Politeness is a very important part of Thai culture, but of course there are differences between the Thai and Western ways of being polite. While the people in Thailand are generally quite friendly and understanding – which is not surprising considering tourism is the biggest industry in the country – a little politeness goes a long way. After all, wouldn’t you rather the Thai people actually like you rather than just tolerate you when you’re traveling in their country? For newbs to Thailand and Thai culture, here’s a beginner’s guide to being polite: