Freeze at eight and six

At 8 am and 6 pm sharp, the national anthem, เพลงชาติ, plays from loudspeakers in BTS and MRT stations, parks, schools, markets and government offices. For about a minute, everyone stops where they are and stands still. Joggers in Lumphini Park freeze mid-stride, and commuters pause on the platform. Nobody expects you to sing or salute: stop walking, stop talking, put your phone down and wait until the music ends, then carry on. Visitors who don't notice in time are usually forgiven, but stopping is the polite thing to do, and it is also the law. A separate royal anthem plays in cinemas before the film; the audience stands for that one too.