Do You Remove Your Shoes Before Entering Your Home ?

[sgtpeppers]

just wondering if the expats/travellers have adopted the Thai habit of removing their shoes before entering their home or stick with their old habit from farang land.

Edited July 26, 2008 by sgtpeppers

[jaideeguy]

Being from Hawaii, I've always removed my shoes before entering my house or other's. Just don't feel comfortable in a house wearing shoes.

[JOHN2]

just wondering if the expats/travellers have adopted the Thai habit of removing their shoes before entering their home or stick with their old habit from farang land.

I'm English not Thai so the answer is NO.

I doubt wipe my feet on the way out though.

[dingdongrb]

Of course I do or my wife would remove my head.....

(I usually wear slippers while in the house.)

[Yorkie]

Got into the habit when w*rking in Malaysia in the 90's. Never lost it. Even in hotels I leave my shoes just inside the door.

[PennyFarthing123]

I always remove my shoes and on a recent trip back to the States I found I was very uncomfortable walking into someones home with my shoes on.

[eek]

Off Off Like to keep a clean home, love the fact its normal behaviour here to remove shoes. Outside dirt in the home = yeuch!

[geriatrickid]

Did it before I even knew there a custom to do so.

BTW does this poll apply to Australians because I don't know if I have ever seen any that weren't barefoot or in flip flops.

[JOHN2]

I think some people are missing the point here.I do not remove my shoes before coming in but i do remove them as soon as i step inside.I mean who walks around the house with their shoes on? Especially in this heat.

[garro]

Yes I always remove my shoes as it is far more hygienic. I don't want my baby crawling over a floor covered in all the things that I picked up outside or during visits to the toilet. Of course,to many posters on TV that might see this as trying to be Thai but in my opinion they are just ignorant and so screw them.

[JOHN2]

Yes I always remove my shoes as it is far more hygienic. I don't want my baby crawling over a floor covered in all the things that I picked up outside or during visits to the toilet. Of course,to many posters on TV that might see this as trying to be Thai but in my opinion they are just ignorant and so screw them.

Blimey,that's a bit aggressive isn't it??

[garro]

Yes I always remove my shoes as it is far more hygienic. I don't want my baby crawling over a floor covered in all the things that I picked up outside or during visits to the toilet. Of course,to many posters on TV that might see this as trying to be Thai but in my opinion they are just ignorant and so screw them.

Blimey,that's a bit aggressive isn't it??

You should see the post I started to write

[eek]

I was brought up to remove my shoes (UK), and, as others have pointed out, happens in other countries, so not a 'Thai thing', although I imagine more normal/commonplace here than many western countries. I think its really silly if people were to accuse a westerner of 'trying to be Thai' over something so trivial, even if someone learned to do it from here. i believe adopting a sensible habit from any country is a good thing, and shows a willingness to adapt, rather than holding onto rigid ideas. Even if you dont agree with it, I think it would be quite rude if someone blatantly walked into another persons home (in a country where its traditional to remove shoes) without removing them. Shows a lack of consideration.

[BEENTHEREDONETHAT]

Yes I always remove my shoes as it is far more hygienic. I don't want my baby crawling over a floor covered in all the things that I picked up outside or during visits to the toilet. Of course,to many posters on TV that might see this as trying to be Thai but in my opinion they are just ignorant and so screw them.

garro

A outside toilet? My grandparents had one of those. Is yours a 2 seater or a one seater. Big seat, small seat so none of the kids would fall through. Does yours have a butt washer? Theirs didn't.

[garro]

Yes I always remove my shoes as it is far more hygienic. I don't want my baby crawling over a floor covered in all the things that I picked up outside or during visits to the toilet. Of course,to many posters on TV that might see this as trying to be Thai but in my opinion they are just ignorant and so screw them.

garro

A outside toilet? My grandparents had one of those. Is yours a 2 seater or a one seater. Big seat, small seat so none of the kids would fall through. Does yours have a butt washer? Theirs didn't.

BTDT I did say outside or to the toilet so this should obviously tell you that my toilet is not outside.

[ZZZ]

Like many others said it's not a Thai thing, it's just common sense.

It's disgusting watching, mainly American, movies where people sit in a sofa or a bed with their dirty shoes on or bring in all sorts of filth that is deposited on the carpeting.

