Thai monks, no matter what their age (8 to 80+ !), must always be treated with respect. When a monk wishes to sit down on a bus you should give up your seat and leave space so that he does not have to sit close to you.

Women should not have any contact with monks, or the monks would have to go through a cleansing ritual. If a woman wants to give something to a monk, she should do so through a man, or the monk may extend a corner of his robe on which the woman can then place the object; alternatively she can put it on the floor.

Generally, Thai monks will not shake hands with people.

Thai monks are easily recognisable by their saffron robes. Traditionally, the material for these robes came from the shrouds of the dead, which was cleaned and dyed with the juice of the jackfruit and then left in a cave to mature until it had turned bright orange. The monks then wore these cloths until they fell apart.