Things Newbies Might Not Know about Thai customs

[Bob]

What's the deal with that towel

 

Just custom and shyness under certain situations.

 

Hell, once I went to House of Male (male sauna) in Chiangmai with my bf of many years(about 5 years at that time) and a falang who had been a close friend of mine for 30+ years. We're standing before our lockers in the locker room and I dropped my underwear to don my swim suit (believe it or not, the bf and I were there only to take a swim). The beloved had a hissy fit and made me quickly wrap a towel around myself before putting on the swim suit. Hell, we were in the locker room of a male sauna and the only people anywhere within sight were the two of us and my other friend who came with us! Go figure!

[Guest fountainhall]

Go figure!

He had just noticed your friend had a 'whopper' and did not want you to be embarrassed in front of him?

[Guest RichLB]

Relating to Thai customs surrounding nudity, I am reminded of an odd experience. Some years ago I became close friends with a Thai gogo boy. While initially our relationship was a sexual one, it grew into a caring friendship. He was married and lived with is wife for 5 years. One afternoon I went with him to his room where his wife was cooking something and my friend announced he was going to take a shower. Out came the towel and he undressed under wraps. After the shower he emerged, wrapped in his towel, and was trying to slither his pants on under the towel. He was having trouble getting his jeans on over his still moist legs and I said, "My God, Nxx, I've seen you naked before and we've had sex. Take off the damn towel and get dressed." Sheepishly he replied, "Not for you, for Txx (his wife). I laughed and said, "You've been married 5 years, surely she's seen you naked before." He shook his head and looked astonished at my presumption and said, "No, never." In fact, he had never seen his wife naked either and she's a gogo dancer, too. What followed was an eye popping discussion of their sexual lives together and how they managed it while remaining hidden from each other. I've talked about this with a number of Thai friends and been told that this custom is not all that unusual. To me, just plain weird.

[Gaybutton]

To me, just plain weird.

Maybe not as weird as you think. I've heard several stories about farang who had girlfriends for long periods of time, in some cases years, before ever realizing that the girlfriend was in fact a lady-boy - some with breast augmentation, none without original genitals and voices. Try to figure that one out.

[Guest fountainhall]

Maybe not as weird as you think. I've heard several stories about farang who had girlfriends for long periods of time, in some cases years, before ever realizing that the girlfriend was in fact a lady-boy

Indeed, not as weird. I know one lady-boy who has lived in Europe for about 10 years. For the last 3 she has had a rich Monaco-based bf - and he has no clue she is a post-op lady boy!

[Guest lvdkeyes]

I knew a pre-op lady boy in the US who had a bf who had no idea that she had a dick. Hard to believe, but true.

[Guest gwm4sian]

For the total newbie to Thailand, how about a guide to

1. Using the water hose
   
2. Using a squat toilet without getting pants wet or dirty
   
3. How to leave foorprints on the toilet seat
   

 

(last 2 items don't really apply to the French!

[Gaybutton]

For the total newbie to Thailand, how about a guide

With or without illustrations and photos . . . ?

[Guest fountainhall]

I knew a pre-op lady boy in the US who had a bf who had no idea that she had a dick. Hard to believe, but true.

Perhaps not so surprising. Remember the true story of the French diplomat based in Beijing who met and fell in love with a Chinese Opera star. Their affair lasted almost 20 years before it was discovered that the lady was a Chinese spy - and a man to boot! The story became the basis for David Henry Hwang's famous play M Butterfly (the Broadway production with B D Wong and John Lithgow was fantastic - the movie with John Lone pretty dreadful). The diplomat is alleged to have said of the affair, "When I believed it, it was a beautiful story."

[Guest]

Indeed, not as weird. I know one lady-boy who has lived in Europe for about 10 years. For the last 3 she has had a rich Monaco-based bf - and he has no clue she is a post-op lady boy!

 

Thais often have a lighter frame, so some post gender swap cases look more effeminate than some western women.

 

I've seen western gender swap cases that don't look convincing, but then compare them with some of the overweight heifers that were born female & it's more difficult to tell.

 

As for not knowing about pre-op partners, well either they get no sex or they DO know and don't see the need to discuss that with the rest of the world.

[Guest Patexpat]

Here's one that occurred to me last night ... when driving in the UK if someone flashed their head lights at you it tends to be an invitation to go first .. as opposed to here where it means 'I'm coming thru no matter what, get out of my way!'.

 

Best to get that one right ....

[Guest RichLB]

I don't know if this one relates to all of Thailand or is specific to Pattaya, but many locals here do not use street numbers to identify a destination. In Pattaya, most know the streets by a building or attraction rather than the proper name of the street. If you direct a motorcycle taxi driver you might have better luck telling him you want to go to Soi Post Office rather than Soi (whatever the number).