[calibanjr.]

Of course I do or my wife would remove my head.....

(I usually wear slippers while in the house.)

Same with me. Thai wife, so her rules, the risk/reward isn't there for me. I don't mind taking my shoes off at all, comfy really, but 40-odd years of conditioning's hard to break, so I sometimes lapse, and I'm reminded quite promptly.

[BEENTHEREDONETHAT]

Yes I always remove my shoes as it is far more hygienic. I don't want my baby crawling over a floor covered in all the things that I picked up outside or during visits to the toilet. Of course,to many posters on TV that might see this as trying to be Thai but in my opinion they are just ignorant and so screw them.

garro

A outside toilet? My grandparents had one of those. Is yours a 2 seater or a one seater. Big seat, small seat so none of the kids would fall through. Does yours have a butt washer? Theirs didn't.

BTDT I did say outside or to the toilet so this should obviously tell you that my toilet is not outside.

My apologies garro, I misread your post.

BT

[Naam]

just wondering if the expats/travellers have adopted the Thai habit of removing their shoes before entering their home or stick with their old habit from farang land.

our old habits from farang land included removing the shoes not before but immediately after entering our house.

[JOHN2]

just wondering if the expats/travellers have adopted the Thai habit of removing their shoes before entering their home or stick with their old habit from farang land.

our old habits from farang land included removing the shoes not before but immediately after entering our house.

Exactly - i mean what's the difference,one yard?

Another crap poll.

[cloudhopper]

Yes even when I go back to the family home in the States. This is one great Asian practice that should be adopted there IMO.

[BFD]

Yeah, the poll is a bit unspecific, I think. I remove my shoes immediately after entering my apartment. My Thai girlfriend does the same thing (both at my apartment and at her own). Maybe the poll should read 'Do you employ the disgusting practice of wearing your shoes everywhere in your house?' (No bias there, obviously )

BFD!

[Kerryd]

Always remove outside the door in Thailand. It is a common practise in many other parts of the world as well, not just Thailand.

Back in Canada, we either take off our mukluks/boots/snow-shoes outside on the porch, or, if no porch is available, right inside the door.

Don't want to be dragging snow/water/mud into the house.

Even here (in Afghanistan), most people living in the tents/ISOs take their shoes/boots off in the hallway before entering their room/bedspace. Just helps keep things neater and cleaner (and better smelling).

[wolfmanjack]

Always remove outside the door in Thailand. It is a common practise in many other parts of the world as well, not just Thailand.

Back in Canada, we either take off our mukluks/boots/snow-shoes outside on the porch, or, if no porch is available, right inside the door.

Don't want to be dragging snow/water/mud into the house.

Even here (in Afghanistan), most people living in the tents/ISOs take their shoes/boots off in the hallway before entering their room/bedspace. Just helps keep things neater and cleaner (and better smelling).

I am from the northern USA and take my shoes off just inside the door and always have for the same reasons as above.

[mizzi39]

Like many others said it's not a Thai thing, it's just common sense.

It's disgusting watching, mainly American, movies where people sit in a sofa or a bed with their dirty shoes on or bring in all sorts of filth that is deposited on the carpeting.

Not all of us Americans leave our shoes on when entering the home. I have always taken mine off, but thank you for your insightful quote!

[RakJungTorlae]

As my Grandmom always tells me..

Take of your Shoes before you Enter Please. Or Craw around on the Flore With your <deleted> knees.

[PeaceBlondie]

Got used to it in the USA, visiting my Asian neighbors. The tricky part here, for schoolteachers, is that the students remove their shoes before entering the classroom, leaving the hallway scattered with 100 shoes. The teacher, however, keeps shoes on all day.

[JetsetBkk]

Of course I take my shoes off when entering. And I put on an identical pair that are for inside the house.

(I also wanted to vote in the bottom category but couldn't)

[intumult]

immediately after entering - unless I forget then I slap myself for forgetting. If I had a wife I'd enter wearing my shoes more often - just for the slaps

[pattaya_girl]

Myself and my Thai partner do not remove our shoes when entering our house, as i class it as a farang style home, therefore shoes only need to be taken off when new carpet is fitted, which we have tiles here so its ok. We do however remove our shoes when entering other peoples homes as a matter of respect.