Why Do Thais Wake Up At 5:00Am...

[Eesat]

And then sleep for the rest of the day?
Surely it would be better to have a bit more sleep until you're not tired anymore,then stay awake for the rest of the day?
Or is waking up early here a job and once you've done it the rest of the day is just is freetime,it seems like it?

[impulse]

Seems reasonable to me.

Get up before the scorching sun and knock out some work.

Then siesta when it's too fricking hot to work. Happens all over the tropics.

[ravip]

Seems reasonable to me.

Get up before the scorching sun and knock out some work.

Then siesta when it's too fricking hot to work. Happens all over the tropics.

In the Middle East too

[Crossy]

Yup, heat ^^^, we're up at 4.30 weekdays 5 ish weekends.

I go to work at 5.45 Wifey waters the plants and feeds the animals before it gets too warm, then goes and sleeps until noon.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Make sure the kids get up in time for some breakfast then to catch the 0630 hrs van to school.

Mac

[chiangmaikelly]

Wife gets up every morning at 5 AM and goes to work as do the other 100 Thais that work in her steel mill. I get up and cook breakfast for all of us and take the dog for a walk. The rest of the neighbors are also up cooking and walking dogs.

[Mosha]

Make sure the kids get up in time for some breakfast then to catch the 0630 hrs van to school.

Mac

Fully agree, the drivers get hell from the schools if they are late.

[rct99q]

In my area the Monks begin the daily Alms rounds early. In my area we begin our house hold work early to avoid the heat of the day. In our area we work up until 10pm most nights (again to avoid the heat) which means bedtime around 11 or midnight. In my area we do not sit in a bar drinking until 3am, sleeping in until 2 in the afternoon. But these are just some of the reason why normal people get up early, get work done, sleep during the hottest time of the day and then start again.

Sometimes I truly miss my bar hopping days as a tourist.....

[Nowhereman60]

Morning is the best time of day, a lot cooler and plus mom goes to the market to get the freshest veggies, fruits and meats. The early bird always catches the worm.

[rene123]

Their roosters woke me up before 5 AM when I stayed in the rural villages of the hill tribe people. Of course their roosters also woke me up at 2 AM Then, with all the activity around the village I gave up the thought of sleeping.

[Eesat]

In my area the Monks begin the daily Alms rounds early. In my area we begin our house hold work early to avoid the heat of the day. In our area we work up until 10pm most nights (again to avoid the heat) which means bedtime around 11 or midnight. In my area we do not sit in a bar drinking until 3am, sleeping in until 2 in the afternoon. But these are just some of the reason why normal people get up early, get work done, sleep during the hottest time of the day and then start again.

Sometimes I truly miss my bar hopping days as a tourist.....

I'm sorry but I really don't know which country you are from but in the West,normal people don't get up at 5:00am!

Normal people in Western countries work from 9:00am-5:00pm,they don't get up when it's still dark and fall asleep on their feet for the rest of the day!

Edited June 1, 2013 by Eesat

[Issangeorge]

In our villaga most people are in bed by 9, so 8 hours later they get up at 5. Pretty simple really.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 6 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[willyumiii]

Morning is the best time of day, a lot cooler and plus mom goes to the market to get the freshest veggies, fruits and meats. The early bird always catches the worm.

TRUE, BUT THE BIRD CATCHES THE EARLY WORM"!

[Loptr]

You know you're getting old when you start getting up at 5:00am instead of dragging in from a night out at that time.

EDIT: I am up at 5:00am myself during the week and sleep in until 6:00 on weekends.

Edited June 1, 2013 by Loptr

[NanLaew]

In my area the Monks begin the daily Alms rounds early. In my area we begin our house hold work early to avoid the heat of the day. In our area we work up until 10pm most nights (again to avoid the heat) which means bedtime around 11 or midnight. In my area we do not sit in a bar drinking until 3am, sleeping in until 2 in the afternoon. But these are just some of the reason why normal people get up early, get work done, sleep during the hottest time of the day and then start again.

Sometimes I truly miss my bar hopping days as a tourist.....

I'm sorry but I really don't know which country you are from but in the West,normal people don't get up at 5:00am!

Normal people in Western countries work from 9:00am-5:00pm,they don't get up when it's still dark and fall asleep on their feet for the rest of the day!

The OP missed it.... twice.

