Kinnock Posted October 4, 2021 Share Posted October 4, 2021 10 minutes ago, mfd101 said: Yes but most of the difference in people's height comes from short vs long LEGS. Yes, plus the big differences in height created by different heights of chairs. A typical Western whole family gathering has some people on the sofa, some on dining chairs, some in armchairs, some on bean-bags, some on kitchen stools. This would need complex orchestration for a Thai family gathering. But all sitting on the floor is simple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramrod711 Posted October 4, 2021 Share Posted October 4, 2021 7 hours ago, MrBrad said: C'mon now. The distance from the top of the head to the butt is the same whether sitting on a chair or on the floor. I realize that, but there seems to me, to be a communal spirit in everyone being on the floor. It isn't, as you say, the literal height. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramrod711 Posted October 4, 2021 Share Posted October 4, 2021 3 minutes ago, ramrod711 said: I realize that, but there seems to me, to be a communal spirit in everyone being on the floor. It isn't, as you say, the literal height. Sorry, I unknowingly used the "communal" reference that bbko had already used, my bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berkshire Posted October 5, 2021 Share Posted October 5, 2021 On 10/3/2021 at 7:09 PM, opalred said: i have a house i built/with every thing in it /tables and chairs / yet for past 12 yrs living with wife she will eat on the floor /and every one comes around sit and eat around the food on the floor\my wife is not from the mountain villages and highly educated //why cheers I'm just spitballing here, but you ever considered asking your wife? You can get back to us with her thoughts. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khunpa Posted October 5, 2021 Share Posted October 5, 2021 Buying furniture is actually the only thing I regret about my marriage and house purchase. A complete waste of money. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgrahmm Posted October 5, 2021 Share Posted October 5, 2021 Somewhere around the outside of the house, most homes have those round cement tables & rounded benches.... Usually, for visitors, they sit outside at those tables.... They tend not to entertain indoors very much.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeaconJohn Posted October 5, 2021 Share Posted October 5, 2021 (edited) The answer to the OP's question is obvious: because they have done it all their lives just as their ancestors have done it in this part of the world since time out of mind. As kids growing up in a semi-rural area we played on the floor a lot. Even when older... board games and such. The floor, if it is made to be inviting with oriental rugs or even a bamboo mat is a good place to do many things. Why more people in the West don't use it more often is probably due to the Faranglander's barbaric habit of wearing their shoes inside the house. Edited October 5, 2021 by DeaconJohn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lkn Posted October 5, 2021 Share Posted October 5, 2021 (edited) On 10/3/2021 at 4:02 PM, OneMoreFarang said: It seems in restaurants they sit just like we do. Or maybe I didn't visit any real Thai restaurants with floor only until now. TiT I’ve only sat on the floor at “picnic style” restaurants, e.g. bamboo huts near a river or lake. But in Japan it is not unusual to sit on the floor at a restaurant. As someone who has frequently sat on the floor (with Thai people), it really does feel more natural. There is both the communal feel, but also the flexibility, you can be 3 people or 10 people, no need to move around furniture, and if you are 10 people, there is still room for one more. Many meals are also eaten away from home, e.g. construction workers, or after ceremony in the temple — the logistics involved in having foldable tables and chairs in these situations would be absurd. As for the communal feel, also note that at Thai restaurants, you order food together and share it, nobody sits with just their own plate — I think that is somewhat connected to their concept of eating and sitting on the floor, i.e. most meals for them is more of a picnic, and food is just an excuse to socialize (even though they really like food). Edit: To elaborate on the “always room for one more”, this also makes it less formal to invite people to join you. E.g. if me and my girlfriend is eating on the floor, we can ask the cleaner if she wants to join us, and she can just sit down, maybe eat something, maybe not, maybe just talk, and she can easily leave without it being awkward. Imagine if we are sitting at a table, and we ask her to join us, of course it could work, but it’s an entirely different dynamic. Edited October 5, 2021 by lkn 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VocalNeal