What should you wear in Thailand?

What to wear in Thailand by month

Average daily highs and lows for Bangkok and Chiang Mai, 1991–2020 normals (Thai Meteorological Department and WMO station data). The south's two coasts have their own rainy seasons: the Andaman side (Phuket, Krabi, Ao Nang) is wettest from about May to October, while the Gulf islands such as Koh Samui get their heaviest rain later in the year.

The north has its own hazard in the hot season: smoke from crop burning, usually worst from about February to April. See our Chiang Mai burning season guide. Songkran, 13 to 15 April, means you will be soaked in the street, so wear clothes that can get wet and are not see-through when they do; see Songkran 2027.

What to wear in Thailand as a woman, and as a man

As a woman: in Bangkok's malls and nightlife areas and in the beach towns, shorts, sundresses and tank tops are normal. Covering your shoulders and knees matters at temples, royal sites and government offices, and is the more comfortable choice in rural towns. Swimwear is for the beach and the pool. A light shawl or sarong in your bag turns a sleeveless outfit into a temple outfit in seconds.

As a man: shorts and T-shirts are fine on the street, but going shirtless away from the beach is seen as rude, and temples need knee-length or longer trousers. Thai men in offices and at temples dress more formally than most visitors expect.

Behaviour matters more than clothing: feet and heads are the big taboos. See what is considered rude in Thailand.

Temple dress code: the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and the rest

Shoulders and knees covered, for men and women, at every temple. The Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok are the strictest in the country, with staff checking at the entrance; they also reject see-through fabric, tight leggings and cropped trousers. Wat Pho and Wat Arun apply a similar standard. If you arrive underdressed, the big sites rent or lend sarongs and long trousers near the entrance, and street vendors sell cheap elephant-print trousers.

Shoes come off before entering each building, not across the whole temple grounds, so wear shoes you can slip off and on many times a day. Don't point your feet at a Buddha image, and women should not hand anything directly to a monk. The full rules are in our Thailand temple dress code guide.

Thailand packing list

• Loose, light clothes: linen and cotton, or quick-dry fabric in the rainy season.

• Temple outfit: one pair of long trousers or a long skirt and a top with sleeves, or a shawl to cover the shoulders.

• Slip-on shoes or sandals that you can take off in seconds at temple doors.

• One warm layer for the north from November to February, overnight buses and trains, and air-conditioned malls.

• Rain gear from May to October.

• Swimwear and a cover-up for the islands and Krabi.

• Sun protection: hat, sunglasses and sunscreen.

What we saw in Thailand in December and January

We were in Thailand from 7 December 2022 to 21 January 2023: Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Lopburi, Sukhothai, Lampang, Chiang Mai (22 to 28 December), Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son, Khao Sok and Ao Nang, finishing back in Bangkok. The route is in our six-week Thailand itinerary. That is the cool, dry season: Bangkok was as hot as ever by day; the north is where an evening layer matters.

Our photos from a Chiang Mai market at the end of December show that it is still a short-sleeves crowd in the early evening in town; the jackets come out in the mountains and on early-morning starts. The temples in Chiang Mai's old city, like the one in our cover photo, are where the covered-shoulders outfit gets used most.

Frequently asked questions