Normal people in the west don't get up to make food to give to the monks. Before you jump in and say you have never, ever seem any Thai that you know feeding the monks at dawn, rest assured there's millions of Thai's doing exactly that. Once a couple of family members are up, the rest of the house follows. It's a deep cultural thing... same as a dog works a circle to flatten down the long grass (that isn't there anymore) before laying down to sleep... the Thai's 'know' it is right(eous) to be up at the crack of dawn.

[bunta71]

Wife gets up every morning at 5 AM and goes to work as do the other 100 Thais that work in her steel mill. I get up and cook breakfast for all of us and take the dog for a walk. The rest of the neighbors are also up cooking and walking dogs.

How can you cook and walk dogs? Can they still walk after they've been cooked?

English is not your first language I guess. I wrote, "I get up and cook breakfast for all of us and take the dog for a walk." Cook breakfast is one thought and take the dog for a walk is another. I don't think jokes about eating dogs are funny; in case you wondered.

I have the Chinese cook book entitled " 100 Ways to Wok Your Dog" I love dogs but retain my sense of humor....

[AhFarangJa]

In my area the Monks begin the daily Alms rounds early. In my area we begin our house hold work early to avoid the heat of the day. In our area we work up until 10pm most nights (again to avoid the heat) which means bedtime around 11 or midnight. In my area we do not sit in a bar drinking until 3am, sleeping in until 2 in the afternoon. But these are just some of the reason why normal people get up early, get work done, sleep during the hottest time of the day and then start again.

Sometimes I truly miss my bar hopping days as a tourist.....

I'm sorry but I really don't know which country you are from but in the West,normal people don't get up at 5:00am!

Normal people in Western countries work from 9:00am-5:00pm,they don't get up when it's still dark and fall asleep on their feet for the rest of the day!

Eesat, Sorry to contradict you mate, but when I worked all over Europe, for quite a number of years I was up at 5 sometimes earlier and worked from 6am to 6pm, I do consider myself normal ( though some may disagree!!) but I was certainly not alone on the roads commuting either, I think you may be referring to office workers only? say in a bank or similar, whereas in Thailand there is a lot of agricultural work, and as posted earlier miss the heat of the day, plus, chickens, roosters, dogs, local weddings etc, make it hard for a lie in!!

Edited June 1, 2013 by AhFarangJa

[krisb]

In my area the Monks begin the daily Alms rounds early. In my area we begin our house hold work early to avoid the heat of the day. In our area we work up until 10pm most nights (again to avoid the heat) which means bedtime around 11 or midnight. In my area we do not sit in a bar drinking until 3am, sleeping in until 2 in the afternoon. But these are just some of the reason why normal people get up early, get work done, sleep during the hottest time of the day and then start again.

 

Sometimes I truly miss my bar hopping days as a tourist.....

I'm sorry but I really don't know which country you are from but in the West,normal people don't get up at 5:00am!

Normal people in Western countries work from 9:00am-5:00pm,they don't get up when it's still dark and fall asleep on their feet for the rest of the day!

I'm in the west and I get up at 5 to start work at 6. Only office workers do 9 to 5.

I think the op spent his worklife starting at 9am perhaps? It certainly isn't only Thailand getting up at 5. I'd say the whole construction industry most are up by 6am at latest and thats worldwide. That's just 1 industry. Anyhow, best time of the day when the sun starts coming up!

Sent from my LG-E612 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[deesamui]

sleeping in? never with a 4 and a half year old, up at 5.30 every day and loving it

[uptheos]

I'm usually up walking around the garden getting some air, listening to the birds singing and the distant barking dogs. I quite enjoy feeding a beautiful black and white dog who is a regular and putting lot of boiled rice on the bird table for the birds..........that's all.

[somtampet]

Your wife is lazy then.

My gf wakes up at 5.07am not 5am,and gores to work

[deesamui]

In my area the Monks begin the daily Alms rounds early. In my area we begin our house hold work early to avoid the heat of the day. In our area we work up until 10pm most nights (again to avoid the heat) which means bedtime around 11 or midnight. In my area we do not sit in a bar drinking until 3am, sleeping in until 2 in the afternoon. But these are just some of the reason why normal people get up early, get work done, sleep during the hottest time of the day and then start again.

Sometimes I truly miss my bar hopping days as a tourist.....

I'm sorry but I really don't know which country you are from but in the West,normal people don't get up at 5:00am!

Normal people in Western countries work from 9:00am-5:00pm,they don't get up when it's still dark and fall asleep on their feet for the rest of the day!

I'm in the west and I get up at 5 to start work at 6. Only office workers do 9 to 5.

