Any 6 feet (180 cm) people finding themselves too tall in Thailand?

[MarleyMarl]

I'm about 6"4 or 195cm, when renovating my home, I had all the ceiling raised and custom doors made that are 2.4m high haha.

 

Though I'm always hitting my head on sh*t, the stairway its a bit low in a particular spot and I've hit my head a few times there.

[MarleyMarl]

1 hour ago, DogNo1 said:

Ever been to Japan?  Ceilings and doorways in newer houses are getting higher but chair legs are still too short.

 

I've been about 3 times, it's a fun holiday spot. And yea, some of the airbnb's pretty horrendous for bigger/taller people. One hotel/airbnb I stayed in rather than have a room for the bathroom, it was in a plastic cube thing in the room, that was tough trying to bath and go toilet in haha.

[phantomfiddler]

While there are people in remote areas dying of starvation and disease, you are complaining about having to duck your head a little while going through doorways ? Right on, cobber, it's a hard life in the tropics ????

[khunPer]

10 hours ago, RamenRaven said:

Are there any other average-height farangs here who feel like giants in dollhouses?

I'm also 180 centimeter tall, which is not tall at all in my Scandinavian home country. Main problem is street signs, but many signs in general, and also some market stall. However, not a problem, you get used to it; and it only hurts in the beginning, when you learn to bend your head the hard way...????

[RamenRaven]

6 hours ago, DogNo1 said:

Ever been to Japan?  Ceilings and doorways in newer houses are getting higher but chair legs are still too short.

 

Yes, it's a place where I feel like I'm just about to have a problem constantly ducking if I'm just 1 inch or 1 cm taller. Japanese infrastructure height is in between China and Thailand.

 

But not as low as everything in Thailand, which take things to a totally new dwarfish level.

 

[chicowoodduck]

Good Lord....you are tiny.....and should have zero problems in LOS?  I am 198 cm and find the Philippines the real challenge and of course China...????????

[Damrongsak]

My training guy in the Peace Corps in Thailand was a thin fellow about 7 feet tall.  Spoke Thai and Lao.  It was funny. 

[sandyf]

22 hours ago, bunnydrops said:

I saw a young man walking through the night market in ChiangMai once. I have no idea how tall he was but he was bent at the knees and waist to get though. The Thais just looked at him with eyes as big as saucers. I'm only 5'9'' and I fell tall here. The funny thing is even though there are some pretty big young women here, when I go to the States all the women look large.

I am 5'8" and tall compared to the locals, have to duck when I go to my sister in laws kitchen.

I would agree with comments about Bangkok. I stayed at a hotel in Pathum Thani a couple of weeks ago and when we arrived the reception was a bit of a media circus. At first I thought it was some sort of ladyboy convention but turned out to be the Miss Pathum Thani competition. Appreciate they were on high heels but couldn't believe the average height, and not a good looker among them.

[berrec]

I am 186 cm and my biggest gripe is no short sleeve shirts or t-shirts here are long enough on my upper arms.

 

The only ones I can buy are expensive golf shirts that actually look and feel the right length on my upper arms. 

 

 

[ThaiFelix]

23 hours ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

At 6'5" I still get a few second looks but not like it was on my first trip with my blonde girlfriend in the 80's. Then it looked like I came from the land of the Giants. 

Yes I am over 180 and when I first came here on multiple stays in the mid 80's it was the same.  Getting around you had to be constantly watching out for low structures, umbrellas, signs etc to protect your head while at the same time avoiding broken pavement, rubble, open drains etc at your feet.  When I moved here permanently in 2004 it didnt seem quite so bad.  I still get the second looks but believe this is due to me being a westerner not my height as I dont seem to stand out like that anymore.

 

Asians are certainly getting taller, maybe we all are.  Seems back in my mid 20's when I went out I could easily see over the crowds, I cant do that now.

[G Rex]

I am 6’4” and 93kg. No problems with doorways , but agree that outdoor markets can be a challenge - I go into ‘limbo mode’!

As others have mentioned - buying shoes is a real issue for those of us with big feet!

 

[RamenRaven]

I wear size 45 (EU) / 11 (US) shoes.

 

Never had a problem buying footwear like flip-flops and running shoes.

 

But I usually pick out the biggest sizes. If my feet were any bigger than that, I'd be shoeless.

 

[RamenRaven]

4 hours ago, chicowoodduck said:

Good Lord....you are tiny.....and should have zero problems in LOS?  I am 198 cm and find the Philippines the real challenge and of course China...????????

 

First time I've been called tiny in years! Really appreciate something different. Tired of being called a giant for years.

