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What to wear in Thailand comes down to three things: the month, the region, and whether you’re about to walk into a temple. The heat is the easy part. The Thailand temple dress code is stricter than most people pack for, and the Thailand laws for tourists have moved since mid-2025. Vaping in Thailand is still banned and policed, alcohol can now be sold through the afternoon, and cannabis is back under prescription. Here’s each one with 2026 dates and numbers, plus the Thailand etiquette (the wai, heads and feet, monks) that costs nothing to learn.
What to wear and what to avoid
- Temples
- cover your shoulders and knees. The Grand Palace also bans sleeveless tops, shorts and tight or see-through clothes, and charges foreigners 500 baht.
- Vapes
- banned. Importing one risks up to 10 years in prison or a fine of five times its value.
- Alcohol
- on sale from 11:00 to 24:00 since 29 May 2026, with a nationwide sales ban on four Buddhist holy days. The drinking age is 20.
- Cannabis
- prescription only since June 2025.
- Monarchy
- insulting it can bring up to 15 years per offense.
- Beaches
- nudity can be fined up to 5,000 baht, and smoking is banned on 24 beaches.
- Emergency
- 191 for police, 1155 for the tourist police.
What to wear in Thailand by season and region
Thailand is hot almost everywhere, almost all year. Bangkok’s average highs run from 32.3 °C in December to 35.7 °C in April, so light cotton, linen and quick-dry fabrics do most of the work. The exceptions are the north in winter, the rainy season and temples. Our best time to visit Thailand guide has the month-by-month numbers.
| Where and when | What to expect | What we’d wear |
|---|---|---|
| Bangkok and the central plains, all year | Highs of 32 to 36 °C | Light cotton or linen, plus a thin layer for air-conditioned rooms |
| Bangkok and the Andaman coast, mid-May to mid-October | September is the wettest month: 336 mm in Bangkok, 350 mm in Phuket | Quick-dry clothes, a light rain jacket, sandals that grip when wet |
| Koh Samui and the Gulf islands, October to December | Koh Samui averages 445 mm in November | The same rain kit |
| Chiang Mai and the north, November to February | Highs of 29 to 31 °C, but nights are cool: a Thai Meteorological Department outlook put January minimums in the north at 16 to 19 °C | Long trousers and a fleece or light jacket for evenings, more in the hills |
| Beaches, any season | Beach rules differ from town rules (see below) | Swimwear on the sand, a shirt or sarong off it |
| Songkran, 13 to 15 April | Street water fights in Bangkok and Chiang Mai | Quick-dry clothes you don’t mind soaking, and a waterproof phone pouch |
Going north in the cool season? Pack the extra layer, and see our Bangkok to Chiang Mai guide for the night train.
Thailand temple dress code: shoulders, knees and shoes
The Tourism Authority of Thailand’s rule of thumb: men wear a shirt with sleeves and long trousers or shorts that cover the knees. Women wear a skirt below the knee and a top with sleeves, not spaghetti straps. Shoes or sandals with a back strap are fine, and they come off before you enter a temple hall. Hats and sunglasses come off too, and phones go on silent. Many temples lend or sell sarongs at the gate, but the supply runs out at busy times, so we’d arrive already dressed for it.
The Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, are the strict ones. The palace publishes its own list.
| Grand Palace | What the palace says |
|---|---|
| Ticket | 500 baht for foreigners, including Wat Phra Kaew and the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles |
| Hours | Daily 08:30 to 16:30, with tickets sold until 15:30 |
| Clothing | No sleeveless shirts, vests, short tops, see-through tops, shorts, tight or bike pants, torn pants, mini skirts or sleeping suits |
| Drones | Not allowed over the palace |
The page says nothing about lending clothes, so we wouldn’t count on borrowing a cover-up at the gate. Wear full-length trousers rather than gamble on “knee-length”. If someone outside says the palace is closed today, walk on: In Your Pocket flags that line as a persistent scam.
Thailand etiquette: the wai, heads, feet and monks
Nobody expects a visitor to get all of it right. The Thai government’s etiquette notes and the TAT agree on a short list.
