Thailand To Upgrade From Squat To Sit-Down Toilets

[chooka]

Just hope the signs are in Thai

[Radar501]

THE BLOKES' PROS AND CONS OF SQUAT TOILETS

Pros: No seat to leave up or down means no toilet seat etiquette for your missus to complain about

Cons: If you don't have the aim of a SWAT sniper whilst standing up doing a number ones, the stream/spray/dribble

usually goes everywhere except where intended. That IS something for your misses to compain about!

[harrry]

I have been amazed with this thread. Most of the posters must have never been to Thailand. Thailand has had sit down toilets for many years. Most PTT stations have a handicapped toilet which is often used by elderly people and unlike Britain or Australia the toilets are always clean and a pleasure to go to. Yes they have traditionally used the squat type though for many years most houses built have used the sit down type. g course advanced countries like Germany just make use of the rest stations along the Autobahn where if you venture behind the first row of bushes you find a sea of toilet paper.

The change is that Thailand is recognising the needs of older people and changing their workplaces to suit.

[Reasonableman]

I have been amazed with this thread. Most of the posters must have never been to Thailand. Thailand has had sit down toilets for many years. Most PTT stations have a handicapped toilet which is often used by elderly people and unlike Britain or Australia the toilets are always clean and a pleasure to go to. Yes they have traditionally used the squat type though for many years most houses built have used the sit down type. g course advanced countries like Germany just make use of the rest stations along the Autobahn where if you venture behind the first row of bushes you find a sea of toilet paper.

The change is that Thailand is recognising the needs of older people and changing their workplaces to suit.

You must have an extremely low amazement threshold.

[Bagwan]

A little something to add to the juvenilarity. (Is there such a word? Well there is now)

[Moruya]

I have been amazed with this thread. Most of the posters must have never been to Thailand. Thailand has had sit down toilets for many years. Most PTT stations have a handicapped toilet which is often used by elderly people and unlike Britain or Australia the toilets are always clean and a pleasure to go to. Yes they have traditionally used the squat type though for many years most houses built have used the sit down type. g course advanced countries like Germany just make use of the rest stations along the Autobahn where if you venture behind the first row of bushes you find a sea of toilet paper.

The change is that Thailand is recognising the needs of older people and changing their workplaces to suit.

You must have an extremely low amazement threshold.

Indeed. The Thai cleaners use the magic cloth method. Move the gunk around so it looks clean but in fact leaves enough DNA around to keep khun Pornthip and her labs busy for a month.

[Moruya]

One day Thailand will upgrade from squat to sit-down government

[coma]

Just one more piece of evidence to support Darwin's theory on evolution.

[ytyt]

For people with bad knee joints, the squat toilets may be difficult or impossible to use. The elderly for whom the minister expresses concern obviously have a relatively higher incidence of joint problems.

Something I do not see addressed in the above discussion is the issue of stall size. There is only 1 male and 1 female stall in the whole building where I work that has a western toilet (quick, hack replacements after they were embarrassed by the negative reaction of an important foreign visitor). The squat toilets are rather small, and in the male rest rooms, the stall containing these is of minimal size. The stalls in the female rest rooms are much larger. In the one male western toilet stall, the aluminum door only opens about 30 degrees before it stops and bangs into the front of the flush toilet. You have to squeeze through the door along the wall, then climb over the toilet to the wall on the other side so that you can close the stall door. Then you can barely sit down, with your knees jammed against the door. If it's a painful day for your knees, you might not be up to this acrobatic routine. There is no such problem in the one very much larger female stall that has a western toilet, but heaven forbid that you should use it when no one is around (this is the top floor of a building where almost all of the rooms are just storage, and the elevator has been broken for almost 2 years now, so there is hardly any traffic to the top floor). And yet, it's fine for the female cleaning people to come into the men's rest room while you're using the urinals and slop around, or just stare intently.

[Gary A]

A first look at the newly designed Thai toilets.

[lungmi]

Very funny the informations of the posters. I learnt very much.

I add my experience of a not mentioned toilet room.

In a hilltribe village I asked a friend to show me the toilet for a big download.

He gave me a stick and sent me in the jungle beside a small river.

Acrobatic and finally succesful performance, but for what the stick?

Some black pigs of the recycling service gave me the answer.

[hermespan]

Not only does squatting encourage the natural response to evacuate, it is much more hygienic. Who wants to sit where someone else gas placed their sweaty bum? Just make sure the hose reaches. Toilet paper is a disgusting habit.

[sunshine51]

I can't wait to watch the PSA's (public service advertisements) on TV!

[hellodolly]

From 15th century to 21st century

Amazing Thailand.

In fairness, Thailand does not lag behind in the availability of stylish modern sanitaryware. Its just too expensive for the majority of the people.

And on a related note,

Who is Jack Schitt?

