Thais as confused as foreigners! So why do Thais stuff coins in their ears!?

[webfact]

Sanook Thai Caption: Thai 'trend' baffles the world

 

Sanook reported on a post on Reddit that posed a cultural question.

 

"Thai guys with coins in their ear, what's the meaning?"

 

They said in their headline and picture caption that this left foreigners confused.

 

But it emerged that Thais themselves were equally flummoxed by the question. 

 

ASEAN NOW suggests that while it's not something that you see every day these days, it used to be much more common especially among men trying to look cool.

 

The post did not exactly get any answers - most answers from Thais and foreigners alike were funny or plain facetious.

 

One Thai said: "I'm 30 and have no idea - I once asked my mum and dad when I was a kid and they didn't know"

 

One foreigner who had asked his girlfriend got the answer that she used to do it, why?..dunno we just do!

 

Picture: Sanook

 

Another suggested that it was for people who didn't have enough for an airpod, just 3 baht.

 

Or maybe it was to keep out Thailand's OTT noise pollution.

 

Or could it be an anti-theft method?

 

ASEAN NOW's translator went to the Google well - first up was the idea that people used to keep their bus fare there as they didn't have pockets. 

 

Second was the suggestion that it was a constipation cure - no joke.

 

The translator's wife said with a smile that her mum indeed used to keep the bus fare there as her sarong would have no pockets. 

 

These days, Sanook's 'analysis' continued, people have largely stopped the practice as unhiegenic.

 

Ultimately the comment that summed it up best might have been:

 

"That's Thais 555".

 

So over to you ASEAN NOW members? 

 

Do you have any idea?

 

-- © Copyright  ASEAN NOW 2023-01-27

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

The most versatile and flexible rental investment and holiday home solution in Thailand - click for more information.

 

Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information

[owl sees all]

 

Where else would you put them?

[Cricky]

If you are poor and your clothes don't have pockets, where else do you store your coins.

[Bert got kinky]

 

It was always 3 Baht, as that was the cost on the songthaew at the time when this was fashionable.

No mystery, it was simply a way of keeping their bus fare.

 

 

[VinnieK]

My hunch about this...

To protect from 'spirits' 

[metisdead]

A post with an emoticon only as a reply has been removed. This is trolling, this is a discussion forum not a cartoon forum, nor is it Twitter or Line, if you disagree with a post then please either move on or discuss.

[Berkshire]

Never heard of or seen this.

[FT10toLOS]

Old mate use to jokingly tip the service girl, at our bar, in 1 baht coins. She would immediately put them in her ears. Don't know why, just thought she was going along with the joke.

 

[hotchilli]

In olden days it was the bus fare home.

[kuzmabruk]

2 hours ago, owl sees all said:

 

Where else would you put them?

I thought the bank.  But if you only got 5 baht and take off your pants all the time.  Then!!!  your ear is the best place. 

[richard_smith237]

7 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

No, it was usually 5 baht, when buses were under 5 baht. There never was a 3 baht coin. 

 

Troll topic, it's obvious why. 

It used to entertain me... I’d joke about it with other Thai’s and they’d laugh about it it too.... 

 

5 Baht in the ear, Pack of Cigarettes under their t-shirt on their shoulder, ya-dom up a nostril, woman’s hair-band holding the hair back, t-shirt hitched up exposing the belly to cool down !!!   

 

 

 

 

[Sig]

10 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Do you mean Thais in general? 

Do you have a Thai wife? 

Being that the topic is what it is... I would guess by the context that he meant that the people who put the coins in their ears are the dimwits. Not sure how or why you might read between the lines to come to such possible conclusions as you did, otherwise unless you have such a low view of Thai people...?

[shackleton]

Maybe they thought the small change would do them good ???? ???? 

[jesimps]

I'd say that it's the only 'decent' orifice in your body that if you have no pockets and want to use both hands, you can keep your change in. 

Many years ago when I played the guitar in a band, I used to put my lit cigarette in my earhole so I could have a crafty puff inbetween riffs. Disgusting I know.

 

[FritsSikkink]

Never seen it

[owl sees all]

12 minutes ago, kuzmabruk said:

I thought the bank.  But if you only got 5 baht and take off your pants all the time.  Then!!!  your ear is the best place. 

