A Thai ordination (buat nak) is the day a young man becomes a monk. As a guest you will usually see the head shaving, a noisy procession around the ordination hall and the ceremony inside, where he asks the monks to accept him. Wear modest temple clothes, keep your distance from the monks if you are a woman, and give money in an envelope if you wish; there is no fixed amount.
Being invited is a compliment: an ordination is one of the big days in a Thai family's life. Nobody expects a foreign guest to know the ritual, and the family will tell you when to stand, sit or follow. What follows is the common Buddhist pattern in Thailand; details vary a great deal by region, temple and family, so ask the host when anything is unclear.
Why men ordain and what monks do in daily life is covered in our article on the role of monks in Thai life. This page is about the day itself, from a guest's seat.
Thai ordination for guests
- Thai words
- Buat (to ordain), upasombot (ordination as a monk), banphacha (ordination as a novice)
- The naak
- The man preparing to be ordained
- Minimum age
- 20 for full ordination as a monk; younger boys can become novices
- Where
- The ubosot, the temple's ordination hall
- Clothes
- Modest temple dress, shoulders and knees covered; not all black
- Gift
- Money in an envelope is common; practice varies and no amount is fixed
- Women
- Welcome; do not touch monks or their robes, including the new monk once ordained
The words: buat nak, naak and novice
The Royal Society of Thailand's dictionary defines upasombot as ordination as a bhikkhu, a fully ordained monk. Banphacha is ordination as a novice (samanen), who keeps ten precepts rather than the full monastic rule. Full ordination requires the candidate to be at least 20, a Vinaya rule that temples also apply alongside parental permission and good health. Boys under 20 who enter the temple become novices.
Before the ceremony the candidate is called naak (often written nak). The dictionary gives one meaning of the word as a person staying at the temple to prepare for ordination; the same word also means the mythical serpent, which is why you will hear stories linking the two. The everyday phrase for the whole event, buat nak, simply means ordaining the naak.
Asking forgiveness, the khwan ceremony and the head shaving
In the days before, the naak visits the elders he respects most with a tray of flowers, incense and candles and formally asks their forgiveness for anything he has done wrong, so that he can start monastic life with a clean slate. The Royal Thai Army's chaplain division, which publishes a manual of Buddhist ceremonies, lists this as part of the preparation, together with rehearsing the words of the rite at the temple.
The first step on the day is the head shaving. In many families the parents and close relatives each cut a lock first, before the rest is shaved. Guests who are close to the family may be invited to cut a strand too; if you are, take a small piece only and hand the scissors back. The parents then present the set of robes to their son. Many families also hold a tham khwan naak the evening before, a blessing for the candidate that the Royal Society's dictionary lists under ceremonies of that name; guests sit quietly and usually share a meal afterwards.
The procession around the ordination hall
The naak, dressed in white, is led to the ordination hall in a procession of family and friends, often with drums, dancing and plenty of noise. The army manual describes the core of it: the procession walks clockwise around the hall three times, with the father in front carrying the alms bowl and a ceremonial fan, the mother or a relative carrying the robes, and the naak behind them with his palms together holding three lotus flowers. He then kneels to salute the boundary stone at the front of the hall, may scatter coins to the crowd as a gift, and is led inside by his parents.
Join in if you are invited; it is the most relaxed part of the day. Once the naak enters the hall, the mood changes completely.
Ask which part of the day you are invited to. Some guests are asked to the khwan ceremony and meal the evening before, others only to the procession and the ordination. Arrive before the procession sets off; once the naak is inside the hall, latecomers wait at the door.
Inside the ubosot: the ceremony itself
The rite takes place in the ubosot, the temple hall the Royal Society defines as the place where monks carry out formal acts such as ordination, marked off by boundary stones. Our guide to reading a Thai temple explains how to tell the ubosot from the wihan if you need to find it.
Inside, the naak bows three times to the Buddha image, kneels before his parents to receive the robes from them, and then moves forward on his knees into the assembly of monks to the preceptor, the senior monk who ordains him. From that point, as the army manual puts it, the rite is the monks' business: the formal request and the questions are in Pali, and the words are fixed and rehearsed beforehand, so it is meant to look that way. At some point the naak leaves to change into the saffron robes and returns. Depending on the temple and the number of candidates, the rite can take from well under an hour to a good part of the morning.