The lineage is finally revealed! Many people are at a loss for a response when someone says: "You don't know Jack Schitt."

Now you can intellectually handle the situation:

Jack is the only son of Awe Schitt. Awe Schitt, the fertilizer magnate, married O. Schitt, the owner of Needeep N. Schitt.

They had one son, Jack. In turn, Jack Schitt married Noe Schitt. The Deeply religious couple produced six children: Holie Schitt, Fulla Schitt, Giva Schitt, Bull Schitt, and the twins Deap Schitt and Dip Schitt.

Against her parents objection, Deap Schitt married Dumb Schitt, a high school dropout.

After being married for 15 years, Jack and Noe Schitt divorced.

Noe Schitt later remarried Ted Sherlock and, because her kids were still living with them, she wanted to keep her previous name. She was then known as Noe Shitt Sherlock.

Meanwhile, Dip Schitt married Loda Schitt and they produced a son of nervous disposition, Chicken Schitt.

Two of the other six children, Fulla Schitt and Giva Schitt, were inseparable throughout childhood and subsequently married the Happens brothers in a dual ceremony.

The wedding announcement in the newspaper announced the Schitt-Happens Wedding.

The Schitt-Happens children were Daawg, Byrd, Hoarse and Bull.

Bull Schitt, the prodigal son, left home to tour the world. He recently returned from Italy with his new Italian bride, Pisa Schitt.

So now when someone says "You don't know Jack Schitt", You can correct them!

I ran out of likes for today. All part of a TV scheme to get me to not like things. But I really liked this one so I had to post it. I like it.

yes I like it

[jerrysteve]

The squat toilets can definetly be a pain in the Arse.

Edited August 12, 2012 by jerrysteve

[GentlemanJim]

Actually, although I am a great fan of the great european toilet (some of mans greatest thinking has occurred there (( well mine anyway)) ) it is a known fact that squat toilets offer you the natural way to poo and have been proven to greatly help maintain a good healthy colonic system. For four thousand years, chinese Doctors have been saying that the colon is the secret to a healthy body. A healthy colon and you do not suffer all of the other secondary diseases and problems that manifest themselves from an unhealthy colon. However, in Thailand this would only be the case if the squat toilet were in your own house, as in 99% of the squat toilets I have seen at petrol stations and service stations, you stand a much higher chance of catching a serious disease from the disgusting state of the toilets themselves Then again with a healthy colon, your daily movement can almost be timed to the minute so you are never caught out! Live much longer, get your colon back in shape!

[ManInSurat]

No one seems to have mentioned the fact that with a squat toilet they don't normally have bum guns, so you're left with the lovely process of using your hand to clean yourself with the aid of some plastic tupperware and rarely any paper, unless you take some with you.

This wouldn't be much of a problem if there was a nice place to clean your hands afterwards, but in most Wats, markets, state schools, small eateries, rural houses, etc, that is definitely not the case. Thinking about all the fecal matter still left on the hands and under the nails of the millions of people that must use squatters everyday makes me really really squeamish.

They've almost definitely made your food, on far more than one occasion.

A sit-down and a bum gun is my most pleasing experience, people may say they're unhygenic, put scraping the poo from your hole with your hands is that much better is it? Makes me shudder.

[GentlemanJim]

No one seems to have mentioned the fact that with a squat toilet they don't normally have bum guns, so you're left with the lovely process of using your hand to clean yourself with the aid of some plastic tupperware and rarely any paper, unless you take some with you.

This wouldn't be much of a problem if there was a nice place to clean your hands afterwards, but in most Wats, markets, state schools, small eateries, rural houses, etc, that is definitely not the case. Thinking about all the fecal matter still left on the hands and under the nails of the millions of people that must use squatters everyday makes me really really squeamish.

They've almost definitely made your food, on far more than one occasion.

A sit-down and a bum gun is my most pleasing experience, people may say they're unhygenic, put scraping the poo from your hole with your hands is that much better is it? Makes me shudder.

I think the truth is, if you could see the bacteria that you ingested everyday, you would be unlikely to eat anything. One test showed that on average a bowl of peanuts or nibbles in a bar that you have with your beer can contain up to 70 different peoples urinary bacteria. I have however become paranoid about when people come up to my kids and put their hands all over their faces saying how beautiful they are. You don't know who they are, where they have been or what illnesses they are currently carrying.

[ManInSurat]

No one seems to have mentioned the fact that with a squat toilet they don't normally have bum guns, so you're left with the lovely process of using your hand to clean yourself with the aid of some plastic tupperware and rarely any paper, unless you take some with you.

This wouldn't be much of a problem if there was a nice place to clean your hands afterwards, but in most Wats, markets, state schools, small eateries, rural houses, etc, that is definitely not the case. Thinking about all the fecal matter still left on the hands and under the nails of the millions of people that must use squatters everyday makes me really really squeamish.

