The Thai way of greeting one another
The experience of moving to Canada to attend UBC has widened my horizon of cultural values, traditions and social practices. All of which has allowed me to acquire a strong base knowledge of cross-cultural communications. Having lived in Bangkok, Thailand, for many years, coming to Canada was a whole new experience. There are numerous social differences between Thailand and Canada.
First, in order to greet, one must wai, which is a slight bow, where the individual’s palms are pressed together in a prayer-like fashion in the direction of the other person. This action is performed regularly as a polite gesture to an elder, and it is also relevant to note that the younger person must perform the action before or at the same time as the elder. After arriving to Canada, upon meeting someone older than me, I always almost press my palms together ready to wai the other person; however, I am greeted with a genuine smile, tight eye-contact and a handshake instead.
Had I reached for an elder’s hand while giving him/her a wide smile in Thailand, I would have been viewed and critically criticized as a severely impolite and rude individual. Enriching one’s knowledge of different cultural values and cultural practices is significantly essential to thrive in the workplace. From chapter 7 of the Organizational Behaviour textbook, we are educated on different cultural barriers and the idea that one should acknowledge and be educated on cultural diversity and differences in the workplace.
Thailand is categorized as a high-context culture, which according to the textbook, is mainly seen in collectivist cultures where facial expressions, relative status of people, locations and such, all carry considerable meaning. In the past, young people would not speak too much and would not be straight-forward in communicating to elders because it is expected that such of the talking to be done by the elder. Although this has changed in the modern society, some traditional and conservative elders still expect the younger generation to follow this norm.
Para 5: I personally enjoy it more in Canada where it is a low-context culture, in which everything is explicitly said, because communication is very clear and each and every individual has the basic human need of free speech. Next time, you travel to a foreign country, please be mindful of the cultural values, and additional research on the country’s culture will surely save you from awkward instances.
1. Langton, Robbins, Judge, Organizational Behaviour, 7th edition, p.59
2. (http://www.shoreexcursions.asia/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/The-art-of-the-Wai-The-Thai-way-of-greeting.jpg)