1. How to tell time: Thailand uses military time so midnight on a clock reads 0:00. And 5 pm is 17:00. Which for me is difficult, I have to do constant math! It's just subtraction but another ease or (laziness) of being American.
2. Converting Baht to US dollars. You just divide by 30, which seems ok when you get to buy lunch and pay 90 THB total for two meals, drinks and an appetizer because you know that's $3, but when you are trying to buy a shirt at the mall and it's 1490 THB! Your like um, around $55 for a t- shirt! That's why you must leave shopping up to the streets and not be afraid to haggle. Which brings me to my next point.
3. Haggling: get used to it! Ok you can't not be a compassionate person in Thailand. I know that sounds harsh but just listen. The sellers are going to over price everything to see if they can trick you and/or if you will come back with a lower price. They actually are expecting you to. But if they think you are being too cheap then they will do whatever it takes to get you to pay their price. For example, we have had several women beg us, " please sir, please, I can not" and one woman even said "I am 4 month pregnant." I do hope and pray for her if she was but around here I highly doubt it, lord forgive me for doubting such a delicate topic, but really saying you're pregnant to get a couple more dollars! On a side note we also saw a small girl sleeping at the steps of the subway with a dog and bucket attached to her. We gave her money, (and I do hope that it was a scam and her parents were around the corner in eyesight of her,) because it was a child in need, even if she was being used for pity by her desperate parents, because no child should have to live that way.
4. The Thai year is 2055. This is helpful when you are buying groceries and looking at their expiration date. Shawn said he saw the expiration date on the milk 050655 and freaked out because he was like "either this milk is good until 2055 ( starting from 2012) or I'm trippin!" The date is written day/month/Thai year.
5. And finally, mostly for women, how to squat and pee. Here in some parts of Thailand and I know across Europe too, they have squatter toilets. The toilet bowl, is on the floor. There is no place to sit, you just place your feet spread apart and squat! Not an easy task, and hopefully I can accomplish for my shoes sake!!
2. Converting Baht to US dollars. You just divide by 30, which seems ok when you get to buy lunch and pay 90 THB total for two meals, drinks and an appetizer because you know that's $3, but when you are trying to buy a shirt at the mall and it's 1490 THB! Your like um, around $55 for a t- shirt! That's why you must leave shopping up to the streets and not be afraid to haggle. Which brings me to my next point.
3. Haggling: get used to it! Ok you can't not be a compassionate person in Thailand. I know that sounds harsh but just listen. The sellers are going to over price everything to see if they can trick you and/or if you will come back with a lower price. They actually are expecting you to. But if they think you are being too cheap then they will do whatever it takes to get you to pay their price. For example, we have had several women beg us, " please sir, please, I can not" and one woman even said "I am 4 month pregnant." I do hope and pray for her if she was but around here I highly doubt it, lord forgive me for doubting such a delicate topic, but really saying you're pregnant to get a couple more dollars! On a side note we also saw a small girl sleeping at the steps of the subway with a dog and bucket attached to her. We gave her money, (and I do hope that it was a scam and her parents were around the corner in eyesight of her,) because it was a child in need, even if she was being used for pity by her desperate parents, because no child should have to live that way.
4. The Thai year is 2055. This is helpful when you are buying groceries and looking at their expiration date. Shawn said he saw the expiration date on the milk 050655 and freaked out because he was like "either this milk is good until 2055 ( starting from 2012) or I'm trippin!" The date is written day/month/Thai year.
5. And finally, mostly for women, how to squat and pee. Here in some parts of Thailand and I know across Europe too, they have squatter toilets. The toilet bowl, is on the floor. There is no place to sit, you just place your feet spread apart and squat! Not an easy task, and hopefully I can accomplish for my shoes sake!!
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