Is it disrespectful to call a Thai person by their name?

Calling Thais with their official name is not disrespectful. We do use our first name a lot and we don’t mind if anyone call us with our full name. It’s just too long and formal so we tend to use nickname among family and friends.

How do you address a Thai person?

Thai Culture
  1. In both a formal and informal situation, Thai people greet each other with the word ‘sawadee’ followed by ‘kah’ for females and ‘kraap’ (soft r) for males.
  2. It is normal to refer to someone of a perceived higher status by the title ‘Khun’ (Mr/Ms) followed by their first name.

How do you call a Thai name?

Thai given names are preceded by Khun (Mr. Mrs. or Miss), unless they carry a higher degree, such as doctor. Khun is used for men and women, married or single. If you don’t know a person’s name, address them as Khun.

What is one of Thailand’s nickname?

Thailand is often referred to as “The Land of Smiles.” It got this nickname because in Thailand, a smile is much more than just a smile…it is a form of subtle interpersonal-messaging.

What is considered disrespectful in Thailand?

Traditionally, Thais consider feet to be the lowest and filthiest part of the body. As such, pointing your feet at another person or sacred item – such as a statue of the Buddha – is considered extremely disrespectful.

Whats considered rude in Thailand?

Don’t point your feet: Pointing your feet at someone, raising your feet higher than someone’s head, or simply putting your feet on a desk or chair are considered extremely rude in Thailand. The bottoms of the feet are dirty: don’t show them to people! Avoid pointing feet at Buddhas in and outside of temples.

What is kun in Thai?

The most common of these honorifics is คุณ /kun/ (Sir or Madam) which is usually OK to use with most people except it just might be a little formal to use with people really close to you.

How do you show respect in Thailand?

In Thailand, a wai, a gesture where you place your hand together in a “praying” sign at chest level, is a polite greeting. To show more respect, raise the wai higher, to your chin or nose-level.

Why Thai last names are so long?

In Thailand, family names are so long and unique because you are not supposed to have the same last names as someone if you’re not related. … Additionally, it is also so easy for people to create their own last names too. This is because of religious, and sometimes personal superstitious reasons.

How do you make a Thai last name?

Unlike in East Asia, where surnames precede the given name, Thai naming conventions go first name-last name (like in Western countries). Last names are fairly new to Thailand. They’ve only been around for 100 years or so.

Why do Thai people always smile?

The Thai smile has some genius behind it, in that it allows one to express a range of emotions without physically or verbally taking action. It’s a form of communication capable of tempering confrontation, easing difficult situations and showing one’s appreciation.


What are Thai last names?

Most Common Last Names In Thailand
Rank Surname Incidence
1 Saetang 89,926
2 Chen 88,520
3 Saelim 86,176
4 Wang 84,369