Thai Social Values
a. Elders and those in higher social positions deserve extra respect from people in lower social positions.
b. Buddhism, monks and Buddhist rituals must be treated with the highest respect.
c. Everyone owes a moral debt to their parents or other people who have especially cared for them.
d. In order to properly show เกรงใจ, conversations and interactions should be indirect. A direct “no” could hurt the other person’s feelings, so it’s better to show refusal over time instead of saying “no”.
e. Everyone should be able to save face and present a positive personal image to others. Therefore it is not polite to point out the mistakes of other people or make them lose face in any other way.
f. In Thailand, feet are considered to be dirty and the least respectable part of the body. Therefore, allowing your feet to point at another person or sacred object is thought to be very rude.