What to Wear to a Thai Festival

What do you wear to a music festival?

Dress for a hot dance floor: light, loose and bright, with a hat for the day sets and one layer for the beach breeze at night. Day sets are in full sun and EDC's music runs from 3pm to midnight, so wear shoes you can stand in all night.

At EDC Thailand, glowsticks, light-up costumes and accessories, and LED hoops are all welcome. Costumes that copy official uniforms aren't allowed in, so leave those at home. Pick your festival in festival trips. Plan it with Tanner.

What are good rave outfits for the Thai heat?

Good rave outfits for the Thai heat are light, loose and bright, made from fabric that dries fast after a long night. Think breathable tops, shorts or light trousers, a hat or cap for the day sets, and one layer for the night breeze on the beach.

• Fabric: light and quick-dry, because you'll sweat and may get rained on.
• Shoes: closed and comfortable; field sites and beaches mean dust, grass and sand.
• Glow: light-up pieces and glowsticks work at EDC.
• Bag: keep it small; EDC allows bags up to 12 × 6 × 12 inches.

On Koh Phangan, October to December is the wettest season, so bring a light rain layer for Full Moon nights. Ask Tanner.

What's the best Songkran outfit?

The best Songkran outfit is light, fast-drying and covered, with shoes that grip: you'll be wet from lunch to dark. The bright floral shirt is the classic Songkran look.

Keep your phone and cash in a waterproof pouch around your neck, and leave anything that can't get wet at your base. April is the hottest time of year in Thailand, so add waterproof sunscreen and a cap. The next section has the dates, the zone hours and how to get around. Plan it with Tanner.

Songkran: what do you wear and pack?

For Songkran, what to wear in Thailand is simple: quick-dry, bright and covered, plus shoes with grip, because you'll be wet from lunch to dark. Songkran 2027 is Tuesday 13 to Thursday 15 April, the national holidays. Here's the checklist:

• A quick-dry shirt (the floral one is the classic) and shorts or light trousers.
• Shoes or sandals with grip; nothing that slips on wet tiles.
• A waterproof phone pouch for your phone, cash and cards.
• Sunglasses or goggles, waterproof sunscreen and a cap.
• A small water gun, not a high-pressure one, and a dry change of clothes in the car.

And know the Songkran rules: only splash people who are playing, dress modestly, no high-pressure water guns, ask before you put powder on anyone, keep drinks out of the alcohol-free zones, wear a helmet on a motorbike and never drive after drinking. These were the 2026 rules; we recheck the 2027 rules and zones in February.

How long does Songkran last? The holiday is three days, but the water runs longer in many cities. In 2026 Chiang Mai ran 12 days around the moat, Pattaya held Wan Lai from 17 to 19 April, and Phra Pradaeng closed the season on 24 to 26 April. The table shows each city's 2026 dates.

Water play runs from lunch to dark. In 2026 Silom splashed from 12pm to 8pm, Khao San Road stopped at 10pm, and Hat Yai's Midnight Songkran ran until midnight. After that the party moves to the clubs, and you must be 20 to drink.

In Bangkok, ride the BTS Skytrain and the MRT: water play isn't allowed inside the stations, so you cross the city dry. Roads close around the big zones, so for a group a luxury van with a driver, from ฿6,500 for 10 hours for up to 4, is easier. Want to stay dry? Keep out of the water zones; a raincoat over your clothes is the clearest sign you're not playing.

Read Songkran 2027 for every city and Songkran in a pool villa for the base. Plan it with Tanner.

What is the Thailand temple dress code?

The Thailand temple dress code is simple: cover your shoulders and knees, and wear nothing see-through, even layered. It's the same for men and women. A T-shirt or light shirt with long trousers, a maxi skirt or culottes works well.

The Grand Palace is the strictest: covered shoulders and long trousers or a long skirt. Wat Arun and Wat Pho also ask for covered shoulders and knees, and Wat Arun offers sarongs at the entrance. Temple tickets are paid at the gate, and the rest of the city's year is in Bangkok festivals. Ask Tanner for a temple morning with a guide and a driver, from ฿38,000 a morning (temple tickets extra).

What's the temple-day switch?

The temple-day switch for Loy Krathong and Yi Peng means changing from party clothes into covered clothes before you visit a temple. Loy Krathong 2026 is Tuesday 24 November, and Chiang Mai's Yi Peng runs from 23 to 25 November 2026.

If your night mixes a temple visit, the river and a party, carry a covered layer and a sarong, and change before you step into a temple. Read Loy Krathong, Yi Peng and Chiang Mai festivals. Plan it with Tanner.

How do you plan outfits for a festival trip?

Plan what to wear in Thailand by the day, not the week: one rave look per festival night, one Songkran set that can get soaked, and one temple outfit.

• Your base: a private pool villa from ฿18,500 a day, with room for every outfit.
• The car: a luxury van with a driver from ฿6,500 for 10 hours, for up to 4, so the temple layer and dry clothes ride with you.
• Pack list: read our festival packing list for ID, power and what each gate turns away.

Plan it with Tanner.

What's the short version?

• Rave days: light, breathable, quick-dry; light-up pieces are fine at EDC.

• Songkran: quick-dry, bright, covered; no thin white fabric; shoes with grip.
• Temples: shoulders and knees covered, nothing see-through, slip-on shoes.

Plan it with Tanner.