1) there's no law against it (except when driving apparently)

2) it's very sensible in a tropical climate! (it's also very sensible not to try to get a tan!)

3) it actually is traditional thai culture (for women too!) but ever since a dictator during the japanese occupation told thais to be ashamed of their own bodies they've been ashamed of this very sensible part of their culture.

4) a lot of the posts here are moaning about underdressed farangs in public buildings but walking or biking down the street shirtless doesn't mean you're planning to walk into a bank or a mall still shirtless (isn't that like saying anybody who walks into a bathroom fully clothed is planning to take a shower fully clothed?)

5) it's not just villagers who follow the old custom though they probably do more often and more comfortably than urban thais.

6) whether it's only "low class thais" who follow the old custom depends on your definition of class. i'll just leave it at that.

but yeah, do wear a helmet and try not to burn your skin. the ladies (and gentlemen) will like you better the whiter you are, and your skin will thank you too.

No, not illegal.

Ok when=@beach/@pool/in countryside because you are a rice farmer who just finished work and wants to cool down (sure it would be fine for a foreigner, too, although, naturally, you would get a lot of attention, something I like to minimize).

Not ok in Thai eyes=all other times.

Of course, they aren't going to say anything directly--smiling here can mean many things. Remember that.

Only okay if it's Silom soi 4.

Prepare to get your nipples tweaked.

some thais will occasionally admit they go to khao san just to ogle farangs. of course those are mostly young farangs and much less likely to be obese than the average sexpat.

i see russians walking around inside big C and central shirtless constantly...so rude,so wrong,but i guess they are just trying to copy thier fearless,shirtless ,tiger shooting Putin...

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In the village i see a lot of the old guys walking around the houses shirtless,but i never see it in the local town,on the beach or at the pool okay,but elsewhere i think it just portrays you as classless.

Or shirtless.......... alt=whistling.gif>

Some lose their shirt at the races.

Can you remember the last time you woke up, naked, and thought ... <deleted> ... where is my underwear?

It's early morning, the sun just up, heads thumping a bit from lack of sleep and the amount of Beer/Wine/Whisky you consumed the night before.

From under (her) covers, you peruse the room through half closed eyes.

You see your pants draped over the chair (she did that after you finished and went straight to sleep) and she ducked off to the loo, so the motherly instinct in her picked up your pants ... and the shirt.

So, external clotheing identified ... where are the knickers!

You vaguely remembering hopping into the sack .. she had still her lower modesty covered ... but the top had been removed.

So you are desperately searching the bottom of the doona with your toes hoping to come in contact with those elusive underware of yours.

Ah ... success .. contact.

Ah <deleted> ... they are hers!

Despite being desperate, you ignore that option and search deeper.

She groans ... and turns over ... thankfully away from you.

Engagement ... something heavier ... that's them ...

Slide them on ... slip out of bed ... have to have a 'relief stop' before dissapearing.

Do you flush and risk waking her up ... or not ... personal decision time.

OK ... flushed and all is OK.

Now to check for the wallet and keys in the pockets of your pants.

You are dust

Ah ... the memories!

Dame, I near fell asleep waiting to figure out where this story was leading too...?

where in the world is it acceptable to walk around with no shirt on? (other than on a beach)

if you are going to visit Thailand at least have the decency to respect their culture

it is most certainly culturally UNACCEPTABLE to walk around here with no shirt on

incidentally, I only disrobe on the beach, I am 46 wear factor 30 sun cream, and have just been diagnosed with skin cancer!

THINK ABOUT IT

in the whole world? seriously?

first of all in any country that's less inhibited about the male body (and/or the female body...)

and in western countries even cold ones in the summer, of course you might find bylaws saying shirts required in this or that place but outdoors if people are uninhibited and feel hot, they take their shirts off. why not?

urban thailand is similar to developed countries in many ways and it's going to keep changing. the overall worldwide trend is towards less inhibition about the human body (and sexuality, which is what covering the body is mostly about when it's not about protecting the body from the elements). you can fight modernization -- which in this case is actually a return to tradition -- and you can try to deny human biology but it's a losing battle...

of course if male toplessness really bothers you that much you can always move to a country where it's illegal

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I have read that you get in troubble while driving a car with no shirt...

Can anyone confirm?

I would certainly find that hard to believe,

especially with all the guys running around Big C/Lotus/Shopping Malls shirtless...

Thinking, oh I'm so cool ladies, look at me...

better yet smell me...

don't I smell and look so hot?

While staying cool without my shirt.

