One of the most common thoughts before travelling to a foreign country is surely about a place’s bathroom situation. It’s not something you may vocalise a lot to others but with tales of the dreaded ‘delhi belly’ and all of that spicy food it can be unnerving to think that the toilets will not be the same as you are used to.
So let’s talk about poo-ing, everyone does it and it’s nothing to be ashamed of, it’s just when you do it here in Thailand and Koh Phangan you will have to learn a new skill set because of the different types of toilets on offer, yes, sometimes you will have a choice!
The most daunting of them all is the traditional ‘Squat Toilet’ which are mainly found outside of the tourist areas however you should still be prepared for them. If you’re partying for Full Moon in Haad Rin then you may come across public versions of these and it can be quite funny if you’re a bit drunk, having to balance and hobble over the hole, be careful though as it won’t end up being funny anymore if you slip up!
It does take some practice getting used to the squat toilets, some people find it helps to fully strip their bottom half of clothing to avoid splashes etc but after a while you will figure it out. You have probably spent your whole life dealing with a western standard seat toilet so it will appear strange to squat but in fact this is how we are meant to poo. Squatting promotes relaxation of the muscles in your colon which is a much more natural way to go to the loo.
The next thing you will have to master is the art of washing yourself with water. Sounds simple right?! And it is, you just have to go back to basics and you will learn rather quickly that it is in fact more hygienic!
If you’re lucky then there will be a bum gun next to the toilet which you can clean yourself with but if not then it’s down the your hand and a bucket. Just remember that you are washing yourself so you will get clean afterwards, don’t let it freak you out.
It’s a good idea to carry toilet paper with you as a lot of toilets will not have it there but all you need to do after washing your bum is to dry.
Most important is to not put the tissue in the toilet though, Thailand’s plumbing was not made for this so put it in the bin instead.
Now hopefully you can be a bit prepared for toilet incidents unlike Phanganist’s friend who shall go unnamed. This poor soul told us the tale of when they very first arrived to the country in Bangkok, they went and ate some super spicy food and instantly got a bout of diarrhea so they proceeded to run back to their hostel. Unfortunately they had no tissue or towel on them so after having a terrible bowel movement they showered and had to leave the toilet completely naked and find the only thing they could which were some bed sheets to dry off with…. Unlucky...
Keep updated with phanganist.com by following our Facebook page.
