"Embarrassingly Revealing Outfits": Women Denied Entry Hurl Insults, Stirring Controversy at Phuket Temple

Foreign women blocked from entering over revealing outfits
Responding with offensive remarks
Netizens criticize: "Respect the culture"

A video showing foreign women being denied entry to a temple event in Thailand because of their revealing outfits is spreading online, fueling controversy. Debate is also growing over dress etiquette at tourist destinations and respect for local culture.

A video showing two foreign women attending a temple festival in Phuket, Thailand, wearing bikinis is circulating on social media.

According to local media such as Channel 7 on the 17th (local time), an incident occurred at a festival held at Wat Chalong, a major temple in Phuket, Thailand, where two foreign women clashed with a local resident over their attire.

Wearing bikinis at a temple festival... hurling insults when stopped

The women tried to enter the temple grounds, where the festival was taking place, wearing bikinis, and a local man who saw this repeatedly told them in English, "No, get out," blocking their way. Because Thai temples are regarded as objects of religious reverence, dressing modestly when visiting is generally considered basic etiquette.

The video shows the man pointing his finger and demanding that the women leave. However, it is not clear whether he specifically explained the reason for restricting access to the temple.

One of the women who was stopped made an insulting remark to the man along the lines of "What about your mother?" and then left. As the video of this scene spread online, Thai internet users continued to criticize the women.

"Rude" vs. "He should have explained calmly"

Most internet users pointed out the behavior of the foreign women, saying, "Even tourists should observe basic courtesy by dressing appropriately at temples." Criticism focused particularly on the fact that they ignored dress codes at a religious site and then compounded it with rude language and behavior.

On the other hand, some voiced different opinions about whether the local man's response was appropriate. Comments such as "Foreign tourists may not be familiar with cultural rules, so he should have explained them calmly" and "It would have been better to inform them of the rules through tourist police or guides" raised concerns about the manner in which they were stopped.