How To (Respectfully) Visit A Thai Temple

In short: Cover your shoulders and knees, take your shoes off at the door, keep your voice down and your phone silent, never point your feet at a Buddha image or sit higher than a monk, and ask before you photograph anyone. That is most of temple etiquette in Thailand. The detail, and the temples our trips visit, is below.

In this guide

• What to wear
• Before you go in
• Inside the temple
• Around monks
• Making merit, if you would like to
• The temples on our trips

Temples, wat in Thai, are still the centre of Thai community life: a place of worship, a school, a meeting hall and a place to make merit by giving food, money or flowers. Visitors are welcome almost everywhere, and Thais are forgiving of mistakes, but a few habits make the difference between being a guest and being a nuisance.

What to wear

• Shoulders and knees covered, for everyone. Long trousers or a skirt past the knee, and a top with sleeves. Vests, crop tops and anything see-through are turned away.
• Women are held to the dress code more strictly than men, which is unfair and also how it is. A light sarong or scarf in your bag covers legs or shoulders in seconds.
• Men can usually wear knee-length shorts, but not at the Grand Palace, Wat Phra Kaew or the big royal temples, where long trousers are required.
• Hats and sunglasses off inside the buildings. Many temples lend or rent cover-ups at the gate if you get it wrong.

Before you go in

• Shoes off wherever you see a rack or a pile of shoes, always before entering the ordination hall or any building with a Buddha image.
• No food or drink inside, and no smoking anywhere in the grounds.
• Cover Buddha tattoos. Thailand takes a dim view of the Buddha's image on skin, and a temple is the wrong place to display one.
• Phone on silent, and step outside to take a call.

Inside the temple

• Lower yourself as you pass people who are praying, and do not walk between someone and the Buddha image they face.
• Sit with your feet tucked behind you, never with your legs stretched out or your soles pointing at the image. Kneeling and sitting back on your heels is the safe posture.
• Do not touch Buddha images, do not climb on anything for a photo, and never stand higher than the main image.
• Photos are fine in most temples, without flash and without posing with your back to the Buddha. Ask before you photograph people, and always before you photograph a monk.

Around monks

Monks sit higher than lay people and are greeted with the highest wai, hands to the forehead. Women should not touch a monk or hand him anything directly; put it down for him to pick up, or pass it via a man. Give a monk your seat on a bus or boat. None of this is hostile; it is part of the monastic rules the monk has taken on.

Making merit, if you would like to

Nobody expects a visitor to take part, but you are welcome to. A small note in the donation box, a set of incense, candle and lotus bud from the stall by the entrance, and a wai to the Buddha three times covers it. Watch what the person next to you does and copy them. On our Classic trip we give alms to monks at sunrise, which is the same idea done the traditional way.

The temples on our trips

All three of our Thailand trips start in Bangkok, a short walk or river boat from Wat Pho, home of the Reclining Buddha, and Wat Arun across the river. Tiger Cave Temple in Krabi, with its 1,237 steps and a view over the whole coast, is on our Island Paradise and Classic trips. The Expedition heads north to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep above Chiang Mai, where the dress code is enforced at the gate.

If you have a spare day in Bangkok, the ruined temples of Ayutthaya, an hour north by train, are the country's old capital and the best place to see how the modern temples grew out of the old ones.

For the rest of the cultural ground rules, read our 10 Thai customs that surprise visitors, and for what to pack, which plug adapter you need.

Frequently asked questions

Can I wear shorts in a Thai temple?

Knee-length shorts are usually accepted for men outside the royal temples; women are expected to cover the knee. At the Grand Palace everyone needs long trousers or a long skirt.

Can women go into Thai temples?

Yes, everywhere except a handful of specific shrines or chedis marked as men-only, which are rare and clearly signed.

Do I have to be Buddhist to make an offering?

No. Temples welcome anyone who takes part respectfully.

Is it OK to take photos of monks?

Ask first, and accept a no. Never photograph a monk during a ceremony without permission.

Why book with Backpacking Tours?

We have visited these temples with small groups since 2013, with a licensed Thai guide who explains what you are looking at and what to do. Transfers, accommodation and every listed activity are included, and the trip is held with a small deposit.

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