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I think when I first came to Thailand, one of the first Thai phrases I learned was "Where is the toilet?" It is quite a simple phrase. All you have to say is "hong nam, yoo tee nai?" (toilet where?). I will talk about experiences in Thai toilets another time (complete with pictures). In the meantime, I will help you find where to find the correct toilet!
Finding a toilet or the right section isn't a problem in Thailand if you keep to the main tourist route. The signs are nearly always in Thai and English and there is a picture of a man or woman for the different sections. However, as you travel to more isolated areas you might find it useful to recognise the Thai words.
Here are the first words you should look out for:
These are "hong nam" and "soo kaa" - two ways of saying toilet. You might see either.
Now for the signs that say "men" and "women". If you are lucky, you will get a picture of each sex, but not always:
WOMEN
The one on the left says "ying" (you sometimes also see "poo-ying"). This is the more common lable for toilets. The one on the right "soo-pap-sa-dtree" is rarer but more proper.
MEN
The one on the left says "chai" (you sometimes also see "poo-chai"). This is the more common lable for toilets. The one on the right "soo-paap boo-root" is rarer but more proper.
You can see our collection of toilet signs in the Learn Thai with Pictures Photo Album. I thought I had seen just about all the signs possible. But, yesterday I was at the Ancinet City and these two toilet signs confused me for a second about which one was which:
As I can read, I could make an intelligent guess that the one on the left says "women" and the one on the right says "men". The only way I could confirm this was to take a look inside! At the moment, I am presuming this is northern dialect.
Next time you are in Thailand, if you cannot read, enter the toilets slowly. Oh yes, I should add at this stage, the men's toilets often have a female cleaner! They do that just to confuse you. Don't take any notice.
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