Much Ado About Elephant Pants in Thailand

[SABloke]

2 hours ago, Simon1287 said:

I do see a very small number of Thai's wearing them now but that is a very recent development indeed.

 

In previous years you would have to have held a Thai down and forcibly put a pair of the things on them and then give them 6 months pay to walk even 100 yards wearing them. If walking past anyone they knew then a years pay would have been needed, for the humiliation.

 

I imagine 99.99% of Thai's still feel the same way now though it may be changing. Slowly.

 

As someone just pointed out in another post, any farang wearing a pair is instantly viewed as a cheap charlie. Actually, much worse than that..

 

Over the years I have tried a pair for a laugh that were intended to be a present for a farang in farangland, on a couple of occasions.

 

Never again, which is a shame as they are actually super things to wear in the Thai climate, but I could see I was instantly transformed from a foreigner with money into something the cat dragged in the eyes of any Thai that saw me. 

 

If you must wear them then stick to backpacker ghettoes. The Thai's there are experts at hiding their disgust, for obvious reasons.

 

Simon

 

It might be where you are - sure, the Bangkok crowd aren't wearing them to the mall but in my family's hometown they're seen everwhere and the shops that sell them aren't targeting foreigners. They're not that "new" either. My father-in-law is nearly 80 and very conservative "old school" Thai. He's been wearing them around the house for years (as long as I've known him. They're comfortable. 

[Bday Prang]

4 hours ago, Straight8 said:

Most ridiculous-looking piece of apparel i have seen in a long time.

 

I cringe when I see all these tourist in them at the airport

 

me too, they look pathetic, and as for all those extolling their "comfort"   is it the stupid elephant pattern that makes them comfortable ?  no of course not,  How can they possibly be more comfortable in the heat here than just wearing shorts? 

[stargrazer9889]

If I see any guy wearing these pants, I will know it must be laundrey day,

and they are really out of clean clothes. These elephant pants are butt ugly.

Maybe I am just too old, and will not be caught wearing them. I have a pair of camo

cargo shorts, I wear when I have to do my lUndrey, and that is bad enough.

[Thumbs]

Welcome to the rest of the world, you wanted Chinese visitors they came saw business opportunities and now undercut thai retailers, what did you expect they were coming here for ?

[Bday Prang]

2 hours ago, geisha said:

If the roads of fashion were flooded with counterfeit goods, ( some very well copied) the people who do buy expensive bags/ watches/ Chanel / Dior etc would not like it and the market would sink. Imagine buying a popular 5000€ bag and you walk into a restaurant and every girls got the same ?? That’s what fashion is all about, imagine having dozens of Lamborghinis flooding the streets , sales would immediately stop. The fashion industry in France , Italy, US, Uk generates millions of specialist jobs, and a lot of money ,that’s the difference, quality instead of quantity, hard work and craftsmanship goes into these products.  The rubbish that pours out of mostly China, India, some African countries is factory made and often uses child labor and people who earn a pittance. And the badly / mass made products end up in the bin after 6 months and eventually landfill.   Remember the shoe scandal of the people  that bought shoes who ended  up having burnt  feet from illegal chemicals ? 

                    Anybody paying 5000 euro' for a bag needs their head examined,  especially if the reason for doing so was purely to look different.   The people buying elephant pants can not possibly be bothered about looking the same as others.

                     I have bought many cheap t- shirts here over the years some from tesco or big c     others  from markets some of which even have a "brand name" of one sort of another but that is/was of no interest to me i really couldn't care less.  I cannot remember any falling to bits prematurely. I have one on at the moment the label on it says "boss" which my mrs tells me is a well known brand, i bought it in Huahin about 25 years ago, for about 50  baht, and its still going strong. I have many similar others

                    The entire fashion "industry " is nothing more than a huge scam, it may well generate "millions" out of those who fall victim to it , but it is more  often than not, people spending money they can't afford on stuff they don't need, and it is that stuff that ends up in landfill prematurely, once it becomes "out of fashion"

                     The alleged "hard work and craftmanship" hardly justifies the price when identical stuff is pouring out of china for a fraction of the cost.   But as they say , a fool and his/her money are easily parted

         

[NoDisplayName]

6 hours ago, geisha said:

