Etiquette

Visiting Thai Temples (วัด)

Thailand has over 40,000 temples (วัด, wát). They are sacred spaces and visiting them requires following specific customs.

Dress Code

• Cover shoulders and knees — no tank tops, shorts, or revealing clothing
• Many temples provide wraps at the entrance
• Remove shoes before entering buildings
• Remove hats and sunglasses inside

Behavior

• Never point your feet at Buddha images or monks
• Sit with feet tucked behind you
• Women must never touch a monk or hand items directly
• Speak quietly and turn off phone sounds
• Walk clockwise around stupas

Key Vocabulary

• วัด (wát) — temple
• พระ (prá) — monk / Buddha image
• พระพุทธรูป (prá-pút-tá-rûup) — Buddha statue
• กราบ (gràap) — to prostrate
• ถอดรองเท้า (tɔ̀ɔt rɔɔng-táao) — remove shoes