firenz

I would really appreciate the expert advice of those of you who have traveled to BKK, etc. on what to take. What do most tourists wear while touring BKK? How about Angkor Wat? It is so hot there..do the men wear shorts or is that a no-no? Is there any need for a jacket and tie for any of the restaurants in BKK? How do the women dress for dinner (at the better restaurants)? Do women wear shorts while touring? Does it get cooler at night?
Help---before I order steamer trunks!
Thanks.

Kathie

This is a topic of some contraversy. I never wear shorts anywhere in SE Asia except at a beach. In Bangkok, I wear long pants or a long (below the knee) skirt or dress. Being uncovered is actually hotter, as you have the very direct sun. My rule is light and loose clothing. My aim is to be comfortable and to be respectful of the local mores.

Don't take a lot - you can do laundry inexpensively and you can often buy very light clothes there.

rhkkmk

kathie is 100% correct....i would add natural fibres like cotton and linen are the best and all loose fitting...

we wear shorts around the pool and at the beach and in resort areas...we do not wear them in bkk...i might consider them in SR, but i would rather be more covered up...some of the rocks are rough at the temples so best to avoid scratching by not wearing shorts...

no need for a jacket and tie....a tie might be used, but i have never taken one...you might need one for la normandie or the like but not regular up scale restaurants...

i wear chinos and a sport shirt or polo shirt and sandals most of the time...i also take leather walking shoes which double as dress shoes..

my wife wears blouses with sleeves--short and long and 3/4 of cotton and linen...she wears capris or slacks most of the time...she takes one nice dress, but not a dressy one...she might take one skirt...mostly slacks however...she takes dressy sandals and walking sandals...she used to take a pair of flats but has stopped that...this year she purchased tons of fancy flip flops which are very dressy and wore them often to dinner...

we both take a long sleeve cotton shirt to avoid the sun...

she takes a scarf which protects her against cold a/c and doubles as a shawl in some wats---to cover her shoulders...

she does also take a couple of sleeveless shirts...

our theory is that if you dress nicely during the day while touring you never will feel out of place going into some place nice without changing...

i take a couple of T shirts but just for the pool or some rural areas...

you see everything being worn in thailand....locals wear shorts and flip flops most of the time but are quite covered up....tourists wear outlandish things...saw lots of bellies this summer for the first time...many tourists wear shorts and t shirts and look really ratty, to be honest...

at angkor the dress really doesn't matter, but you want to avoid bug bites so covering up is helpful and also protects you more from the sun...

Lyndie

Wear comfortable closed-in footwear in Angkor. The little green Hanuman snakes are poisonous and I nearly stepped on one in Ta Prohm. You could wear capri pants or long walk shorts in cotton. Don't wear synthetics. They don't breathe. Have a wonderful trip!

jules39

I totally agree with the previous posters. When we were in SR it was hot. On the first day we had out at the temples I saw lots of M & F in shorts and I don't think I would have felt I was being offensive to the locals if I had worn them. However, I had worn long light trousers and even a long sleeved light shirt and I was so slad I had because of the sun. I saw so many people trying to reposition clothing to protect backs of knees that were getting fried by the and any other exposed body part. With the humidity sun screen needs to be applied very regularly. We are heading back to SR for a week in Feb and I will be taking long loose clothing. I used to always pull on shorts to run around shopping in BKK with a sarong to double as a skirt for temples etc. Now I have decided dresses that fall from my shoulders are really the most comfortable way to go. Make sure you have a good hat for SR (a baseball type cap is not enough) and good comfy shoes!

Have lots of fun

J

firenz

Thank you, Jules.