How to use a Squat Toilet

The funniest thing is the debate between pro-squaters and anti-squaters in the comments thread.

That beats Trainspotting's "worst toilet in Scotland" by quite a margin!

Been there, done that... not easy for the uninitiated. In Thailand, they typically don't have TP at all in the rural areas, or in the older temples or non-tourist places. They just have a water hose with a spray nozzle attached... basically a hand-held bidet.

When going #2, I find it easiest to remove my pants altogether and wrap them around my shoulders. Otherwise, they just get in the way and make the balancing act that much more difficult. Of course, never take off your shoes or let your pants touch the floor when taking them off... it's just too gross.

Oh, and to "flush" the toliet, you either dump a pan of water or just spray water from the hose into the hole to push everything through the U-bend and down into the pipes below.

Overall, the most ironic thing about these porcelain squat-toilets in Thailand is the brand name stamped on them... many of them are made by American Standard. WTF?!??

Thats exremeley gross.

I was in China in June/July of 2007 (Hong Kong, Nanchang, Guangzhou). The squat toilets are everywhere, but I never encountered a restroom that didn't offer a few western style toilets as well, including public restrooms and restaurants.

We went off the beaten path quite a bit and the more off we went the fewer western toilets we encountered. But there were always at least one or two, and they were usually unoccupied because the locals tended to use the squats. I can't imagine that's easy to do on the ferry.

In the outback of Mongolia I encountered a rural squat toilet. It was a deep earthen pit, maybe five feet square, with a 2X4 laid across it on which you were to squat. Modesty was protected by a rough three-sided shack. Ate lots of cheese on that trip.

I experienced this a few times in Japan. Always an uncomfortable and unpleasant experience, although I did manage to (miraculously!) keep my clothes poop-free. A roommate, however, did cheer me up by relating his experience of shitting on his pants, and then having to wipe his arse with his sock (because there was no tp, which is not uncommon in public toilets).