Public Health Min: 41% of Thais don’t know how to wash hands in proper ways

BANGKOK, 16 October 2013 (NNT) – The Public Health Ministry said 41 percent of Thais were washing their hands the wrong way, while a survey found that only 61 percent of people in Bangkok washed their hands before eating.

The Public Health Ministry has come out to urge Thais to always wash their hands with soap in a bid to prevent bacterial infections. According to statistics collected by UNICEF, up to 3.5 million children aged 5 years or less worldwide each year die of diarrhea, while pneumonia kills more than 2 million kids a year.

Health Minister Pradit Sintavanarong has therefore urged Thais to cleanse their hands the right way by using soap as it prevents them, in 50 percent of the time, from catching a diarrhea and 25 percent from pneumonia.

The minister also revealed a survey conducted on Bangkokians 4 years ago. The survey suggested that 61 percent of them washed their hands before eating, and only 8 percent did with soap after toilet using. However, contamination rate was not very high as only 12 percent of the samples were found with bacteria.


-- NNT 2013-10-16

I guess not only Thais but also many foreigners ......

99.7% of Thai public toilets have neither soap nor hand drying facilities including Don Muang

Thais usually wash their hands before they defecate or urinate and not afterwards...Even the restaurant workers, never-mind the cooks are like that .

Thais complain about dirty feet, but they haven't a clue about personal hygiene.

Don't want to get spice on the dong.

how could humans survive 1.000.000 years without soap?

Based on all the nose picking they do, Thais really should learn how to washing their hands properly.

how could humans survive 1.000.000 years without soap?

How could Thais survive one week without soaps?

In public toilets that have soap, such as central, I have never seen a Thai male use the soap (don't know about females). Some spash water on their hands, seemingly to spruce up their hair, but sanitizing hands does not seem important.

Based on all the nose picking they do, Thais really should learn how to washing their hands properly.

Before or after the picking??

No real need for Thais to wash their hands.

The right hand is used for eating, and the left is used for toilet ablution duties.

Or is it the other way round??

The floors in public toilets are generally being cleaned all the time. Looking above floor level things are often looking as though nobody has touched things (no naughty jokes please) since they were opened. No way will I touch anything, apart from myself, like taps, flush levers or door knobs. I use my elbows and my feet a bit.

I am talking as someone who got the romantic job of lifesaver and found out that a large part of the job was cleaning toilets.

Based on all the nose picking they do, Thais really should learn how to washing their hands properly.

Before or after the picking??

I see the picking but I turn my head and I refuse to watch anymore.Many times if I'm acquainted with someone I will mention after,

that this is considered impolite as it is the same for them for tooth picking and covering there mouth.Gotta love the finger tool.

Based on all the nose picking they do, Thais really should learn how to washing their hands properly.

Before or after the picking??

That is easy...between toilet and nose picking....

In public toilets that have soap, such as central, I have never seen a Thai male use the soap (don't know about females). Some spash water on their hands, seemingly to spruce up their hair, but sanitizing hands does not seem important.

In many years, I have never seen a Thai male use soap, even in a few occasions and locations like Emporium and Paragon where they have soap and paper towels. I do see Thais occasionally turn the water enough to dribble and then they dab two fingers under it and off. Maybe that's a show for other people in the bathroom at the time. But coming out of a stall, i have never seen a Thai actually wash hands and soap down. At Thammasat University for many years there was/is no soap or paper of any kind in any of the toilets.

Based on all the nose picking they do, Thais really should learn how to washing their hands properly.

Before or after the picking??

I see the picking but I turn my head and I refuse to watch anymore.Many times if I'm acquainted with someone I will mention after,

that this is considered impolite as it is the same for them for tooth picking and covering there mouth.Gotta love the finger tool.

I watched a receptionist/nurse at Yanhee hospital dig into her nose for a full two minutes during a visit to their dental center. She showed no modesty depsite the full view of the cleaning by myself and a room of waiting patients. I would hope that on duty nose cleaning in a hospital violates some policy described during job orientation, but maybe not.

 

 

Based on all the nose picking they do, Thais really should learn how to washing their hands properly.

Before or after the picking??

