Closely resembling the
wai is the krap. The krap is a little different
from the wai in that one kneels down or bows to the ground in
reverence. First, the person kneels on his knees. He then places his
hands in the same manner as when doing the wai. The next step is to
bend his head down to the ground with the hands together. The hands
are placed flat on the ground . This is repeated three times.
The krap originated as a sign of worship to the "three gems" in
Buddhism. They include the Buddha, his teachings, and his disciples
(monks). The krap is performed in a slow manner, with graceful and
fluid movements of the arms and head. The krap is different from the
wai in that the person kraps to a person who is highly respected like
the King or Queen. Monks customarily receive the krap all the time.
The wai on the other hand is a more common greeting and is practiced
by anyone. The krap can also be combined with the wai to be called the
krap wai. In this case, the meaning of the krap is expanded to mean
"to ask kindness of."