I think the op spent his worklife starting at 9am perhaps? It certainly isn't only Thailand getting up at 5. I'd say the whole construction industry most are up by 6am at latest and thats worldwide. That's just 1 industry. Anyhow, best time of the day when the sun starts coming up!

Sent from my LG-E612 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

half an hour earlier works for me, have time for my java and dont have to answer questions to anybody

[kannot]

I have land in Andalucia and its bloody cold in winter sometimes with snow, also they dont have the humidity present here, yeah it can get hot but its not 100000000000% humidity......ok I exaggerated slightly

I get up between 5-6 water do some work and pack it in around 10am max, then will do some more maybe at 5-7pm depending if cloudy or not, cloudy can work all day.

[kannot]

Your wife is lazy then.

My gf wakes up at 5.07am not 5am,and gores to work

Slaughterhouse then?

[mr3cho]

Wondered the same thing a while back. But it's perfectly logical more here than elsewhere as previously stated as you can get some work done or get a workout in before it gets hot. Then digest lunch, have a siesta, reboot fully recharged and hit it hard again. Essentially having 2 days in 1. I'm trying to get on this schedule myself.

The western 9-5 straight doesn't always work with that after-lunch food coma. I can sit at a desk and look like I'm working when I'm really just comatose with my eyes open.

[arthurwait]

The OP has obviously never met any Thais who grew up rich or bargirls.

[bluweyze]

In my area the Monks begin the daily Alms rounds early. In my area we begin our house hold work early to avoid the heat of the day. In our area we work up until 10pm most nights (again to avoid the heat) which means bedtime around 11 or midnight. In my area we do not sit in a bar drinking until 3am, sleeping in until 2 in the afternoon. But these are just some of the reason why normal people get up early, get work done, sleep during the hottest time of the day and then start again.

Sometimes I truly miss my bar hopping days as a tourist.....

I'm sorry but I really don't know which country you are from but in the West,normal people don't get up at 5:00am!

Normal people in Western countries work from 9:00am-5:00pm,they don't get up when it's still dark and fall asleep on their feet for the rest of the day!

Last time I looked we were not in the West. Have you ever once thought that your in a different country, a different continent with different traditions and practices? There is a school of thought (not practiced much on Thai Visa admittedly) that not everything in the West is a perfect template for the rest of the world to copy.

[David48]

Actually, at the Farm ... everyone wakes at different times ... depending on their tasks for the day.

Farm Father is up usually @ 3.30am, because he needs to starts the Aerators for the Fish Ponds.

Girlfriend up at a bit before 6am to make some breakfast for her sisters kids.

The kids sleep in on the week-end as it's their privilege.

Everyone different, each to their own.

.

[isawasnake]

Seems reasonable to me.

Get up before the scorching sun and knock out some work.

Then siesta when it's too fricking hot to work. Happens all over the tropics.

Yes, but the problem with this is that I have witnessed many times they stop working as the sun sets in the country. I find it ridiculous.... you will see them midday cutting, then they will stop at 5pm. Seen it so many times and am always amazed.

[Tomtomtom69]

Given that most households in Thailand have air-conditioning these days, "avoiding the heat" is not a valid reason for getting up early. I would never get up at 5am unless I've got an early flight to catch - I'd rather get enough sleep and then there's no need to sleep during the day (indeed, except at my last workplace there wouldn't be any possibility of doing so these days). If I need to be at work at 9am, getting up around 7am is sufficient and I'll be on my feet all day sometimes entertaining my girlfriend and friends at a restaurant in the evening and not going back home until like 10pm or later.

In my opinion most Thais don't actually rise at 5am, it's more like 6am or 6.30am (unlike their Vietnamese counterparts that do indeed rise at 5am). A lot of it has to do with when the sun rises, in Thailand it generally rises not much earlier than 5.45am, but in Vietnam it rises as early as 5am. On the other hand in Vietnam it rarely gets dark later than 6pm, whereas in Thailand this time of year it's almost 7pm.

Those individuals in Thailand that do rise as early as 5am tend to be either 1) village dwellers often working menial jobs; 2) poorer inhabitants of Bangkok that work blue collar jobs; 3) people that work shifts and have to work the early shift starting at say 7am (including factory workers); 4) Bangkok residents that live 45km from their workplace and have kids to send to school (although these people will only rise this early when the kids have school, certainly never on weekends).

From my experience in the region, the Vietnamese rise the earliest, about 5am. The Thais rise around 6am or 6.30am while the Chinese rise the latest, usually not before 7am and often as late as 8am.

Edited June 1, 2013 by Tomtomtom69