Uniquely Thai Habits / Customs

[bonobo]

This one still brings a smile to my face every time. You have just spent an intimate night with a lady, and after the morning shower, she proceeds to put her bra on over the towel, then pull the towel off from underneath. Misplaced modesty?

This is not just a woman-thing.  At the gym, men come out of the shower with the towel wrapped around them.  Then they slide their underwear on beneath the towel, and they follow that by sliding their pants on under the towel as well. All this is done with lots of motion, weight shifting, wiggling of the hips, and the like. Then, still with the towel securely wrapped around them, they will reach inside and zip up and fasten their belt. Only then will the towel come off.

When arriving at the gym, the towel protects them while they are undressing, and it stays on until their exercise shorts are firmly in place.

This dance reminds me of nothing so much as a woman trying to put on an overly tight pair of pantyhose. 

[zzaa09]

Beer+ice

I wouldn't say that this little 'oddity' is unique to Thai.

[zzaa09]

The Thai greeting of Kin cow Lao young?? .. Have you eaten (rice) ?? Granted, we all love food.. but the Thais perhaps take the food obsession to a whole new level

note for above; Although my Vietnamese has mostly gone now in the last 30 years, I still remember the standard greeting when entering a Vietnamese house (loosely translated) was "Have you eaten rice?".

In a poor country, where food is in short supply, it is the hieght of politeness and respect to ask if the guest is hungry.

Still a common everyday greeting in most of China: "Have you eaten, yet"?

[MrHammer]

This one still brings a smile to my face every time. You have just spent an intimate night with a lady, and after the morning shower, she proceeds to put her bra on over the towel, then pull the towel off from underneath. Misplaced modesty?

This is not just a woman-thing.  At the gym, men come out of the shower with the towel wrapped around them.  Then they slide their underwear on beneath the towel, and they follow that by sliding their pants on under the towel as well. All this is done with lots of motion, weight shifting, wiggling of the hips, and the like. Then, still with the towel securely wrapped around them, they will reach inside and zip up and fasten their belt. Only then will the towel come off.

When arriving at the gym, the towel protects them while they are undressing, and it stays on until their exercise shorts are firmly in place.

This dance reminds me of nothing so much as a woman trying to put on an overly tight pair of pantyhose. 

If the choice is between that and the western custom of having naked 70 year old pervs strutting around for all to see, then I'll take the Thai way.

[nakachalet]

You may well laugh Tonto but once while using an upcountry petrol station crapper I started to wobble a bit in the crouched position. I put my hand on the concrete trough for water to steady myself. The trough was a bit rickety on its foundations itself so I slipped and my arse fell straight into the toilet with my legs straight out in front of me.

The horror. I must have spent half an hour just washing my nether regions in the shower when I got home.

and how do you arrange to have the interior of your mercedez resanitized....? lol

[IanForbes]

I've noticed that a lot of Thai women call me "Hello, Welcome". I think they forgot my name was Ian when we were together the night before.

[aussiechick]

stepping of the escalator and standing there to finish a conversation - no matter how many people are behind them!

Waiting to get on the escalator to go one flight when the stairs are empty. (Siam Interchange station - great example)

[farangUSA]

Some Thais stand on the toilet seat in order to avoid disease they perceive exists from many that have used the seat before them.Now as far as using the left hand to clean themselves leaves many more questions.....

[angiud]

Cars going completely in the opposite lane just to pass a bike

Cars approaching a crossroad and flashing emergency lights to show they go straight

Cars/trucks broken on the side warn other drivers with some tree's branch

Slow cars driving in the right lane without care of faster cars

Edited November 14, 2009 by angiud

[SeanMoran]

Cars going completely in the opposite lane just to pass a bike

Cars approaching a crossroad and flashing emergency lights to show they go straight

Cars/trucks broken on the side warn other drivers with some tree's branch

Slow cars driving in the right lane without care of faster cars

Cars with high chines (4x4s) overtaking a convoy of vehicles across bridges in rural Chanthaburi on Thanon 317 when there are possibly other two-wheeled motorists approaching that single carriageway two lane bridge at around 90km/h with OEM 33% asbestos original brakepads *** with.

