Walking around in bangkok on a hot day, the glare from sidewalks and buildings can be powerful.

I notice not many Thai people wear sunglasses on these hot glarey days in bangkok.

Is this a cultural type thing where some communication is done with the eyes?

Interested in thoughts on the subject...

I've noticed this with my Mrs.  She's got so many styles of fashionable sunglasses, often 2 or 3 in the car to choose from at any given time, but quite often wears none when driving. 

 

 I always wear sunglasses.  Even if I just walk out to check the mail box.

If you look at most Thais, or Asians generally,  they have no or very small nose bridges (most have cute button noses). The lack of any substantial nose bridge makes wearing any kind of glasses difficult...they just slide down the nose/face.

In the sunshine umbrella instead.

What are they going to put sunglasses on?

3 minutes ago, damo said:

What are they going to put sunglasses on?

 

Saw a motot-taxi wearing Sun Glasses the other night...  he drove into the back of a Mini-Van !!... 

The mini-van driver got out, the Moto-taxi got off his bike, took off his sun-glasses and they inspected for any possible damage....  I presume there was none.. 

The moot-taxi put his sun-glasses back on and proceeded to drive straight towards on-coming traffic (on the wrong side of the road)... 

 

-------

 

My Wife has 3 or 4 pairs... a pair is always kept in the car, others in the condo...  

Honestly, I've never kept track of what nationality was wearing sunglasses.  Is the OP suggesting that foreigners where sunglasses more frequently than Thais?  About the only time I wear sunglasses is when I'm driving, assuming the sun is out.

Honestly, I've never kept track of what nationality was wearing sunglasses.  Is the OP suggesting that foreigners where sunglasses more frequently than Thais?  About the only time I wear sunglasses is when I'm driving, assuming the sun is out.

Im suggesting thai people dont wear sunglasses very often when there seems a need to it

If you look at most Thais, or Asians generally,  they have no or very small nose bridges (most have cute button noses). The lack of any substantial nose bridge makes wearing any kind of glasses difficult...they just slide down the nose/face.

I don't buy that.
Plenty of thais wear glasses fine

I don't wear sunglasses either. Bright sun doesn't bother me, maybe it doesn't bother them. None of my English friends seem to wear sunglasses either.

Edited September 6, 20169 yr by MissAndry

Interesting question, I think there are two parts to this answer. Firstly, doesn't the pigmentation in darker eye colors provide sun protection? As Thais have darker eyes, perhaps there is less need. 2) I have blue eyes and always wear sunglasses when driving, I think I'm more sensitive to glare (which polarized lenses help reduce). However, I rarely wear glasses when I'm out and walking to be honest. My point is that if you are judging whether or not Thais wear sunglasses by the people you see on the sidewalks, it's not giving you a true picture. Many Thais wear them for driving, as I do, think of van drivers, taxi drivers etc it's not that uncommon.  

Interesting question, I think there are two parts to this answer. Firstly, doesn't the pigmentation in darker eye colors provide sun protection? As Thais have darker eyes, perhaps there is less need. 2) I have blue eyes and always wear sunglasses when driving, I think I'm more sensitive to glare (which polarized lenses help reduce). However, I rarely wear glasses when I'm out and walking to be honest. My point is that if you are judging whether or not Thais wear sunglasses by the people you see on the sidewalks, it's not giving you a true picture. Many Thais wear them for driving, as I do, think of van drivers, taxi drivers etc it's not that uncommon.  

I hadn't heard that about dark pigmentation in eyes.

I am basing it on walking, and my comparison would be my home country where more people in the walking situation would wear them. I can pass hundreds of pedestrians here with zero sunglasses.

Everyone knows they're afraid of the dark 

46 minutes ago, JJGreen said:

I hadn't heard that about dark pigmentation in eyes.

I am basing it on walking, and my comparison would be my home country where more people in the walking situation would wear them. I can pass hundreds of pedestrians here with zero sunglasses.


 

 

JJ....you seem to be one of those annoying know-it-all's who spend their lives meddling into other people's business.  Like everything else, moderation is preferred.  Exposure to sunlight--even your eyes (not directly of course)--is beneficial.    

 

[On an average sunny day, however, wearing sunglasses is the last thing you want to do for your vision health, because you will be blocking potentially beneficial wavelengths of light from reaching your eyes. There are actually more than 1,500 wavelengths of light that you need to nourish your eyes. So I avoid using sunglasses, because I believe your eyes need to receive the full spectrum of light to function optimally, and sunglasses block out some essential waves of the light spectrum.]

 

[Your 'body clock' is also housed in tiny centers located in the hypothalamus, controlling your body's circadian rhythm. This light-sensitive rhythm is dependent on Mother Nature, with its natural cycles of light and darkness, to function optimally. Consequently, anything that disrupts these rhythms, like inadequate sunlight exposure to your body (including your eyes), has a far-reaching impact on your body's ability to function. The best way to get exposure to healthy full-spectrum light is to do it the way nature intended, by going out in the sun with your bare skin – and 'bare' eyes -- exposed on a regular basis.]

 

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/09/16/sunglasses-myths.aspx

 

To put it another way, I have a golfer friend who explained to me that professional golfers spend an awful lot of time out in the sun.  If you look back in the day, most pro golfers of years past didn't really wear sunglasses much, if at all.  And today, these same guys like Palmer, Nicklaus, Player, etc., all in their 70's and 80's, don't seem to have any vision problems associated with unprotected exposure to sunlight (but they all do wear ballcaps or visors, more important I think).  So my question to you is, what the freak are you on about?

