Not Enough Thais Wash Hands: Study

[george]

Not enough Thais wash hands: study

BANGKOK: -- About half of all Thais admit to not washing their hands before touching or eating food, a recent survey has found. The results coincide with an annual increase in the incidence of diseases such as diarrhoea, dysentery and typhoid, which are often related to poor personal hygiene.

Although the hand-washing figure was lower than last year, it is still too high, Public Health Minister Pinij Charusombat said yesterday.

Last year, the ministry’s survey found that 65 per cent of people said they did not wash their hands before handling or eating food.

The ministry did not provide exact details of who was polled or where they lived. A press release announcing the results said only that respondents were aged from six years up.

The combined total number of cases of diarrhoea, dysentery or typhoid rose by more than 200,000 this year, said Pinij. The rise was an apparent consequence of the population’s poor hygiene standards, he said.

The survey also revealed that some four in 10 people said they did not wash their hands after using the toilet.

Hand washing has been proven to help stop the spread of germs, Pinij said.

The Public Health Ministry is encouraging the public to pay more attention to personal hygiene, particularly those involved with food processing and cooking, said Dr Pratch Boonyawongwiroj, an acting public health secretary.

Cooks are also being strongly advised not to paint their fingernails, as the varnish could conceal dirt trapped under the fingernails, Pratch said.

The ministry was campaigning in about 1,000 state hospitals nationwide, the doctor said.

--TNA 2005-11-28

[Mighty Mouse]

What are we really eating each time we dine out?

It's not only the Thai cooks that have poor hygienic habits.

[GoodHeart]

And that depressing news is just what the next influenza pandemic will be borne of. They ought now to do a survey of what % of public restrooms even offer soap. I'd venture it would be less than 50%.

Bird Flu & You: A Quick Guide to Protecting Yourself and Your Family from Bird (Pandemic) Flu has a simple, informative link to a PDF handout [see the Infection Control Handout link] that ought to be translated into Thai and plastered in toilets across the country.

Edited November 27, 2005 by GoodHeart

[JimGant]

And all the time I thought it was due to the hot peppers..........

[sierra01]

In public toilets I don't see many Thai not washing their hands afterwards, and no I'm not a perv! I know its got nothing to do with food safety but in that respect they are clean.

[kurgen]

I think it's because they believe bogeys don't stick to clean fingers

[sierra01]

I think it's because they believe bogeys don't stick to clean fingers  

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've also noticed that they're dedicated nose pickers too! No place seems to be taboo for a good excavation. I've weaned my TG off that habit now

[kurgen]

Does she still pick yours?

[LindsayBKK]

I use internet cafe's daily and make sure I was my hands afterwards. Yes Thais are nose pickers ( my thai bf does ) and I was told to avoid yawning in public or at least put my hand over my mouth. Nose picking is normal for Thais. What the? Yawning no - picking nose yes I remember going to a public toilet at Bang Saen a few years back, there was sh.t on floors & some poor bugger washing it down. It was one big open toilet , and you just crap anywhere. So much for hygiene.

[sierra01]

Does she still pick yours?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nah, I've weaned her off that as well. She stopped picking her own nose when, in a Swensons, I slapped her finger away from her nose, not hard, but she has long nails and it hurt her. I didn't mean to hurt her but she hasn't done it since!

[Nepal4me]

There are certain countries, let's say North of here where they really have nosepicking down to a well practiced art form. As an added bonus, they blend a lovely cacaphony of throat clearing, hawking and nose noises into the fray. From that perspective, we're pretty darn lucky here in LOS.

[Mighty Mouse]

Take a look at some Thai male hands. You will notice that many have grown the nail on their little finger.

This little finger is used for nostril digging, with the end of the nail shaped for scooping purposes.

What happens to the boogers? I don't wanna know.

[~G~]

I went to McDonalds in Robinson, Sukumvit (just next to the skytrain station). I was standing in front of the counter looking into the "preparation area", and have seen that guy picking up the burger with his bear hands. He used no tools or plastic gloves. I was quite surprised as I believed their standards don't allow that.

I told the manager what I've seen and asked if this is normal. She just told the guy to make me another one.

I wonder how many did he prepare in that way and what did he do with those hands beforehand.