 

I see the picking but I turn my head and I refuse to watch anymore.Many times if I'm acquainted with someone I will mention after,

that this is considered impolite as it is the same for them for tooth picking and covering there mouth.Gotta love the finger tool.

 

 

I watched a receptionist/nurse at Yanhee hospital dig into her nose for a full two minutes during a visit to their dental center.  She showed no modesty depsite the full view of the cleaning by myself and a room of waiting patients. I would hope that on duty nose cleaning in a hospital violates some policy described during job orientation, but maybe not.

 

The rule is no longer than 3 minutes unless you have recently washed your hands or used hand lotion....being the receptionist was female she had probably recently used hand lotion...right after she touched up her lipstick. Probably no nose picking violation occured.

Sent from my Onda V971 tablet

They spend enough time in the shower I suppose.

My missus showers constantly. Morning, noon and night.

41% of Thais dont know alot of things.

But the goverment like it this way.

It's called suppression and Thailand is very good at it.

Based on all the nose picking they do, Thais really should learn how to washing their hands properly.

Before or after the picking?? width=20 alt=rolleyes.gif>

I see the picking but I turn my head and I refuse to watch anymore.Many times if I'm acquainted with someone I will mention after,

that this is considered impolite as it is the same for them for tooth picking and covering there mouth.Gotta love the finger tool.

I watched a receptionist/nurse at Yanhee hospital dig into her nose for a full two minutes during a visit to their dental center. She showed no modesty depsite the full view of the cleaning by myself and a room of waiting patients. I would hope that on duty nose cleaning in a hospital violates some policy described during job orientation, but maybe not.

Isn't this why they call it a 3rd world country ....you seem too forget your living here! This is what 3rd world people do.

just a reminder:

urine is sterile...OK it is ugly but no poison and no bacteria...theoretical you could drink it.

And some weirdo Chinese medicine even recommend it (I recommend something for some mint chewing gum before speaking with other people )

If you watch in public toilets, most men are looking in the mirror and make sure the hair-do looks good, they don't bother washing hands.

So I guess the government took up a deal with Protex and organised a 'Washing Hand Day'.

Based on all the nose picking they do, Thais really should learn how to washing their hands properly.

Before or after the picking?? width=20 alt=rolleyes.gif>

I see the picking but I turn my head and I refuse to watch anymore.Many times if I'm acquainted with someone I will mention after,

that this is considered impolite as it is the same for them for tooth picking and covering there mouth.Gotta love the finger tool.

I watched a receptionist/nurse at Yanhee hospital dig into her nose for a full two minutes during a visit to their dental center. She showed no modesty depsite the full view of the cleaning by myself and a room of waiting patients. I would hope that on duty nose cleaning in a hospital violates some policy described during job orientation, but maybe not.

You should have handed her a spoon...

just a reminder:

urine is sterile...OK it is ugly but no poison and no bacteria...theoretical you could drink it.

And some weirdo Chinese medicine even recommend it (I recommend something for some mint chewing gum before speaking with other people )

"Necessary? Is it necessary for me to drink my own urine? No! But I do it anyway 'cause it's sterile and I like the taste."

- Patches O'Houlihan from Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story

Thais usually wash their hands before they defecate or urinate and not afterwards...Even the restaurant workers, never-mind the cooks are like that .

I see it all the time.

Quite often in the public restrooms here, there is soap in some form, water, but no towels of any kind, or a hot air blower that hasn't worked since the last coup d'etat. So then one must affect a casual air as you go out the door, furtively wiping your hands on your pants, or running fingers through your hair. Best of all is the bars and restaurants that have one soggy cloth towel hanging on a rusty hook, for the benefit of all.

Despite all of that, I have found most of the public restrooms to be generally cleaner than in the US, and more plentiful, and nobody's going to give you a dirty look, or refuse you to use it if you haven't paid money in their establishment.

Viva Thailand!

Based on all the nose picking they do, Thais really should learn how to washing their hands properly.

That's why the wai and not shake hands.

You have to admit, it is practical.

Thais complain about dirty feet, but they haven't a clue about personal hygiene.

I've never investigated, nor spoken to all Thais, so I can't make such a broad statement.