Most people in the west take a lot of pride in a neat and clean looking house and room.

I've often noticed that houses and also rooms of many Thais resemble junk yards.

It's mostly not about money, as cleaning just needs some time and decoration or plants are not that expensive here.

Is it really just laziness?

 

My Thai property manager comes every month to collect the rent. She mentioned how farang customers' homes were always much neater than those of Thais. I believe it's a cultural thing.

Quite possible, that its cultural.

 

I think part of the reason is most Thais meet their friends outside of the house, while for foreigners meetings often happen in the house. This is the way it was in our home country. 

1 hour ago, robblok said:

I think part of the reason is most Thais meet their friends outside of the house, while for foreigners meetings often happen in the house. This is the way it was in our home country. 

Probably why it's so tidy outside the house.

"Mine's different".

 

Well she is, obsessive about cleaning (OK to her eye level).

 

I have to be careful where I put my beer lest it be tidied up.

 

But yes, many homes I've visited are like there's been a bomb explosion followed by a tsunami (or maybe vice-versa).

 

To westerners they consider homes as their castles, but the reality is, that in most owned western homes the buyers are mortgaged up to their necks and therefore have to keep their properties up to certain standards otherwise they won`t be able to sell and the banks/mortgage lenders won`t give loans on properties that are in dilapidated conditions. In other words, property owners in western countries become trapped in a system where they have to live and work for many years for the upkeep of their properties.

 

In Thailand whereas they place more emphasis on land values and properties can be cheaply built, they consider their homes as just roofs over their heads not as assets of investment value.

 

Now you know.

39 minutes ago, CLW said:

Most people in the west take a lot of pride in a neat and clean looking house and room.

You're kidding me.

3 minutes ago, Crossy said:

"Mine's different".

 

Well she is, obsessive about cleaning (OK to her eye level).

 

I have to be careful where I put my beer lest it be tidied up.

 

But yes, many homes I've visited are like there's been a bomb explosion followed by a tsunami (or maybe vice-versa).

 

My house would look a lot worse if my GF did not clean it. I can clean but detest the work.

 

But what I noticed is that Thais (not all) often let their house maintenance deteriorate fast. Most foreigners I know seem to be more on the ball with making sure all things work in the house and major things like painting / the floor and other major things are well maintained. 

 

 

6 minutes ago, robblok said:

But what I noticed is that Thais (not all) often let their house maintenance deteriorate fast.

Tell me about it, Madam left a blown lamp (for months as far as I can tell) before I needed the light and replaced the beastie, she just used the battery lantern.

The standard for "clean" is just different for Thais and Farangs, that's how they grow up. What they consider is clean is not clean for us.

Why WE are not sitting on mats and eating???

It's a different culture and a different view (of cleanliness)

1 minute ago, hyku1147 said:

I use the stink test in order to determine if my nest needs cleaning

There's a reason it's called a "pit" in certain military circles 

People are confusing neat with clean. My wife loves clutter and is untidy "BUT" the floor gets moped and swept 2-3 times a day, clothes get washed after a 5 minute wearing, I had to re-grout the shower because she scrubbed all the grout away. 

She is still trying to break the world record for hoarding plastic bags, cardboard boxes and take-away containers.

Thais don't understand hygiene as we know it .

Cleaning ladies in hotels/motels are a good example.

If there is no need for hygiene , there's no need to be neat and tidy.

My wife,Stepdaughter,and nephew spent the whole day cleaning the house just the other day.it depends who you are with !


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My thai wife keeps our house spotless, she sweeps the house endlessly (of course having a 22 month old Daughter helps encourage that) - she mops the floor 3 times a day, washes clothes every two days, cleans out the fish every other day. She is not OCD - but she likes a clean home.

 

That said - most of the other Thai houses near us keep their houses reasonably clean - but there are always a few as you say - mostly the ones with dogs that they let roam in the street all day.

 

I think the anawer to your question basically goes to upbringing. Grow up in a 5hith0le you will live in one later in life.  

Most thai houses i've been in to were spotless clean.

 

But i do have some familymembers who never painted their walls since the big flood, the livingroom looks like a bomb went off..

2 hours ago, cyberfarang said:

To westerners they consider homes as their castles, but the reality is, that in most owned western homes the buyers are mortgaged up to their necks and therefore have to keep their properties up to certain standards otherwise they won`t be able to sell and the banks/mortgage lenders won`t give loans on properties that are in dilapidated conditions. In other words, property owners in western countries become trapped in a system where they have to live and work for many years for the upkeep of their properties.