 

When you're tiny (for a Dutch) but not a midget, the difference between China and Thailand is huge. China is comfortable but not Thailand. If I were to be taller than 185 cm, I would probably crack my skull open in Thailand, but China is perfectly comfortable for 185 cm people.

 

Take a look at my photographic comparisons on page 4 of this thread for China and Thailand comparisons.

 

What I'm saying here is that when Thailand is one of the few places that is problematic for males of average height from many European countries, and even other tall Asians - a meagre 180 cm, you know that things here are really, really small even when compared to other Asian countries.

 

Edited March 6, 2021 by RamenRaven

[RamenRaven]

1 hour ago, sandyf said:

I am 5'8" and tall compared to the locals, have to duck when I go to my sister in laws kitchen.

I would agree with comments about Bangkok. I stayed at a hotel in Pathum Thani a couple of weeks ago and when we arrived the reception was a bit of a media circus. At first I thought it was some sort of ladyboy convention but turned out to be the Miss Pathum Thani competition. Appreciate they were on high heels but couldn't believe the average height, and not a good looker among them.

 

So this 5' 8" (172 cm) guy here is considered tall by the locals and sometimes has the same problems that the 190 cm posters have.

 

You would probably need to be 160 cm to be truly comfortable in Thailand.

 

First time I wished I could get some height shortening surgery!

 

[elgenon]

A problem at 6'2" is mirrors. I have to tuck something under the bottom so I can see who is the handsome man standing there. Then the maids remove it. Then I do it again. Rinse and repeat until I remember to remove it myself to save for next time.

 

Oh, and the hotels I stay at (except an oldie) have queen beds so I either sleep with my feet hanging out at the bottom or sleep at a diagonal if, sadly, alone at night.

 

And, sometimes tables are too low for my legs. I become a seer who invites ghosts who mysteriously move the table while my hands are visible. I particularly remember a Swensens, which is the favorite desert place of a longtime Thai friend.

 

And flying I often have my legs up against the seat back in front of me.

 

I like to be lost visually so I can people-watch but I stand out among Thais.

 

And when standing watching an event like a Loy Krathong parade or a beauty contest people are upset at me blocking their vision.

 

Of course the plus is that 99.9999% of Thai women are shorter than me. Not necessary, but desired. If she is my height or taller, my LB alarm sounds. 555

 

I also get asked to take something down from the top shelf in a supermarket. Or I volunteer when I see someone struggling.

[RamenRaven]

1 minute ago, elgenon said:

Of course the plus is that 99.9999% of Thai women are shorter than me. Not necessary, but desired. If she is my height or taller, my LB alarm sounds. 555

 

Thai women aren't picky about height and practically don't care about height. They're perfectly content with the 5' 6" guys. More than 5' 6" and you're tall to them.

 

As long as you're not a midget, Western men considered to be short in their home countries would be considered to be tall in Thailand.

 

[Olmate]

3 minutes ago, RamenRaven said:

 

Thai women aren't picky about height and practically don't care about height. They're perfectly content with the 5' 6" guys. More than 5' 6" and you're tall to them.

 

As long as you're not a midget, Western men considered to be short in their home countries would be considered to be tall in Thailand.

 

Helps if your tall when lying down!! 

[chilly07]

I am 6ft and my Thai/Farang son is 3ins taller head and shoulders above his mum and many of his thai friends are as tall as him. They do favour western food especially junk so guess that has something to do with it. I think yes you are associating with Thais on Isaan/Lao rations

[holy cow cm]

Not the doors that are a problem but the worry of the low balconies.

[RamenRaven]

1 hour ago, chilly07 said:

I am 6ft and my Thai/Farang son is 3ins taller head and shoulders above his mum and many of his thai friends are as tall as him. They do favour western food especially junk so guess that has something to do with it. I think yes you are associating with Thais on Isaan/Lao rations

 

Even with you typically associate with the bigger middle-class Thais, you can't avoid the working-class little people and their street stalls who surround all the bigger middle-class people.

 

[NoshowJones]

On 3/5/2021 at 9:19 AM, RamenRaven said:

I'm a 6' 0" tall guy. That's just a bit over 180 cm.

This is considered very average for men in most of Europe and North America, so most people in Western countries don't even say I'm tall.

(Also I'm not implying at all that tall people are superior to shorter people. Rather, shorter people really have an advantage in Thailand!)

 

Elsewhere in Asia:

Having traveled all over Asia before the pandemic, I have never had any problems with my height in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong,  South Korea, Malaysia, or Singapore.

Door height and street stall umbrellas have never been a problem for me. These countries can get even more crowded than Thailand, but they also build everything higher. A 180 cm person wouldn't be bumping his head into everything in China or Hong Kong.

