Women Travelers - The toilets in thailand?!

Hi
Well Im posting this here because I really want womens opinions especially as I am aware women do have standards,lol

So Im going to thailand soon and am pretty worried about the bathroom situation-proper toilets/toilet rolls?
Bugs ie insects in toilets?
Sanitary-should I carry wetwipes to wipe facilities

Sorry if this sounds uptight-I just like good hygiene

Great question!

My very brief experience in Bangkok (and India and Milan for that matter) is that your won't need to wipe the facilities because you will be standing on them. Okay, western hotels and upscale restaurants have bowl toilets, but you can count on experiencing some of the kind that are imbedded in the floor and have skid pads for your feet. In Thailand they seemed to be about 8-12inches above the floor, in India flush with the floor. There will be no toilet paper, but if you're lucky a water faucet and bucket. Less wonderful is a pail of water next to the toilet. Some flush, some don't.

They are usually quite clean. No bugs or insects that I noticed. But in larger tourist areas they are often unisex, with urinals along one wall and stalls along the other. (For example, the Grand Palace complex in Bangkok.)

It's always a good idea to carry tissue when traveling. Even in the US.

What lili said. My one other tip: wear skirts! The last thing you want is to have your pant legs dropping down to touch the ground...yech.

I'm so glad I'm a man. :)

I'm so glad I'm a man. :)
Except sometimes you have to use these kinds of toilets too...and you don't have the opportunity to wear a skirt! ;)

... My one other tip: wear skirts! The last thing you want is to have your pant legs dropping down to touch the ground...yech.

Excellent advice! A loose cotton skirt and short sleeved t-shirt is also the most comfortable outfit in the heat. I noticed most of the Thai women wear cropped pants (mid-calf) and they are amazingly much cooler than full length slacks.

Hotels, McDonald's and nice restaurants are your best bet for western toilets. Just walk in and use the facilities and pop back out again. Sometimes you have to ask, but frequently you can locate the restroom and be in and out without making eye contact with anyone.

Don't let this advice put you off. You will have a great time!

When you arrive, buy yourself many packs of mini-tissues and never go anywhere without a pack or two on your person. A lot of the restrooms don't have TP in the stalls - instead you toss a few baht coins into a dispenser which gives you a tiny box of a few tissues. Bringing your own is a much better idea, though.

Remarkably I didn't encounter any of the squat-toilets in Bangkok or Phuket, and the only slightly suspicious toilet I came across was at a viewpoint somewhere in Phuket - there was a drum of water and a bucket and you had to do the manual bucket-flush.

I always travel with both mini-packets of tissues and travel packages of wetwipes. I most often use the wipes. They're good as "toilet paper" in any situation AND for "washing" your hands. Another must for Thailand travel are several pairs of black low socks (I get cheap ones at Target). Put them on when removing your sandals at temple sites, take off and put in a ziplock in your purse or pack when you put your shoes back on.

When traveling where there are no western toilets, I pack a nice roll of toilet paper. I stuff some into a small plastic bag in my purse, stick some in my pockets. I also carry hand sanitizers and wet wipes (the aloe ones if you can find them are the best). Skirts are the best for the developing world. If you find yourself in a place where there is no privacy, you get some with a full skirt. (And if you are in the Muslim world, the best ladies rooms are in the mosques. Absolutely spotless everywhere I've been.)

[QUOTE=manneca;10939785]When traveling where there are no western toilets, I pack a nice roll of toilet paper.

Me too, and I first remove the cardboard core. Takes less room and I have an ample supply.

Sylvia

Hi All thanks so much for the great advice-funny as well-great tips for the tp and also skirts and socks-I wasnt planning on skirts but i will buy some now when im out there.Cant wait!!

Except sometimes you have to use these kinds of toilets too...and you don't have the opportunity to wear a skirt! ;)

As a man, I can agree with this statement! Personally, I don't have the balance to be able to use the squat toilets. In some places in BKK (JJ Weekend Market), they have 50/50 squat/normal toilets, so if you only find a squat toilet, check the other stalls before you leave.

I always take Charmin to go with me on my trips to Asia. I pack a few and always have one in my bag each day. These are found in the travel goods/trial size area at the store.

You might find a few additional tips in this thread (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/women-travelers/582022-stressing-about-indian-toilets.html) (and a funny story or two).

You may occasionally find a Western style toilet hidden behind a "handicapped" sign.

That said, you will get used to it. I found Thailand's toilet situation to be much better than Korea and China (the other two Asian countries in which I have spent lots of time)!

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the "Lady J" (http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___80976) or Sani Fresh Freshette (http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___80980). I learned about these from my Mom, who carries one whenever traveling to places with primitive facilities!

I've seen the Urinelle (http://www.magellans.com/store/Health___SanitationTW356?Args=) product. The only downside is that I remember them to be pretty small. Remember when you'd see water coolers with flat papercups that opened up into cones? Imagine the same cone without a tip. It's not very big.

I'd also stress that it's great to travel with:
*Toilet paper in a ziplock bag (bring an entire roll, buy a short roll at the grocery store, or simply replace and save your toilet paper at home after you've used about half a roll)
*Wet-wipes
*Purell