All I can do is SMH,

and get as far away as possible,

as it's times like this,

that make me embarrassed to be a foreigner in a Buddhist country.

Driving the motorcycle,

hanging by the pool,

riding the bike,

jogging; should all be except able times; one would think...yes?

At the gym,

do us all a small favor,

keep your body odor to yourself...willya?

In the village i see a lot of the old guys walking around the houses shirtless,but i never see it in the local town,on the beach or at the pool okay,but elsewhere i think it just portrays you as classless.

Thats what i want written on my gravestone."He was classless but not clueless".

where in the world is it acceptable to walk around with no shirt on? (other than on a beach)

if you are going to visit Thailand at least have the decency to respect their culture

it is most certainly culturally UNACCEPTABLE to walk around here with no shirt on

incidentally, I only disrobe on the beach, I am 46 wear factor 30 sun cream, and have just been diagnosed with skin cancer!

THINK ABOUT IT

in the whole world? seriously?

first of all in any country that's less inhibited about the male body (and/or the female body...)

and in western countries even cold ones in the summer, of course you might find bylaws saying shirts required in this or that place but outdoors if people are uninhibited and feel hot, they take their shirts off. why not?

urban thailand is similar to developed countries in many ways and it's going to keep changing. the overall worldwide trend is towards less inhibition about the human body (and sexuality, which is what covering the body is mostly about when it's not about protecting the body from the elements). you can fight modernization -- which in this case is actually a return to tradition -- and you can try to deny human biology but it's a losing battle...

of course if male toplessness really bothers you that much you can always move to a country where it's illegal

My first line was a question not a statement.

So answer the question... where in the world is it acceptable to walk around with no shirt on? (other than on a beach)

Completely accepted in the countryside. Don't know why a previous poster claimed otherwise. Not only is it acceptable but more common with the older Thais that are more concerned about comfort. Not wearing a shirt out side of the village is not too common and definitely not fashionable. As for the OP being nice on the eyes, the Thais probably just laugh at the Farang that thinks he is beautiful. I'm sexy also but not inclined to put my pecks on display.

where in the world is it acceptable to walk around with no shirt on? (other than on a beach)

if you are going to visit Thailand at least have the decency to respect their culture

it is most certainly culturally UNACCEPTABLE to walk around here with no shirt on

incidentally, I only disrobe on the beach, I am 46 wear factor 30 sun cream, and have just been diagnosed with skin cancer!

THINK ABOUT IT

in the whole world? seriously?

first of all in any country that's less inhibited about the male body (and/or the female body...)

and in western countries even cold ones in the summer, of course you might find bylaws saying shirts required in this or that place but outdoors if people are uninhibited and feel hot, they take their shirts off. why not?

urban thailand is similar to developed countries in many ways and it's going to keep changing. the overall worldwide trend is towards less inhibition about the human body (and sexuality, which is what covering the body is mostly about when it's not about protecting the body from the elements). you can fight modernization -- which in this case is actually a return to tradition -- and you can try to deny human biology but it's a losing battle...

of course if male toplessness really bothers you that much you can always move to a country where it's illegal

My first line was a question not a statement.

So answer the question... where in the world is it acceptable to walk around with no shirt on? (other than on a beach)

Sounds like you need to get out more. Lots of places in the Americas, from North to South, plenty of places in Europe, Africa. Asians tend to like to cover up men's chests. They have a thing about it. Sorry. Not going to list countries for you. Do some travelling or google it.

where in the world is it acceptable to walk around with no shirt on? (other than on a beach)

if you are going to visit Thailand at least have the decency to respect their culture

it is most certainly culturally UNACCEPTABLE to walk around here with no shirt on

incidentally, I only disrobe on the beach, I am 46 wear factor 30 sun cream, and have just been diagnosed with skin cancer!

THINK ABOUT IT

in the whole world? seriously?

first of all in any country that's less inhibited about the male body (and/or the female body...)

and in western countries even cold ones in the summer, of course you might find bylaws saying shirts required in this or that place but outdoors if people are uninhibited and feel hot, they take their shirts off. why not?

urban thailand is similar to developed countries in many ways and it's going to keep changing. the overall worldwide trend is towards less inhibition about the human body (and sexuality, which is what covering the body is mostly about when it's not about protecting the body from the elements). you can fight modernization -- which in this case is actually a return to tradition -- and you can try to deny human biology but it's a losing battle...

of course if male toplessness really bothers you that much you can always move to a country where it's illegal

My first line was a question not a statement.

So answer the question... where in the world is it acceptable to walk around with no shirt on? (other than on a beach)

the key word was "outdoors".