*** to survive

Edited November 14, 2009 by SeanMoran

[kokesaat]

Dodge Caravan motorcycles fit for 6 people.

Carbon paper at the Bangkok Bank (can you still buy carbon paper in the US/UK?)

Heavy duty gambling at village funerals.

Four guys sitting at a table with four bowls of noodle soup and a bottle of Johnnie Walker, before noon.

Strip the bolt holding the blade to the lawnmower, then repair it by wrapping string around the bolt.

A refrigerator full of rain water in soda bottles. Nothing else.

A small branch from a tamarind tree stuck in a woman's hair.

Mahw Lahm dancers at a funeral party.

[zzaa09]

A refrigerator full of rain water in soda bottles. Nothing else.

Classic! The best Thanks for the good chuckle.

[Birdman]

"Some Thais stand on the toilet seat in order to avoid disease they perceive exists from many that have used the seat before them........"

Most Thais, who squat on the toilet seat feel more comfortable by doing that. They are used to squat. Moreover the defecation is more thorough and therefore healthier. I have done that for many years. But now I gained weight and that makes me worry about the toilet pan.

BTW, many old people in rural areas are uncomfortable by sitting "normally" like Westerners do on a chair. So they sit cross-legged on a chair simultaneous avoiding the insects below.

[t.s]

ketchup on pizza.

corn ice cream.

[t.s]

Can't believe pointing with perforated lips has yet to get a mention.

Or the single quick nod of the head, when the real response is "buggered if I know".

perforated lips? please explain that one. it sounds like a painful and cruel practice.

[t.s]

Calling the wrong number and hanging up.

and then calling it back hourly for the rest of the day to make sure it is the wrong number.

[Thanh-BKK]

Calling the wrong number and hanging up.

and then calling it back hourly for the rest of the day to make sure it is the wrong number.

Yeah!

Or calling back 37 times in half an hour (with three different people calling from the same number!) to make sure it is absolutely, definitely, guaranteed and 100% the wrong number and no "Khun Somchai" has ever been available there.

Or the same person calling back from 8 different mobile numbers and 2 landlines to make sure of the same thing.

If i had 50 Satang for every time that happened to me i could have a nice dinner for two right now. My number seems to be a magnet for that sort of people (a reason why i don't pick up the phone anymore if someone calls and the number is not in my phone's memory with a name attached to it).

Another "typical Thai" habit to do with phones: Changing mobile number every few weeks. Either depending on if there is some new promotion or if yet another phone has been left in a taxi or somewhere. I know people that lose at least one per month. Oh, and to comply with that (new promotions here) this must be "typical Thai" as well - to change promotion one needs to buy a new SIM card and hence is forced to get a new number - AIS, D-TAC and TRUE at least refuse to activate new promotions on old numbers, only the old promotions stay available.

Best regards.....

Thanh (lost one phone and got one stolen by a pickpocket in 9 years, changed numbers once - from GSM to CDMA. My Thai boyfriend still has the same number since 10 years and never lost a phone)

[MKAsok]

The other quirk is that fast selling items are NOT restocked at all or in some cases discontinued for some mysterious reason. On the other hand they will have hundreds of brands of the same suki sauce that never sells. Thai inventory systems are bizarre.

Yeah, what's up with this? The distribution of the various flavours of Lays crisps is particularly insane and random (with the exception of sour cream and onion).

[SeanMoran]

Yeah, what's up with this? The distribution of the various flavours of Lays crisps is particularly insane and random (with the exception of sour cream and onion).

YEAH!

And what's worst of all, no jolly VEGEMITE at the minimart!

[WaiWai]

"Some Thais stand on the toilet seat in order to avoid disease they perceive exists from many that have used the seat before them........"

Most Thais, who squat on the toilet seat feel more comfortable by doing that. They are used to squat. Moreover the defecation is more thorough and therefore healthier. I have done that for many years. But now I gained weight and that makes me worry about the toilet pan.