[Gaybutton]

when driving in the UK if someone flashed their head lights at you it tends to be an invitation to go first

I don't know if it universally applies throughout the USA, but where I lived it meant to be careful. The cops have a speed trap just ahead.

[Guest lvdkeyes]

I have lived in Illinois, Texas and California and flashing your headlights warns oncoming drivers of police ahead in those places.

[Guest xiandarkthorne]

I don't know if it universally applies throughout the USA, but where I lived it meant to be careful. The cops have a speed trap just ahead.

 

Same on the highways in in Malaysia.

[Guest GaySacGuy]

I don't know if it universally applies throughout the USA, but where I lived it meant to be careful. The cops have a speed trap just ahead.

 

Even here in Thailand, there are those that will flash lights at you to warn of a police trap or an accident ahead in your travels.

[Guest]

Same here in the UK. Some people wind the wind down & give hand signals to slow down too.

 

Many of us would like the police to go away & catch criminals. Instead they persecute motorists who ignore daft speed limits, some of which (for example) are set at only 30 mph on wide straight roads through industrial estates.

[Guest beachlover]

Another thing I've noticed and actually find endearing is how affectionate Thais are with their own young children and even the young children of total strangers. On more than one occasion, I've seen strangers approach a young Thai child and actually pick them up and cuddle or play with them and then watched the child's parents simply smile about it. In the west, we're a hell of a lot more cautious about something like that (i.e., while I might smile at a stranger's young kid, I certainly wouldn't approach the child or touch them without the parent's clear consent).

 

Yeah, this is true for much of Asia. Asians love and adore children... they're a big part of family and life, which is why as a kid in Asia, you get a lot of smile and affection from random strangers. I remember it most commonly from cashiers and shop assistants.

[Guest beachlover]

What I did receive in response to my question about why shoes must be removed was, "Keep floor clean."

 

I think this is a habit carried over from previous generations of Asians who did not live in such clean environments (like cities etc.)... It makes sense to remove your shoes when all you have outside your home is dust and mud.

[Guest beachlover]

Relating to Thai customs surrounding nudity, I am reminded of an odd experience. Some years ago I became close friends with a Thai gogo boy. While initially our relationship was a sexual one, it grew into a caring friendship. He was married and lived with is wife for 5 years. One afternoon I went with him to his room where his wife was cooking something and my friend announced he was going to take a shower. Out came the towel and he undressed under wraps. After the shower he emerged, wrapped in his towel, and was trying to slither his pants on under the towel. He was having trouble getting his jeans on over his still moist legs and I said, "My God, Nxx, I've seen you naked before and we've had sex. Take off the damn towel and get dressed." Sheepishly he replied, "Not for you, for Txx (his wife). I laughed and said, "You've been married 5 years, surely she's seen you naked before." He shook his head and looked astonished at my presumption and said, "No, never." In fact, he had never seen his wife naked either and she's a gogo dancer, too. What followed was an eye popping discussion of their sexual lives together and how they managed it while remaining hidden from each other. I've talked about this with a number of Thai friends and been told that this custom is not all that unusual. To me, just plain weird.

 

Crikey... LOL... that's interesting.

[Guest lvdkeyes]

In the US and probably in other western countries it would be unwise to pick up or even touch a stranger's child. You could find yourself in the hands of the police fast.

[Guest beachlover]

True... I've seen Asians who have immigrated to Western countries still doing it, though more so with people they know.

[Guest GaySacGuy]

I think this is a habit carried over from previous generations of Asians who did not live in such clean environments (like cities etc.)... It makes sense to remove your shoes when all you have outside your home is dust and mud.

 

Does that make sense...if their shoes/thongs/footwear is that dirty, then what must be their feet, which now walk on bare floors. It make keep some of the dirt out, but not much of the germs, etc.

[Guest GaySacGuy]

In the US and probably in other western countries it would be unwise to pick up or even touch a stranger's child. You could find yourself in the hands of the police fast.

I think this will be pretty much the norm around the world in a very short time, but old ways may be hard to change!!

[Guest beachlover]

Does that make sense...if their shoes/thongs/footwear is that dirty, then what must be their feet, which now walk on bare floors. It make keep some of the dirt out, but not much of the germs, etc.

 

Some other habits in Asia (not everywhere) are:

 

- Giving your feet a quick rinse and dry when you come inside.

 

- Wearing slippers or indoor sandals when inside (i.e. take off shoes, put on slippers)

 

- Giving guests slippers/sandals to wear when they come inside after taking off their shoes

 

I think it makes sense to remove your shoes when you come inside. I don't really want to wear shoes all day anyway. But I don't bother wearing slippers or sandals inside.