Do’s

• Always be respectful about Buddhism. Dress correctly in Temples (wear sleeves, do not wear short pants etc.). Don't sit on Buddha images if you want to be photographed. Sit before the image them. You will insult Thai people deeply if you offend Buddhism in these ways.
• Thai people have a deep, traditional reverence for the Royal Family, and a visitor should be careful to show respect for the King, the Queen and the Royal Children. This includes, for example, standing up in the cinema as the Royal Anthem is played before every movie starts. You also should stand still, when at public places as the railway stations the anthem is played (at 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.) as well.
• Always be respectful to the elderly, in every situation. If you are bargaining at the market with a seller who is obviously older than you are, or if you are bargaining with a tuk-tuk driver who is older than you, do this in a polite way, with a smile on your face and don't be rude. (Apart from being considered to be a polite person, as a bonus you will see the result in the price!)
• Take your shoes off before entering a Thai house, if you are invited to visit somebody in his/her home. Do the same at other places where the Thai people do so (for instance before entering beauty salons, hair dressers etc.).
• Have some patience when you have to do business in an bank or in a post office. Sometimes you will have to wait for a long time, but the Thais are accustomed to that and will find your behaviour quite badly if you become impatient. Just relax and wait for your turn!
• Thais don't normally shake hands when they greet one another, but instead press the palms together in a prayer-like gesture called a wai. Generally a younger person wais an elder, who returns it. Be careful, however, to do this correctly. There are many types of wai. The best way is to imitate a Thai who greets you.
• Accept things with your right hand.       

Dont’s

• Point at people or things with your feet. This is considered as highly impolite, as the feet are considered as the most inferior parts of the human body. And do not sit on the floor of a Temple with your feet pointing at the Buddha Image!
• Buddhist monks are forbidden to touch or be touched by a woman, or to accept anything from the hand of one. If a woman has to give anything to a monk, she first hands it to a man, who then presents it. Or they should place it on a cloth, carried by most monks.
• Touch the heads of children, even if you may see this as a form of caressing. The head is considered as the most superior part of the body, and touching this part is not a privilege for foreigners!
• Be too familiar in public, even if you are married. So don't kiss in public, don't walk with your arms around each other. These things are considered very impolite in Thailand.
• Shout in public (to anybody). If you want to argue with your wife or with your children, do this in the privacy of your hotel room and not in public! You will loose much of your respect if you do things like this in public. You will -for the same reason- loose much of your respect if you find you should punish your children in public. Raising you voice will just make you look ignorant and uncultured.
• Think that Thai women are "easily available". Though around 1% of the female population is working in the sex industry, this also means that 99% is not working there! You can get yourself in big trouble if you offend a woman in this way. Her husband may find he should take revenge, which could be very unpleasant for you.
• Take any packages through Thai customs for anybody! If you are caught carrying drugs, you risk the death penalty or life in prison. And prisons in Thailand are not exactly like the Hilton. Apart from that, you can hardly expect a milder punishment than life in prison. So be warned!
• Buy any precious stones on the streets. If you are familiar with prices you can buy them in (large) shops. That will normally be safe, but -again- be sure you don't pay too much. If you buy precious stones in the street against this advice and regret it afterwards (which will be the case in 99% of the cases), go to the Tourist Police! They know how to handle this and they do it well. (Or call 1155 for the Tourist Police)
• Accept any offers from strangers to assist you in finding the right places to do your shopping. They will get a commission from the shops they take you to and you will be the person who pays for that commission (in the price you pay).
• Accept any introduction to participate in any form of gambling. Gambling is against the law in Thailand and penalties are severe!
• Buy bus, tickets from anyone, except from an official at a bus terminal. The bus you buy your ticket for elsewhere might never be leaving or in the best case you will pay too much. If you use a Travel Agency for tickets (or other services), make sure they are licensed by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). Of course the Travel Agencies in hotels can be trusted and are licensed.
• Call a waiter or waitress with the fingers of your hand pointing upward. This is considered to be very impolite. (It will make a similar impression as if you put your middle finger up to somebody at home). Put your hand up, but with your fingers pointing downward (or make a fist, if you prefer that or if you don't understand what I mean here).
• Finish the dishes when you are having dinner with Thai friends in a restaurant. Your Thai friends will keep ordering more, until you leave something on your dish, so that they can clearly see that you have had enough!
• Don’t be offended by questions about age, salary or marital status. These are common questions Thais ask each other when first meeting and will think nothing about asking the same questions to foreign tourists. Of course, you don’t have to answer, just smile and just say it’s a secret or ‘mai bok’ (’not telling’).
• Don’t take Buddha images out of the country. Strictly speaking it is against the law to take or send Buddha images out of the country unless special permission has been granted. However, this doesn’t mean that stores won’t sell them to you. They will sell them to you, but won’t necessarily tell you about the regulations.