Why do Thais like to eat on the floor?

[Costas2008]

Whenever, I am invited, by a Thai family, for dinner, we land eating on the floor.

Of course, they put the colourful mats down, so we are not sitting on the cement or tiles but I have noticed, they all have a dining table and chairs, but they don’t use them.

Asked the wife, why, and she said, that’s how they have been used to do all their lives.

Now, it’s not a big deal, but I never enjoyed my dinner, as I get pins and needles and have to get up every so often.

Also, they are trying to be polite with me and they bring me a chair to sit, but I feel uncomfortable sitting on top of their heads, so I prefer to suffer.

Anything to do with Thai culture?

Would anybody know where this habit comes from?

Again, it could be only a habit in rural Isaan.

I would appreciate your answers.

[CharlieH]

I would suggest the reason stems from poor agricultural backgrounds and even historic where only the wealthy could afford or want what westerners consider basic furniture. The same applies to sleeping, many just sleep on the floor not in traditional beds as we know it. Thats an asian wide thing not just Thailand, in my experience.

[Franky Bear]

Tables and chairs cost money

[Costas2008]

I do understand Charlie, but they all have tables and chairs.

I thought the younger generation would have adapted to using them.

In the restaurants they don't eat on the floor, why do they at home?

[Costas2008]

Tables and chairs cost money

Please read the OP, before you reply.

They all have tables and chairs.

[pgrahmm]

Comfort for them to sit x legged....in ancient times after western chairs were adopted they had to be extra wide so they could sit cross legged and be comfortable....in Thai fashion.....

[trainman34014]

Some of my Wife's family do not have tables and chairs and i know a good many other Thai homes without them.  Some of you Guys need to sample village life where you will find many family's living in the old traditional ways.  You won't learn much about Thailand by hanging around in Bangkok.

[enuff said]

.

 

 

There are half a dozen restaurants in this medium sized town that have mats and low tables.  A couple are outside and the mats are on the ground.  They are quite popular.

 

Ever heard of JAPAN? 

 

You guys really don't get around much.  Guess what?  In Malaysia, they eat with their HANDS while sitting on the floor.

 

'nuff said

 

 

~

 

[pagover]

Maybe it's cooler to sit on the floor...afterall heat rises.  I lived in South Korea for nearly 10 years so I want to share my observation that Koreans eat and sleep on the floors also..but for a different reasons.  It gets quite cold in the winter so they invented this thing called Ondol heating centuries ago. The floors have pipes running underneath and hot water heated up using a gas boiler flows around to provide warmth. Up until several years ago many homes were heated in this fashion using coal bricks and carbon monoxide laced hot air, circulated around the pipes in the floor. I think the switch over to gas was a smart move.

Class dismissed!

[sustento]

My BF didn't own a mattress until he was 23.

[AYJAYDEE]

because they are more comfortable on the floor. why do westerners sit up in the air on chairs?

[Costas2008]

My BF didn't own a mattress until he was 23.

Yes, but ask him now to sleep on the floor, and I bet you he will not be able to close an eyelid all night.

[sustento]

 

My BF didn't own a mattress until he was 23.

Yes, but ask him now to sleep on the floor, and I bet you he will not be able to close an eyelid all night.

 

On the contrary when he goes back to his Mum's place he sleeps on a concrete floor with a mat.

[WitawatWatawit]

There's more of a communal feel to sitting around on the floor, close together and sharing the food. You don't get quite the same "bonding" (if I can call it that) when you sit around a table. Don't drink wine while sitting on the floor, though. Some bugger always kicks over the bottle or glass, and usually it's me shifting about all the time.

[nickmanchester2]

they sure like to squat as well

[arthurwait]

Are the tables and chairs covered in junk they can't be bothered to clean up ?

[Sealbash]

There's more of a communal feel to sitting around on the floor, close together and sharing the food. You don't get quite the same "bonding" (if I can call it that) when you sit around a table. Don't drink wine while sitting on the floor, though. Some bugger always kicks over the bottle or glass, and usually it's me shifting about all the time.

On the plus side, if you do drink wine, you do not have as far to fall


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[thehelmsman]

It is the way it is. It does allow the small children easy access to the food. Accomodates large group in a relatively small area.

[GuestHouse]

The OP is asking the wrong question.

 

 

The right question is - Why do Westerners eat while sitting on chairs at table?

