Wai (gesture)

The wai (Thai: ไหว้, pronounced [wâːj]) is a greeting in Thailand that consists of a slight bow, with the palms pressed together in a prayer-like fashion.

The higher the hands are held in relation to the face and the lower the bow, the more respect or reverence the giver of the wai is showing.

[2][3] The word often spoken with the wai as a greeting or farewell is "sawatdi" (RTGS for สวัสดี, pronounced [sā.wàt.dīː], sometimes romanized as sawasdee).

Waiing remains to this day an extremely important part of social behavior among Thais, who are very sensitive to their self-perceived standing in society.

In Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar, similar greetings—called sampeah (សំពះ), sabaidee (ສະບາຍດີ), mingalaba (မင်္ဂလာပါ), maur sung kha (မႂ်ႇသုင်ၶႃႈ) (Shan people) respectively—are also in use.

In Indonesia, wai-like gestures are in use in various parts of the country, in the royal courts of Java it is called sembah (Javanese: ꦱꦼꦩ꧀ꦧꦃ, Sundanese: ᮞᮨᮙᮘᮃᮠ, Balinese: ᬲᭂᬫ᭄ᬩᬄ), and also common in Lombok and Bali, where Hinduism and Buddhism is or has been widely practiced.

"[7] In Malaysia and Brunei, it was historically used to convey thanks or salutations to a patron or higher personage, with the hands raised to a level in accordance with the rank or caste of the individual to whom it was directed.