I do look a bit taller than average in those countries, but many guys in those countries are also my height. Those countries all seem to know that there are many guys who are 180 cm tall, but life for guys who are 190 cm tall would start to get tough.

 

 

But in Thailand:

Door height is often 170-180 cm, and so are market stalls. I feel like I'm in a dollhouse, or somewhere down the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland.

 

Outside the major shopping centers and fancy condos, everything is built for people who are 150-170 cm on average. This gets especially troublesome in rural areas.

• I walked around a market in Surin and had to walk around with my neck bent, or else my head would crash through the makeshift wire ceiling.
• I went to a Thai friend's house in rural Chiang Mai, and my head literally touched the ceiling.
• I keep bumping my head against door frames when going to bathrooms.
• In street markets and restaurant stalls, I keep bumping my head against umbrellas, ropes, beams, and what not.
• Lots of random things dangle over sidewalks right at 180 cm, so my hair keeps brushing against signs, strings, and all kinds of objects.
• Chairs, tables, bathroom sinks, doors, shelves, everything look like they're custom built for those little 140-150 cm little street vendor ladies.
• Everyone's heads are at my cheeks, shoulders, or below.
• People in Thailand keep saying I'm tall. Sometimes I feel like I'm freakishly tall. People ask me what my parents fed me. They ask me if I had ever played basketball. You only get these kinds of questions if you're over 190 cm in a Western country.

 

And I'm a farang of average height (180-ish cm) in his home country! I can't imagine what the even taller people have to go through.

Excluding middle-class parts of Bangkok, I rarely see local Thais who are my height or taller, and almost never see local Thais who are clearly taller than me. Yes, many Thais are getting taller, but I notice that the tallest guys max out at 180-185 cm.

 

 

That being said, my width is perfectly normal and average in Thailand since I'm skinny, but not my length.

 

Are there any other average-height farangs here who feel like giants in dollhouses?

 

I'm 6ft tall, and the biggest problem is my size 11 feet, sometimes, particularly in guesthouses, I have to walk up and down with my feet sideways.

I do hit my head sometimes in markets with things holding up canopies.

[NoshowJones]

On 3/5/2021 at 9:57 AM, bunnydrops said:

I saw a young man walking through the night market in ChiangMai once. I have no idea how tall he was but he was bent at the knees and waist to get though. The Thais just looked at him with eyes as big as saucers. I'm only 5'9'' and I fell tall here. The funny thing is even though there are some pretty big young women here, when I go to the States all the women look large.

Mrs Possum is 5ft 9ins, and with a figure to match, her three brothers are almost as tall as me.

[NoshowJones]

On 3/5/2021 at 10:05 AM, ezzra said:

Never mind too tall, i had few ladies quipping "Oh too big, too big" not much i can do about that is it now?...

Maybe they were referring to the size of your oops! and not your body size. ????  

[sandyf]

16 hours ago, possum1931 said:

I do hit my head sometimes in markets with things holding up canopies.

One of the biggest dangers here, I tend to stay away.

Stalls with umbrellas are the worst, particularly on the pavements.

[elgenon]

On 3/5/2021 at 7:42 PM, RamenRaven said:

 

Thai women aren't picky about height and practically don't care about height. They're perfectly content with the 5' 6" guys. More than 5' 6" and you're tall to them.

 

As long as you're not a midget, Western men considered to be short in their home countries would be considered to be tall in Thailand.

 

Yes, a good country for short Westerners.

 

Just curious, have you ever seen a Thai woman who was romantically involved with a Westerner shorter than her?

[Kiujunn]

2 hours ago, elgenon said:

Yes, a good country for short Westerners.

 

Just curious, have you ever seen a Thai woman who was romantically involved with a Westerner shorter than her?

Yes.

Once.

[Muzzique]

On 3/5/2021 at 3:19 AM, RamenRaven said:

I feel like I'm in a dollhouse, or somewhere down the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland.

 

 

I totally understand

 

but just think of all those amusement rides that most Thai people never get to go on...  ????

 

 

 

[RamenRaven]

I think most Thais are at or over 150 cm, except for the short old ladies and some of the older village men.

 

But Many Burmese, Cambodian, Laotians, Vietnamese are under 150 cm. You know Thais actually like to gleefully point out how they're shorter than the average Thai person!

 

[RamenRaven]

Alice in Wonderland (or Thailand)

 

Doorknob on the tiny door says "You're too big!"

 

Drink the bottle on the table, shrink yourself, and you can fit right in!

 

[DavisH]

On 3/5/2021 at 10:05 AM, ezzra said:

Never mind too tall, i had few ladies quipping "Oh too big, too big" not much i can do about that is it now?...

Better than "why you so tall but that is so small" ????