mikedparen

I'll be traveling to Thailand (Bangkok and Golden Triangle) and Cambodia in August. I am trying to determine what to pack clothing-wise. I understand that long pants are required to enter most temples. I also know it's going to be HOT over there and the thought of wearing long khakis while walking around every day is not especially appealing.

My questions are: Will Bermuda-style shorts be acceptable attire on the streets when not entering temples, or will it look inappropriate? Is is possible to buy loose, comfortable pants in Thailand rather than buying them here?

Most of my clothes are button-down shirts and pressed khakis, which are going to become uncomfortable pretty quickly in the heat. On vacation in hot-weather environments, I usually wear shorts and polo shirts.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

rhkkmk

you will not be out of order wearing shorts on the streets, many people do....i find that i prefer long cotton chinos all the time in thailand except in the resorts, where i wear shorts....they keep the dirt and grime away, and there is plenty of that....they shield you from the very hot sun and act somewhat as in insulator against the heat....plus they allow you entry to any place that you happen upon unexpectedly, like a great temple of lovely restaurant...

its not that shorts are wrong, its just that they seem inappropriate to me ....

as far as buying things it depends on your size....if you are a "normal" western size you probably will find the thai clothing way to small for you....

having clothes made there is a great option and many of us do this as it is cheap compatitively and the quality is excellent./...

its not that you will not find things that fit, its just that it might be difficult....this applies to both men and women....ready made things are made for the asian frame not for the western frame....

laundries are very inexpensive in thailand so you can take far less things with you as in one to two days you can have things beautifully laundered for peanuts.....local laundries are about 30-40B per pair of slacks or a shirt and about 10 B for undies or hankies or socks....dirt cheap...

in cambodia i do not think you will find any clothing that you want

Craig

I agree with Bob (rhkkmk, above) - it is unlikely you will find clothes to buy in Thailand. I generally wear polo shirts with extremely lightweight long khakis purchased from Travelsmith or some place like it. I think the khakis are actually made of nylon or a nylon-cotton blend. In any case, they are incredibly comfortable even in the heat and are equipped with zipper pockets to protect my wallet etc. Another option would be those convertible pants that have the lower parts that zip off and convert to shorts. Although many westerners wear shorts in SE Asia, I do not. Like Bob, I would feel out of place wearing them.

Mole

You will have no problem finding clothes in Bangkok. We travel there each year and my husband & son (& daughters) stock up on clothing each time. My son is an average 19 year old size and my husband is a lot bigger (Large size in Oz but buys XL in Bangkok although they do stock XXL & XXXL)and has absouletly no problem finding polos, dress shirts, short, jeans etc,many places in Bangkok (MBK, markets etc) cater for western sizes its only the more local markets that dont.

rhkkmk

well there you have it...both ends of the experience of bkk shopping....

i would however go with stuff i can count on from home and pick up stuff i might like while there....go prepared...

sizes marked on most products in thailand are completely variable...never trust them...an XL is like a well cut medium in the usa...

dkerr99

hi - i'm going with my family in early august and I think the guys will bring cotton chinos and golf shirts with closed shoes for going in temples - do women also have to cover their legs when going in temples? what about sandles?

Bella_Bluebell

Sandals are okay but the backs of the feet must be covered. Flip flops are not okay for the temples. For women, you need to have most of your legs covered - so a long skirt, trousers or capri style trousers. My friend who had a skirt just on the knee but which would have gone above the knee had she kneeled down had to borrow a long one at the Grand Palace for a small fee.

I think you will be fine in (long) shorts in Bangkok. My boyfriend wears them - but not the ones that look like surf shorts - with a t-shirt and no one blinks an eyelid nor does he feel out of place. He wouldn't wear them to the temples/palaces though.

As to shopping, he has no problem getting short sleeved tops and shorts but sometimes has trouble finding the length in trousers and shorts but we've always found stuff if we search around a bit. Depends if you have time to do that or the inclination I guess! He is v slim though. I'm not but I've found loose black palazzo style pants there that fitted.