Bangkok has lots of interesting places that tourists can explore during their stay. Among the historical and religious sites worth visiting with your friends and family are the Buddhist temples.
Thailand is home to more than 40,700 temples as of December 2004. Of this figure, almost 34,000 are currently in use. They are classified into different orders and the royal temples are also further classified into the first, second and third class.
Before you head off to some of these religious landmarks in Bangkok, it is recommended that you learn a little bit about the dress code required and how you should behave while inside the building.
Being a sacred place, it is a must for tourists to wear decent clothing. Pants, long and knee-length skirts, maxi dresses that are ankle-length, sarongs, polo shirts and blouses with sleeves are best to use. Avoid shorts especially the very short ones, blouses with spaghetti straps and sleeveless shirts.
Some temples such as those that are not visited by people frequently have a strict dress code. The others that often welcome tourists normally have shawls or sarongs that they loan to visitors without any charge when they get inside. These are usually given by the guard to women wearing sexy clothing or those that show off too much skin.
As for footwear, you can wear anything including open toe sandals and flip flops. What you should have to be aware is you need to take them off when going inside the temple.
Also, don’t forget to remove your hat and sunglasses as well as turn off your mobile phone. Speak softly when inside so as not to distract those who are worshiping.
When you’re in the worship area, refrain from touching sacred objects and don’t get in the way of local people who are praying. Remember to always sit lower than the Buddha and back away instead of turning back when you’re leaving the area.
Photo via zonetourismworld.com