 

JJ....you seem to be one of those annoying know-it-all's who spend their lives meddling into other people's

.  So my question to you is, what the freak are you on about?

Dude...i like to question my surroundings...if I had all the answers I wouldn't be asking an actual question...would I?

All your postings i have read have an arrogant, bullying, smug tone...that comes across as you fearing to be contradicted as a self appointed expert on all things Thai.
Unlike yourself, i consider myself a novice and prefer to pose the question than look foolish by thinking my answers are the absolute truth.

You still haven't provided a reasonable answer...maybe go away and try again...come back with something sensible instead of personalised attacks on another poster

3 minutes ago, JJGreen said:

You still haven't provided a reasonable answer...maybe go away and try again...come back with something sensible instead of personalised attacks on another poster

 

 

I just answered your question.  Respected doctors and professionals don't recommend wearing sunglasses all the time, but rather prefer a healthy dose of sunshine for overall health.  So it would seem the Thais know more about this than you do. 

Oh please, you can't be a proper Sino-Thai lady aspiring to climb the social ladder without wearing grotesquely oversized sunglasses.

Well over a third of ladies in the discos on walking street carry sunglasses....they are off their heads on E....so they need the sunnies when they stream out at 7am with dilated pupils. 

 

I just answered your question.  Respected doctors and professionals don't recommend wearing sunglasses all the time, but rather prefer a healthy dose of sunshine for overall health.  So it would seem the Thais know more about this than you do. 

It isnt about me knowing more than a thai person dude. Its about posing a question to get some opinions...it isn't a 'I am right' 'you are wrong' scenario ..try and conceptualise that in future postings

8 hours ago, OMGImInPattaya said:

If you look at most Thais, or Asians generally,  they have no or very small nose bridges (most have cute button noses). The lack of any substantial nose bridge makes wearing any kind of glasses difficult...they just slide down the nose/face.

 

  Correct.  From https://www.revantoptics.com/blog/asian-fit-explained/ 

 

  "There really is a difference in specifications between Asian Fit and traditional European Fit frames. Also, Oakley isn’t the only sunglasses manufacturer who uses the term, although it may be the most well-known. The misconception that sunglasses are a "one-size-fits-all" commodity is acknowledged within the eyewear industry, as it's recognized that frames fit certain ethnic groups differently — namely, there is a prominent difference in facial structure between those of Asian descent and those of European.

 

The cut and dry of it is that Asian Fit frames were designed for faces with shallower nose bridges and higher cheeks. People with these facial features note that traditional frames tend to slide down the nose and rest against the cheeks, making for an uncomfortable fit. Generally, those of Asian descent have these facial characteristics, hence the sometimes controversial name choice adopted by the eyewear industry."

Edited September 6, 20169 yr by Diplomatico

Joe public might not bother with them but with the police they seem to be a compulsory part of the uniform .

 

Why don't more Aussies eat som-tum?

Why don't more Aussies eat som-tum?

Hardly a like for like comparison is it?

Sunglasses are worn globally... som tum is eaten...here

worry more about the <deleted> wearing dark  glasses inside shopping malls etc

23 minutes ago, kannot said:

worry more about the <deleted> wearing dark  glasses inside shopping malls etc

 

I wear dark glasses all the time, including inside shopping malls and even into early evening, because I suffer from photophobia, a condition I have learned to live with over thirty years - this means that bright sunlight makes me squint, become nauseous and causes painful headaches. The problem was not so bad when I lived in the West where photo grey lenses would take care of the problem, here the light is so powerful that photo grey isn't effective. So now I have two pairs of glasses, a regular pair I use at home for computer work and a dark pair I wear the rest of the time, both are made to the same varifocal prescription. And yes, on occasion a "<deleted>" westerner in a shopping mall will give me an odd look but what am I supposed to do, stop and tell him/her my medical history so that in future they will understand!

6 hours ago, Diplomatico said:

 

  Correct.  From https://www.revantoptics.com/blog/asian-fit-explained/ 

 

  "There really is a difference in specifications between Asian Fit and traditional European Fit frames. Also, Oakley isn’t the only sunglasses manufacturer who uses the term, although it may be the most well-known. The misconception that sunglasses are a "one-size-fits-all" commodity is acknowledged within the eyewear industry, as it's recognized that frames fit certain ethnic groups differently — namely, there is a prominent difference in facial structure between those of Asian descent and those of European.

 

The cut and dry of it is that Asian Fit frames were designed for faces with shallower nose bridges and higher cheeks. People with these facial features note that traditional frames tend to slide down the nose and rest against the cheeks, making for an uncomfortable fit. Generally, those of Asian descent have these facial characteristics, hence the sometimes controversial name choice adopted by the eyewear industry."

I just know it's what many Thai girls have told me...interesting it may have a real basis in fact  

Edited September 6, 20169 yr by OMGImInPattaya

15 hours ago, damo said:

What are they going to put sunglasses on?

their ears 

Edited September 7, 20169 yr by catman20

My two cents worth.....

People wear sunglasses for two reasons,

 

1 to stop the glare getting their eyes

 

2 To hide their eyes as they have something to hide

 

 

Many politicians wear them frequently and I think they belong to the latter group.

maybe a JJ survey,

 

 -  into how many aged Thais have contracted UV related eye damage over their lifetime outdoors?

 

 

 

but it might still be a cultural thing...

where no one dares to be seen staring, for more than 2 seconds, into anyone else's eyes,

 - lest for fear of being shot!!

 

Missis reckons it's because they have no nose... Lol..