Builds on
polite greetings
Today
recognize respectful wai contexts
Feeds
Can-Do Roleplay
A wai expresses respect, not just “hello”
ไหว้
palms together with a slight bow
Age, status, relationship, and setting shape whether and how it is used.
Hand height tracks the relationship
Monk or sacred context: thumbs toward the brow.
Parent, teacher, elder, or highly respected person: thumbs toward the nose.
Peer or equal: thumbs toward the chin with a slight bow.
Returning a younger or junior person’s wai: hands around chest; a deep bow is not required.
Worked payoff — choose restraint over performance
สวัสดีครับ / สวัสดีค่ะ
A polite greeting can accompany the wai.
If unsure, a warm spoken greeting is better than an exaggerated gesture. And in ordinary modern life friends and equals often do not wai each other at all — age, status, occasion and who moves first matter more than picking a hand height.