The Way of the Wai

For many of our team members, one of the first images we we had of Thai culture - even aboard the plane, long before we actually set foot on Thailand - was the traditional Thai greeting known as the 'wai.'

According to this post in Wikipedia, the wai (ไหว้) (why) consists of a slight bow, with the palms pressed together in a prayer-like fashion. The higher the hands are held in relation to the face and the lower the bow, the more respect/reverence the giver of the wai is showing. The wai is also common as a way to thank someone or apologise.

The word often spoken with the wai as a greeting or farewell is "Sawasdee" (sawatdee).

Relationships are an important part of Thai culture, and the wai is one measure of those relationships. Who is the first to wai, who bows lower, who raises their hands higher, how the wai is returned - if at all ..... all are indicators of the relationship between the two individuals that are greeting one another.

And one can't help but be impressed with the casual grace displayed by Thais when they perform the wai, the respect it conveys to one another, and the civility it brings to an exchange between people. It is pervasive, and encourages visitors to reciprocate.

And if there is any doubt concerning just how pervasive the wai is in Thai culture, one need only walk through the door of one of the more universally-recognized symbols of American cuisine and culture.

As we settle into our new surroundings, and begin to observe and appreciate the nation and the culture that is our temporary home, more and more members have begun to use the wai ..... why not?