travel etiquette Archives - the witty passport

Why Can’t You Wear Shorts in a Temple? The Real Reason

Elena Vasquez · August 25, 2026

A neat row of sandals left outside the worn stone threshold of an ornate temple doorway, with one person stepping barefoot over the threshold in loose ankle-length linen trousers, the gold-lit interior glowing softly beyond in early morning light.

Not what to wear — why. The body hierarchy, the register rule, and why Buddhist temples and Greek Orthodox monasteries landed on the same dress code.

Do You Need to Cover Up Tattoos at a Buddhist Temple?

Elena Vasquez · August 25, 2026

A traveler's forearm with a bold blackwork tattoo sleeve of stylised leaves and geometric bands, resting on a stone balustrade while the cuff of a loose cream linen long-sleeve shirt is drawn down over the ink, with the gilded chedi and red-tiled rooflines of a Thai Buddhist temple courtyard blurred in warm afternoon light behind.

Buddhist temples don’t ban tattoos. One specific tattoo, in a few specific countries, is a genuine problem — here’s the honest, country-by-country answer.