Andys Real Guide to Thailand

Maybe if Christian churches were as bright and cheerful they'd have as many worshipers.

A full 95% of the country's population are Buddhist. At some point in their lives most Thai men have have worn the saffron robes of a Buddhist monk. When visiting temples you must remove you shoes before entering the main place of worship in a temple ( "Waht" in Thai ). You'd don't technically need to remove socks, but as the floors are tiled and polished you'll probably want to. If you're going sightseeing I'd recommend dispensing with shoes and buy a pair of sandals - you'll be taking them off a lot

Dress code: The rules are getting laxer recently and vary by location. In general men ought to wear long trousers (sign says 'Pants'), and some sort of shirt. Ladies should cover shoulders and knees, also tight fitting stuff is frowned upon.

For Ladies only: You should not touch a monk or any Buddha image. If you want to give something to a monk you should either give it to a male companion first or place it in front of the monk. Traditionally you should not speak to monk either, but this last rule seems to be fading fast.

If you decide to sit (on the floor, because there won't be any chairs) you should either sit cross-legged or with your legs tucked under or to one side. Sitting stretched out is a no-no. This is because the feet are traditionally seen as an unclean part of the body and pointing them anywhere is a sign of disrespect.

Photography is generally OK, but it's always a good idea to ask first.

At the big tourist centers these rules are enforced by security staff, who will often give you suitable clothing to wear. In other temples the senior monks may ask you to leave.

Smoking is not permitted inside temples.

One notable point about temples - nobody gets married at them. Marriages are usually performed at the bride's family home, and involve a good 2 hours of monk's chanting a quite repetitive blessing. Religous marriage ceremonies have no legal status in Thailand, see Getting Married in Thailand for the legal procedure.

If you're surprised at the number of cats in your average temple it's because people take stray cats and unwanted kittens to temples for the monks to take care of. Traditionally, the monks accepted cats as mice catchers - they wanted to protect both ancient scrolls and their food stores. Cats have a significant status in Buddhism, many Thai's believe that they represent the reincarnation of a novice monk. In terms of belief, killing one is considered a serious crime. Even today, many Thai vets are reluctant to put down a cats for that reason.