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| The wai (palms pressed together, a small bow) | A greeting for people of higher age or status. We’d answer one with a nod and a smile rather than start one. |
| Heads | Don’t touch anyone’s head. Thais treat it as the highest and most important part of the body. |
| Feet | Don’t point your feet at people or things, push objects with them, or step over people, food or books. |
| Monks | Women must not touch a monk or his robes. Pass anything through a man, or set it down for the monk to pick up. |
| Buddha images | Never sit or stand higher than the image, keep your feet pointing away from it, and don’t turn your back on it. Walk clockwise around sacred objects. |
| Homes and temple halls | Shoes off. Thais don’t wear shoes in the house, and a pile of shoes at a door is your cue anywhere. |
Buddha images need care beyond the temple. Taking one out of the country requires a license from the Fine Arts Department, according to the government’s export checklist, so ask the shop for the paperwork. As for tattoos, the Culture Ministry asked Thai tattoo parlors in 2011 to stop inking Buddha images on foreigners, and said it wasn’t then a crime. We’d keep any Buddha tattoo covered at temples, and we wouldn’t get one here.
Thailand laws for tourists: the short list that catches people out
Most Thailand laws for tourists are common sense. These are the ones where the penalty is out of proportion to the offense.
| Rule | What we found |
|---|---|
| Insulting the monarchy (Article 112) | Three to 15 years in prison, according to Thai PBS World. The US State Department says up to 15 years per offense and gives tearing a banknote with the king’s portrait as an example. A political amnesty law that took effect in August 2026 excludes it. |
| Drugs | The State Department warns of long jail sentences, heavy fines and even execution. The UK Foreign Office adds that carrying cannabis out of Thailand, even in transit, can mean arrest or a fine. |
| Online posts | Defamation laws are strict and reach negative online reviews, with civil and criminal penalties (State Department). |
| ID | The State Department recommends carrying a digital or physical copy of your passport photo page and visa, to avoid detention by immigration police. |
| Public nudity | Section 388 of the Criminal Code allows a fine of up to 5,000 baht. |
The tourist police answer on 1155; 191 is the general police line.
Vaping in Thailand: banned, and the ban is enforced
E-cigarettes have been banned in Thailand since 2014. The TAT’s advice is blunt: bring no electronic cigarette and no equipment linked to one, liquid included. Tourists get the same treatment as residents. The Thai government portal lists the penalties.
| Offense | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Importing, luggage included | Up to 10 years in prison or a fine of five times the goods’ value, plus confiscation |
| Knowingly holding or receiving | Up to 5 years or a fine of four times the value |
| Selling | Up to 3 years or 600,000 baht under consumer law; police in 2025 cited up to 10 years and 500,000 baht for sellers |
| Using in a public place | A fine of up to 5,000 baht |
Enforcement isn’t theoretical. A crackdown from 26 February to 4 March 2025 produced 690 arrests of suspected sellers. In April 2026 police raided a Samut Prakan warehouse, seized e-cigarettes and related products worth over 200 million baht, and promised nationwide operations. Visitors aren’t the main target, but the TAT notice says some have been fined on the spot or arrested. The 5,000 baht figure covers use in public; what a tourist is asked to pay at the roadside isn’t published, and we wouldn’t assume it’s that low.
A vape in your bag is an import
Size doesn’t matter, and disposables, pods and e-liquid count as well as devices. We’d leave it at home and use patches or gum for the trip, because the downside is out of all proportion to the convenience.
Alcohol, cannabis and smoking: what changed in 2025 and 2026
| Rule | Where it stands in October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Alcohol sales hours | 11:00 to 24:00 every day since 29 May 2026, after a Royal Gazette notice. The old 14:00 to 17:00 gap is gone. Hotels and international airport terminals are exempt, and licensed entertainment venues follow their own permits. |
| Dry days | Sales stop nationwide on Makha Bucha, Visakha Bucha, Asahna Bucha and the first day of Buddhist Lent. Sellers who break the ban risk up to six months in prison or 10,000 baht. The July 2026 ban ran on 29 and 30 July. The next is Makha Bucha, which falls on 21 February 2027. |
| Where you can’t drink | The legal age is 20. No drinking in temples, government offices, petrol stations, public parks or on public transport. |
| Cannabis | A controlled herb since 25 June 2025. Tourists need a Thai prescription, limited to 30 days’ supply, to buy or use flower. The TAT says what looked tolerated before “was never legally authorised”. Smoking it in public can mean up to three months in jail and a 25,000 baht fine, and importing cannabis is illegal. |
| Cigarettes | A fine of up to 5,000 baht in smoke-free places. A rule that began in February 2018 covers 24 beaches in 15 provinces, with fines up to 100,000 baht or a year in prison, and smoking allowed only in designated spots nearby. |
Songkran, beaches and what to wear off the sand
Songkran runs 13 to 15 April, a Tuesday to Thursday in 2027. Thairath’s 2026 safety list bans high-pressure water guns, splashing people on moving vehicles and carrying knife-like items into water zones. Bangkok’s city administration also asked revelers to get consent before dusting anyone with powder, and to dress decently.
