I thought I would share these great cartoons from a circa 1970's poster hanging in a glass case at the Doi Suthep Temple built on a mountainside overlooking Chiang Mai.
Sorry about the quality but it was a difficult shot to get in the first place.
(you can seen the reflections of the temple and trees in the glass)
These are both informative and humourous.
Click on any image to enlarge
DO :
"Display polite behavior in places of worship."
DON'T :
"Don't climb on the Buddha image to take a photograph or do anything that might show disrespect."
DO :
"Do dress politely in public places."
DON'T :
"Don't go shirtless,
or in shorts, hot pants, or other
unsuitable attire inside the temple."
DO :"Do wear shoes while walking around the compound of a Buddhist temple,
But don't wear them inside the chapel where the principle Buddha image is kept"
DON'T :"Don't display affection for another person in public.
It is frowned upon in the Thai society. You may hold hands, but that's as far as it goes in polite society."
DO :
"Do wai when greeting another person.
Generally, a younger person wais an elder, who returns it the same gesture".
DON'T :"Don't touch the head of another person, even in a friendly gesture. Thais regard the head as the highest part of the body both literally and figuratively. It is considered rude to point your foot at a person. Don't point your foot to show anything to anyone, but use your finger instead."
These are some good things to remember so as not to offend at these places of worship and in Asia in general. Be prepared to have long pants instead of shorts, and shoes instead of sandals, and of course no shoes at all when you enter homes, churches, temples, and many other public places.
In my essays I will try to include as many travel tips as I can come up with, and give everyone a better idea of traveling by air, land, boat, canoe, raft, elephant, train, skytrain, Tuk Tuk and Songtaew.
All photos, videos, artwork and image editing by Christopher Mills or Gary Mills