I don't, as a rule, carry coins in my pocket. As soon as I get home I put them in the daughter's 'money tube'. Last year she got a few thousand baht for her account.

 

But, I got thinking, where do those little red sods come from? They are worth next to nothing and not really worth saving. The supermarkets are where they come from!! Went to Big C yesterday and got three of them; 25 satang a piece. Now these are the ideal coins to press into ya ears. The are small enough to go right in, and then it's doubtful if you could hear the wife's yak-yak. Think I'll try it.

 

[ozimoron]

2 hours ago, Cricky said:

If you are poor and your clothes don't have pockets, where else do you store your coins.

I think this is the most plausible explanation. It was quite common many years ago but these days I never see it.

[puchooay]

I would imagine it would be a regional thing. Those that said they'd never seen it possibly come from more developed areas and bigger towns.

 

Certainly in the part of Isaan where I live, it was common place to see people with coins in their ears.

 

The reason was the style of clothes. Women in sarongs and the guys in the sarong style wrap around trousers. No pockets in either.

 

Many times I've seen a guy turn up at the village shop to buy his 2 baht of tobacco and 1 baht of papers and pull a 5 baht coin from his ear to pay.

[Joe Farang]

They do it when they're tired.

Change is as good as a rest.

[Bert got kinky]

1 minute ago, puchooay said:

I would imagine it would be a regional thing. Those that said they'd never seen it possibly come from more developed areas and bigger towns.

 

Certainly in the part of Isaan where I live, it was common place to see people with coins in their ears.

 

The reason was the style of clothes. Women in sarongs and the guys in the sarong style wrap around trousers. No pockets in either.

 

Many times I've seen a guy turn up at the village shop to buy his 2 baht of tobacco and 1 baht of papers and pull a 5 baht coin from his ear to pay.

I would imagine it would be a regional thing. Those that said they'd never seen it possibly come from more developed areas and bigger towns.

I think that it was a time-line thing, if you weren't here at the time, you wouldn't have seen it.

It was very common in Bangkok in the 90s, so not regional.

It did appear however to be a practice of Isaarn migrant workers and not the locals.

Ladies used to attach their loose bus fare to their clothes with an elastic band.

 

 

 

[warrima]

Ok so whats with the binder clip the uni girls wear on their belts?

[Bert got kinky]

4 minutes ago, warrima said:

Ok so whats with the binder clip the uni girls wear on their belts?

 

Good question, never been able to work that one out.

 

[Neeranam]

16 minutes ago, Bert got kinky said:

It was very common in Bangkok in the 90s, so not regional.

Yes, I took many buses in the 90s before the skytrain. 

Often saw it on the little green buses - that charged 1 bhat less than the big red buses.

[Bert got kinky]

Just now, Neeranam said:

Yes, I took many buses in the 90s before the skytrain. 

Often saw it on the little green buses - that charged 1 bhat less than the big red buses.

 

Those red buses were sheer hell in the rainy season with no air con and all of the windows closed.

IIRC there were only a few oscillating fans to cool the bus down.

 

[Neeranam]

Just now, Bert got kinky said:

 

Those red buses were sheer hell in the rainy season with no air con and all of the windows closed.

IIRC there were only a few oscillating fans to cool the bus down.

 

Not as bad as the green ones. Not built for 6'4" guys from Aberdeen. 

[markclover]

28 minutes ago, warrima said:

Ok so whats with the binder clip the uni girls wear on their belts?

The belts are way too big.  Since the country is run by men I guess no one ever noticed and women can't be bothered to fix it.

[Aussie999]

3 hours ago, owl sees all said:

 

Where else would you put them?

Um... man has 1 place...lady has 2... can you guess

[PJ71]

1 hour ago, Neeranam said:

Do you mean Thais in general? 

Do you have a Thai wife? 

Hold on, is that a coin in your ear? lol.

[Bert got kinky]

6 minutes ago, Aussie999 said:

Um... man has 1 place...lady has 2... can you guess

2 places?

S<deleted>horpe and <deleted>nal?

 

Oh. Lord, Scu nthorpe & Ar senal are swear filtered.

 

[Burma Bill]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Thai guys with coins in their ear, what's the meaning?"

Perhaps symbolizing they work as cashiers????