Cold, Cold, Showers

[buadhai]

I'm living in a household in Korat where the combined monthly income is probably around 200K baht.

In spite of that relative wealth we still shower out of a cold water cistern. Over the past couple of cold weather weeks this frigid water exercise has me wondering if I'm living with a family of lunatics or if this sort of self torture is the norm. All my suggestions of investing 20K baht in a hot water system are met with nothing but derision and bemusement that this silly farang would waste his money on such a needless pursuit.

Does everyone suffer this way, or am I truly cursed with a sadistic brand of Thai/Chinese self-torture?

...

Ah, I can finally feel my balls again.

What a relief.

[Morden]

It's the norm, I'm afraid, at least around Korat. You didn't mention the wc!

The solution?

1. Pay for an electric shower - but keep an eye on the electrical work, or

2. Get your own place and install a shower (but keep an eye on the electrical work), or

3. Check into a hotel for a while when things get too itchy - but check that the shower works before paying.

I'm afraid that I can't cope with either the loos or the cold water and so have never stayed at the folks' place long enough to need them!

[Nordlys]

Doesn't sound like a norm.... at least here in Bangkok.

I used to live in my GF's B400K town house in Pathum Thani when our combined income was less than half yours and my Thai (Chinese like yours) GF didn't have to think twice about getting a B7,000 electric heater installed in the bathroom even though it wasn't this cool when we moved in there. I didn't even have to ask.

But it's good to know there's a frugal Thai family like that at that income.

Edited November 26, 2005 by Nordlys

[RamdomChances]

I have to admit hot showers are my soft spot, I can eat most things , live without air con ( if i've really got to) and work outside all day....but I really hate cold showers.

RC

[Neeranam]

I hate cold showers.

Does everyone suffer this way, or am I truly cursed with a sadistic brand of Thai/Chinese self-torture?

Thai/Chinese really make me laugh with their frugality. I have many experiences with them.

One my landlady(Thai/Chinese), who was one of the richest women in Bangkok and owned half of Sukhumvit road and Sathorn.

She used to ask us for our used newspapers. One day I found selling them out on the soi to the guy who comes round on the motorised bike thing.

Because I used the swimming pool more than the other tennant she doubled my fixed water bill. The to cap it all, and eventually caused us to move, she came and offered her congratulations on our daughter being born, and put our water up 1000 baht due to another person being there, then told us she was happy as she sold some land next door for 500 million baht! I really don't understand this attitude, especially since she had no family, and used to drive a 20 year old car.

[opothai]

when i stayed with the inlaws [ could only hack 3 days ]

they would wake up at 5.30 shower with a small bucket with the water next to the outside loo, and i wpuld not shower untol the afternoon when it warmed up, and they wondered why. i think they thought i was a smelly falang

[BambinA]

i dont have any water heater .. its torture me when shower

my trick .. i shake my humps while shower

[jrincon17]

when i stayed with the inlaws [ could only hack 3 days ]

they would wake up at 5.30 shower with a small bucket with the water next to the outside loo, and i wpuld not shower untol the afternoon when it warmed up, and they wondered why. i think they thought i was a smelly falang

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

same in the philippines . Man that would wake my arse right up and get rid of my hangover !

[Ice Maiden]

Cold showers really arn't pleasant.

I've just had my shower fixed after a few months of freezing cold showers

Absolute torture! But I'm happy because I have a hot one again now

[Johpa]

Before electricity reached our village I got pretty tired of cold water showers too. But one day while driving around Chiang Mai I found a store selling large surplus plastic barrels used to transport industrial chemicals. So I bought two of them. I would fill them with water before I left to work in the AM and leave them outside facing the south. When I returned later in the afternoon I would have plenty of warm water. The locals originally scoffed at the idea, but later I found similar barrels on their back porches.

[350torana]

Cold showers are not so bad . I don't know about the Nth, but in BKK a cold shower means about 16 C at this time of year? (guessestimate). The only problem I have is the old wife's tale ' you catch cold' after a cold shower .

[Buff-horns]

I'm living in a household in Korat where the combined monthly income is probably around 200K baht.

In spite of that relative wealth we still shower out of a cold water cistern. Over the past couple of cold weather weeks this frigid water exercise has me wondering if I'm living with a family of lunatics or if this sort of self torture is the norm. All my suggestions of investing 20K baht in a hot water system are met with nothing but derision and bemusement that this silly farang would waste his money on such a needless pursuit.

