Why do you Wai?

In the midst of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival

For those of us who are new to Asia and especially Thailand, you have probably noticed the joining of the hands in a prayer-like gesture or the "wai" being frequently used by local people but found little or no guidance as to who, when, where and how to "wai".

Let us help.

The wai is used both as a form of greeting and a demonstration of respect. In Thailand the height of the wai shows different degrees of respect.

1) Visiting a temple and / or a monk.

The correct height of this wai is slightly above your head. It requires that you lift your joint hands so that your thumbs rest between your eyebrows. 

2) Greeting or paying respects to parents, older relatives, someone of higher authority OR simply someone older.

The correct height of this wai requires that you lift your joint hands so that your index fingers are on level with the space between your eyebrows.

3) Greeting an equal in age or social status.

The correct height of this wai requires that you lift your joint hands to the level where your index fingers touch the tip of your nose.

The younger or lesser ranked person should be the first to wai – to which, in polite society, the older person responds by 'wai-ing' back; however if the older person does not return the 'wai' it is not considered a mark of disrespect - just not the best of manners ;) 

For the visitor to wai it is seen as being polite

 and there cannot be anything wrong in that.