Thailand

Sign language for Thailand
I visited Thailand during the summer of 2014 for 2 weeks. I’ve been to Bangkok, Chiangmai and Phuket.
Quick Facts
Culture
Deaf Community
Quick Facts
- It is known as the land of smiles
- One of the cheapest destinations to explore
- Home of Asian elephants (please do see them ethically)
- Thai New Year typically occurs in April and Songkran is a cultural tradition during the new year
- LGBTQ+ Friendly in many areas
- Best time to visit: climate actually differs throughout different regions. Depending which area you’d want to visit, it can be between November to April
- Popular places: Bangkok, Chiangmai, ChiangRai, Phuket, Islands hopping, and more.
Culture
- When greeting, people use a gesture that is called a Wai: placing of two palms together, with fingertips touching the nose.
- Never touch someone’s head, especially a child’s as they believe that it is the holiest and important part of the body
- Feet are considered to be the dirtiest part of the body
- Females must avoid physical contact with monks.
- When talking with them, some Thai people often nod to acknowledge what you are saying but it doesn’t necessarily means they agree with you or understand you.
Deaf Community
- Thai Sign Language (TSL)
- the largest deaf community can be found in Bangkok, Chiangmai
- Access to quality education is still not a given (as many, many other countries as well)
- Some Deaf Thais know American Sign Language (ASL) due to internet or learned at school or organization. Historically, ASL (and other signs like Bangkok & Chiangmai) had some influence on TSL to this day
- Khon Kaen School for the Deaf (KKSD) is considered to be one of the best Deaf schools in the country
- There are couple of Deaf students studying at Ratchasuda College where they provide services for people with disabilities
- A famous Thai commercial feature about a Deaf character.

Meeting Deaf People in Other Countries – 2014
August 8, 2015
Before Lilo and I began our backpacking journey in 2014, we were discussing about our different personal wishes. We came up with ideas: we had