Does everyone suffer this way, or am I truly cursed with a sadistic brand of Thai/Chinese self-torture?

...

Ah, I can finally feel my balls again.

What a relief.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

you could ,doing it on the cheap invest in a large plastic tub (giant size) and some large kettles to heat up some water to make it warmer.

[koratsteve]

I went through years of cold showers when I was living in the sticks, I found that if it was very cold I was better of using the outside pond where the water temperature was always a few degrees higher than the jar in the bathroom, not much fun when it was windy or when the buffalos had sneaked in for a quick dip and left there calling cards.

You don’t need to spend 20K on a hot water system for you’re whole house as the hot water is only needed in the bathroom

A cheap shower unit costs about 1,300 baht up to about 5,000 for a brand name, Don’t forget to get it earthed, If you buy from a big shop they will also fit it for about 200 baht plus wire.

[chownah]

Go out and exercise until you are really hot and then the cold shower will be a joy! I think that some Thais think that cold showers are spiritual since monks only have cold showers....maybe they're right?

[Patsycat]

I like baths with lots of bubbles!! But then where i am its -5 centigrade and snowing...

[buadhai]

Thanks for all the cheerful replies. Many of you put a big grin on my face. And, Bambina, I'd love to see that....

I do have an electric kettle that I use to heat up some water when it's really cold. But, it makes me feel like a wimp 'cause the rest of the family (all 8 of them, including Ma and Pa) manage the cold water.

I am tempted to put in a water heater. But, our water pressure is so low that I will also need to put in a tank and a pump and new plumbing.

Maybe it's time to get out own place!

[girlx]

i have just paid to install a pump and hot water shower in my house, and the villagers all lined up to come marvel at the weird farang and her eccentricities. unfortunately, the pump blows out my electricity every time i turn it on, so i seem to have wasted 10000b on nothing. i found out the water supply here is simply the waterfall on the mountain behind, so that might have something to do with it (if no water, the pump is overworked). in this day and age i don't understand why the mostly rich thai people around me have not yet invested in a real water supply system. but for now, it's back to cold bucket showers for me.

p.s. just thinking, if i do get it to work again, should i worry about shoddy electrical work? i didn't get mine "earthed", whatever that means, and these guys seem to know nothing about hot water systems. can i electrocute myself trying to take a warm shower? suggestions?

Edited November 27, 2005 by girlx

[Tornado]

I just got out of my hot hot shower, it really was nice this morning and maybe a tad to hot

[The Dude]

I hate cold showers.

Does everyone suffer this way, or am I truly cursed with a sadistic brand of Thai/Chinese self-torture?

Thai/Chinese really make me laugh with their frugality. I have many experiences with them.

One my landlady(Thai/Chinese), who was one of the richest women in Bangkok and owned half of Sukhumvit road and Sathorn.

She used to ask us for our used newspapers. One day I found selling them out on the soi to the guy who comes round on the motorised bike thing.

Because I used the swimming pool more than the other tennant she doubled my fixed water bill. The to cap it all, and eventually caused us to move, she came and offered her congratulations on our daughter being born, and put our water up 1000 baht due to another person being there, then told us she was happy as she sold some land next door for 500 million baht! I really don't understand this attitude, especially since she had no family, and used to drive a 20 year old car.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Those Thai/Chinese are spendaholics compared to some of The Dude's old customers in New York of a different persuasion who used to pinch each and every penny, literally.

[Neeranam]

What I really miss is a hot, steaming bath. I had two of them(bath tubs) in my Bangkok apartment, but up here in Isaan they are unheard of.

When I get round to building my own house, that will be one requirements.

To the OP - why not make your own bath tub?

Or buy an electric shower heater - only 2 or 3,000 baht from a supermarket near you.

Cold showers(really cold I mean) do get the circulation going and are good for you(especially hangovers).

When I lived in Nepal, we didn't have hot water, and man was that painful. But following the pain, and when I could finally feel my body again, i felt great!

[Patsycat]

Eat your heart out, Neeranam!!! I had a really long drawn out hot steamy bath about 3 hours ago...

[buadhai]

I love a hot bath as well. Whenever we travel I always check for a tub in the hotel. If there is one I soak in it twice a day, at least....

And, now I'm dreaming of it. Cold shower, here I come.

