand which is clasped is a sizeable, big one,
compared to the slim hand of the Thai, particularly a woman.
Confronted sometimes with a large number of individuals which
requires an endless process of hand - shaking, it is sometimes a
trying experience though not an impossibility. In such a dilemma,
if the function is not of a formal nature, the Thai has recourse
to another kind of “wai” by raising the hands to a “wai” in
the “budding lotus” position and slowly turning in a sweeping
manner to all the persons present thus making a “wai” to all of
them. One will observe such a “wai” at a boxing ring, when a
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pugilist makes a sweeping motion of “wai” to the audience, before
a boxing match begins.
In making a “wai” in the traditional style to the King or
the Queen, one has to kneel down with the body erect and the
haunches resting on the heels. The hands are raised, joined palm
to palm in a “budding lotus” shape, to a position a little below
the chest, and then instantly raised to one’s fore - head with a
bending upward of the face. This is done once only at an informal
occasion, but at a formal royal ceremony, it is always done
three times.
2. The “Krap”
Allied to the “wai” as a sign of respect is the “krap” ( ¡ÃÒº )
or the kneeling down and bowing to the floor in reverence. In
fact the “wai” is part of the “krap”. One kneels in an erect
position with the haunches resting on the heels. The hands in
the shape of a “budding lotus” are held just below the chest,
and then raised to the forehead in a “wai”. Successively the
palm of the right hand is placed on the floor in front of the
right knee, followed by the left hand which is placed about a foot
in front of the left knee. The right hand is then moved up parallel
to the left hand, but with an ample space between the two hands.
The forehead is bowed until it touches the floor at the space
between the index fingers of the two hands and then raised to
the former position and repeated three times. This process of
movement should not be done in a hurried manner, but with a
comparatively graceful slow motion, avoiding the raising of one’s
haunches when bowing in a seesaw - like fashion. Such a style
of “krap” is seldom seen nowadays particularly in Bangkok,
but still survives, I am told, among the folk in upcountry Central
Thailand.
Another style of “krap” generally done is to part the hands
from a “budding lotus” wile kneeling, depositing the palms
of both hands at the same time on the floor instead of depositing
them one at a time as in the afore - said description. The rest of
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all the movements is the same. Sometimes a small stand with a
cushion is provided for the purpose, but the process of movements
of the “krap” is identical, save one obvious minor difference
in the bow. In the former one has to bow low to touch the floor,
but in the latter the bow is comparatively less. There is not much
difference in the movement process of the “krap” between a
man and a woman, save that in the kneeling Position, a woman
rests her haunches on her soles instead of resting them on the
heels as a man does.
The “krap” as described is called in technical language,
“benchanga - pradit” ( àº[at]¨Ò§¤»ÃдÔɨ ), a Thai - ized Pali word ì
meaning “a revered salutation with the five members of the body
organs”, i.e. the forehead, the two palms of the hands, and the
two knees touching the floor. Such a salutation is called “pancha
pranam” in Sanskrit. A complete prostration as expressed by
devout people in India and elsewhere does not enter into the Thai
social scheme of worship.
Originally the “krap” was meant as a sign of profound
worship to the “Triple Gems” of Buddhism, i.e. the Buddha,
his Law and his Brotherhood of monks only. Hence the “krap”
is expressed three times in repetition. Later on such an expression of
reverence was extended, through a misconception in certain cases,
to other highly respected persons or other sacred symbols as well.
Now we come to another kind of “krap” called “Mop
krap” ( ËÁͺ¡ÃÒº ) in Thai. “Mop” means to sit in a crouched
position. A person in the act of paying high respect to certain
persons, such as the King and the Queen, a high ranking prince
or princess, one’s revered parents, teacher or mentor, kneels before
the revered person, will raise hands to his or her breast in the
shape of a “budding lotus”, and instantly lowers the hands, still
in the described shape, on the floor and bows with the forehead
resting on the “budding lotus” hands at the thumbs. The move -
ment is done once only, not three times as one sometimes sees, which
is due to a false analogy of paying a homage to the “Triple Gems”
of the Buddhist religion.
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There is another style of “mop krap”. A person sits in a
crouched position, but inclined slightly side - wise either on his
right or left hand with the lower limbs drawn slightly inward.
He then raises the hands, joined palm to palm, in the shape of
a “budding lotus”, resting the elbows as supports on the floor,
and bows reverently until the forehead touches the thumbs of
the “budding lotus”.
These two allied styles of “mop krap” were originally a
mannerism peculiar at the royal court and practiced by the royal
pages and attendants, when in the presence of the King, the Queen
or other members of the royal family on an informal occasion
only. It was later adopted by outsiders when they wished to
express highest regards to a prelate or other respected person.
Obviously these two styles of paying respect are adaptations of
the before - said Buddhist salutation of “benchanga - pradit” as
performed to the “Triple Gems”.
Parenthetically, sons or daughters when meeting their
parents after a long absence or saying a good - bye, place their
hands in the shape of a “budding lotus” at the feet of their
parents and bow in the “mop krap” fashion in an affectionate
and reverential manner. If the parents are standing, the children
will place their “budding lotus” hands on the parents breasts
and bow. As an extension, this mode of expression may be used
by a pupil or student towards his or her teacher as an affectionate
mark of the highest respect equaling the parents. This application
for a girl student only does not extend to a monk, even if he is
the teacher.
When the corpse of one’s parent is to be removed from
home to a “wat” or monastery for religious rites and disposal,
the children of the deceased will make a “mop krap” as a final
act of filial duty to their parent. If such an act is amiss, it is a
popular and superstitious belief that the corpse will be unduly
heavy for its bearers. Once the children of the deceased have
filially done the “mop krap”, the bearers will feel, in their imagi -
nation of course, at ease carrying the cumbersome burden of
the corpse.