Walking around shirtless in the public domain is a sign of lack of good taste in any country of the world, so also in Thailand. Keep it for the beach or the pool that will do........By the way did you know that skin cancer is mainly a white man's disease?

Yeh, copying that very Putin who purports to be anti-gay, whilst acting as though he wants to be a gay icon. Troubled man?

If you have a bit of dignity and style in you, you'd walk with a shirt on (this means NOT a wifebeater shirt which is even worse than none) in LOS. Driving on a bike without shirt and protective clothing is simply stupid. I have nothing but intense disgust for shirtless foreigners roaming this country and I feel that shirtless white man with nothing on but flipflops, a Speedo and a fanny pack in banks and restaurants should be shot at sight without trial, because they are a disgrace to humanity.

It is normal for Russians!

W tf you want to walk shirtless ? Are you crazy or gay ? May be russkye ?

This is a very dumb OP, sorry.

You should ask too:

May I piss in Wat or is this illegal?

Can I use the toilet brush as a tooth brush if no-one sees me, and if some-one sees do I get an arrest warrant?

Can I kick my wife's greedy Isaan mother's behind or does it violent law?

I would like to ride on my bike with blinded eyes, may I?

I was in Big C, South Pattaya, once and saw a very fat white man walking around shirtless. Everyone was staring at him looking disgusted. I don't know whether it was because he didn't have a shirt or whether it was because he had no trousers or shorts. He was wearing only a pair of very brief underpants. One of those times when I had left my camera at home.

To the OP, please notice how many places refuse entry if you aren't wearing a shirt. Beach, no shirt. Poolside, no shirt. Everywhere else put a shirt on.

He must've thought he was at Walmart, back in Mississippi.

I also wanted to mention the importance of getting vitamin D which you get from the sun. I lift weights and I do not have a beer belly. I have no tattoos. I do not walk into stores shirtless only on my motor bike and only out on the long highways. Thanks for all the comments and I will consider riding shirtless in the future.

OOOOOKKKKK Yooouuu lift wheiiight ! Of course, it explains the shirtless :-)

where in the world is it acceptable to walk around with no shirt on? (other than on a beach)

if you are going to visit Thailand at least have the decency to respect their culture

it is most certainly culturally UNACCEPTABLE to walk around here with no shirt on

incidentally, I only disrobe on the beach, I am 46 wear factor 30 sun cream, and have just been diagnosed with skin cancer!

THINK ABOUT IT

in the whole world? seriously?

first of all in any country that's less inhibited about the male body (and/or the female body...)

and in western countries even cold ones in the summer, of course you might find bylaws saying shirts required in this or that place but outdoors if people are uninhibited and feel hot, they take their shirts off. why not?

urban thailand is similar to developed countries in many ways and it's going to keep changing. the overall worldwide trend is towards less inhibition about the human body (and sexuality, which is what covering the body is mostly about when it's not about protecting the body from the elements). you can fight modernization -- which in this case is actually a return to tradition -- and you can try to deny human biology but it's a losing battle...

of course if male toplessness really bothers you that much you can always move to a country where it's illegal

My first line was a question not a statement.

So answer the question... where in the world is it acceptable to walk around with no shirt on? (other than on a beach)

Sounds like you need to get out more. Lots of places in the Americas, from North to South, plenty of places in Europe, Africa. Asians tend to like to cover up men's chests. They have a thing about it. Sorry. Not going to list countries for you. Do some travelling or google it.

It's ok to walk around the streets bare chested in Europe, really??? Maybe in your mind

Guys - shirts ON

Girls - Butt cheeks INSIDE of shorts

It's ok to walk around the streets bare chested in Europe, really??? Maybe in your mind

Sounds like you need to get out more. Lots of places in the Americas, from North to South, plenty of places in Europe, Africa. Asians tend to like to cover up men's chests. They have a thing about it. Sorry. Not going to list countries for you. Do some travelling or google it.

My first line was a question not a statement.

So answer the question... where in the world is it acceptable to walk around with no shirt on? (other than on a beach)

You know that Europe is not a country, right? I said "plenty of places in Europe." Doesn't necessarily mean the country you are from where people get their panties in a wad when someone goes shirtless. Again....take a look around the world. It can be an interesting place, especially for those of us who don't spend all of our time concerned with other men's torsos.

Women are allowed to go topless in New York City.

Women are allowed to go topless in New York City.

It keeps the snow off their bellies.

In the village i see a lot of the old guys walking around the houses shirtless,but i never see it in the local town,on the beach or at the pool okay,but elsewhere i think it just portrays you as classless.

