Thailand Oddities and Uniqueness

While being in Thailand I have noticed several small things that differ from my normal life. From simple greetings to how Thai's manage to have cold beer in such hot weather. This is a compilation of all the oddities and uniqueness that Thailand beholds. I will continually add to this as more new things appear.

The first time I ordered a beer in Thailand I noticed they put ice in it, and I thought WTF who do they think they are watering down my beer? Turns out, due to such hot weather in Thailand your beer quickly gets warm (ya ya I get it, "Well drink it faster!") If you want to enjoy the beer you will need ice in it. I have come to not mind the ice because the beer is always perfectly chilled. Although they sometimes put ice in your beer indoors I have grown to like the consistent cold temperature that the beer is at. Also, the waiters always refill your beer for you....your glass is never empty....I like that.

Shoes are to always be taken off before entering 50-60% of the buildings you enter. They are always taken off before entering peoples homes, sometimes taken off before entering certain shops, and some restaurants (though very few) require you to remove your shoes.  I found this odd based on one fact, in the Thai culture feet are considered dirty and gross (like most places) and it is an insult to point with your feet, refer to them, or have them anywhere but the ground. So for a country that despises feet so much you have them out an awful lot....contradiction.

The whole bathroom situation in this country is a tad odd. In most places there is no toilet paper, just a sprayer next to the toilet. You are supposed to spray your bum. My question is after you spray your bum don't you need toilet paper to dry it off? I decided to do a little bit of testing, after I used the restroom (No. 2) I sprayed my bum. Although it did clean it there is no way some one would just walk around with their bum and crotch that wet....you would chafe like crazy and it would be soggy. I came to the conclusion that no matter what you do after pooping you are going to need toilet paper which leaves me to think there are alot of smelly, chafed, soggy crotched people walking around Thailand. No AC in any bathrooms.....Every bathroom I have been in so far (except the Marriott which is a 5 star hotel so they are excluded) has not had any air conditioning in it. Going No. 2 is the most sweaty, humid, light headed thing I have done so far. No hot or cold.... The faucets in all bathrooms (both houses I have lived in so far) do not have a hot or cold choice....just warm. Which is kinda like whatever but every once in a while you would like to wash your face with some cool water....except it's just warm so you sweat again deleting the fact that you just washed your face.

This is how you get hot water in the shower. It is an electric home shower heating system made by Panasonic. The first two times I took a shower I took cold ones because I figured they just dont have hot water here (just as the faucets don't have hot or cold) I didn't mind it because it wakes you up. However, the owner of the first house showed us how it worked but must have thought we were idiots while showing us. The system works perfectly and saves the home a lot of energy. Although, due to the average Thai person being small the shower heads are lower. The nozzle is equal to my neck so I am bending at the knees for most of the shower.

The napkin holders at every table at every restaurant are made of plastic and have on average 1-2 additional compartments on them. The compartments always hold tooth picks which are sometimes in wrappers and sometimes not. I thoroughly enjoy this because I pick my teeth often. The other compartments will hold sugar. However, the napkins are pathetic. They are extremely thin and you need about three of them to wipe your hands just once. I still have yet to eat somewhere that has thicker napkins or even separate napkins to set on your lap. To put this in perspective this allows you to be a cleaner eater making it to the point where you don't need napkins at dinner, which is an extreme challenge to me as my family would know.


Business Cards: The way you take business cards is much more kind and respectful compared to other countries. Usually when someone gives you a business card you think "Oh, wow, cool another small piece of paper with a requirement for me to do something later." In Thailand when someone gives you a business card you see it as a sign of respect. When both receiving and giving a card you must hold it with both hands and bow your head. You also are not allowed to write any thing on it (such as intended usage or notes for why you have it) when the person is still there. It is seen as a sign of disrespect.
Greetings: When greeting someone you say "Swadee Krub" meaning hello. While saying that you hold your hands together as if you were praying and slightly bow. The height at which you hold your hands is determined by the age and respect of the person you are greeting. The higher you hands are the more respect you are giving the person, also done if the person is older. The lower you hold your hands the younger the other person is.
I will add more later and Thank you for reading!!!
-Z