Determination of thermal stress concentration factor (TSCF) due to a circumferential groove possessing a transverse plane of symmetry in a long hollow cylinder is discussed. It is shown that integrated photoelastic data in conjunction with a single measurement of radial displacement on the transverse plane of symmetry is adequate to obtain TSCF. An interesting offshoot concerning a photoelastic method of obtaining the temperature profile on the transverse plane of symmetry is demonstrated for a thermally stressed hollow cylinder with an external circumferential groove.