As a guest, take off your shoes before entering, sit on the floor with your legs tucked to the side, soles turned away from the monks and the Buddha image, and keep your phone on silent. Do not walk between the monks and the candidate. If you are unsure whether photos are allowed inside, look at what the family does or ask before the ceremony starts. The general rules for behaving in a wat are on our temple etiquette page.
Women at an ordination
Women are welcome as guests and are often among the most important people of the day, above all the naak's mother. The limit is physical contact with monks. Under the monastic rule a monk may not touch a woman, and women should not touch a monk or his robes. When the new monk is ordained, that rule applies to him too, including with his own family.
In practice this means women hand offerings to a monk via a man or place them on a cloth the monk lays down, and do not sit right next to monks. Some temples also restrict where women may go inside particular buildings, so follow signs and the family's lead.
What to wear, and what to give
Dress as for a visit to a temple: shoulders and knees covered, nothing tight or see-through, shoes you can slip off easily. White, pale colors and bright, cheerful colors are all common, because an ordination is a happy occasion. Avoid all black, which in Thailand is associated with funerals. If the invitation or the host mentions a color, follow it.
Most guests give money in an envelope, either to the naak's parents or into a box at the temple, as a contribution to the merit-making and the costs of the day. Some guests give items the new monk will use instead: the army manual's list of what a family prepares includes the eight basic requisites (robes, alms bowl, razor, needle, belt and water filter among them) and everyday things such as a mat, pillow, mosquito net, blanket, sandals, umbrella, towel, soap and toothbrush. Practice varies by family and region, and we have found no official or reliable figure for how much to give, so we do not print one. Ask a Thai friend who knows the family what is usual in that circle; giving according to your means is always acceptable.
The Thai wedding works in a similar way, with the envelope from the invitation reused for the gift; our guide for Thai wedding guests explains that custom.
Write your name on the envelope. On a busy day with many guests and several candidates, an unnamed envelope is a gift nobody can thank you for.
Short ordinations and when they happen
Many Thai men ordain for a short period, a few days, weeks or a whole rainy season, and then return to lay life. A short ordination is normal and respected, and the ceremony is the same as for a man who plans to stay. The date is usually chosen by the family, often after asking a monk for an auspicious day. Visitors who want a taste of temple discipline themselves usually join a meditation retreat rather than ordain.
Ordinations are especially common before Khao Phansa, the start of the three-month rains retreat in July, when monks stay in one temple; our page on Buddhist holy days explains the calendar. If you are invited during that period, expect a busy temple and several candidates on the same day.
After the ceremony, the new monk joins the morning alms round and temple life. Family members often bring food in the following days. If you visit him, the usual courtesies for monks apply: a respectful wai, a lower seat, and no physical contact for women. A house blessing uses some of the same customs, and our guide to a Thai house blessing describes that ceremony.
Frequently asked questions
How much money should I give at a Thai ordination?
There is no fixed amount, and we have found no reliable official guidance. What people give reflects their closeness to the family, their own means and local custom. Put cash in a named envelope, and if you want a benchmark, quietly ask a Thai guest who knows the family.
What should I wear to a Thai ordination?
Modest temple clothes with shoulders and knees covered. White, pale or bright colors are all fine because it is a happy occasion; avoid all black, which is linked to funerals. Wear shoes that are easy to take off, because you will remove them before entering the ordination hall.
Can women attend a Thai ordination?
Yes. Women attend and the naak's mother plays a central role. Women must not touch a monk or his robes, and once the young man is ordained the same rule applies to him. Pass offerings through a man or place them on the monk's cloth.
How old do you have to be to become a monk in Thailand?
Full ordination as a monk requires the candidate to be at least 20, with parental permission and in good health. Younger boys can be ordained as novices, who keep ten precepts instead of the full monastic rule.
Sources
- Royal Society of Thailand – Thai dictionary online (entries อุปสมบท, บรรพชา, นาค, ทำขวัญ, อุโบสถ) (checked October 2026)
- Royal Thai Army Chaplain Division – Ordination ceremony (พิธีบรรพชาอุปสมบท), ceremonial manual (Thai) (checked October 2026)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – Observing temple and sacred site etiquette while in Thailand (checked October 2026)
- Wat Moli Lokayaram – Qualifications for ordination (Thai) (checked October 2026)