I may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post. This is at no extra cost to you.

I recently returned from a trip to Thailand. After our stop in Pattaya it was off to Bangkok!

Of course we had to stop at the number one tourist attraction in all of Thailand: The Grand Palace.

The Grand Palace is home to the Thai Royal Family. Those areas are shut up tight and guarded but there is still so much to see! There are temples and ceremonial buildings galore in this giant plaza. We spent a few hours here and wish we could have spent more. There were just so many beautiful and intricate buildings.

Dress Code at Thai Temples

One thing you’ll want to make sure of before you go to the Grand Palace is that you are properly dressed. The Thai culture is actually pretty modest despite the sky high temperatures. At the Grand Palace and other temples there is a strictly enforced dress code.

For both men and women the dress code is pretty similar.

• Shoulders covered
• No see through tops
• No midriffs showing or cutouts
• Ankles Covered
• No tight pants or jeans with holes

They do enforce the dress code. I did see a lady turned away for holes in her jeans. So beware of that. You might also want to steer clear of lace and gauzy materials that can be seen through.

What to Wear to the Grand Palace

While the modesty standards are a bit restrictive you can still manage to be appropriate, stylish, and comfortable.

Before we left I picked up this salmon jumpsuit and hat from TJ Maxx. It has sleeves and long pants in a lightweight material making it a perfect option for the Grand Palace. If you can’t find an appropriate jumpsuit or if they just aren’t your thing here are some other great options:

• Maxi Dresses
• Maxi Skirts
• Paperbag Pants
• Linen Pants
• Palazzo Pants

If you forget to pack don’t worry, they do sell shawls and pants to make sure you’re covered. Dave had to buy some Thai style elephant pants. Buyer beware — they were super cheap quality and got a large hole in them after just one day but they did get him in. 

Other Clothing Essentials for the Grand Palace

Once you’ve gotten your main outfit nailed down don’t forget accessories:

• Sunglasses
• Hat
• Pickpocket proof bag/wallet

I cannot stress enough how hot Bangkok is. It was 90’s when we were there with a real feel of like 116. So you will definitely want some sunglasses and a good lightweight hat. I lived in my hat while we were on vacation! 

You will also note that the Grand Palace is the most crowded place you will visit. Pickpockets know this and will try and take advantage of all of us naive tourists. We actually think that someone tried to pickpocket me because be noticed my backpack was partially opened at one point. Haha. Joke’s on them — that’s where we were storing all of our trash! Just goes to show that thievery is a real thing and you’ll need to take precautions with whatever bag you choose to bring. 

Other Tips for the Grand Palace

• Sunblock
• Bathroom toiletries
• Water bottles
• Someplace to hold trash

Bring sunblock, lots of it! It is hotter than Hades with a high UV index. You will want to purchase this in the US (or wherever your home country is) as the sunblock in Thailand contains skin bleaching agents. I mean, I work hard to maintain my pasty white complexion but that can’t be good for you! 

I would also recommend the stick sunblock for your face. It has a high wax content and won’t drip into your eyes like regular sunblock. 

I can’t recall what the bathroom facilities were like specifically in the Grand Palace but you will want to be prepared. In Thailand they often will only have a bidet. Have something to wipe with or be prepared to drip-dry. There was even one bathroom at a mall movie theater that had NOTHING. They didn’t have a bidet or toilet paper! Luckily I was prepared. Otherwise that could have been a pretty messy situation!

When we got to the Palace we expected there to be vendors everywhere selling water and food. We assumed wrong. You could find yourself in a pretty thirsty place if you don’t bring some water with you. They did have like 3 water bottle refilling stations throughout the entire complex. These are not water fountains and if you don’t have something to put the water in they are absolutely useless. So yeah, don’t forget to bring water. 

A last thing to note is that aside from not having water they also don’t have much by way of trash disposal. We found this true in most of Thailand. Make sure to have a little extra space on you to hold onto trash until you can find the rare trashcan. 

I hope you found some of these tips helpful if you are planning to make the big trip to the Grand Palace. If you don’t envision yourself in Thailand anytime soon I still hope you enjoyed hearing about my adventures and seeing my pictures. If you want to see more Thailand updates don’t forget to subscribe and follow me on social media!