Cover shoulders and knees, remove shoes before entering an ordination hall, do not point your feet at a Buddha image, and never touch or climb on one. Women should not hand objects directly to monks. These rules are enforced at major sites.
The short version
- Shoulders and knees covered — no leggings under a sarong at the Grand Palace.
- Shoes off at the threshold of any ordination hall, always.
- Never sit with your back to a Buddha image for a photograph.
- Do not touch monks; women should place offerings down rather than hand them over.
Dress
Shoulders and knees covered, for everyone. No singlets, no short shorts, no bikini tops. A light scarf and longer trousers solve it in 30 seconds.
Shoes come off before entering any hall. Socks help on hot stone.
Behaviour
Do not point your feet at a Buddha image, do not touch monks (women should not hand anything directly to a monk), and do not climb on stupas for a photo.
Buddha images are sacred objects, not props. Do not turn your back to one for a selfie.
Money and monks
Offering food to monks in the early morning is a genuine practice and welcome to join — buy from a market, kneel, and let them take what they need.
Never give money to someone who approaches you at a temple gate claiming to be a guide.
Where the rules are enforced hardest
Every temple asks for covered shoulders and knees, but enforcement varies enormously. The Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok are the strictest in the country — no leggings under a sarong, no sleeveless tops, no torn jeans — and people are turned away at the gate every day. Wat Arun and Wat Pho are nearly as strict.
In the north, Doi Suthep and Wat Chedi Luang enforce the dress code but will lend a sarong. The White Temple in Chiang Rai and Wat Chalong in Phuket are also strict. Smaller village temples generally do not police it at all, which does not mean the rules do not apply — it means nobody wants to embarrass you.
The behaviour rules are consistent everywhere and mostly common sense: shoes off at the threshold of any ordination hall, no pointing feet at a Buddha image, no climbing on monuments, no photographs of monks without asking, and no physical contact with monks — women should place offerings down rather than hand them over.
