Things not to do when vacationing in Phuket – It’s the little things

If you have never visited Thailand before, or have never heard much about Thailand, please keep in mind that they do in fact have a monarchy and that the Royal Family are akin to gods in this nation.
The respect is so great for their royal family that the national anthem is played during the morning and evening in the capital of Chiang Mai every day. Each day without fail the entire city comes to a standstill in the morning and evening to respect the Royal Family.
Additionally, it is important to understand that the penalties for being guilty of disrespecting the Royal Family is almost always jail time and the last thing you want to do is have a few too many drinks and end up in prison for saying the wrong thing.
If you are staying at any of the Phuket resorts such as the Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas, be sure to ask for any assistance to help you get a better understanding of this situation. The staff will certainly be happy to educate you and provide guidance.

If you have ever visited a Buddhist temple, you would have noticed that there is always a huge assortment of shoes, slippers and sandals at the entrance.
This is because it is simply considered to be in order to avoid bringing in dirt in to the temple premises, much like you would for a house. It is a fairly common practice but is not always required. The best you can do is see if others are leaving their footwear at the entrance or simply ask what your host would like!

By and large, the less skin you are showing at a temple, the better. This is a rule that applies for both men and women, which is also not any different than any other expectation when visiting any religious location around the world. However, it needs to be said as many people do tend to forget.

Many people would consider that a Buddha statue is a religious item and treat it with respect, however the reality is that people still tend to look at it as a decorative item for their homes. If you purchase a statue or this purpose, you may find that it gets confiscated at the airport.

In Thai culture this can be considered the height of disrespect so avoid this at all costs. It is largely because the feet are considered the lowest part of the body.