 

In Thailand whereas they place more emphasis on land values and properties can be cheaply built, they consider their homes as just roofs over their heads not as assets of investment value.

 

Now you know.

What a load of waffle! 

My parents own their house outright - no mortgages, no loans, no credit (not even credit cards do they have), nothing! Yet the place, both inside and outside, is so clean you could literally eat your dinner off the floor.

Some people are just born dog lazy, live like animals and are as happy as pigs in muck. 

I believe we all have the right to live as we chose, but don't waffle on about Westerners being clean only because we have mortgages. 

Most people here don't clean because 1) they're too lazy to do so ("too hot to cleaning" or "favourite TV series on now") or 2) they were never raised with the concept of cleaning, keeping the house spic and span, doing house chores on a regular basis. 

This is one of the few issues my missus and I don't see eye-to-eye on. 

 

Gotta tell you a funny one from yesterday regarding this subject...Wife spent a couple of hours cleaning inside and out as she normally does every couple of days....WELL !...Guys from the vacant block next door decides to cleanup and burn the associated rubbish...YEP !....all the ash smoke and burnt crap from the fire covered everything...including inside, before she closed the door and windows...

I headed for the shed, and am real Happy I dont understand too much Thai, but even the Dogs blushed....

Could it be a climate thing?

Because of the warmer climate here, those living in houses tend to spend much more time outside..... (compared to our cooler home countries) therefore the state of the house becomes less important....

Live in an all Thai middle class neighborhood....Every morning the house owners sweep their driveway and the street in front of their houses...

Like all over the world....there are clean people and there are pigs...!!

Our house is always spotless, Mother in laws house is always clean but cluttered, she never wants to throw out anything, I think it comes from being very poor when young. My wife and her mom always have that fight. Wife wants to throw everything out, we certainly have enough money for MIL to buy whatever she wants, But MIL cant bring herself to throw out anything.

cultures develop by people doing what is necessary in their particular situation, and culture is not static, it changes as situations change. but they also have momentum and resist change.

22 minutes ago, JOC said:

Could it be a climate thing?

Because of the warmer climate here, those living in houses tend to spend much more time outside..... (compared to our cooler home countries) therefore the state of the house becomes less important....

Live in an all Thai middle class neighborhood....Every morning the house owners sweep their driveway and the street in front of their houses...

Like all over the world....there are clean people and there are pigs...!!

Guy next door, complete pig other side neat and clean bit further neat and clean.

 

I think indeed it depends on the person but in general i feel Thai houses are less well maintained. (not saying clean)

A house and a shed(to put excess belongings in) has never caught on in Asia.

What is the point in stigmatizing once again people of a nation, when most of the ranters are queueing up at

Thai immigration to extend their duration of stay ?

They'd be a lot tidier if they had as many closets to hide crap as we do back home.  And the yard would be neater if they had that 2 car garage that's so cluttered it barely fits one car- and only on a good day.

 

I have to admire the way they can happily live in 1/3 - 1/2 the square feet we "require".  And they can be content even when things aren't the way we would have them.  Cleanliness isn't a virtue if it comes at the expense of peace of mind.

 

33 minutes ago, observer90210 said:

What is the point in stigmatizing once again people of a nation, when most of the ranters are queueing up at

Thai immigration to extend their duration of stay ?

Point taken, though I have nothing against Thai often defend them. Some things just show cultural differences does not mean someone is bad. 

What is the point in stigmatizing once again people of a nation, when most of the ranters are queueing up at
Thai immigration to extend their duration of stay ?

It's just an observation and I'm asking about other people's experience.
Anyone can do as they please and I don't force them to do something.
Also it doesn't affect me or other life so up to everyone else

7 minutes ago, robblok said:

Point taken, though I have nothing against Thai often defend them. Some things just show cultural differences does not mean someone is bad. 

And my dear fellow poster, I do hope that you did not take my comment as aimed directly to your post. Thank your for sharing your thoughts.

The Mrs, and also her folks, like to have a lot of useless stuff laying around the house that makes it look a tad clattered, but the houses are cleaned everyday. Whereas back home, nowhere near as much stuff laying about the place, but by no means was the place cleaned as often.

We just added a storage space when we built the outdoor kitchen, so now inside is a win win.

41 minutes ago, observer90210 said:

What is the point in stigmatizing once again people of a nation, when most of the ranters are queueing up at

Thai immigration to extend their duration of stay ?

So according to your wisdom, people who have lived here 15-20 years, should not comment on anything Thai related, because we have to visit immigration from time to time?

Makes (no) sense....

And since replies here have been quite Thai friendly.....I doubt very much, that it will leave any Thai citizens traumatized...