Posted October 6, 2021 Share Posted October 6, 2021 Wife insisted we buy a nice couch and armchair set for the living room. She is currently lying on a mat reading, on the floor with the dog? Cooler? Who knows Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgrahmm Posted October 6, 2021 Share Posted October 6, 2021 • For centuries they sat/sit on the floor in school..... • For centuries they've sat on the floor worshipping at the Wat.... • For centuries they have eaten Mookata on the floor where their BBQ/grill is central & maybe about 30-35cm high..... • Many sleep/nap/watch TV on the floor since infancy - again, going back many, many years..... • Furniture, like dining room tables, is fairly recent to Thai culture.....Almost every flat surface in a house is used as practical, easy storage.... To many Thais, the concept of furniture/shelves/formal dining/ display/ornamentation/keep sakes is a completely alien idea.... 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post 0james0 Posted October 9, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted October 9, 2021 (edited) I read through this thread and all I can get out of it is that there's a lot of ignorance and narrow mindedness. It's a different culture, it's theirs ("They" as some of you address) and it belongs to them. Respect it and be apart of it, or get over it. Makes me wonder about a lot of the foreigners. I'm one of the They people. come here with my silly cultural ways, I probably look a bit goofy - silly - and I hear..."why you do like dat!? ahh?! One of the most annoying things I experience here, is how some foreigners treat the locals in a disdainful bullying manner. And it does BLANK-A-DI-BLANK ME OFF TO SEE IT!! Edited October 9, 2021 by 0james0 because I really detest disrespectful people 1 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BritManToo Posted October 10, 2021 Share Posted October 10, 2021 On 10/5/2021 at 9:14 AM, Berkshire said: but you ever considered asking your wife? I asked her and she said "Up to you" 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opalred Posted October 14, 2021 Author Share Posted October 14, 2021 we all did it 1000yrs ago/i remember in new Guinea in the sixty's/gave a chair to village people /the headman took it / sitting on it smiling the people of the village squatting o the ground staring at him/most had no clothes on / am glad i became civilized i sit on a chair and wear cloths/ because at my age not a good sight without cloths Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trainman34014 Posted October 15, 2021 Share Posted October 15, 2021 On 10/3/2021 at 9:50 PM, pasathai said: its cooler They eat a lot of their food stone cold anyway; never heat a plate up ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trainman34014 Posted October 15, 2021 Share Posted October 15, 2021 On 10/5/2021 at 7:37 PM, DeaconJohn said: The answer to the OP's question is obvious: because they have done it all their lives just as their ancestors have done it in this part of the world since time out of mind. As kids growing up in a semi-rural area we played on the floor a lot. Even when older... board games and such. The floor, if it is made to be inviting with oriental rugs or even a bamboo mat is a good place to do many things. Why more people in the West don't use it more often is probably due to the Faranglander's barbaric habit of wearing their shoes inside the house. Errrr; in Europe the bloody floor is too cold to sit on for a large part of the year ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rampant Rabbit Posted October 15, 2021 Share Posted October 15, 2021 Its simple, you cant get any lower and the next stage is sleep Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobandyson Posted October 15, 2021 Share Posted October 15, 2021 (edited) 16 minutes ago, Rampant Rabbit said: Its simple, you cant get any lower and the next stage is sleep My late father-in-law used to sleep on the tiled or parquet floor using the crook of his arm as a pillow. I bought him a single bed but never used it. Tough old b*gger he was. And what's with a lot of Thai men having the back of their heads flat. Are they formed like that from sleeping on hard floors since birth. Mostly see it in cops or military personnel. Edited October 15, 2021 by bobandyson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rampant Rabbit Posted October 15, 2021 Share Posted October 15, 2021 On 10/6/2021 at 1:24 PM, VocalNeal said: Wife insisted we buy a nice couch and armchair set for the living room. She is currently lying on a mat reading, on the floor with the dog? Cooler? Who knows Your dog can read .......... quick call channel 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmerslife Posted October 15, 2021 Share Posted October 15, 2021 Because they can. ???