On the beach, swimwear is fine on the sand, and nude sunbathing isn’t. In March 2026 the Tourist Police inspected Shadow Beach at Rawai, in Phuket, after videos promoted it as clothing-optional, and warned the nude visitors they found. Put a shirt or sarong on when you leave the sand. Heading to the Andaman coast? Our Bangkok to Phuket guide covers the airport transfers.
What we would actually do
We’d pack light long trousers and a sleeved shirt just for temples, and slip-on shoes for the shoe-off moments. The vape stays home. We’d buy drinks before midnight, check the dry-day dates before a beach party, skip cannabis altogether, and keep the king, the monks and every Buddha statue out of jokes and selfie poses.
Before you fly, file the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card in the three days before landing, and read tipping in Thailand for what to leave and when the 10% service charge means you’re done.
Going on to Japan? Our guides to shrine etiquette in Japan and eating while walking in Japan cover the same kind of unwritten rules.
Looking for the rest? Every Thailand guide we’ve published, from the TDAC to the baht, is sorted by topic in our Thailand travel guide.
Visiting the ruins at Ayutthaya? Cover your shoulders and knees there too. Our Bangkok to Ayutthaya guide has the tickets, the hours and a one-day plan.
Sources
- Royal Grand Palace, visitor information, dress code, tickets and hours.
- Tourism Authority of Thailand, temple dress and etiquette guidance.
- Tourism Authority of Thailand, alcohol sales hours, drinking age and where drinking is banned.
- Tourism Authority of Thailand, cannabis rules for tourists, June 2025.
- Tourism Authority of Thailand, cannabis and hemp rules: public smoking and imports.
- Tourism Authority of Thailand, notice on e-cigarettes.
- Thailand government portal, e-cigarette ban and penalties.
- Thailand government portal, etiquette: the wai, heads, feet and monks.
- Thailand government portal, tourist police and emergency numbers.
- Thailand government portal, export checklist: Buddha images and antiques.
- US State Department, Thailand country information: lèse-majesté, drugs, defamation, ID.
- UK Foreign Office, Thailand travel advice: carrying cannabis out of the country.
- Thairath, alcohol sales hours from 29 May 2026.
- The Nation Thailand, July 2026 alcohol sales ban, penalties and exemptions.
- The Nation Thailand, Bank of Thailand 2027 holiday dates.
- The Nation Thailand, 2025 e-cigarette crackdown.
- The Nation Thailand, Samut Prakan e-cigarette raid, April 2026.
- Thai PBS World, penalty range for lèse-majesté.
- Associated Press via WTOP, amnesty law excludes lèse-majesté, August 2026.
- Khaosod English, Section 388 and public nudity, March 2026.
- Pattaya Mail, Tourist Police at Shadow Beach, March 2026.
- Khaosod English, smoking ban on 24 beaches.
- Tobacco Control Laws, Tobacco Products Control Act penalties.
- Thairath, Songkran 2026 safety rules.
- Pattaya Mail, Bangkok Songkran guidance.
- In Your Pocket, sarongs at temple gates and the “closed today” scam.
- NBC News, Culture Ministry and Buddha tattoos, 2011.
- Thai Meteorological Department, climate normals for Bangkok, Phuket and Koh Samui (1991 to 2020).
- Bangkok Post, Thai Meteorological Department cool-season minimums in the north.
Data checked: 2026-10-06
