Short answer
The Grand Palace's official visitor page does not allow shorts, sleeveless shirts, vests, short or see-through tops, torn or tight trousers, mini skirts or sleeping suits. The palace is open daily from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, tickets are sold until 3:30 pm and cost foreigners 500 baht, and a royal ceremony can close it early or for the day. Wat Pho is open from 8:00 am to 7:30 pm for 300 baht and also asks for polite dress with no shorts. We found no official Wat Arun hours.
What does the Grand Palace dress code say?
The Grand Palace's official visitor page says visitors must dress appropriately, because the palace is a place of reverence for the Thai people. It lists what is not allowed: no sleeveless shirts, vests, short tops, see-through tops, shorts, torn pants, tight pants, bike pants, mini skirts, pants skirts or sleeping suits. Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, is inside the same compound, so the same list applies there.
The Royal Household Bureau's 2024 visiting regulation, written in Thai, gives more detail. It asks for polite, neat dress, or correct traditional dress of each nation. It names sleeveless shirts, tight shirts, tops that show the belly, thin clothes that show the body, short skirts, tight stretch trousers, shorts, trousers ripped for fashion and three-quarter-length trousers. A ready-made jongkrabaen, the traditional wrapped trouser, must fall well below the knee, and a sabai shawl must be worn over a long-sleeved top.
What should you wear?
Cover your shoulders and knees, and avoid anything tight, thin or torn. Our tour information gives the simplest rule: trousers or a long skirt and a T-shirt with sleeves, with shoes that slip off easily. Because the regulation bans three-quarter-length trousers and tight stretch trousers, choose full-length and loose. Wikivoyage's Bangkok guide describes the rule as long trousers and at least a T-shirt for men, and covered upper arms and legs for women.
Wat Pho asks for polite dress too. Its official visit plan says no shorts, and its tips for visitors add that shorts above the knees are prohibited for women and that shoes must come off and go on the shelf before religious buildings. Wikivoyage says the same about the hall of the Emerald Buddha, and adds that photographs are not allowed inside it. Bring a light scarf for your shoulders; it weighs almost nothing.
What happens if you arrive in shorts?
You may be stopped at the gate. The palace's page lists what is not allowed but does not describe the fix on the day. Wikivoyage's Rattanakosin guide says sarongs can be borrowed free at the entrance against a 200 baht deposit, that the dressing room may be closed on some holidays, and that clothes can then be rented across the street. It also says trousers are sold in front of the palace for 250 to 300 baht. These figures are undated, so treat them as a guide.
Do not plan around any of this. A closed dressing room or a trip across the street for clothes costs time, and the palace is only open until 4:30 pm. On our tour the Grand Palace comes first, at about 8:30 am, and the palace turns away sleeveless tops, shorts, short skirts and tight or see-through clothes. We tell you what to wear when you book, so you arrive dressed.
Grand Palace opening hours and ticket times
The official page gives the opening hours as daily 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, with tickets sold from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm at 500 baht for foreigners. That ticket also covers Wat Phra Kaew and the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles. Elsewhere the same page and its FAQ say the palace is open daily from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm, so treat 3:30 pm as your last entry. The 2024 regulation agrees: open every day including public holidays, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, with ticket sales stopping at 3:30 pm.
Tickets can be bought at the ticket offices on the day, or online up to one month ahead; online tickets cannot be refunded or changed, says the FAQ. Children under 120 cm enter free. From 10 January 2024 the entrance moved from the Viset Chaisri gate to the Mani Nopphara gate. Allow about an hour and a half for the palace and Wat Phra Kaew, which is the time our guide takes on the tour.
When does the Grand Palace close for royal ceremonies?
The 2024 regulation says that on a day with a royal ceremony or official business, visits to the places concerned are suspended for that day. The palace publishes an online calendar. On 28 October 2026, the day we checked, it showed the Grand Palace, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and its chapel closing at noon, and said online booking was not available that day. Walk-in visitors are told to contact the ticket office, +66 2 623 5500, extension 2171.
The calendar says its dates may be changed or added, so check close to your day. Wikivoyage advises verifying hours at the entrance, ignoring strangers who say a temple is closed without an official notice, and notes that some throne halls close at weekends for ceremonial purposes. On our tour we tell you on WhatsApp if your date is affected, and we confirm the date before you pay. Our Grand Palace tour price guide covers the costs.
Wat Pho: hours, price and rules
Wat Pho's official visit plan gives its opening hours as 08:00 to 19:30 and the admission fee as 300 baht, with free entry for children under 120 cm. It stays open far later than the palace, so it is the one to visit if you arrive in the late afternoon. Its Thai traditional medical school, which offers massage, runs the same hours, 08:00 to 19:30, according to the same page.
The visit plan's tips ask visitors to be calm and polite, because the temple is a sacred place. Photos can be taken, but never step on a Buddha image. Women are not allowed in the areas set aside for monks to perform their rites, and women should not touch monks or novices. On our tour Wat Pho is the second stop, after the palace, and the guide takes about an hour there.
Wat Arun: what we could not confirm
We found no official Wat Arun page with opening hours, so we do not quote any; check at the gate. Wikipedia's article gives 200 baht for foreigners, as of March 2024, and says ferries cross the river towards the Maharaj pier. The Tourism Authority of Thailand announced in January 2020 that the fee would rise from 50 to 100 baht from 1 June 2020, which shows that the price has changed more than once.
Dress as you would for the palace. Wikivoyage's Bangkok guide says that at all temples you must be dressed appropriately, with no shorts, no flip-flops and no sleeveless shirts, or risk being denied entry. On our tour Wat Arun is the last stop, reached by ferry from the Wat Pho side of the river, and its ticket is included. The tour schedule has the times.
Practical checklist
- Wear sleeves and full-length trousers or a long skirt; shorts, vests, tight and see-through clothes are on the official banned list.
- Choose shoes that slip off easily: they come off before the religious buildings.
- Plan to enter the Grand Palace by 3:30 pm, when ticket sales stop.
- Check the palace's online calendar for your date, because royal ceremonies close it early or for the day.
- Carry a light scarf or shawl for your shoulders.
- Do not rely on borrowed sarongs or on rented clothes at the gate.
Questions and answers
What is the dress code for the Grand Palace?
Cover your shoulders and knees. The official page bans sleeveless shirts, vests, short and see-through tops, shorts, torn and tight trousers, bike pants, mini skirts and sleeping suits. Full-length loose trousers or a long skirt with a sleeved top are the safest choice.
Are long skirts and leggings allowed at the Grand Palace?
A long skirt with a sleeved top is fine, according to our tour information. The regulation bans tight stretch trousers and the website bans tight pants and bike pants, so leggings are risky. Choose loose full-length trousers instead.
What time does the Grand Palace open and close?
It opens daily at 8:30 am and closes at 4:30 pm, according to the official page. Tickets are sold from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. Royal ceremonies can close it early or for the whole day.
How much is the Grand Palace ticket for foreigners?
500 baht, according to the palace's official page. It also covers Wat Phra Kaew and the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles. Thai visitors and children under 120 cm enter free. On our tour the ticket is included.
Is the Grand Palace open on public holidays?
The 2024 regulation says it is open every day, including public holidays, except on days of royal ceremonies or official business. The palace's online calendar shows the days affected, and it can change.
What time does Wat Pho close?
Wat Pho is open from 8:00 am to 7:30 pm, according to its official visit plan. Admission is 300 baht for foreigners, and children under 120 cm enter free.