[ansarigf]

Hello everyone! Found this forum just today and think it's great! I will be travelling to Thailand in October, and my concern at this point is what is the correct thing to wear? I am female and have lived in the US my whole life. This is the first time I will be travelling out of the country. I've been reading and studying up as much as I can about Thailand and I see now where I will need to be careful about the clothes I wear! Can anyone please give me specifics? I live in a part of the US that is generally warm and humid. A lot of my clothing is for comfort. I do understand that when visiting places such as the Grand Palace my shoulders must be covered and my knees should not show and if wearing sandals they must at least have a strap in the back.
However, can I wear a modest but sleeveless dress while out otherwise? Can I wear shorts and do they have to be below the knee? I just don't understand how Thais deal with the heat and humidity all covered up? Any advice is much appreciated. I don't want to disrespect anybody, even if it means I may have to wear long pants or some such thing. I don't even think I have a summer type dress with sleeves. Help!

[mikaelluioy]

Due to the fact the tee shirts and shorts aren’t exactly thought of as “appropriate apparel” in Thailand, I would stick to wearing light cotton shirts with three quarter length sleeves. (Also bring lots of anti-perspirant and baby powder; you’ll be sweating a lot).

[euylvaygdq]

Where in the States are you from? I live in Miami, and the weather here is comparable to Thailand in October. You stated that you live somewhere warm and humid, so I am guessing the Southeast somewhere near Florida, the Gulf Coast, or East Texas??? At any rate, phongphat87's advice is good. There is a powder available in Thailand (Snake Brand) that has a very cooling effect (contains menthol). Also, Thais tend to shower often, eat chiles to balance the body's regulatory system, walk slowly, and find shade wherever possible. Modesty of dress will gain you respect, but people are pretty used to falang dressing differently from Thais. Observing dress codes at temples, taking off your shoes when entering someone's home, and generally keeping yourself neat and clean should be enough. Remember, mai bpen rai (i.e., it doesn't matter, it's all good, no problem, etc.).

[CowextetleSix]

www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Asia/Thailand/Central_Eastern_Thailand/Bangkok-1445238/TravelGuide-Bangkok.html

[gastabegree]

I think that the term modesty sums it all up. People can name rule after rule, but every rule is completely unspoken and just as any American 'rule', it is based on personal opinions and 'the impression' that so-and-so had got.

Vision's advice is about the best one will find on here. Just like Vision said modesty is the important factor, and if you make any other so called mistake it will be easily over-looked by the locals as long as you show more modesty than what women in the USA tend to show. Especially around the Miami area LOL.

As far as the above listed website, it has a large amount of information, but just as I had stated, nearly every line on that site is more people giving their own lists of set rules. For those who have been to Thailand, you may find this picture amusing...


This is not the modesty that one will see during the daylight hours. But you can do as you like as long as you don't mind people assuming what business you are in.

[euylvaygdq]

Quote[/b] ]...as long as you show more modesty than what women in the USA tend to show. Especially around the Miami area LOL.

The comment about the way women in Miami dress is spot on. My wife was amazed at all the women in very tight-fitting clothing, especially since many of them are quite a bit overweight. She commented that she would never expect to see such a thing in Thailand, especially the older gals. I shared a southern colloquialism with her when I told her it's like "trying to get a gallon in a pint jar."

[cokLoolioli]

What a perfect analogy! LOL

Of course that can't be considered offensive because nobody looks in the mirror and thinks 'I'm too fat to wear this', and the proof lies in the simple fact that so many will wear such things. How did the comedians say before? Spandex is a privledge not a right.

[gastabegree]

I'm not trying to sound old here, but I know the younger readers will view it that way...

What's sad is the sexual overtones that these types of clothing are trying to accentuate. I mean sure it is cute when we all see 15 or 16 year old Britney Spears dress in such tight form-fitting clothing, and 2 years later when it is ok to be publicly saying that a man finds her sexually attractive. Even getting more bold as she turns 21, with even a wider age range of men commenting on her. As she also becomes very sexually open in her discussion of her private life. Very amusing watching her 'blossom' as a star. But there are consequences.

When Britney Spears was a hot ticket 5 years ago all the little 9 year old girls in the city I live in used to imitate that dress style. It was cute and innocent then. When Britney was 18-19 and started dancing in a very provocative manner, so were the little 10 and 11 year old girls in this town. When Britney started speaking of her sexual desires and relationships, apparently so did the local 13 and 14 year old girls.

My daughter who is now 13, knows of 9 girls in her junior high school who are pregnant. pregnant before even getting into the 9th grade!

Clothing, styles, dancing, and well everything try to press the envelope. Make the unacceptable eventually be considered the norm. Look at what was considered offensive in just music throughout the years, strangely enough you may find that what the public considered offensive goes to a lower and lower level as the years progress. In Chronological order...

Elvis Presley
James Brown
The Beatles
The Doors
Sting
George Michael
Michael Jackson
Janet Jackson
Madonna
TLC
Britney well really any female artist in the pop/r&b culture of American music videos.

Each of those artists have been considered offensive to the public at one point or another, and the numbers also get higher with the timeline. For example when Elvis upset everyone, he was the only one who had upset anyone, by the time The Doors did there were a few others. Then came the days of the disco, can we really count that? It just progresses (or should it be said regresses?) so much. Now we have people walking in clothes so tight that you can see every formerly hidden aspect of the body, and usually that is something that even single guys don't care to see. Though at times... LOL

[euylvaygdq]

Stacker, you old geezer On a more serious note, I see the same thing happening in Thailand. The younger generation is becoming more bold. I think that this is partly due to pop culture as well. If the Japanese "baby doll" fasihon craze ever catches on in Bangkok, well... However, I think, for the most part, Thailand is lagging behind the West, which is a good thing IMHO. My guess is somewhere between the Beatles and Disco.

[cokLoolioli]

Oops. Speeeling errors.

[Inenuedbabnor]

Guess i had to get me nose into this subject.

Attire in Thailand...well it very much depends too on where you are. If you are at the tourist spots or even Bangkok you can get away with pretty much wearing what ya like.

Im not joking but one thing that puts Farang girls in bad light is NOT wearing a bra. Thais are pretty sensitive about this matter but i've never come across any do's and don'ts to Thailand (except me own) that mentions this fact.

Ive even had to kick a teacher out once cause she refused to wear a bra to school after the teachers association were going off their heads at such vulgarity.

Upcountry and off the beaten track, then ya have to be careful with what you wear (and that includes men). Stick there to what Stacker mentioned on 'modesty'.

Unlike in the west, dress is soooooo important in Thailand, it says a whole lot about you. Love or loathe this fact, if you want to be held in high esteem by the locals then choose your dress very wisely.

[gastabegree]

Well said Steve except the part about listening to me. I am a bad influence.

Seriously though Vision I agree that it is between the same era's. Even in that picture I posted from the other website. That type of dress is perfect acceptable among young people in the city, but it will have it's consequences.

The Western styles and lack of modesty may be accepted among the 25 and under age group who soooo enjoy imitating Western fashion and seeming morals as well. But that same dress will not impress the rest of the Thai people. The young will view it as a really modern Western style, and the rest of Thailand will simply see it as more Western corruption.

So if you don't care what people think of you and your set of morals then do what you like. If you do not want people to have a negative stereo-type of what you are and what you represent, then you can do as Steve suggested.