Temple Etiquette: Thailand

Temple 101:

The temples in Thailand are absolutely exquisite - they are a must see while you’re visiting. However, there are a few guidelines to follow to ensure you are not being disrespectful.

1. Dress appropriately - cover your shoulders and knees, wear loose clothes because it’s HOT

   • Please note: in some of my photos my shoulders are not covered - this is because I was completely outside the temple

   • We had to buy a temple-appropriate outfit at the Tiger Temple because we saw on the internet that it was less strict due to the strenuous activity to get to it. This is not true - you still need to dress appropriately. If you need to take off a layer on your way up that seems to be acceptable but put those layers back on your sweaty body once you get inside.

   • My outfit suggestions: long, flowy pants or skirt and lightweight t-shirt, especially for the Grand Palace which is the most strict. Otherwise, you can always do one or the other and bring a scarf or shawl to throw over your shoulders/tie around your waist

2. Take off your shoes before entering any temple

3. Do not point your feet toward Buddha

4. Keep your head lower than Buddha

5. Females should not touch or talk to monks (although one did tell us we were halfway to the top at the Tiger Temple)

6. If you are blessed by a monk at one of the temples, keep your head down - they may sprinkle water on you while chanting a blessing and then tie a white string around your wrist for good luck

   • I have heard mixed thoughts on how long to keep the string on - apparently it’s either 3 days or until it falls off naturally (which could take years)