 

The answer to which is, it is a Greek custom spread across the Greek empire and later Roman Empire.

 

Evidence of this can be found in the adoption of eating on chairs at table in Egypt after the Greek conquest and the use of chairs and tables in parts of Asia conquered by Alexander the Great. 

 

As an aside - The art of carving life like statues of the human form was also spread into Asia by Alexander's invasion. 

 

Thai table manners have evolved with later contact with Western culture, as observed in a 19th century book banned in Thailand containing observations on Thai table manners supported by diplomatic dispatches of the period. 

[IAMSOBAD]

When they fly do they use the fold down tray or sit on the floor? Please...if they have a table why not use it?
They ALL have smartphones! This is not two thousand years ago.

[WitawatWatawit]

There's more of a communal feel to sitting around on the floor, close together and sharing the food. You don't get quite the same "bonding" (if I can call it that) when you sit around a table. Don't drink wine while sitting on the floor, though. Some bugger always kicks over the bottle or glass, and usually it's me shifting about all the time.

On the plus side, if you do drink wine, you do not have as far to fall


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I do not drink falling down water.

[bina]

we alternate. mostly on the tabel due to the three dogs, howver the dogs have learned not to get on the mats if we do eat on the floor. its comfortable either way. and we only have a few forks and lots of spoons; our guests are always forewarned.

adn hubby still sleeps on the cold floor in the summer, just putting down a towel under him. we originally raised our bed with new mattress but he didnt like it so back to futon style again. he is now in tel aviv living in a communal thai workers' house near his new job and sleeps on a mattress on the floor in the salon. they put a bucket in the shower and do issaan style showers there (until winter most likely).

when sitting on chairs he tends to sit cross legged. certainly healthier on the legs to sit on floor (for those of us with problem veins); beduins sit on the floor. arabs here often do also, on mats, eating from common dishes of meat and humoous and pita bread. ethiopians also (my duaghter's sig. other is from huge ethiopian family that is orthodox jewish, keep kosher, but eat with ttheir hands and sit on the floor except for the matriarch of the family, and the father who are given chairs.).

dont see any problem either way.

[AYJAYDEE]

When they fly do they use the fold down tray or sit on the floor? Please...if they have a table why not use it?
They ALL have smartphones! This is not two thousand years ago.

because they are more comfortable on the floor. is that so difficult for you to understand?

[wow64]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

 

Some of my Wife's family do not have tables and chairs and i know a good many other Thai homes without them.  Some of you Guys need to sample village life where you will find many family's living in the old traditional ways.  You won't learn much about Thailand by hanging around in Bangkok.

 

The reverse is also true you won't learn much about Thailand by not hanging around Bangkok.. .

 

.

 

 

There are half a dozen restaurants in this medium sized town that have mats and low tables.  A couple are outside and the mats are on the ground.  They are quite popular.

 

Ever heard of JAPAN? 

 

You guys really don't get around much.  Guess what?  In Malaysia, they eat with their HANDS while sitting on the floor.

 

'nuff said

 

 

~

 

 

No none of us get around much. I thought in Malaysia they ate while sitting on their hands, thanks for let me know.

[wooloomooloo]

It's a social trait.  

 

I can't sit on my arse for more than twenty seconds personally but I can see the lure.

[Seastallion]

Comfort for them to sit x legged....in ancient times after western chairs were adopted they had to be extra wide so they could sit cross legged and be comfortable....in Thai fashion.....

Comfort or habit, one of the two. Just yesterday wifey and I had lunch at Sizzler. At the table I was facing was a seemingly classy family; well dressed, I-pads all round, Dad was often on the phone talking business. He used his knife and fork very well, none of the usual grasping the cutlery like weapons, and yet he sat x-legged on the chair.

[Payboy]

It's not easy sitting cross-legged on a chair.

[sustento]

This is a Bwana thread...

[Sealbash]

There's more of a communal feel to sitting around on the floor, close together and sharing the food. You don't get quite the same "bonding" (if I can call it that) when you sit around a table. Don't drink wine while sitting on the floor, though. Some bugger always kicks over the bottle or glass, and usually it's me shifting about all the time.

On the plus side, if you do drink wine, you do not have as far to fall


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I do not drink falling down water.

My apologies. I was only referring to my own personal experience



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[rhythmworx]

It is forbidden to eat at the table as it's real use is for gambling.

 

Once you eat from it you lose your luck as you have taken food from the table instead of money.