Classless...ignorant of other cultures...a disgrace to wherever you came from...hats on backwards ...bum crack exposed...just go home and stop giving faranga a bad name... it may be cool in Chicago but you are just a fool out here.

It's ok to walk around the streets bare chested in Europe, really??? Maybe in your mind

Sounds like you need to get out more. Lots of places in the Americas, from North to South, plenty of places in Europe, Africa. Asians tend to like to cover up men's chests. They have a thing about it. Sorry. Not going to list countries for you. Do some travelling or google it.

My first line was a question not a statement.

So answer the question... where in the world is it acceptable to walk around with no shirt on? (other than on a beach)

You know that Europe is not a country, right? I said "plenty of places in Europe." Doesn't necessarily mean the country you are from where people get their panties in a wad when someone goes shirtless. Again....take a look around the world. It can be an interesting place, especially for those of us who don't spend all of our time concerned with other men's torsos.

Ok you carry on doing it if you think it's acceptable. In fact, I think you and khh should get together and walk down the promenade with your shirts off. Sounds like you'd make a lovely couple

Do you know what melanoma is? Keeping walking about without a shirt and you will know soon enough.

And yes, it is considered offensive to go about shirtless. Despite the crass image of Bangla Rd and Walking Street and Patpong, Thailand is a conservative place when it comes to displays of flesh. Only whores, the mentally ill and disrespectful foreigners walk about in public without a shirt.

.

While the previous posts had merit, his one has by far the most relevance.

It's ok to walk around the streets bare chested in Europe, really??? Maybe in your mind

Sounds like you need to get out more. Lots of places in the Americas, from North to South, plenty of places in Europe, Africa. Asians tend to like to cover up men's chests. They have a thing about it. Sorry. Not going to list countries for you. Do some travelling or google it.

My first line was a question not a statement.

So answer the question... where in the world is it acceptable to walk around with no shirt on? (other than on a beach)

You know that Europe is not a country, right? I said "plenty of places in Europe." Doesn't necessarily mean the country you are from where people get their panties in a wad when someone goes shirtless. Again....take a look around the world. It can be an interesting place, especially for those of us who don't spend all of our time concerned with other men's torsos.

Ok you carry on doing it if you think it's acceptable. In fact, I think you and khh should get together and walk down the promenade with your shirts off. Sounds like you'd make a lovely couple

Derp. Now you are really speaking nonsense. No, I don't do the shirtless thing, especially not in Thailand. That doesn't mean that it is unacceptable all around the world, as you are implying.

Off now....enjoy spewing your gar-bage.

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Some lose their shirt at the races.

Can you remember the last time you woke up, naked, and thought ... <deleted> ... where is my underwear?

It's early morning, the sun just up, heads thumping a bit from lack of sleep and the amount of Beer/Wine/Whisky you consumed the night before.

From under (her) covers, you peruse the room through half closed eyes.

You see your pants draped over the chair (she did that after you finished and went straight to sleep) and she ducked off to the loo, so the motherly instinct in her picked up your pants ... and the shirt.

So, external clotheing identified ... where are the knickers!

You vaguely remembering hopping into the sack .. she had still her lower modesty covered ... but the top had been removed.

So you are desperately searching the bottom of the doona with your toes hoping to come in contact with those elusive underware of yours.

Ah ... success .. contact.

Ah <deleted> ... they are hers!

Despite being desperate, you ignore that option and search deeper.

She groans ... and turns over ... thankfully away from you.

Engagement ... something heavier ... that's them ...

Slide them on ... slip out of bed ... have to have a 'relief stop' before dissapearing.

Do you flush and risk waking her up ... or not ... personal decision time.

OK ... flushed and all is OK.

Now to check for the wallet and keys in the pockets of your pants.

You are dust

Ah ... the memories!

Dame, I near fell asleep waiting to figure out where this story was leading too...?

It took awhile to get there...but then didn't quite make it hey...

I go commando...so the story is fictional to me.

Ok you carry on doing it if you think it's acceptable. In fact, I think you and khh should get together and walk down the promenade with your shirts off. Sounds like you'd make a lovely couple

Derp. Now you are really speaking nonsense. No, I don't do the shirtless thing, especially not in Thailand. That doesn't mean that it is unacceptable all around the world, as you are implying.

Off now....enjoy spewing your gar-bage.

I apologise for my facetiousness Dao16. I assumed you was championing an International right to walk around with no shirt on. Clearly it is acceptable to do so in many developing countries, but most definitely not in Thailand. If you, as you have stated, have the decency to respect that cultural norm then you are a decent person in my book.