Do Farangs Really Smell Bad?

[smokie36]

I'm reeking of beer!

Yeah you are. I can smell you over the internet.

Its going to get even worse....but shhhh don't tell my gf...

[smokie36]

Tomorriw morning I will smell of chlorine after my long swim.

Surely all these different pongs are valid....unless one lingers too long ewwwww

[chiangmaikelly]

It is the stinking football shirts and the silk shirts that you think look so cool. Cotton. Gee can't you get it? Cotton not polyester. In North America it was tweeds and woolens that first introduced me to people from you know where in the Toronto subway. Wash your clothes and take a shower for gosh sakes at least every day.

[GreenSnapper]

I suggest you to make a few tests:

Go to a crowded BTS or Tokyo subway during rush hour in summer time. Not a big problem concerning body odors.

Do the same in a Western country. You will almost vomit.

And many surveys have proven the fact that farangs are dirty. Thais know that without reading a study. It is common sense.

The Marplan Institute in Offenbach, Germany, have published the results of a survey this week. The survey looked into the shower/bathing habits of men and women in Germany and how often they changed their underwear.

The survey found that 60 per cent of German men didn't shower or bath daily, but those 60% did change their pants each day. Differences were seen between younger and older males, with 70% of men under 34 showering and changing pants daily.[/color]

Over 80 percent of the women under 34 were bathing or showering daily.

Overall five percent of all men and two percent of women in Germany are changing their underwear just once a week.[/color]

Los Angeles Times

PARIS - A series of polls and studies has dished up some real dirt on the French: Fewer than half take a bath or shower each day.

What's more, 40 percent of French men, and 25 percent of women, don't change their underwear daily. Fully 50 percent of the men, and 30 percent of women, don't use deodorant.

Last year, a poll for tissue manufacturer SCA found that 41% of British men and 33% of women don't shower every day, with 12% of people only having a proper wash once or twice a week.

THE DIRTY TRUTH

Despite our obsession with looking good, Americans are not as squeaky-clean as you might think. When 20,000 people were surveyed about personal hygiene, 71 percent fessed up to, among other nasties, booger diving. (Seriously, people?) Some other hygiene habits:

31% don't shower daily

EDIT: added Americans.

Edited August 18, 2012 by GreenSnapper

[Kerryd]

Have you ever experienced a smell that literally makes you want to gag on the spot ? I've encountered such smells a couple times (and not just from skunks). Most recently has been from a certain group that live where I'm working.

You know it's bad when you are standing somewhere and the smell hits you, you know exactly what it is (where it's coming from) and then realize that the person/people you are smelling are over 100 metres away. Or you are on an airplane and some other passengers get on and the smell hits you and your stomach starts to quiver and you realize you've got 3+ hours until the next stop. Fortunately, it seems that after being exposed to such smells (theirs, yours, ours, mine), we seem to desensitize fairly quickly and after a few minutes stop noticing it (as much).

Also, I quit smoking (again) 3 months ago and wow, I can sure tell who is a smoker now. It's one of the little things I use to remind myself why I don't want to start again. Too think I used to smell like that (and probably had similar breath all the time as well).

[Chittychangchang]

Out of all the races in the world, if you are in your natural evioriment then it's all about size,diet and personal hygiene.

Asians don't have oral hygiene.(smell their breath)

Africans it's about the hair.(don't want that fizz bomb getting out of control).

Farangs personal hygiene. (fat,sweaty, lazy and dirty)

And Indians all of the above.

I think i've offended just about everyone, role on Saturday night............................

[JcCarlin]

Some do. They don't shower often enough and they don't use antiperspirant and deodorant so they stink. You have to shower at least once a day, use antiperspirant, and change your clothes often and wash them. Stinkers are more common among people from certain countries than from others. People from the English speaking countries usually don't have this problem but there are a few stinkers among them too. You will get treated badly here if you're a stinker so don't do it.

Gee, thanks for this gem. I shall firstly have a good sniff before I shake hands with new people. If they stink, they probably can't speak English, so I won't bother with them.

Actually, given the types of English speaking people here, I am better off shaking hands with stinky people: at least they are nice and friendly and less likely to whinge and carry on about the weather, the air we breathe, the locals and their strange foods and customs, the wicked police, the Russians, Indians, Germans, Chinese, Koreans, Thais, etc etc etc etc......

