How to use a toilet without toilet paper, with just water to clean yourself

In Thailand, as in many Asian countries, there is no toilet paper in the toilets, the inhabitants use water to clean themselves, I will explain you how to do it.

If you go out of the tourist areas, or just in the bus stations, you will come across toilets without toilet paper, with just water to clean yourself.

This can be destabilising when you don't know what to do.

The right hand should be kept clean

First of all, you have to know that in Thailand as in many Asian countries, it is more polite to take food with the right hand, you have to offer a gift with the right hand, to show something or someone with the right hand, this is part of the basic rules of politeness because the left hand is the one used to clean oneself when doing the big errand

See : Do's and don'ts in Thailand, the things you need to know

Toilet paper is used in Thailand as a paper towel, it is often found on the tables of restaurants and it is rare to find it in the toilet!

How to use a toilet without toilet paper

Normally you have two water buckets in the bathroom, the small one near the toilet is used for flushing and the large one for showering.

Thai toilet with water tray

Remember that you usually use your right hand to pick up the shower head or bowl and your left hand to clean yourself.

A little toilet paper can be used at the end of the operation to dry yourself, but it is not necessary, you are in a hot country!

So you do your own thing and you can take it away as you go along using the bowl and the water in the small basin.

Once you have finished your business, you either have the showerhead or the bowl.

With your right hand holding the shower head (be careful of the strength of the spray!) or the bowl, you moisten the area and with the other hand, the left, you clean yourself.

Water tray for showering

If you don't have a shower head, but only a bowl with a small tray (in a bus station for example), as the water in this tray is often not very clean, use it only to wash your things away and fill the bowl with tap water to clean yourself.

Some people run water during the operation to cover the noise...

Once you get used to it, you will find it much cleaner than using toilet paper!

Afterwards, of course, you have to wash your hands well.

See also : Water jet or toilet paper, which is better for your bottom?

Funny video on the benefits of using the hand shower

The example with the bowl of chocolate should make you think 😉

You can find shower heads for toilets on Amazon