Thailand
Thai people take the monarchy very seriously and have a deep and sincere love for the king. Therefore, if you behave disrespectfully or say anything offensive to the king or the monarchy, you will be committing a great offense to the Thai people and will be punished.
Tourists who show disrespect to the Thai king will be punished.
Thai people believe that the threshold of a house is where the gods reside, so you should absolutely avoid stepping on it and take off your shoes before entering a house, temple or shrine.
Touching monks, giving them anything directly, especially to women, is taboo in the kingdom where Buddhism is considered the state religion. Therefore, when standing in a crowd, try to avoid touching monks' shoulders. Not only that, touching others such as patting children's heads, patting their shoulders, or patting their backs are also considered offensive gestures.
Malaysia
Malaysia is a multi-ethnic country with many cultures harmonizing such as Malay, Chinese, Indian and the indigenous Orang Asli culture. Malaysians often wear floral long dresses, and are not allowed to expose their arms and thighs in public places. Therefore, visitors to Malaysia are advised to choose polite and discreet clothing, especially when visiting places of worship.
When giving or receiving money or gifts, use your right hand. The left hand is considered unclean, so when eating or drinking, remember to use only your right hand.
Malaysians are orthodox Muslims, they do not drink alcohol and eat pork because these are taboos according to Islamic beliefs.
If you want to visit a Malaysian family, you should call in advance. Leave your shoes outside before entering the house and do not refuse cakes when offered, as it is considered impolite to refuse.
If you have appointments with Malaysians for whatever purpose, it is best to be punctual.
Malaysians do not shake hands with people of the opposite sex and avoid physical contact such as rubbing the head or back of another person.
Note that you can only use your right hand when eating and drinking in Malaysia.
Singapore
Known as the cleanest country in the world, Singaporeans do not support smoking and always apply strict regulations to protect the environment. If you chew gum, smoke or litter in public, you will be fined hundreds, even 1,000 dollars and have to do 12 hours of community service, if you object, you can be caned. In some other places, if you want to smoke, you have to ask permission from the person in front of you.
Pointing at others with your index finger, clenching your fist, or using your middle finger are all considered extremely rude gestures in Singapore. Do not clasp your hands together casually as this is a sign of anger.
When eating, do not place chopsticks on top of the bowl or plate of food. When you are finished eating, do not place them haphazardly, but place them on a shelf, a chili sauce dish, or a bone plate.
In Singapore, you will be fined heavily for smoking and littering in public places.
Laos
Actions such as kissing hands or hugging women's waists are considered taboo in Laos, especially for unmarried girls, it is considered rude. Therefore, when tourists want to take a photo with a beautiful local girl, you should put your hands behind your back or put them all in front, absolutely do not violate.
When participating in traffic, you should not honk loudly. Although this action is not prohibited in this country, people here consider the horn… the most unnecessary detail on a vehicle. You rarely see Lao people honking, so if you keep the habit of using the horn like in Vietnam, people will be very annoyed, even thinking you are an alien.
Lao people worship Buddhism very much, when visiting temples you absolutely must not cause disorder, dress revealingly or use rude words.
Indonesia
Indonesians will find it very unpleasant and unappealing to visitors wearing skimpy clothing such as shorts or tank tops. Shorts are acceptable, but they must be loose and knee-length.
If you want to visit a temple or church, you must dress properly and take off your shoes before entering. Also, you should not meet Indonesians from 11am to 1pm on Friday because most people go to church during this time.
Philippines
In the Philippines, if they want to point to something, they will use their eyes to point at it or express it with their mouth.
Filipinos value community very much so they rarely show disagreement and embarrass others.
