Wai
The Thai greeting with palms together and a bow of the head.
Also: sawasdee
The wai is the Thai gesture of greeting, thanks and respect, made with the palms pressed together near the chest or face and a bow of the head. The higher the hands, the more respect is shown, and the junior person wais first. Monks, elders and the royal family receive the highest wai, and monks do not wai back to laypeople. It is accompanied by the word sawasdee. Learning the wai is part of childhood, and foreign visitors who return it are met with smiles. Shop staff and flight attendants use it to show courtesy to customers.
Region: Southeast Asia