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"I don't really understand, but it's alright (I will do it)"


Chatty
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Most farang when they come here don't know why they're doing anything. Like someone says "Let's go to the temple" and you go and they say "Take off your shoes." Why? Most people don't ask. They just go with the flow. There must be a reason. But people are too shy, too embarrassed of their ignorance, or simply think it's cool to do something different.

Yes, I know why you take off your shoes at the temple. But the average tourist who takes a trip to Wat Pho on his first trip to Thailand probably has no idea and doesn't ask why.

However there are some things that make no sense even if you know why. The longer you're in Thailand the more you see that some things have reasons based in ideas that aren't correct. For instance, everywhere you go in Thailand there are signs telling you not to flush your toilet paper down the toilet. You should put it in the basket.

And I do understand why people think you can't flush toilet paper. In the old-school, pour a bucket of water into the bowl to flush, toilets, toilet paper probably did cause a lot of issues. However, when I see the same signs in a building less than 2 years old you have to think that either Thailand hasn't mastered modern plumbing or the people who are telling you this are doing so without knowing why people didn't put toilet paper down the toilet in the first place. That's what they knew growing up and that's what they believe today (despite the advances in plumbing in urban Thailand).

So, in a way, in order to keep your sanity, you just go along. You look the other way when someone vigorously wipes down all of their spoons and forks in a restaurant biting your tongue by not telling them that rubbing it with a tissue (or often a piece of toilet paper) doesn't kill any germs and that there are probably more germs on your hands right now from handling money than are on the utensils.

But in some ways that is why I love Thailand. Without at least partially adopting the attitude that as long as what someone else is doing isn't bothering you then you might as well just go along. So if you want to wipe your spoon and fork down with a tissue, up to you. If you want to throw your toilet paper in the bin instead of flushing it down the toilet when staying at a brand new 5-star hotel, up to you.

I don't know why but I will :-)

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Guest MarkCJ

I saw a bottle of Diet Coke on a spirit house ledge once. Must have been a fat ghost. :)

I also see whisky being served up to the spirits in bar's spirit houses. Makes sense I suppose.

Sometimes I see milk .. baby spirits?

One thing I don't understand is why many spirit houses have little steps leading up to them. Can't spirits fly?

Edited by MarkCJ
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My mom told me to give Red Fanta to the Thai Goddess (นางกวัก)

I gave it to her every week without questioning about that.

And why Red Fanta?!!

I heard this question from Note Udom show... I have to admit I have exectly the same question... lol Why Red Fanta.

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I saw a bottle of Diet Coke on a spirit house ledge once. Must have been a fat ghost. :)

I also see whisky being served up to the spirits in bar's spirit houses. Makes sense I suppose.

Sometimes I see milk .. baby spirits?

One thing I don't understand is why many spirit houses have little steps leading up to them. Can't spirits fly?

I think it's just to make the houses look nice.

We have many style of the spirit house these days... the concept is making spirits house like a house...

This is new style... without steps.

163708_490856689591_668359591_5967460_750629_n.jpg

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