I think we all have a unique smell But I despise the reputation these coffin nail drunks in pattaya have given the rest of us half breeds....

[Tchooptip]

I'm not sure if foreigners do smell bad to the Thai nose, if the do it would seem the sweet aroma of money almost always overcomes the stench.

a bit tough

[carvets]

Asians don't have oral hygiene.(smell their breath)

The Thais i've known are chronic when it comes to oral hygiene , showering and laundry . But there is a very particular and common smell that seems to ooze from the pores of many Thais and i particularly notice it with the women . Its not pleasant and it is distinct and pungent. I suspect it is from their diet and most notably Somtam with the ingredient PlaRa ( stinky fish paste ).

Edited August 18, 2012 by carvets

[HaruHaru]

Only foreigners I have heard Thais complaining about the smell have been Japanese and Indians.

Japanese have very distinctive sashimi and wasabi odors, especially saba (mackerel) fish odors.

Edited August 19, 2012 by HaruHaru

[Pseudolus]

Timely topic. Just came back on the BTS and had to change seats because of the stink, second time this week.

If you are visiting Bangkok and do a lot of walking, take a replacement shirt or something, an aircon taxi once in a while isn't going to ruin you either

I am a farang, so no racism here, but honestly sometimes it's embarrassing.

But some of the taxis smell worse than a week long dead farang.

I had a taxi the other day with a driver who must have been 90. nice old chap but you could tell as soon as the door closed he had "control" issues. The taxi stank of stale piss. Nice.

[carmine]

Only foreigners I have heard Thais complaining about the smell have been Japanese and Indians.

Few people will be rude enough to tell you to your face that they find your smell (or others like you) offensive...

But I'm always v aware that if I've been sweating - and who doesn't sweat here - then I need to take a shower before going out again.

Absolutely true. Everyone is responsible for their own personal hygiene.

What i would also say is that although the thais generally do not sweat like us a degree of garlic and chilli seems to seep out of their pores. Garlic may well be good for you but it doesn't smell that great either. Mindyou, i'm much too polite to make any comment

[robblok]

Actually a higher body fat % and being overweight does make people sweat more. Seeing that many foreigners are fatter then Thais in general id say yes they smell a lot worse.

Add to that the fact that many Thais seem to stay dry and don't sweat at all and you got a winner.

I used to sweat a lot more when i was heavier, now i still sweat more then the average Thai, i just make sure i shower enough or have a spare t shirt with me.

I'm not sure that you are seeing the same farangs as I am, most of the ones I know could not be described as fatter than the local Thais where obesity is not uncommon; perhaps it depends where you live. Sweating is a natural response of the body and its odour may well be nfluenced by the food that is eaten but your ideal of having no fat and an excess of muscle is not natural and completely contrary to how the modern human evolved

What i am seeing is people who are fatter (farang or Thai) sweat more. Personally i sweat less when my body weight went down. Don't forget fat insulates your body keeping you warmer plus your logging around a lot of excess weight that also cost energy to move around. Hence sweating. So yes i am convinced that fat has something to do with sweating. My goals might be contrary to how modern humans have evolved, but i can tell you that in the time we evolved we had a lot less fat then now. But just check it out yourself and see its mostly the fat guys sweating the most. Of course there are variations on how much someone sweat and fat is certainly not the only factor. Genetics play a large part too. But it is one of the factors. I believe drinking too much alcohol also makes you sweat.

[ayayay]

Yes, we smell more sweat, even if we shower.

[ayayay]

Farangs smell. Every Thai know that.

One reason though, is that we are more hairy on the body, some of us (not me thank god) are on the border of being furry

[Payboy]

Same same panda, mannyyy hair.

[travelmann]

Out of all the races in the world, if you are in your natural evioriment then it's all about size,diet and personal hygiene.

Asians don't have oral hygiene.(smell their breath)

Africans it's about the hair.(don't want that fizz bomb getting out of control).

Farangs personal hygiene. (fat,sweaty, lazy and dirty)

And Indians all of the above.

I think i've offended just about everyone, role on Saturday night............................

My wifes breath stinks but is masked by chillies, shes Asian.