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What has been described of the “mop krap” salutation
shows it to be a personal and an informal one. If it is done cere -
moniously one has to offer a fresh flower, a wax taper, and three
incense sticks. Having lit the wax taper and incense sticks and
placed them with the flower on an appropriate place at the altar
where a Buddha image stands prominently with articles of offering,
one can make then a movement of “mop krap”. By an analogy
this may be extended to the king if one knows before - hand that
the king will pass by. As to royal offerings there is a special gold
tray containing such articles of offerings and divided into a major
or minor gold tray according to the importance of the occasion,
about which we not need go into details. H.R.H. Prince Damrong
Rajanubhap has written a monograph on royal offerings which
may be consulted by any interested person. When attending a
Thai cremation a person will place a taper, an incense stick and
a flower at the coffin as the last final act of respect to the deceased,
and then light a piece of wood for the funeral pyre. Nowadays
the flower, instead of a fresh one, has degenerated into a flower
made of wood shavings which stands also for the chip of wood
for lighting the funeral pyre. The final act of paying respect to
the dead and the cremating of the corpse blend completely into
one whole as one may have seen frequently.
In ceremonial “mop krap” on special occasions, such as,
when a person is going to enter the monkhood; when a newly
married couple is paying formal respect after the wedding cere -
mony to the parents or other highly respected persons; when
one is apologizing to someone whose reputation one has slandered
or injured; the first step is to prepare a salver containing, in groups
of five, sizeable big incense sticks and wax tapers, arranged in
two rows with the wax tapers placed above the incense sticks
and tied artistically with ribbons as both ends. A banana leaf
cup with a sizeable flower or a bunch of flowers placed above
the wax tapers, and covered by a conic cover also made with banana
leaf. Such a set of flowers, incense sticks and wax tapers is called
in Thai “dawk mai dhup dian phae” ( ´Í¡äÁé¸Ù»à·Õ¹ᾠ- flowers
on rafts of incense sticks and wax tapers). One places the salver,
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after taking off the conic cover, in front of the person to whom
one wishes to express ceremonial respect. One then hands the
salver of offerings with both hands to the appropriate person,
who ceremoniously receives and places it in front of him or her.
One performs the movement of “mop krap” three times, and
solemnly addresses the person concerned in formal language,
giving the reason for paying such respect. The person concerned
says something appropriate to the occasion. One makes another
“mop krap”; and then takes leave, bringing back with one the
salver.
I may add here that in Thai common parlance “krap” is
called “krap wai” i.e., the “krap” and the “wai” combined.
In an extension of meaning “krap” means “to ask kindness of”
in polite and intimate terms of speech. A conventional term of
address to the royal family is “krap thoon” ( ¡ÃÒº·ÙÅ ), literally
to inform or tell with a “krap”, to an official as one’s superior
who is not a member of the royal family, and to a dignitary it is
“krap rian” (¡ÃÒºàÃÕ¹ ) which has the same meaning, the different
words bearing relation only to the ranks of the persons addressed.
It is not out of place here to say something on the propriety
or manners of the Thai as traditionally observed. The Thai deems
his head to be sacred; probably because the head is the seat of
an individual “khwan” (¢ÇÑ[at] ), that is, one’s vital spirit which
gives strength and health to the individual owner. The “khwan”
is very sensitive and when subjected to any undecorous behaviour
it will feel injured and leave the body, its abode, to stray some-where
in a forest, and will return only to its abode after a more
or less ceremonial cajolery. During the time before the “khwan”
returns, its owner will suffer a weakening of his “dignified
splendour” (ʧèÒÃÈÕ ) followed by bad luck and ill - health.
With such an idea, handed down from one generation to
another from a remote period of time, the sacredness of the head
lies deeply in the popular mind. The bending low of one’s head
to a person or thing in the form of a bow as a sign of obeisance
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or as a respectful attitude has survived to the present day. A
Thai will not suffer anyone to pat his head, unless on very intimate
terms. If the hand that touches the head is that of woman, though
his dearest one, the man will instantly lose his “dignified
splendour” for a woman’s hand is sensitively adverse to the
“khwan”. A conservative person will frown distastefully if he
sees a young man allowing his sacred head to be touched by his
young wife, or lying his head on the wife’s lap. A man will not
pass under a clothes line, where women’s clothing is hung to dry.
Woe to man’s “dignified splendour”, if his sacred head is touched
by a woman’s clothing. All his sacred endowments and powers
appertaining to magical arts will be weakened or gone.
When sitting, standing or passing before a high personage,
or elder,or any other persons of equal standing, one should
assume an attitude of meekness by stooping or bending down
one’s head or body so that it is not on a level or above the head
of the personage. If a high personage is sitting on a rug or mat
in the Thai traditional style, he should be approached on the knees
or in a crawling position. If the personage is sitting on a chair,
one should stoop low when passing. This attitude applies equally
to a personage who is walking. If one is to speak with the per -
sonage, the first thing to do is to “mop krap” and repeat it when
departing. Here is then the reason for assuming the attitude of a
crouched position or for reclining slightly side - wise as mentioned.
I may add here that the placing of one’s hands in a “budding
lotus” position or “wai” is never higher than the forehead. In
the ordinary way of life, a “wai” in such a manner is done mostly
by a prisoner, who is asking for quarter or relief, or a beggar
asking for alms. Acting in such a manner, is called idiomatically
“to raise the hands ( in worship ) overwhelming the head”, as
“pret” (à»Ãμ - a class of hungry ghosts) asking for a share of
boon” ( or merit ) to be ritually transferred to him, thus relieving
him of his intense hunger, for a “pret” has a mouth only as
wide as a needle’s eye