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Espanol Posted October 25, 2021 Share Posted October 25, 2021 Chairs are not in Thai culture. They don't even have a word for "chair" In Thai. They use the Chinese word "kaoy". 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Berkshire Posted October 28, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted October 28, 2021 On 10/25/2021 at 7:38 AM, Espanol said: Chairs are not in Thai culture. They don't even have a word for "chair" In Thai. They use the Chinese word "kaoy". It's comments like this that makes farangs in Thailand look like total buffoons. And yes, there is a Thai word for "chair." 2 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Espanol Posted October 28, 2021 Share Posted October 28, 2021 (edited) 2 hours ago, Berkshire said: ...farangs in Thailand look like total buffoons. And yes, there is a Thai word for "chair." Yes, same as there is a Thai word for computer or microwave: Thai word for computer is computer. Thai word for microwave is microwave. Thai word for chair is kaoi (Chinese for chair). And, yes, you are right: some farangs in Thailand look like total buffoons. Edited October 28, 2021 by Espanol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berkshire Posted October 29, 2021 Share Posted October 29, 2021 16 hours ago, Espanol said: Yes, same as there is a Thai word for computer or microwave: Thai word for computer is computer. Thai word for microwave is microwave. Thai word for chair is kaoi (Chinese for chair). And, yes, you are right: some farangs in Thailand look like total buffoons. Everywhere I go in Thailand, I see Thais sitting in chairs. Whether it's the bank, offices, airplanes, restaurants, bars, their homes.....I see Thais sitting in chairs. So when you say "Chairs are not in Thai culture," you're flatout wrong. The Thai word for chair is "gow-ee." So when you say "They don't even have a word for "chair" In Thai," you're wrong again. It doesn't matter what the origin of the word is, there's obviously a Thai word for chair. Just admit that you're wrong on all counts and we can move on. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
actonion Posted October 29, 2021 Share Posted October 29, 2021 The Japanese believe sitting on the floor while eating helps to increase blood flow to the stomach, therefore digest food more easily 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post novacova Posted October 29, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted October 29, 2021 1 hour ago, Berkshire said: Everywhere I go in Thailand, I see Thais sitting in chairs. Whether it's the bank, offices, airplanes, restaurants, bars, their homes.....I see Thais sitting in chairs. So when you say "Chairs are not in Thai culture," you're flatout wrong. The Thai word for chair is "gow-ee." So when you say "They don't even have a word for "chair" In Thai," you're wrong again. It doesn't matter what the origin of the word is, there's obviously a Thai word for chair. Just admit that you're wrong on all counts and we can move on. You are correct, thanks. Most of the other posters suffer from superiourority complex that causes them them to congregate and unwittingly express their prejudices. Weird and makes one wonder why are some of you even here?? Good grief already! 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rimmer Posted November 2, 2021 Share Posted November 2, 2021 A troll post has been removed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opalred Posted November 2, 2021 Author Share Posted November 2, 2021 maybe i am jealous/ would need a crane to get me up again //cheers 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsari Posted November 2, 2021 Share Posted November 2, 2021 On 10/3/2021 at 8:16 PM, recom273 said: I buy 2 sofas and I paint the walls white. Yet, when work friends of the wife visit (usually their husbands) visit, they sit on the floor in front of the door, blocking access, leaning against the wall. When I ask them to sit down they do this stupid head bob and give a stupid grin. Obscene filth around the light switches are a sight i have witnessed often in Thai houses . Better they squat than stand upright and keep the walls clean at least Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
473geo Posted November 2, 2021 Share Posted November 2, 2021 Bit of both in our house, well outside actually in the open cooking and dining area Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgrahmm Posted November 2, 2021 Share Posted November 2, 2021 At our house, stools are used in the kitchen, the chairs are used at the dining room table, and chairs are used in the patio..... About the only time they eat on the floor is when watching something on TV together; or during the few times we make a mukata outside....If inside with the electric mukata we use chairs.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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