Farangs Shower Less Than Thais/asians

[Andrew Hicks]

In your opinion:

Do farangs shower less often that Thais and other Asians?

Or is that just a "racist" Thai/Asian belief about farangs?

Fact or fallacy?

And... does it matter at all?

"Britons spend more time in the shower than any of their European neighbours. Around 15% spend more than 11 minutes while 3% spend more than 20 minutes." (What can they be doing?)

In other countries they spend between 2 and 5 minutes. Source: Ipsos/Mori/Daily Mail.

So there you have it. We Brits are the winners now we don't keep coal in the bath any more.

And the Thais? How much do they shower?

All I know is that they flood the place and never clean up afterwards.

Of course it's they who have the negative attitude to farang about washing... a positive superioriy complex that they never fail to express to us.

Remember the senior official who, when sleeper trains to Chiang Mai were found to be overrun with bed bugs blamed it on 'farang travelllers who never wash'. A great boost for relations with tourists!

Through ignorance people can have funny viws about others but this is perhaps the one thing I do find irritating here. Yes, Thais have high standards of personal presentation but in most other respects fall vey far short.

Their homes and public places are generally a mess and cleanliness is a foreign concept. There's hardly ever soap in the loo or kitchen and if there is a towel it's probably wet and stinking. Food hygiene is generally appalling, only saved by the methods of cooking.

Sorry but I had to say it. Any Thai would hate me for this, unless of course they've been abroad when they'll know it to be true.

Malay villages are a delight and the poorest African villager would be shocked at the state of a typical Thai village.

Showering is only one index of cleanliness.

(Dare I now post this?)

[Lopburi99]

Even back home, I showered twice a day. Here, it's the same. I don't like getting into bed if I'm dirty. I don't like stinky people.

Some of the stinkier people really should use deoderant. From what I've seen, the stinkier people are usually (not always) from European countries and they tend to be old. I have some friends that say they don't use deoderant becuase they don't smell bad. That's usually true about them although on very hot days, they can give off a bit of a smell. They know that and they just go take a shower as soon as possible and it's all good.

I usuallly shower between 3 and 4 times a day. I would do it more if I had access to showers in more places. I shower twice at home, once at the gym, and once at work.

I am very concious about body odor, and as I sweat more in hot weather than just about all Thais, I am especially sensitive to it.

However, I have developed a reaction to most deodorants. I never used to have a reaction, but now, I will get read rashes under my arms after applying a deodorant. I may be able to get only a minor one if I use a deodorant for only one day, so I do save the use for more important social occasions. Otherwise, I just make do with showering.

If anyone knows of a non-allergenic deodorant, I certainly would like to know the brand.

Speaking of Europeans, I once had a French flight instructor who had b.o. big time. And terrible breath. I remember being with him in the cockpit of a small Cessna on many hot summer days and almost gagging! I finally changed instructors just because of his b.o.! Maybe good I did so because a year later one of his students crashed and died on a solo flight. [Off topic, but does anybody in TVland fly a small plane here? - please PM me if you do]

About deodorants, I was going to add a post about the one I use before I noticed you raised the issue. For years I swore behind Old Spice Red Zone (in the USA) but upon running out one day here I bought a bottle of Nivea For Men Ultra Cool (roll-on liquid) from the 7-11 down the road. The stuff is great! Beats Old Spice hands down. No odor whatsoever even after my usual heavy daily perspiration (I even sweat profusely on a cold Canadian winter day so the heat in Thailand presents a major challenge). Can't say if Nivea offers a non-allergenic version but they probably do because I think the product line is extensive. Might be worth trying. Unfortunately the Nivea for Men was not effective in mantaining dryness for me (nothing does) but maybe it works for others.

Edited October 23, 2008 by Lopburi99

[HorseDoctor]

Even back home, I showered twice a day. Here, it's the same. I don't like getting into bed if I'm dirty. I don't like stinky people.

Some of the stinkier people really should use deoderant. From what I've seen, the stinkier people are usually (not always) from European countries and they tend to be old. I have some friends that say they don't use deoderant becuase they don't smell bad. That's usually true about them although on very hot days, they can give off a bit of a smell. They know that and they just go take a shower as soon as possible and it's all good.

I usuallly shower between 3 and 4 times a day. I would do it more if I had access to showers in more places. I shower twice at home, once at the gym, and once at work.

I am very concious about body odor, and as I sweat more in hot weather than just about all Thais, I am especially sensitive to it.

However, I have developed a reaction to most deodorants. I never used to have a reaction, but now, I will get read rashes under my arms after applying a deodorant. I may be able to get only a minor one if I use a deodorant for only one day, so I do save the use for more important social occasions. Otherwise, I just make do with showering.

If anyone knows of a non-allergenic deodorant, I certainly would like to know the brand.

Speaking of Europeans, I once had a French flight instructor who had b.o. big time. And terrible breath. I remember being with him in the cockpit of a small Cessna on many hot summer days and almost gagging! I finally changed instructors just because of his b.o.! Maybe good I did so because a year later one of his students crashed and died on a solo flight. [Off topic, but does anybody in TVland fly a small plane here? - please PM me if you do]

About deodorants, I was going to add a post about the one I use before I noticed you raised the issue. For years I swore behind Old Spice Red Zone (in the USA) but upon running out one day here I bought a bottle of Nivea For Men Ultra Cool (roll-on liquid) from the 7-11 down the road. The stuff is great! Beats Old Spice hands down. No odor whatsoever even after my usual heavy daily perspiration (I even sweat profusely on a cold Canadian winter day so the heat in Thailand presents a major challenge). Can't say if Nivea offers a non-allergenic version but they probably do because I think the product line is extensive. Might be worth trying. Unfortunately the Nivea for Men was not effective in mantaining dryness for me (nothing does) but maybe it works for others.

Just watchout for aluminum compounds in anti perspirants, bad news and perhaps a cause of alzheimers . something else those corporate weenies don't want you to know about.

Use those deoderant crystals, really work well . Honestly I like the smell of a man , unless he doesn't shower regularly, a little BO from a light sweat is a good thing.