Temple Attire
 

May women wear sleeveless dresses/shirts in temples in Thailand? If not, will a light shawl over sleevless atires be alright?

No bare shoulders and thighs. Grabbing a shawl and sarong would be most handy.

my wife keeps a scarf handy while travelling for just that purpose..

are sleeveless blouses acceptable anywhere in Thailand, Laos & Cambodia? Its my understanding that, to be respectful, women ought to wear shirts with collars (or at least an unrevealing neck line) and with sleeves. I am going to SE Asia in mid-April, and if the heat is as oppresive as Delhi in August and if the clothing is as conservative as I've read, then short sleeve loose button down shirts (I wear a boys XXL $9 at Old Navy now) of seer-sucker, cotton or athletic blend will work best (also quick drying. HOWEVER, if sleeveless is acceptable (except in temples/wats) PLEASE let me know. thanks

Others may have different views, but IMO sleeveless tops (not tube tops) are fine for women in Thailand except for temples, and then you can just throw a scarf around. I wore sleeveless blouses and found them comfortable.

Especially in Laos and Cambodia I'd stay away from sleeveless. Thailand has more contact with visitors, and modest sleevless blouses (not tight tank tops) would be ok except for temple visits.

Sorry it took me so long to respond, but a great big thanks to all of you. I will pack a shawl. Thanks again.

Are shorts (the ones that go down to the knees) allowed for men?

We are leaving for bangkok on April 28 and arriving in the country's hottest season. My husband would like to avoid having to wear long pants in such heat and humidity, if possible.

Any advise appreciated!

I would suggest he wear long pants to the Grand Palace, as they are very strict there. I don't think he will have a problem in "long" shorts at other temples.

You should both carry umbrellas which are of great use to keep the hot sun off your body; you feel silly holding one up when it is not raining for about a minute, and then appreciate the coolness. . . .

Stevie507, the problem with the shawl at a place like the Grand Palace is that it is a huge site, most of it is outdoors, and you would have to wear the shawl the entire time you are walking around in the hot sun. You might want to wear a sleeved blouse on the day you visit the Grand Palace.

I think it's a question of respect. Most Thai women are covered so I did the same. In April it's so hot you are running with sweat whatever you wear, and it seems polite to contain armpits in these conditions, particularly when using public transport. You can pick up very cheap thin tops with long sleeves at any market for a couple of euros. If you are planning to swim in waterfalls and rivers you will find young Thai girls swimming fully clothed - older Thai ladies usually just dabble their feet. It feels strange to swim clothed but it's OK and always best to avoid causing offence. Again markets are a great source for thin baggy trousers. Beach resorts are much more relaxed.

for swimming, I am bringing a very modest 1 piece suit from LLBean and a pair of boy's long nylon bathing 'shorts' that I bought at Target for < $10. The shorts are very light weight and fast drying and go to my knees (and I am 5'9").