If the roads of fashion were flooded with counterfeit goods, ( some very well copied) the people who do buy expensive bags/ watches/ Chanel / Dior etc would not like it and the market would sink. Imagine buying a popular 5000€ bag and you walk into a restaurant and every girls got the same ?? That’s what fashion is all about, imagine having dozens of Lamborghinis flooding the streets , sales would immediately stop. The fashion industry in France , Italy, US, Uk generates millions of specialist jobs, and a lot of money ,that’s the difference, quality instead of quantity, hard work and craftsmanship goes into these products.  The rubbish that pours out of mostly China, India, some African countries is factory made and often uses child labor and people who earn a pittance. And the badly / mass made products end up in the bin after 6 months and eventually landfill.   Remember the shoe scandal of the people  that bought shoes who ended  up having burnt  feet from illegal chemicals ? 

 

The Chinese are capable of manufacturing quality products, but that's not what WE want.  Not that many Chinese are here or in western countries flogging cheap junk.

 

It's western buyers that travel to China, or shop on Alibaba, and demand the cheapest products with little attention to quality.  Factory manager can offer higher quality at a higher pricepoint, but the buyer will just mosey on over to the next factory to find something cheaper to fill the dollar store shelves.

[Luuk Chaai]

15 hours ago, Jonathan Swift said:

Right. Exactly. The Thai vendors get to make their money on them so nobody really loses. Outsourcing manufacturing to China is the way of the world now, literally everywhere. So truth be told China is helping fuel the Thai economy by making these. On the other hand there is really no shortage of affordable Thai manufactured products, I have a whole closet full of those colorful shiny Thai silk shirts. 

the only thing anyone should be buying from China is ,,,,,,,,,,,,,  Nothing !

[jacko45k]

16 hours ago, Jonathan Swift said:

Agreed. It comes across to me as a phony attempt by silly foreigners to look like they're part of a culture that doesn't belong to them. I understand the sentiment of wanting to belong and be accepted here, but I manage that without looking silly. 

The locals don't really wear them...... they do dress their kids in what appear to be pyjamas in the middle of the day though. 

[Sydebolle]

On 2/7/2024 at 4:41 PM, Jack Hammer said:

 “would have bought such legwear long time ago, if it would be available in neutral pastel colour, i.e. without design. Maybe I am not the only one; many people around me think the same.”

Name one person

All those who would run around at home with a sarong around their waist or featuring cotton boxers only. This kind of leg wear would be nice along the beach or on a leisurely trip - provided you do not look like a walking commercial for a design so important that the Thais believe that they invented it 😉 

[Sydebolle]

On 2/7/2024 at 1:07 PM, BigStar said:

 

But do you see any elephants on those Rolex watches?

No and that's the reason the Thai officials are not moving their backsides ....... unless, of course, Rolex was invented in Thailand as well 😉

[khunjeff]

On 2/7/2024 at 6:49 PM, brianthainess said:

I want to add; does Thailand make ANY fabric.?

 

"In the first 11 months of 2021, Thailand exported 64.8 billion baht of garments and 188.6 billion baht of textiles, Thai Garment Manufacturers Association president Yuttana Silpsarnvitch revealed."

 

https://www.nationthailand.com/blogs/business/40010776

[brianthainess]

1 hour ago, khunjeff said:

 

"In the first 11 months of 2021, Thailand exported 64.8 billion baht of garments and 188.6 billion baht of textiles, Thai Garment Manufacturers Association president Yuttana Silpsarnvitch revealed."

 

https://www.nationthailand.com/blogs/business/40010776

Thanks for the link, but now you should check where Thailand sources its cotton from.

Thailand produces less than 1% of the cotton it uses. 

[Seppius]

On 2/7/2024 at 11:54 AM, Antiparovian said:

All tourists wearing these things deserve immediate deportation.

They have overtaken this for naff wear

 

[BigStar]

On 2/7/2024 at 8:14 PM, Bday Prang said:

me too, they look pathetic, and as for all those extolling their "comfort"   is it the stupid elephant pattern that makes them comfortable ?  no of course not,  How can they possibly be more comfortable in the heat here than just wearing shorts? 

 

Oh, lighten up. Elephant pattern is fun and Thai whimsical. Get outta the cargo shorts sometime.

