The document provides etiquette and customs advice for several countries in Southeast Asia, including Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, the Philippines, and general information about the region. Some key points include: not touching heads or pointing with fingers in Cambodia; avoiding discussing the Vietnam War in Vietnam; removing shoes before entering homes in Laos and Thailand; and learning some Tagalog phrases when visiting the Philippines. It also gives overviews of deforestation, rice farming, volcanic activity, and the diverse performing arts traditions in Southeast Asia.

1. Do’s and Don'ts: The South East Asia

2. Cambodia
• Never touch a Cambodian person on the head, even
children.
• Never raise your feet higher than someone's head.
• When seated on the ground, tuck your feet beneath
you so that they do not point at someone.
• Unless told otherwise, always remove your shoes
before entering a home or business.
• Do not use your left hand to touch, eat, or hand
someone something.
• Pointing with your index finger is considered rude.
Instead, gesture with your right hand palm-up.

3. Vietnam
• It is impolite to flaunt off wealth in public. It is wise
to not carry more money than you actually need
when you are going outside. Wearing too much
jewelry is also not advised.
• If you are an American, avoid bringing up topics
especially about the Vietnam war. Vietnamese
people have mixed feelings about this.
• Dress in a conservative way as much as possible.
Vietnamese are generally modest when it comes to
clothing.

4. Laos
• Use your feet only for walking or for sports. It is considered
rude to have feet pointed to others or have them raised on
top of tables.
• It is very impolite to touch someone on their head. It is
advised to gently crouch a bit when passing someone who is
seated.
• Although monks are very revered and respect in Laos, it is
considered taboo for women to touch a monk or even their
robe.
• People in Lao try to speak gently and softly. It is rude to raise
your voice or shout.

5. Thailand
• Related to the first point – for Thais, only fools and
people of poor upbringing lose their temper in
public. Loud voices and angry talk can be extremely
counterproductive in Thailand. Thais value keeping
“face”, for themselves and each other.
• Remember the sacred and taboo parts of your
body:head and feet. For Thais, the head is the most
sacred part of the body, while the feet are the lowest
and the filthiest. Don’t ever touch a Thai person’s
head; at the same time, you must never show the
soles of your feet to anyone, or use your feet to
point to something.

6. • Before entering a house or office, it’s polite to leave
your shoes outside.
• Public displays of affection are not encouraged in
Thailand.
• Instead of shaking hands, Thais “wai” to greet
people. The “wai” is a short bow done with hands
held fingertips-together close to your chest or face. A
proper “wai” is not as easy as you’d think, so practice
a little to get the hang of it. Never “wai” someone of
lower status – even it sounds like the egalitarian
thing to do, you’ll only embarrass the person you’re
“wai”ing.

7. • Buddhism is practiced by most Thais, so one must
take extra-special care not to offend their religious
sensibilities. Wear appropriate dress before entering
a temple – avoid sleeveless shirts, flip-flops, and too-
short shorts or skirts, for starters. Leave your shoes
outside the temple as you enter.
• Show respect for the King and his family – Thais will
not appreciate even the friendliest jest about their
monarch. Thai people have a deep respect for their
King, an affection that reciprocates his many
accomplishments and sacrifices for the country.

8. Philippines
• Learn key phrases in Tagalog. Filipino people
appreciate it when foreigners make an effort in
learning about the language and may even reward
them by teaching more.
• Eat food that are offered by the hosts. Locals will get
offended if the guests refuse to eat. If you are
cautious about it, just try at least a little of
something.
• Travel through the local style. Jeepneys are a symbol
of the country and the creativity of Filipinos

9. Fast facts
• Southeast Asia is made up of a large mainland
peninsula, and a maritime area with 20,000
islands scattered through the Pacific and
Indian Oceans. Much of the land in this region
is mountainous and covered in dense, tropical
forest.

10. HOW DOES DEFORESTATION AFFECT
THE REGION?
• Deforestation in Indonesia, Thailand, Burma,
and Laos has destroyed the habitats of many
rare plants and animals, such as tigers and
wild elephants. It has also caused flooding and
soil erosion. Some trees, such as teak, are
logged for their timber; others are felled to
create farmland, and replanting is rare.
Thailand took the step of banning commercial
logging in 1989.

11. HOW IS RICE FARMING CHANGING IN
THE REGION?
• In the last 20 years, rice farmers have been
planting new species of high-quality rice,
which produce a greater yield. These, along
with new, intensive rice-planting programs
and sophisticated machinery, have helped
some countries, such as Indonesia, to become
self-sufficient. Rice is a staple food of the
region and grows well in the warm, humid
climate

12. WHICH COUNTRY IS MADE UP OF
13,677 ISLANDS?
• Indonesia is the largest archipelago, or group
of islands, in the world, spread out over
3,000,000 sq miles (8,000,000 sq km) of
ocean. The country’s huge population, which
is predominantly Muslim, includes 362
different peoples, speaking over 250
languages. Most people still live in small
villages, but nine million live in the capital,
Jakarta, on the island of Java.

13. WHAT IS THE MAIN RELIGION ON THE
MAINLAND?
• Buddhism is the most important religion in
mainland southeast Asia, and the area has
thousands of monasteries and ornate
Buddhist temples. In Thailand, 95 percent of
the people are Buddhist, and nearly every
village has its own temple or wat, which is the
center of village life.

14. WHERE IS THE RING OF FIRE?
• The “Ring of Fire” is an arc of active volcanoes
running through maritime southeast Asia and
around the Pacific Ocean. The volcanoes sit
along the edges of two plates that make up
the Earth’s crust. When the plates move
against each other, they cause earthquakes
and volcanic eruptions on the islands of this
region.

15. WHY DOES SOUTHEAST ASIA HAVE A
RICH TRADITION OF PERFORMING
ARTS?
• The music, dance, and drama of southeast
Asia derive from the region’s religious
traditions. Cambodia’s highly stylized classical
dances are based on 12th-century Hindu
dances, while much of Indonesian drama
retells Hindu myths. Indonesia is also famous
for its shadow puppet shows.

16. WHO ARE THE LITTLE TIGERS?
• Many southeast Asian countries, such as
Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, and
Indonesia, are known as “Little Tigers”
because of their fast-growing “tiger”
economies and industrial enterprise. These
countries benefit from cheap, plentiful labor,
and export manufactured goods such as
clothes and electronics.

17. Tourist spots
The Nature Conservancy has partnered with local villages and the
parks authority to create an ecotourism program at Komodo National
Park, Indonesia, which encompasses about 500,000 acres of land and
sea, and is home to more than 1,000 animal and plant species.

18. The Boat Landing Guest House in Luang Namtha, Laos is an ecolodge
certified by Green Globe, a company that rigorously evaluates a hotel's
environmental practices. Rates range from $30 to $45 per night.

19. Taal Volcano, Philippines

20. Perhentian Islands, Malaysia

21. Halong on Land, Vietnam

23. Bunaken Island, Indonesia

24. Hawker Centers, Singapore

25. Angkor Temples, Cambodia

26. Bali, Indonesia

27. Mount Kinabalu, Malaysia

28. Petronas Towers, Malaysia

29. Bangkok's Shopping Scene, Thailand

30. Tubbataha Reef, Philippines

31. Vigan, Philippines