# What should you wear in Thailand?

> What to wear in Thailand month by month, with Bangkok and Chiang Mai temperatures, the Grand Palace and temple dress code, tips for women and a packing list.

- Source: https://clevertourists.com/resources/what-to-wear-in-thailand
- Authors: Evan & Clara, Clever Tourists (first-hand, from years of travel across 20 countries)
- Published: 2026-10-20
- Last updated: 2026-10-26

**Wear light, loose summer clothes in every month, and carry something that covers your shoulders and knees for temples, because the Grand Palace and the big Bangkok wats check at the gate.** Bangkok averages 32–36°C by day all year; the seasons are about rain (roughly May to October) and, in the north, cool nights: Chiang Mai averages about 16–17°C after dark in December and January. Swimwear and going shirtless belong on the beach. We travelled Thailand from 7 December 2022 to 21 January 2023, from Bangkok up through Ayutthaya, Sukhothai, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son, then down to Khao Sok and Ao Nang, so the cool-season advice is first-hand.

## 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](https://clevertourists.com/resources/chiang-mai-burning-season-2027-haze-travel-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](https://clevertourists.com/resources/songkran-2027-chiang-mai-bangkok-water-festival-guide).

| Month | Bangkok | Chiang Mai | What to wear |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| January | 33 / 23°C | 30 / 16°C | Summer clothes, plus a sweater or light jacket for northern nights and mountain mornings. |
| February | 34 / 25°C | 33 / 17°C | Summer clothes. Haze can begin in the north. |
| March | 35 / 26°C | 35 / 20°C | The lightest clothes you own. Hot season. |
| April | 36 / 27°C | 37 / 23°C | Loose cotton or linen and a sun hat. Songkran soaks everything in mid-April. |
| May | 35 / 27°C | 35 / 24°C | Light clothes and an umbrella as the rainy season starts. |
| June | 34 / 26°C | 33 / 25°C | Quick-dry clothes, a rain jacket or umbrella, sandals. |
| July | 34 / 26°C | 32 / 24°C | As June. |
| August | 33 / 26°C | 32 / 24°C | As June. |
| September | 33 / 25°C | 32 / 24°C | As June. The wettest month in Bangkok. |
| October | 33 / 25°C | 32 / 23°C | Quick-dry clothes and rain gear; rain eases late in the month. |
| November | 33 / 25°C | 31 / 20°C | Summer clothes. The cool, dry season begins. |
| December | 32 / 23°C | 29 / 17°C | Summer clothes plus a warm layer for the north. The driest month. |

_Average high / low in °C, 1991–2020. Multiply by 1.8 and add 32 for °F._

## 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](https://clevertourists.com/resources/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](https://clevertourists.com/resources/temple-dress-code-thailand).

## 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](https://clevertourists.com/resources/thailand-itinerary-our-6-week-route-bangkok-north-to-the-andaman). 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

### Can you wear shorts in Thailand?

Yes, on the street, in malls and at the beach. At temples and royal sites, men and women need knees and shoulders covered.

### What should I wear to the Grand Palace in Bangkok?

Long trousers or a skirt below the knee and a top with sleeves, not see-through and not tight leggings or cropped trousers. Staff check at the entrance, and sarongs and trousers can be rented if you arrive underdressed.

### What should I wear in Thailand in December?

Summer clothes, plus a warm layer for the north. Bangkok averages 32°C by day, while Chiang Mai drops to about 17°C at night in December.

### What should I wear in Thailand as a woman?

Shorts, dresses and tank tops are normal in cities and beach towns. Carry a shawl or long trousers for temples and royal sites, and keep swimwear for the beach and the pool.

### What should I wear in Thailand in the rainy season?

Quick-drying light clothes, a rain jacket or umbrella and sandals. The rainy season runs roughly May to October, and September is the wettest month in Bangkok.