Back in Australia I know people sometimes visit a public toilet and it is filthy. There is no way they are going to put their bum on that—but they are desperate, so they squat with their feet on the seat. In Asia that is the way most people go all the time. The toilets are designed accordingly. They are not so high off the floor. You don’t have to worry about falling off.
OK, you have finished but guess what, there is no toilet paper. Did you bring any? No? Then you are going to have to do what Asian people traditionally did. Use your hand with a little bit of water from that bowl. Not so fast—the left hand. Asian people usually keep the right hand for handling food and the left hand for doing this. So don’t let anyone see you eat with your left hand—yuk!
You might also notice there is no cistern in this one. How do you flush it? You use the tub of water and the bowl for that too.
I don’t want to put anyone off visiting Thailand or other parts of Asia. Western style toilets are quite common now. If you visit for just a few weeks you may never have to use one of these. I think I was here for about a month before I was faced with the situation of not being able to wait and there being no other choice. Now I am used to it. If there is a choice I always use the squat toilet.
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