[Bday Prang]

5 hours ago, BigStar said:

 

Oh, lighten up. Elephant pattern is fun and Thai whimsical. Get outta the cargo shorts sometime.

What a strange comment, perhaps you could enlighten me as to how a pair of cheap trousers could ever be considered as "fun"  please enlighten me as to how this "fun" manifests itself, The concept, of clothing as "fun"  is totally beyond me . With the exception of lingerie  (when worn by a woman)  You probably consider a baseball cap worn backwards as "fun" it is not , it is beyond ridiculous especially on a geriatric, just like elephant pants

Edited February 9 by Bday Prang

[Bday Prang]

On 2/7/2024 at 6:20 PM, Gilligan In Drag said:

Thailand must be getting obese, getting their snickers in a snot about fatso pants!

Its simple dumbo, if you don't like it then with a flubbery heave to make your own elephant pants

ya buncha Sponge Bobs! But noooooo, afraid of that, no easy fat bucks in any o'that so ya leave it to the

Chinaman! Its your own fault Tuskar, no peanuts for you!

Again,  but in english please

Edited February 9 by Bday Prang

[BigStar]

13 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

What a strange comment, perhaps you could enlighten me as to how a pair of cheap trousers could ever be considered as "fun"  please enlighten me as to how this "fun" manifests itself, The concept, of clothing as "fun"  is totally beyond me . With the exception of lingerie  (when worn by a woman)  You probably consider a baseball cap worn backwards as "fun" it is not , it is beyond ridiculous especially on a geriatric, just like elephant pants

 

How does one explain color to a blind man? Best thing to do is order yourself a pair, or a few pairs, of elephant pants and try them out. Cheap as 32 baht/pair on Lazada. You may love 'em and find that people will start warming up to you and smiling more.

[ikke1959]

more than 30 years ago I already the same pants... in other designs and colors, so nothing new even with an elephant print on it.. fitted perfectly at home and some people wore them even in the city... more than 30 years ago so what news is this about?

 

[Bday Prang]

1 hour ago, BigStar said:

 

How does one explain color to a blind man? Best thing to do is order yourself a pair, or a few pairs, of elephant pants and try them out. Cheap as 32 baht/pair on Lazada. You may love 'em and find that people will start warming up to you and smiling more.

              Very difficult to explain anything  to a blind man ,  but sometimes  its even more difficult to explain to somebody how stupid they look , Fortunately  they eventually realise for themselves, Just watch any fashion victims when they see photographs taken of themselves 5 or 10 years ago,      "Oh my god look at me "  " what was I thinking" are common exclamations, as they hide there faces behind there hands out of pure embarrassment. and quite rightly so.

                I was obviously wrong when I assumed that anybody posting on here would be old enough and wise enough not to allow themselves to be carried away by  nothing more than some social media fuelled trend that has now been jumped on by some influential  factory owning Thais who probably stand to make money out if this, if only from the free advertising 

                I doubt I will be heeding your advice to be honest, I'm not one for spending daft money on clothes to be honest,  buy the day I start wearing 32baht trousers is the day I will end it all. Neither do I have any interest  in complete strangers , presumably also dressed in these clothes "warming to me "   or "smiling more"  that would be weird

                The fact that you know the prices on Lazada indicates that you are actually too embarrassed to  queue up with the teenagers at the market. Quite rightly too

[khunjeff]

On 2/9/2024 at 11:28 AM, brianthainess said:

Thanks for the link, but now you should check where Thailand sources its cotton from.

Thailand produces less than 1% of the cotton it uses. 

 

I'm sure that's true, but the question was about whether Thailand produces fabric, not whether it grows cotton!

[bristolgeoff]

I don,t know if u can patient the design fabric as they are made everywhere i imagine.Now everyone or tourist are wearing them,How long will it last I don,t know

[BigStar]

On 2/7/2024 at 8:14 PM, Bday Prang said:

How can they possibly be more comfortable in the heat here than just wearing shorts? 

 

Well, you could meet your uniform requirement by just wearing elephant shorts. How about that? Should be a hit with Immigration at extension renewal time, the respect and shown to Thai fashion. Might get out earlier. Your agent, I dunno.