The wai (pronounced ‘y’), a little bow of the head with your
hands in prayer-position, is the traditional Thai greeting and parting gesture.
We Americans have the wave, in all its variations and incarnations; well, the
Thais wai.
Socially-nuanced, wai etiquette is complex. It affects how low you bow your head, who wais first, and whether you wai back at all. The lower one’s social position, the more respectful the wai; we’re talking about full-on, touch your hands to your face, thumbs-to-nose, fingers-to-forehead, deep bow wai-ing. Equals can bow lightly, hands more chest-height. The lower position person always wais first, and I’m pretty sure that you aren’t supposed to return the wai of a waiter or service person at all. Luckily, the etiquette is very forgiving for foreigners.
All complexities aside, I really enjoy the wai. It might be
my years of practicing yoga and all the associations with the gesture itself,
but I truly enjoy living in a country with such a nice greeting. I find it
calming, peaceful, and somehow delicate. Less frantic than our wave, the wai
takes a little extra time and effort, a mini pause. It is a brief moment
acknowledging another individual.
