Please Explain

[cdnvic]

Really I think taking a discreet piss in the designated location is not quite the same as running around town vomiting and taking dumps wherever the fancy takes you!!

Sounds like closing time in Auckland.

[Rinnam]

even got into gent room by mistake but never noticed that.

well, well, good to know. maybe i can explain to guyfriends when some visit.

to answer "why?" i think thailand just didn't import the whole set of restrooms in USA or UK to the country. nowadays, Thai ppl still have two types of toilet. And that could cost a problem for western girls which is fair enough (guys have too?!!?). So just have to live with it and accept there is a difference when using a restroom in Thailand.

BTW, positively, you've got a story to tell.

[jumnien]

Since man stood on two legs and began walking eons ago one of his greatest pleasures is to stand and take a whiz and survey the scene. Cavemen didn't tile their caves and pee in the corner, why should we? It is so sad thinking that there are children in the world who will never know the pleasure of peeing in the open air. Room for a new NGO for the western world?

[johwel]

Just use one hand to hold, and the other one to cover. My favourite past time in bathrooms is to make fake fart sounds, then quickly flee away and watch people blaming their mates!

[coldcrush]

Crouch and crap toilets are pretty bad. I once had a No2 and and when I looked down i had missed the bowl and hit the porcelain, being thailand as it is there was no paper so I gracefully used my kegs to clean it up. I dont think anyone saw me? ...classy

[BambinA]

Please Explain, Why Thai toilets allow everyone to see in...?

Coz we Th have been tought about helping and pleasing foriegner ..

If a farang guy has a big bone,somebody will carry it for you.

If a farang guy has a small bone, somebody will give you a magnify glass for you ,so you dont piss on your pants.

you seeeeee? How nice we TH are

[Jonson83]

The casual passerby can almost always see directly into a Thai men's bathroom. Usually the door is open and the urinals are in full view (no blocking walls as per most countries). You can stand there pissing and watch people walk by outside.

Why?

This seems to be everywhere from gas stations to offices to medium quality shopping malls to restaurants.

Please explain why they can't build a blocking wall.

Many years ago while I was in Vietnam I was always amazed that the local bargirls would always turn out the lights before coming to bed or undress only with the lights out.

Yet a "nice" girl would be willing to take a shower outside the house from a vase of water wearing only a thin silk sarong which when wet showed just about everything you wanted to see.

I finally got a girl to explain to me that sex was "dirty" but taking a shower in front of everyone was "clean".

Therefore, by that logic there was nothing to hide when taking a shower because your intentions were good.

Same logic with urinals.

It is a natural function, so why should it be blocked?

Also someone noticing you taking a leak in the urinal, would lose face by noticing it to the point of commenting about it.

Losing face by commenting on your actions is to be avoided at all cost in Thailand

The Vietnamese are kinda f@@ked up when it comes to this kind of thing.When everyone gets off the bus for a piss break,they walk like 2 yards from the buses door and then piss Man,woman,child..whoever.

Then ofcourse theres the staring at ya bits when your trying to piss,that was always a hoot.

[jackr]

It's not only Thailand; Japan is pretty much like that too.

Too true. I hear you can shake hands while having a tom tit over there.

[rak sa_ngop]

The Vietnamese are kinda f@@ked up when it comes to this kind of thing.When everyone gets off the bus for a piss break,they walk like 2 yards from the buses door and then piss Man,woman,child..whoever.

Then ofcourse theres the staring at ya bits when your trying to piss,that was always a hoot.

Another common sight in Vietnam is to see women crouching down for a piss or a dump, but what is culturally different is that rather than turning around to hide the offending sight from you, they will point their bum in your direction in order to save face as opposed to the Western saving bum.

see http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=101483 thread for more of saving face.

[astral]

I am surprised that no-one has mentioned the cleaning girls who wander around when we are taking a pee.............

[PhilHarries]

Why go through the expense of a wall when most guys stop whenever, wherever and whip it out?

Ever noticed that Thais will walk away from the car to take a leak? Even though there's no one else in the car, they won't use it to partially block the view.

I was told a long while back that ti was legal to p1ss in public provided you did it against the wheel of your car. Some old law relating to the days of coaches with woodewheels. Apparently it was common for the coachman to p1ss on the spokes to make them swell in the holes in the rim.

Sounds like one of those urban myths but there could be some truth in it as there were, at that time, still some crazy old laws on the books.

Sounds like a good excuse for the coachman to drink shed loads of beer "give me another pint mate, I've got to tighten the spokes up".

[guardian]

I am surprised that no-one has mentioned the cleaning girls who wander around when we are taking a pee.............

Scott's reply (Post #6)

[toptuan]

[You're right on the money, Pete. All the restrooms in our university are wide open to view (students/faculty). The fact of the matter is that no one looks. I've had to totally retrain myself!

retrain yourself to what? to not look?

so you're the one we're all paranoid about...

Well, at LEAST, I started leaving my camera at home! C'mon give me postiive reinforcement!