Proper Dress for Temple
 

I've been reading conflicting rules and suggestions. I'm coming to the experts for my final answer.

To enter a temple:

1. Do I need to wear something to cover my head...such as a scarf?
2. Is is okay to wear capri pants as long as they cover my knees completely...to mid-calf? Slacks and jeans seem hot. A sleeveless, loose fitting dress that covers my knees may be coolest as long as I bring a light-weight, long-sleeved "sweater" to cover my shoulders when entering the temple.
3. Because of heat, I plan to wear slip-on comfy sandals. I was told sandals are okay as long as you're wearing socks. ??? Once I remove the sandals to go into the temple, are the socks a rule or are they just protection for my feet?

Basically I was told by one person that everything must be covered except face and hands. Most guide books/websites say: Dress respectfully and only shoulders and knees must be covered.

Thanks to all...

it depends if it is a royal wat.... royal wats are more picky..

my wife wears capris....she does not wear sleevless...well maybe if she has a scarf to cover the shoulders... a cap sleeve is ok... or short sleeve... she often keeps a very light weight scarf with her when we are sightseeing and finds it comes in handy for a coverup and also to protect against the fierce a/c in thailand..

no head gear worn...

conservative is the answer.... no shorts is best, certainly no short shorts or mid rifts showing... no cleavage... nothing skin tight... COMMON SENSE

no shorts for men.... i wear a regular short sleeve shirt and chinos..

same holds true for grand palace...

she usually wears regular sandals... no socks... maybe a slide occasionally

In general, to enter a wat, you need to have your shoulders to your knees covered. So no sleevless unless you have a wrap or something to cover. You may or may not get by with capris. The sign at the GP/EM shows no capris, but some have reported thay get in wearing capris. You do NOT need sock with sandals (only Bob wears socks with sandals!) but the sign shows that you need a heel strap. You'll likely get by as long as the sandals aren't plan flip-flops.

Whoever told you that everything must be covered except face and hands was referring to a differnt religion, a different
country!

You certainly don't want jeans anywhere in Thiland - way too hot, but light long pants are fine. And a light dress that is knee length or longer is also fine, but you must cover your shoulders.

Note that generally, modest dress is appropriate everywhere in Thailand. Items like tank tops, shorts, etc are considered beach wear.

I was "cited" for wearing mid-calf capris at the Grand Temple, and, for a small charge, was given a cute sarong to wear. The sarong had a metallic elephant motif and turned out to be very photogenic. It is possible that the temple fashion police noticed me because my teen boys were wearing basketball shorts - They were provided with drawstring yoga pants.

Socks with sandals are a no-no all over the world!

Thanks crosscheck....

"Socks with sandals are a no-no all over the world!"
YES! So are dark socks/knee socks with shorts for men!

i continue to wear socks from time to time with my sandals... keeps out street grime as much as anything and there never is a blister...

Was at the grand palace yesterday. Ladies in capri pants were definitely getting sarongs. Note that you don't take your shoes off to enter the temple, only when you want to go into one of the chapels within the temple.

Remember to go on a weekday so you can see the throne halls, which are really magnificent, even though there's some renovation work going on in one of them at the moment.

Wat Po is also under renovation at the moment. The temple is open but I'm not sure you can get into the chapel housing the reclining Buddha.

Michael...is this another scam? We can't see the reclining Buddha so you want us to get into your tuk-tuk and you'll give us a tour...right?

We're not going for another 3 weeks, so maybe that section will be open by then.

Thanks for the heads up on capris. Long dress it is! Ooops! Have to go shopping! I don't own a dress that covers my knees. :-)