The WAI - Traditional Thai Greeting
WAIWAI is used to call interesting, exciting, and a little strange or unusual things that make people go "really ? wow !"
WAI! - This is an exclamation that is used a lot in Japanese. It's like saying "Yeah!" or "Yay!". They use it a lot when they're really happy.
WAI is used also for:
1) Greeting
2) Thank
3) Good Bye
4) Apologize
5) Praying to the Buddha
6) Begging
The "WAI" is really a sociable thing, invested with fine cultural nuances.
The person who usually gives the first WAI is the one showing the respect to the other person.
In your example:
- "are you available?"
- "wai wai." = Yeah! Yay!
For more information see the following links:
1) http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Asia/Thailand/Central_Eastern_Thailand/Bangkok-1445238/Local_Customs-Bangkok-The_Wai_Traditional_Thai_Greeting-BR-1.html
2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_greeting
February 14, 2012
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