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Apart from the fascinating natural features, the land of smiles is also home to a rich and diverse culture. Other Asian nations like China, Laos, and India influence Thailand's general way of life. This impact is evident in the food and the tools used around the kingdom.
Thai people celebrate their culture throughout the year, with unique celebrations occurring all over the country. These commemorations are open to everyone, including tourists. Therefore, travelers should be versed in Thai culture to celebrate with the locals. Here's what visitors need to know about this way of life.
Famous Thailand Culture
Buddhism is the main religion in Thailand, with 95 percent of the population being Theravada Buddhists. Many of the kingdom's cultures subscribe to Buddhist rules and traditions as the primary faith.
A lot of Buddhist principles apply to the way of life of the majority of Thai people. One of these ideologies is the value of fellow humans. Thai treat everyone equally, kindly, and with respect.
The religion's influence is also evident in Thai salutations. People in the kingdom greet each other by bowing in respect.
Top Cultures To Explore
The diverse cultures exhibited in the kingdom are worth exploring by visitors. Here are several top cultures that travelers ought to explore when visiting Thailand.
Family
Thai people value family more than anything else. Unlike in Western customs, where nuclear families are of utmost importance, The locals in Thailand value extended families more.
In Thai families, the young look after the old, and siblings look after each other even in old age. There's no such thing as cousins in Thailand, as the word does not exist in Thai. In Thai tradition, what the Western world considers a cousin is a brother or sister.
Families do everything together in the land of smiles, including eating and living under one roof. Tourists can explore this familial culture by visiting a local family, who'd be delighted to welcome them.
Buddhism
Not precisely a culture, but given that almost everyone in the country practices the faith, it's worth exploring it. Travelers can visit temples spread all over the kingdom and learn more about the religion's influence on the people's way of life.
Food
Food is an essential aspect of Thai people's way of life. Evident throughout the kingdom, the country's cuisine boasts an infusion of Asiatic cultures.
These neat foreign touches mixed with quaint Thai food culture make up culinary brilliance. Travelers can explore these rich cuisines all over the country.
Thailand Food Culture
Rice is the staple food of this southeastern Asia kingdom. Every family eats rice daily in Thailand mixed with other sauces and vegetables. Influenced by the Laos culture, northern Thailand consumes sticky rice while southern and central Thailand eat polished white rice.
Other foods like noodles introduced by the Chinese also grace the tables and streets of Thailand. Thai people mix rice and noodles with spicy curry, sauces, sea fish, meat, eggs, or vegetables. These accompaniments make up a spiced meal full of flavors.
Thai cutlery consists of a large spoon with a fork. The spoon is for scooping sauces and soup while the fork picks up pieces of food. Food presentation is essential, with dazzling fruit sculptures being a norm at most dining tables.
Thai food culture has a lot of Indian and Chinese influence. For instance, the spicy touch in Thai meals comes from Indian spices, while the use of chopsticks and noodles stems from the Chinese culture.
The foreign impact on the Thai food produced a cuisine rarely experienced in Asia. Tourists can experience this brilliant food culture in the streets of Thai cities.
Major Thai Celebrations
Thailand experiences major colorful events commemorating the kingdom and its citizens' different milestones. Here are some of these significant celebrations.
Songkran Festival
Thailand celebrates its new year using the Thai calendar. The celebration known as Songkran is observed all over the country, with citizens splashing water on the streets.
Songkran invites everyone to celebrate, including travelers. The commemorations often feature beauty pageants, folk music, water, and color splashing. All these make a commemorative new years’ celebration for the Thai people.
Phuket Vegetarian Festival
Celebrated in the Phuket region, this festival celebrates vegetarians and the Chinese Hokkien descendants' well-being. The festival takes place in the 9th lunar month of the Chinese calendar, between September and October.
The festival features beauty pageants and other superhuman daring stunts, including scaling razors. These approaches fascinate travelers, further attracting them to visit, explore, and enjoy the festivity.
Bo Sang Umbrella Fair
Another unique celebration is the umbrella fair. As the name implies, the festival consists of colorful contests, including pageants and artistic displays. Tourists can also purchase paper umbrellas from stalls lined up on the festival's grounds.
Thai culture guarantees visitors a worthwhile stay in the land of smiles. However, there are several things tourists should observe when exploring the culture, including the following.
- Respect: Tourists should show respect to any aspect of the culture displayed
- Join: Travelers should join in observing the general culture, including celebrations
- Etiquette: Visitors should always maintain decorum when exploring Thai culture
The Thai culture is fascinating to many tourists as its diversity is worth experimenting with. However, tourists need to learn more about the way of life before exploring it to avoid being contradicted when visiting the kingdom.