Daily Life

Toilets in Thailand

Toilets in Thailand

The good, the bad, and the really really bad!

Some of the public toilets in Asia will make you want to run down the street with your pants around your ankles while crying like a baby. While Thailand isn’t as bad as China, there are some frightening places to go that range from simple pits dug in the ground up to holes lined up beside each other with no dividing privacy wall.

Finding public toilets in Thailand is nearly impossible away from tourisy places. Try temple areas and near landmarks.

The way to ask for the toilet in Thai is “Hawng Nam” which literally means “where is water“.

Yes, you will find water in there….but don’t expect to find toilet paper or soap. In non-Western places it is expected that you will utilize your left hand after taking care of business and then wash it under the provided tap. (with no soap). Doesn’t sound very appetizing? Do yourself a favor and carry toilet paper in your pocket. Always, always, put the toilet paper in the bucket with a lid rather than in the toilet. The ancient sewer system cannot handle toilet paper and you could literally put someone out of business. Hand sanitizer is a nice plus as well.

While you are using the toilet, glance at the giant barrel, bucket, or basin and see if there is any water left in it. If not, go ahead and use the tap to fill it while you wait. When you are finished, you use the scoop to pour water from the basin into the toilet to force everything down. Try not to make a mess for the next guy!

Many of the toilets are standing only to make them more hygienic. Don’t be afraid! In no time you will be standing in a Shaolin kung fu stance with quivering leg muscles like the rest of us!

Here are some sample toilet pictures from all over the country:

Mai Pen Rai

Mai Pen Rai

Mai Pen Rai – pronounced “My pin rye”. You will hear it many times before you get out of Thailand, often when something goes wrong or someone looses their cool. This simple phrase sums up life in Thailand and the attitude there in general. This famous attitude is what allowed them to keep their cool and get back on their feet after the devastating losses of the 2004 Tsunami.

There are lots of different opinions on the direct translation, but it literally means “no worries” or “its nothing“.

You will enjoy your trip exponentially more if you adopt this local attitude as well. The next time they loose your ticket, your bus breaks down, or you step in a pile of water buffalo poo – don’t freak out like you would at home, just smile and say “mai pen rai“.