Thai Temple to Set Up Segregated Toilets Due to Allegedly Unhygienic Chinese Tour Groups

Michael Wester | Mar 2, 2015 9:00 am | 7 comments | 10149 reads

Apparently Chinese tourists are gathering a bit of a reputation in Thailand after a news report hit the web over the weekend stating a temple there would be setting up separate toilets for non-PRC visitors because Chinese tour groups typically left the bathrooms in such a mess.

Khaosod English, the Bangkok-based English news site owned by one of Thailand’s bestselling newspapers, reports that Wat Rong Khun, known in English as the White Temple and located in the northern province of Chiang Rai, planned on setting up separate facilities for non-Chinese tourists so they'd have a sanitary place to relieve themselves.

"[The Chinese tourists] had defecated on the floor, urinated on the walls outside and left sanitary pads on the wall of the bathrooms," an anonymous official was quoted as saying.

The incident is sure to raise hackles given that it conjures up ugly segregationist policies that have victimized Chinese people (not to mention just about every other ethnicity at some point in time) in the past. It also plays into the "bad Chinese traveler" meme that is all the rage in the media these days, what with fights on airplanes and poor driving on foreign roads.

This is apparently not the first time the temple has discriminated against Chinese tourists over the bathroom issue, as the report indicates the temple had previously "banned Chinese tourists altogether after Chinese tour groups had left the toilets in a state of disrepair."

Though Chinese public toilets leave something to be desired, it's kind of hard to believe that it's only Chinese tourists that "aim and miss" in public toilets.

One Beijing expat traveling with young children visited the temple over the Chinese New Year holiday and reported nothing seemed out of order with the bathrooms he visited.

Truth be told, Wat Rong Khun does not have just ordinary restrooms: Flickr user adventurocity posted this pic of the toilets:

He had this to say about the temple shitter: "One of the most elegant public restrooms we've ever experienced. Compared with Beijing's 3-star toilets, this probably rates a 20. The upper story is the living quarters and office of artist, Chalermchai Kositpipat."
 
Coincidentally, Kositpipat is quoted in the Khaosod English story as well: "The temple's designer, Chalermchai Kositpipat, said in a television interview that it was 'impossible' for other tourists to use the bathrooms after the Chinese tours, so he would build new ones."
 
Or maybe the artist should consider building himself a new place to live that is not above a public toilet at a tourist attraction.
 
Images: Wikipedia, Khaosod English, adventurocity (Flickr)

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Jerry's picture Jerry Submitted by Guest on Tue, 03/03/2015 - 10:40

One other thing: The White Temple has stationed Chinese-speaking security guards who bark orders to "Move Along!" in Chinese at tourists who look Chinese (i.e. me). I had this blasted in my ear as I stopped for one second to take a photo at the entrance (as one does at tourist sites). 

They are probably there for good reason as I'm sure they deal with busloads and busloads of Mainland tourists every day (not all of whom behave well, I'm sure) - but again, it was a tad obnoxious. 

Jerry Chan, Digital Marketing & Content Strategy Director

Jerry's picture Jerry Submitted by Guest on Tue, 03/03/2015 - 10:33

I was the aforementioned Beijing expat who was there last week with my family.  I am American, but I look and mostly speak Chinese with my wife and kids (who understand restroom etiquette very well, thank you very much) in public. I didn't personally witness any incidents of bad bathroom behavior, but I'm not suprised to read there were issues.

While I'll be the first to tell you there are many people here in China who have terrible restroom etiquette, I personally find these measures to be ham-handed and troubling. Whenever I travel abroad with my family, people tend to assume I'm a Mainlander, which I don't really have an issue with (and can't be bothered to continually explain). So in light of these measures, does this mean I would have to carry around my passport just to take piss at certain tourist sites in Thailand?

Aside from cleaners who have to wipe up the mess, I feel bad for the Chinese travelers who do have manners and civility - they have to continually live down the bad behavior of their compatriots.

 

 

 

Jerry Chan, Digital Marketing & Content Strategy Director

PatrickLi's picture PatrickLi Submitted by Guest on Mon, 03/02/2015 - 14:25

In many rural areas in China, people don't have a restroom at home but use public restrooms instead, and there's no such a thing like a toilet in those public restrooms, instead there are 粪坑 where people squat on a hole leading to a cesspit. In Spring and Autumn era (BC770 - BC476), Duke Jing of Jin died by falling into his 粪坑 while expeling feces from his body. Whereas in places like Beijing and Shanghai where people use toilet at home, I don't see too much excrement and urine on the walls and floors in public restrooms.

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