Temple Etiquette
Temple Etiquette and Rules
You will find wats (pronounced “waht”) absolutely everywhere in Southeast Asia. They range from grubby little shrines to huge, impressive temples which have become tourist sites. Many are very old and it is a huge part of daily life in Thailand. If you try to see them all you will quickly find yourself becoming burned out with Wat overload!
Here are some simple tips for not offending anyone (living or otherwise):
If you greet a monk with a wai, they get the highest one out of respect. (read about the wai)
Always remove your shoes at the bottom of the steps, before entering the worship area, or before approaching an outside Buddha statue.
Everyone (male and female) should dress as conservatively as possible in the temples – some even require long pants. Women should not wear outfits that show their shoulders or legs. This is actually not a sexist thing, the opposite is true. It is to keep the male monks from temptation and having to cleanse themselves for days!
Never turn your back on a Buddha statue, always back out of the worship area.
Many monks are not allowed to eat after 12:00 noon. Don’t be a jerk and make their stomach growl by eating snacks next to them on buses and trains.
If you take pictures inside of a temple, you should leave a small donation in the metal box.
Women should never, ever touch a monk anywhere…not even on accident. If you need to hand something to a monk, pass it to a man first.
Monks are some of the kindest and happiest people you will meet. Regardless of your take on religion, the Buddhist culture and their beliefs of Karma and reincarnation is one of the reasons that Thailand is so safe and friendly to travel. Whenever I encounter one of the many traveling monks (they are easy to spot in their robes and tiny suitcase containing only another robe) on a hot day in a train or bus station, I try to buy them a bottle of water or say hello.
Alms Ceremony
If you wake up even before the roosters have decided to wake everyone up, in some places you can go out and watch people give their alms to the monks (or participate youself). It is a very somber and beautiful ritual where the monks walk down the street, the oldest leading, with small bowls. This is one of the few things that a monk is allowed to own. People place a handful of rice or other small goodies into the bowls.
In case you participate:
They start around 05:00am and do not take alms during the rainy season (July – Oct).
Don’t expect the monks to thank you. They aren’t being rude, it is believed that the people will receive merit by getting up early to give with nothing in return.
Women typically kneel and the men stand.
Make sure you drop the offering directly into the bowl, women aren’t allowed to brush the monk or even the bowl!
When their bowl is full, they will put the lid on and you can still put the last bits of food on the lid.
If everyone else giving food has their shoes off, remove yours too!
Some friendly young monks encountered in a train station:
