Now, most of you know that I have a very Asian attitude when it comes to shoes; you should take them off when you're in other people's houses, and people should take their shoes off when they visit yours. I didn't realize that the Thai take it a lot farther. I guess it should be evident; with one of the biggest cultural faux pas you can make is showing someone the soles of your feet or pointing your toes at Buddha.

It turns out that here in Thailand, the taking off of shoes is not just something you do in other people's houses; you do it in offices and the workplace as well. When I go to my doctor's office, just before I enter the reception area, I'm confronted by rows and rows of shoes. One time I forgot to take off my sandals when I was waiting in the reception area. I didn't realize quite why everyone was giving me dirty looks until someone pointed at my shoes, and the door and said something in Thai.

Even in some of the smaller shops, like bookstores, if they have several levels and you go upstairs, you're expected to leave your shoes at the bottom of the stairs. When I visited various wedding dress shops, from the smallest privately owned shop to the largest wedding plaza in Bangkok, I still have to take off my shoes at the door.

Which makes me wonder: if I were to go into a Thai office building, say a stock trading firm in the heart of the financial district, or like a law firm, would people be walking around the office in just their socks?

So note to those who trod apprehensively in bare feet: before you come to Thailand, make sure your feet don't smell.