Barefoot in Thailand: Footloose and Fancy-free!

Ko Pha-Ngan, Thailand
March 13, 1017

Typical attire for lunch at the beachfront restaurant - no shirt, no shoes, no problem

Admittedly, at first it took a bit of getting used to, leaving the hotel room sans shoes. But now I love being barefoot! All. Of. The. Time.  


While it is somewhat less common in Bangkok, here on Ko Pha Ngan, in the southern islands of Thailand, local businesses frequently have a sign posted outside, kindly requesting patrons remove their shoes (which mostly just  means slipping out of your flip-flops and leaving them wherever you happened to step out of them).  

Just doing a little shopping in town, stocking up on sunscreen

Store employees may or may not be wearing shoes, although restaurant and bar workers do tend to wear flip-flops, probably for safety reasons, I would guess.

Even when there is no sign, it is perfectly acceptable to enter an establishment, especially when entering directly from the beach, without shoes on your feet.  I simply love this! 

Walking down the beach to drinks and dinner for the evening, no purse, no shoes. :-)

Sitting at the Flip Flop Pharmacy Bar, indoors. It's surprising difficult taking not-totally-weird photos of your feet!

The one downside to this lovely custom is that it is a little weird using public restroom with no protective barrier between your feet and the floor. I know that most (if not all) of you reading this are now completely grossed out. Ha  But the restrooms do tend to be quite clean.  So there's that.

And now, I just need to ditch my watch...