[StreetCowboy]

Timely topic. Just came back on the BTS and had to change seats because of the stink, second time this week.

If you are visiting Bangkok and do a lot of walking, take a replacement shirt or something, an aircon taxi once in a while isn't going to ruin you either

I am a farang, so no racism here, but honestly sometimes it's embarrassing.

Like you, I get embarrassed on the BTS, because I sweat so much.

Maybe I should strip off and change into a clean shirt once I get to the station.

SC

[David006]

Are we talking BO here ....if so .... yup we stink .

....mostly I smell good things..wifes cooking and her orchids..

...not sure that I like durian so much or what I call the 100 year old rotten old fish paste she uses in some curries but then again hated garlic smell for years then ate some Italian sausage now love it..maybe I will grow to like durian and those horrible bean things before I die...

Best smells : Italian restaurants, Greek restaurants and my sweetie's Thom Yum and of course my sweeties hair.....

[Cobalt60]

Timely topic. Just came back on the BTS and had to change seats because of the stink, second time this week.

If you are visiting Bangkok and do a lot of walking, take a replacement shirt or something, an aircon taxi once in a while isn't going to ruin you either

I am a farang, so no racism here, but honestly sometimes it's embarrassing.

Like you, I get embarrassed on the BTS, because I sweat so much.

Maybe I should strip off and change into a clean shirt once I get to the station.

SC

Best do the pants and socks as well (if worn) just to be sure.

These stations should have showers and changing cubicles really, they give no thought to smelly people at all around here.

[mjj]

Just shower or wash properly!

I never use anti-perspirant, just deodorant. I sweat a ridiculous amount - shirts you can whring out after 3-4 hours, but I shower at least 3 times a day, mostly just to cool off and I don't smell.

You ''think'' you don't smell . Do you think smelly people realize they smell ?.

I know I don't smell and I have a very acute sense of smell, can't see or hear much, but a very good sense of smell.

Smelly people must know they smell. If I fart and it smells, I know it smells........and so do those around me. :-) Cleared an office once........one of the proudest moments of my life.

[Shot]

This is Thaivisa so every nook and cranny must be sniffed.

Ugh!

I like nooks and crannys

[JcCarlin]

I love clearing out elevators of rich snobs at paragon with a nostril fiasco from my rectum.....

[WebBangkok]

I think generally farangs probably do smell here, there are so many overweight dudes on the train sweating like walking waterfalls.

It is what it is. Probably not used to the hot weather.

[tailspin]

nothing beats eating a durian and then drinking a few beers in a bar so as to share the love with all around with every burp

[WebBangkok]

nothing beats eating a durian and then drinking a few beers in a bar so as to share the love with all around with every burp

I heard you can die from eating durian and drinking.

[theblether]

nothing beats eating a durian and then drinking a few beers in a bar so as to share the love with all around with every burp

I heard you can die from eating durian and drinking.

Yeh.......the rest of the guys in the bar beat you to death for burping.

Sounds about fair to me.

[firestar]

Timely topic. Just came back on the BTS and had to change seats because of the stink, second time this week.

If you are visiting Bangkok and do a lot of walking, take a replacement shirt or something, an aircon taxi once in a while isn't going to ruin you either

I am a farang, so no racism here, but honestly sometimes it's embarrassing.

I get embarrassed on the BTS, because I sweat so much.

Maybe I should strip off and change into a clean shirt once I get to the station.

SC

Sweat doesn't smell sour after 5 minutes.

How about you do it before getting into the BTS? How's that for an idea?

if you've been out all day chances are you've been working or at some point walked past a shopping center a McDonalds etc Tourists always seem to carry around some sort of backpack around, honestly how hard is it to put a fresh tshirt in there and if that's too hard for some, simple wipes also do a job. There is no excuse for stinking.

[firestar]

Oh and I can't name them or my post might get deleted, but if someone could tell people form a certain part of the world that drowning yourself in Armani perfume doesn't hide B.O. but makes it worst that would be great. Thanks.

[WebBangkok]

Oh and I can't name them or my post might get deleted, but if someone could tell people form a certain part of the world that drowning yourself in Armani perfume doesn't hide B.O. but makes it worst that would be great. Thanks.

That happens in Dubai a lot