RamenRaven

Just now, Yorkshire Tea said:

2 months?  Where do you spend the other 6?

March and April are dusty. N95 masks, air purifiers, laptop, and yoga ball in my room do the trick.

The rest of the months, I can go out and exercise.

Canadians put up with the same seasonal restrictions.

57 minutes ago, Kengro said:

I am 2 meters, so Thailands markets are hell on earth. Made for dwarfs 

Not just outdoor markets, but also those market people's houses and permanent indoor shops.

That's most of the country. The middle-class urban areas of Thailand make up only a small part of the country.

The way the infrastructure is built in most of the country is as if they assume that the tallest human being on earth tops out at 175 cm, and they don't even seem to be aware that some people may be over that height. Many of Thailand's neighboring countries don't build like this, even if the street vendors are short middle-aged women.

You can try adapting to it, but it just gets annoying when you are a guy of average height in many countries, but still needs to duck his head everywhere. Every time you go out, it's like spelunking in a low cave full of overhanging stalactites.

55 minutes ago, Kengro said:

I am 2 meters, so Thailands markets are hell on earth. Made for dwarfs 

I've always wondered why they can't make everything just a little higher, because making things over 180 cm high is not just common sense, but a legal requirement, in most other parts of the world. It's just several more inches of poles and sticks and strings and wood, so it's not a budget issue.

Some Thai university students are that height. Not everyone is a tiny 140 cm som tam selling old lady.

I asked a few working-class Thais about it, and they said it's because most people just aren't that tall over here.

1 minute ago, Muzzique said:

 

I'm 5'10 and I spend much time in Thailand and Ukraine. Flying between the two is like going from Lilliput to the Land of The Giants.

 

Having a couple of Thai girls on my arm makes me feel like a Grizzly Bear but walking out with Ukrainian girls makes me feel like I'm a pet Chihuahua.

Still, Ukrainians aren't nearly as tall as many other Europeans.

Try neighboring Latvia and Lithuania. They're about as tall as the Dutch. You'll be impressed!

3 minutes ago, Kiujunn said:

You are in a dollhouse.

Pun intended?

You know, dolls

Just don a N95 mask, turn on air purifiers, and do what you can to isolate yourself from the dusty air for 2 months.

Enjoying life as always!

Compared to many other Asian cities, not that bad. Chiang Mai AQI is usually in the 150-200 range during the burning season. It's 200-250 when it gets really bad.

Try Delhi and Ulaanbataar, where hazardous AQI levels are extremely common, often 300-500+ for days on end.

Life is what you make of it!

Wherever you go, there you will find yourself.

4 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Market stalls are a problem, but I've never been in any building/home/dwelling (Thailand/China/Vietnam/Cambodia/Laos/Philippines) where the door and ceiling heights are anything lower than the western norm. As for females, the Philippines easily make the smallest women.

I think you should take a closer look. Many small shops in those countries have very low door heights, below 2 m. In Western countries, doors always need to be 2 m high at the very least.

In rural areas or rural-like suburbs, there are bound to be homes where 6' 1" guys would have to look carefully and see if they need to duck their heads.

As for short women, Indonesia and Myanmar have even smaller women.

Bolivia has the smallest average height that I've seen anywhere.

1 minute ago, CANSIAM said:

I do believe Thai's 'zero in' on the KILO difference rather than height difference when looking at foreigners lol...... 

And portion sizes!

A Texan dude once told me, "Everything is smaller in Thailand."

But everything is bigger in Texas, wouldn't every other place look smaller?

Thanks, love your story Scorecard! Really enjoyable to read. You had mentioned that your Asian students were Thai, Burmese, Vietnamese.

But try taking a metro ride in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Taipei, or another one of those highly developed Asian cities. Many of the men, especially the younger ones, have European-level heights. I've walked around with some European (German, Swedish, Swiss) friends in those cities, and many of the local Asian youths were just as tall as the European boys.

Bangkok might be on its way there.

24 minutes ago, Salerno said:

 

That's a bit of a stretch (no pun intended). You'd be considered tall in the vast majority of countries in the world.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Average_human_height_by_country#Table_of_heights

If the average male height is 175 cm, 180 cm will feel like just slightly above average, so you still blend in just fine. In practical terms, it feels like average.

So, someone like me walking around in the UK would perfectly fit in height-wise.

Not like in much of Thailand, where you literally stick out.

I'm getting pretty used to it by now.

But, I am curious to know:

What are some other countries where 180 cm guys have to constantly duck their heads?

Just now, Kwasaki said:

That's easily avoided using eyes and by ducking.

Actually I meant that I used to bump my head often.

But yes, I do have to keep ducking.

I don't know of many other countries where 180 cm guys have to constantly duck, except for the other poorer Southeast Asian countries like Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia.

I've never really had to duck even in India or Guatemala, when average height for rural men can be very short, like 5' 3".

Almost all beer in Thailand is the same boring bottled Chang, Leo, Singha beer. Why?

Answer: Corporate conglomerates controlling the supply chain.

I miss hoppy craft beer. I can't even find it in Rimping.

Only certain places in Bangkok have those.

In rural Thailand, locals tell me that burglaries do happen and that people should be careful.

But they see it as an occasional thing, kind of like how people know about colds but never really cared that much before the pandemic struck.

But when I was college student, I was a constant target of theft and kept having these things stolen, just like the other students:

• Bicycles
• Hub caps
• Boring non-fiction books worth $10-$20

Thais find it strange that I was scared about having boring books and hub caps stolen. They said Thai thieves want phones, cash, and jewelery, but not those things. Thais even leave bikes unlocked everywhere. Amazing!

1 minute ago, nikmar said:

im 190cm - the only trouble i have is buying jeans. 

XL or 2XL Thai clothes all fit me.

Secondhand street market clothing fits me too.

I treat smoke season like snowstorm season. You just have to get used to it.

Shut yourself in, turn on the air purifier, and it's life as usual.

Canadians go through this every winter, and northern Thais every March to April.

That's just the way it is.

Just now, FritsSikkink said:

Visit a proper house or a department store, you won't have any problems. Youth in Thailand are bigger than you.

Note that I said: "Outside the major shopping centers and fancy condos"

"Excluding middle-class parts of Bangkok"

When you travel outside those areas, most of the infrastructure is built for people in the 140-170 cm height range.

10 minutes ago, geoffbezoz said:

Thought is was generally accepted that the Chinese are generally a work orientated nationality whereas the Thais are mostly lazy.  Hence it is obvious why they are fat.

Wait, being lazy makes you skinny?

I don't like fat shaming either. I think that sometimes it's beyond their control. I feel sorry for some of my more heavyset friends who are trying to lose weight, and I give them as many tips as possible. Unfortunately for some it seems to be genetic or hormonal, so they have so much more trouble losing weight than I do.

Just now, HLover said:

Speak for yourself, Butterball.

Members who have read my previous posts know that I'm a skinny stick. I feel a bit out of place being the only emaciated Farang among a big sea of butterballs.

With all that smoke and smog and air pollution in Thailand, just standing and breathing the outdoor air is equivalent to getting in a few cigs. Who needs cigs when you can get all that smoke for free right outside the door!