They've almost definitely made your food, on far more than one occasion.

A sit-down and a bum gun is my most pleasing experience, people may say they're unhygenic, put scraping the poo from your hole with your hands is that much better is it? Makes me shudder.

I think the truth is, if you could see the bacteria that you ingested everyday, you would be unlikely to eat anything. One test showed that on average a bowl of peanuts or nibbles in a bar that you have with your beer can contain up to 70 different peoples urinary bacteria. I have however become paranoid about when people come up to my kids and put their hands all over their faces saying how beautiful they are. You don't know who they are, where they have been or what illnesses they are currently carrying.

Yeah, I love the old "peanuts on the bar" scare story.

This is the modern version of that and much more relevant here.... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7377002.stm

How many are now thinking about buying a new keyboard? Go on, admit it!

Like you inferred Jim, I think it's just best to mentally block it out somehow. It's highly statiscally unlikely we'll die or even get slightly ill from it. The alternative is getting all Howard Hughes and whilst I'd love to have his riches, I still want to play with my marbles for a while longer!

P.S. I will never see the act of cleaning your bum with your hand and just a bowl of dirty water as a sensible thing to do, as long as I live.

Edited August 13, 2012 by ManInSurat

[yourauntbob]

Now if they can just keep the public toilets clean, and how about replacing all the "toilet" signs with "restroom." why they use this word on all signs is beyond me.

[aussiebebe]

My first encounter with a squat toilet was in Rome whilst on holiday when I was in my teens.One of my enduring failures whilst living in Thailand is never having mastered the squat toilet. My only successful attempts have been when I've been wearing shorts and removed them beforehand.

[aussiebebe]

A first look at the newly designed Thai toilets.

That's brilliant!

[sunshine51]

From 15th century to 21st century

Amazing Thailand.

In fairness, Thailand does not lag behind in the availability of stylish modern sanitaryware. Its just too expensive for the majority of the people.

And on a related note,

Who is Jack Schitt?

The lineage is finally revealed! Many people are at a loss for a response when someone says: "You don't know Jack Schitt."

Now you can intellectually handle the situation:

Jack is the only son of Awe Schitt. Awe Schitt, the fertilizer magnate, married O. Schitt, the owner of Needeep N. Schitt.

They had one son, Jack. In turn, Jack Schitt married Noe Schitt. The Deeply religious couple produced six children: Holie Schitt, Fulla Schitt, Giva Schitt, Bull Schitt, and the twins Deap Schitt and Dip Schitt.

Against her parents objection, Deap Schitt married Dumb Schitt, a high school dropout.

After being married for 15 years, Jack and Noe Schitt divorced.

Noe Schitt later remarried Ted Sherlock and, because her kids were still living with them, she wanted to keep her previous name. She was then known as Noe Shitt Sherlock.

Meanwhile, Dip Schitt married Loda Schitt and they produced a son of nervous disposition, Chicken Schitt.

Two of the other six children, Fulla Schitt and Giva Schitt, were inseparable throughout childhood and subsequently married the Happens brothers in a dual ceremony.

The wedding announcement in the newspaper announced the Schitt-Happens Wedding.

The Schitt-Happens children were Daawg, Byrd, Hoarse and Bull.

Bull Schitt, the prodigal son, left home to tour the world. He recently returned from Italy with his new Italian bride, Pisa Schitt.

So now when someone says "You don't know Jack Schitt", You can correct them!

I ran out of likes for today. All part of a TV scheme to get me to not like things. But I really liked this one so I had to post it. I like it.

yes I like it

As an ex US Navy man....I used to "date" Loda. I Knew Pisa rather well. Fulla-

Giva-Bull-Dip-Noe & Croka used to hang out together and my best buddy was

O. All the rest were pups in the litter so to speak.

Sorry to be OT but tough Schitt.

Edited August 13, 2012 by sunshine51

[hellodolly]

Now the ministry didn't say these would be the kind with a water tank and you can flush; so maybe the upgrade will just be a raised version of the squat type (i.e., minus a flush tank).

Good point

[sunshine51]

The squat toilets can definetly be a pain in the Arse.

Especially when there's dags (dingleballs) involved!

[Fozfromoz]

Personally I like the resounding sound of a plop as it hits the water and I'm more than happy that depressing the magic buttom propels the faeces into an unknown oblivion.

Squat toilets on the other hand and a nightmare for the uninitiated. Hung over, wobbly on your feet and trying to direct matter from an orifice that has never before been used in a directional capacity is one thing. Having to turn and face the dam_n thing as you scoop bowls full of water to send it away is another.

As for vomitting, well give me the great white telephone any day!

When having a heave, nothing beats having a drive of the porcelain bus!