Anyone have an answer to my questions in post #12?

If anyone wai's me I will always respond but will rap wai and nod if it is a person serving me or a child (ie: hands on chest, rather than up high).

If an elderly person had given me assistance I should have wai'd first. If it was a young or middle aged person, I would probably just say "khorp khun khrap", rather than being the first to wai.

no, what I was saying was that over half the staff was Thai and the Thais didn't wai each other at all either. he didn't see a wai for ages. they just greeted each other verbally.

Yes, quite a bit. It took me by surprise at first, because I had been led to believe that Thailand was a totally hands off culture.

Complete strangers will sometimes come up and squeeze your arm in order to express their approval when you are at the wat, visiting friends in hospital, or otherwise in places where Thai people aren't expecting to see farang.

Outside of service staff, you should always wai back to an adult - it is good manners. If you don't it is like someone offering you a handshake and you refuse. However, in Thai society, for you not to "wai" back is also to show that you are far superior to them. For example, as if they are your servant.

When I first came to Thailand, the teachers didn't generally wai each other. However, one day, orders came down from above that everyone should wai each other in the morning and when they go home.

Probably because they are of the same ranks? I believe the Thai still wai their superiors in general. I know staffs working in the banks wai their manager or assistant manager in the morning.