I was reading that it's frowned upon to wear camouflage clothing in Indochina. I assume this is because Vietnam and Laos had to endure the military in the Vietnam War, and Cambodia had to endure the Khmer Rouge, and seeing people wear military clothing can be distressing for the locals.
I just realised that all but one pair of shorts I own could be taken as camouflage clothing i.e. green or grey patching, which would mean I would have to go out and buy a few pairs of shorts just for this trip because there's no way I'm wearing long pants in 35+ degree heat and humidity. My budget is already blowing out on my booked trip so this would be an inconvenience.
Can I get away with wearing 'camouflage' shorts? It's not like I would be wearing camouflage shirts or shoes so it would just be my bottom half. I was in Bangkok last year and no-one said anything to me, not even my tour guide, although I assume this is because it's a very touristy area and they're not as worried about it. I'm thinking of just taking the shorts and wearing them anyway.
Re: Camouflage clothing
Hi Shanojebs,
Thanks for your question.
I can't say that I have ever heard of this being a problem before; I guess it depends on the degree of clothing perhaps? For instance if you marched down the street in a full 70s style US military uniform then you would be asking for trouble, on the other hand combat trousers or shorts are very discreet and probably wouldn't draw much attention.
I will ask our South East Asia office for you for their opinions on the matter and once I hear back from them I will post their comments below.
Regards,
Brendan
Re: Camouflage clothing
Hi Shanojebs,
Our office in Bangkok has confirmed that this shouldn't be any problem whilst in South East Asia as long as you don't dress in a full military uniform, in which case you would look like the Thai army or a Vietnamese policeman!
I hope this helps.
Regards,
Brendan
Re: Camouflage clothing
ok great thanks Brendan! I was pretty sure this was alright but I thought I'd just make sure. I don't think I'll be walking around in full military uniform somehow, at any time in my life. Now I don't need to buy any new shorts!![[Smile]](smile.gif)