Thai Squat Toilet – A Crap Dilemma

We Westerners take two of the best inventions for granted. One is the Western-style toilet, famously invented by Thomas Crapper. The other is toilet paper, invented by Joseph Gayetty in 1857.

Crapper’s wonderful waste disposal unit has been surprisingly slow to catch on in Thailand, and sometimes, in some places in Thailand, Gayetty’s invention is seldom used.

The welcome sight of a Western toilet is not always what you will find waiting behind the closed lavatory door in Thailand. What lies waiting may be welcoming to a Thai, but to the average Western tourist, it is a horrible, mysterious dilemma.

Squat toilets are still the preferred method of relieving oneself in Thailand; they are still used in many Thai households. There is a plan for them to be phased out and replaced by Western-style toilets at public amenities. However, they are very much still in use and scaring the crap out of tourists throughout Thailand.

But all is not lost; with a bit of preparation, you can embrace this unique Thai cultural experience; you may never speak like a Thai, never eat like Thai, but at least you can crap like a Thai.

How to use a Thai Squat Toilet

There are two ways to approach using a Thai Squat Toilet, you prepare, or be prepared to practice what doesn’t come naturally.

First, be prepared by always carrying tissues, wet/baby wipes, and even a plastic bag for disposal so that you are ready for any eventuality while traveling in Thailand.

There is no real mystery when it comes to using squat toilets, as you see in the photo, they are pretty simplistic.

• First, you must remove all your clothes, hang them up, or place them wherever the floor is clean and dry.
• Position your feet on either side of the toilet bowl and squat with your knees pointing up, bum pointing down, this might be easier if you wrap you arms around your knees.
• Do what comes naturally, many people (westerners included) condone this position because it is more natural and your bowel movement is more complete, you might even find it gratifying.
• Did you prepare? Now is the time to make use of your tissues, and because squat toilets are not designed to dispose of tissue paper, you might want to place it in the plastic bag and dispose of it later.
• Are you prepared to go native? There should be a water trough and scoop (see photo). If you are a man, it is best to hold the scoop in your right hand, place it behind you, and pour so that the water runs to your never regions. Use your left hand to clean as you pour. Alternatively, you could pour the water onto your cupped hand and then clean. Women might find it just as convenient to pour from the front.
• Drying yourself is just a matter of waiting, just stay squatted and drip dry, it shouldn’t take long before you’re dry enough to get dressed without leaving any telltale soggy patches. Make sure you thoroughly rinse your hands before getting dressed.
• Many public toilets in Thailand do not have adequate washing facilities, now is the time to utilize your antiseptic baby wipes.