Thailand is a country with plenty of Buddha temples and ancient religious places. You should know what to wear in Thailand temples in advance to avoid violating the religious and traditional values of Thai people.
Temples are sacred places in Thailand, so adhering to modest and appropriate dress and etiquette will show your respect for the local indigenous culture and customs. Regardless, if you are in some temples of Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Sukhothai Historical Park, or some other city to visit a temple or Buddha monastery, proper dress and etiquette are signs of respect.
This article will guide you what to wear in Thailand Temples during your visit to these religious and historical places.
What to Wear in Thailand Temples
Both males and females should observe the following dress code recommendations and etiquette during a visit to a temple in Thailand. The Dos and Don’ts listed below will make your temple visit remarkable.
- Avoid tight-fitting dresses: Tourists should avoid revealing or tight-fitting dresses, and wear loose and comfortable clothing during temple visits. For example, full T-shirts, blouses, and linen tops are suitable.
- Cover knees and shoulders: you should cover your knees and shoulders, so avoid wearing short skirts, shorts, sleeveless tops, and tank tops. You can wear the famous and appropriate elephant trousers which are very cheap.
- Wearing a hat or shoes is inappropriate during a temple visit: Remove them before entering a temple.
- Scarves or shawls are useful options for women during temple visits: They can drap them over their shoulders when find it necessary.
- Women should avoid wearing spaghetti straps, tops showing necklines and cleavage, and bikinis.
- Dresses below the knees are appropriate for women. They can choose long skirts covering their knees or cotton pants to visit a temple in Thailand.
- Sandals and flip-flops are the best choice for both male and female temple visitors in Thailand.
- Touching someone’s head is considered a disrespect in Thailand. The Buddhists consider the head as the most sacred place which should not be touched even out of affection.
- Pointing feet toward Buddha is highly disrespectful, so be careful when visiting a Buddhist temple in Thailand.
- Taking selfies with Buddha is highly objectionable in Thailand, so avoid this practice during a temple visit and respect the local traditions.
- Taking photos during worship is also not recommended. The locals consider this a violation of their customs and the sanctity of the temple.
- Avoid Buddha tattoos and printed T-shirts: Thai culture doesn’t allow Buddha tattoos on the body or printed T-shirts with Buddha images. If you have such a tattoo on your body, avoid doing so and try to cover it properly to avoid offending. Similarly, in Thailand, people don’t wear a Buddha-printed T-shirt.
- Crossing before a worshiper during prayer is considered disrespectful. To respect local values, you should avoid crossing in front of someone during prayer.
- Noise in Buddha temples is not allowed. Being a place of worship shouting and laughing loudly is a sign of disrespect in a Buddha temple.
- Getting permission to photograph is the best practice. Usually, most temples don’t check you photographing Buddha or inside a temple, but seeking permission shows your etiquette.
You should dress conservatively and show the best etiquette during a visit to a Thai temple. The guidelines mentioned are mostly applicable in the majority of temples. In addition, Thailand offers T-shirts, cotton pants, and long skirts at very cheap rates. You can buy them at your convenience and personal comfort.
You can further observe the dressing of local visitors or ask the temple staff for a specific dress code to respect the cultural and religious values of the native people.
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