BTW, many old people in rural areas are uncomfortable by sitting "normally" like Westerners do on a chair. So they sit cross-legged on a chair simultaneous avoiding the insects below.

Shouldn't that guy take his pants off first?

Looks contented, though. Perhaps he just enjoys sitting there.

[SeanMoran]

Perhaps he just enjoys sitting there.

I thought I understood personal hygiene until I got off the plane at Don Muang, on International Tropical Labour Day, and having grown up amid the swell of the spell of the smell, would probably never have bothered to recognise the differencé, if I'd never been invited to the Kingdom, but assimilation with tropical climates is a worthwhile idea, even if it takes a month to adjust.

<assuming Imodium is still available across the counter at your local drug store...>

[slapout]

Biting new shoes prior to wearing so that they will not hurt your feet.

[sangfroid]

The Thai greeting of Kin cow Lao young?? .. Have you eaten (rice) ?? Granted, we all love food.. but the Thais perhaps take the food obsession to a whole new level

And money. Listen to a conversation between two Thais and the word "baht

will crop up after about 10 seconds!

[sangfroid]

The other quirk is that fast selling items are NOT restocked at all or in some cases discontinued for some mysterious reason. On the other hand they will have hundreds of brands of the same suki sauce that never sells. Thai inventory systems are bizarre.

Yeah, what's up with this? The distribution of the various flavours of Lays crisps is particularly insane and random (with the exception of sour cream and onion).

I agree and you can rummage through all shelves loaded with the s**t flavours and often can't find any "original" flavour which IMO are the only ones worth eating.

[islandguy]

The use of calculators; even if one have bought something for 40 Baht and paid with a 100 Baht note.

It seems that if you use a calculator from an early age you never learn to do arithmetic in your head in whatever country. In addition, why take a chance of having to make up the amount of a mistake. Easier to idiot proof the process.

Books belongs in a library or in a university not in a home.

Just saw a news article about adult reading in America. Said many people never read another book after leaving school.

Why let people exit the elevator before one enter?

Surprisingly, the uber polite Japanese do this also. Maybe the press of people there makes it seem necessary? (ever been polite here and ended up not actually getting into the lift before it is full?) Harder to see that as the reason here, though.

[Mosha]

I don't know if this is a Thai thing, or just my wife. If she thinks something needs my attention she call my named shortened to the last syllable 3 or 4 times. I always respond with Kap to match the number of times she says my name. It always makes her family and friends laugh. Something else she and all of her friends do. They wait for the thunder after a lightning strike, before venturing away from shelter.

[ThailandLovr]

And money. Listen to a conversation between two Thais and the word "baht

will crop up after about 10 seconds!

Yeah whenever we visit the MIL within seconds she is asking "how much?" "How much?" looking at item by item.

I tell my wife that is rude in America, and not to tell her mother how much everything costs. Yeah, sure, right.

Oh, one other thing. Does your wife/gf tell her mother everything about EVERYTHING? I fear my wife does, and I say, "Up to us Yuud puud" (stop talking or maybe even shut up). Once again, Yeah, sure right.

Edited November 15, 2009 by ThailandLovr

[spacemand]

Oh, one other thing. Does your wife/gf tell her mother everything about EVERYTHING? I fear my wife does, and I say, "Up to us Yuud puud" (stop talking or maybe even shut up). Once again, Yeah, sure right.

I am pretty sure she do, honestly I am afraid to ask

[excaliber]

Thai honesty, especially when lying.

[Hawkup2000]

"quick, quick get up, mayday mayday, your bottom finger"

This is just brilliant ! Makes me chuckle everytime I think of it. I will begin to use "mayday, mayday"; sounds cool.

Reminds me of a post by another TV member. He had been to a restaurant with his girlfriend who ordered stake. When she got the stake it was quite bad. The girlfriend complains to the waitress "This is not stake. This is misstake!"

Back on topic; sub zero temperatures in cinemas.

Edited November 15, 2009 by Hawkup2000