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>>Thais understand farang do not understand their customs. Showing the sole of the foot is incredibly offensive to a Thai - but it is an offense that is a passive aggressive way of showing contempt. Having one's head at the right height, the depth of a bow or position of the hands when performing the waay (palms together bow as greeting) is another example. Like the language itself which has completely different pronouns and even verbs depending on the rank of the speaker and the object of speech, it is a subtle way of communicating status within the society. That said, Thais are clear that farang are not players in their game, but there is a visceral reaction nonetheless, and it is noticed favorably when a farang conveys knowledge of their society by learning the customs - or the language with its subtleties - and playing the game can be a very useful tool for getting what one wants to a degree unimaginable in our culture where there are few rules and even less subtlety.
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>he was a young man, normal like any other, intelligent and educated. He'd explained that he was from "Kampuchia" and had joined the monks as a means of getting an education otherwise denied him by dint of poverty. Touching his arm as a friendly gesture did not elicit any obvious, outward reaction. He carried on smiling as normal.

The first thing you learn in Thailand that smiling normally indicates absolutely nothing about what is going on in someone's head <g>

Young men who are very recent monks would be unlikely to react strongly to being touched - they are probably still getting used to being addressed differently - both linguistically and physically. They would react more strongly to being touched on the head - but that is a cultural thing that is not limited to monks - just more so for them. On lookers would notice somebody touching a monk but if the toucher was a farang they would not think any ill was meant by it. It really is about meta-communication. Thais avoid confrontation by being the most skillfully passive-aggressive people on earth <s>

Kampuchia is Cambodia.

Becoming a monk in a Buddhist culture is very different from joining a monastic order in a Christian culture. It is very often a temporary situation - sometimes as a spiritual retreat, sometimes just a 'time out' from everyday life. It is not at all uncommon for Thai politicians after being deposed in one of their traditional bloodless coups to announced they will 'buat phrah' i.e. become a monk for a while - as little as a year or two.

No one there ever mistook me for a Thai but since my Thai is fluent and idiomatic if I were to use the wrong pronoun talking to someone or enter a room of seated superiors without stooping it would be taken (and probably be meant) as a lack of respect or even an outright insult. They assess all this stuff very quickly and instinctively. I found myself reacting the same way.

And I have experienced a Thai smiling quite normally while pointing a weapon at me with very malicious intent.

Any wonder I love Kipling so much? (and kipple every chance I get ... )