[lopburi3]

1. Boiled water into the cistern can make it bearable at least - and if others experience the warmer water they may have a change of mind.

2. Heating unit can be had for as little as 3,000 baht and basic pump for about the same but you should have a tank to draw from so perhaps 10,000 for everything. If you have enough pressure to get upstairs you could probably run a heater downstairs without extra expense as they are adjustable and can operate on quite low pressure (you need enough to trip the flow switch). You could try and if not work expand the renovation?

3. GirlX: make sure the heater has a ground wire to a ground rod driven into the earth and check the GFI breaker on the heater at least every week or two. I also would not use the metallic type shower hose.

Edit: You also should have a water tank that fills up with a float valve on top and use that to feed your pump so there is always water available and it does not try to pump dry.

Edited November 27, 2005 by lopburi3

[The Dude]

The Dude has lived a sheltered life and been forced to take fewer than 10 cold showers in 44 years. Those showers were a nightmare. If someone said to The Dude; "Hey Dude, you must either take this meat cleaver here and chop off your little finger, or listen to an entire side of the album Helen Reddy the Las Vegas Years, or take cold showers the rest of your life" The Dude would reply, "Gimme the Cleaver".

[cdnvic]

i have just paid to install a pump and hot water shower in my house, and the villagers all lined up to come marvel at the weird farang and her eccentricities.  unfortunately, the pump blows out my electricity every time i turn it on, so i seem to have wasted 10000b on nothing. i found out the water supply here is simply the waterfall on the mountain behind, so that might have something to do with it (if no water, the pump is overworked). in this day and age i don't understand why the mostly rich thai people around me have not yet invested in a real water supply system.  but for now, it's back to cold bucket showers for me.

p.s. just thinking, if i do get it to work again, should i worry about shoddy electrical work? i didn't get mine "earthed", whatever that means, and these guys seem to know nothing about hot water systems. can i electrocute myself trying to take a warm shower? suggestions?

Have an electrician look at it. The breaker its running on should be isolated from the rest of the electrical items in your house because hot water heaters draw alot of amperage. As the installer should have known this, have the electrician make certain the unit is properly earthed, because the goon installing it probably overlooked this if he also overlooked such a basic thing as providing a breaker of proper amperage for the unit.

cv

[raro]

What about that: Install a long garden hose on your roof top and pump the water out of the cistern through it. A friend of mine does that and the water gets really hot! The advanced version would be an isolated storage tank combined with the hose. Then an aquarium pump to circulate the water slowly through the hose and another pump for the shower.

[cdnvic]

What about that: Install a long garden hose on your roof top and pump the water out of the cistern through it. A friend of mine does that and the water gets really hot! The advanced version would be an isolated storage tank combined with the hose. Then an aquarium pump to circulate the water slowly through the hose and another pump for the shower.

Be wary of heating water up to a point that its warm but not hot. That can make a fertile bacterial breeding ground.

cv

[raro]

What about that: Install a long garden hose on your roof top and pump the water out of the cistern through it. A friend of mine does that and the water gets really hot! The advanced version would be an isolated storage tank combined with the hose. Then an aquarium pump to circulate the water slowly through the hose and another pump for the shower.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Be wary of heating water up to a point that its warm but not hot. That can make a fertile bacterial breeding ground.

cv

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

valid point. The water gets actually very hot with the isolated tank. In case of doubt, add a colloidal silver device to the tank and you get rid of any sort of bacteria in no time.

[Tywais]

Many years ago I lived for a year in a small village (of course no hot water). My shower was done wearing a sarang and dipping water from a large pot outside (went native). Never got used to the cold water showers.

My wife will not use our hot water shower because she says it makes her skin too dry.

[ya5702]

I'm living in a household in Korat where the combined monthly income is probably around 200K baht.

In spite of that relative wealth we still shower out of a cold water cistern. Over the past couple of cold weather weeks this frigid water exercise has me wondering if I'm living with a family of lunatics or if this sort of self torture is the norm. All my suggestions of investing 20K baht in a hot water system are met with nothing but derision and bemusement that this silly farang would waste his money on such a needless pursuit.

Does everyone suffer this way, or am I truly cursed with a sadistic brand of Thai/Chinese self-torture?

...

Ah, I can finally feel my balls again.

What a relief.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My mom was an immigrant from China. She takes cold showers twice a day, everyday. She is 92.