Have you ever thought about how often we humans need a restroom? On average, an adult goes to the toilet about 4 to 7 times per day to relieve oneself, but when you reach a certain age, it can be far more times.
We can be grateful and appreciative for all clean and sometimes truly elegant restrooms we find in Bangkok.
The large shopping malls sometimes seem to compete with each other when it comes to restrooms. Not only are the toilets of an exclusive kind, but they also flush automatically, heat the seat, rotate the toilet ring, and much more.
I can’t help but compare the restrooms here in Bangkok with those back home in Scandinavia, which are usually neither exclusive, nor particularly clean.
Long ago, my friend and photographer Daniel Herron and I wrote and showed a large range of fancy toilets we found at TOTO at Q House Ploenchit. We visited the showroom just for fun, slipped in and got an introduction to today’s ultra-modern toilets, and ever since then, we’ve both been fascinated by restrooms.
It’s not just the toilets themselves that are fancy – some restrooms are so elegant, some colorful, others decorated with art and all sorts features. Wherever we go today, we pay attention to the restrooms and most often, Daniel captures the restrooms for gentlemen and I take some amateur photos of the ones for females.
It has almost become a pleasure to visit the restrooms, not only a must.
So, what about our own toilets at home? Do we really care about what they look like, or are we satisfied just because they are working?
I know, that some of us use to place a basket for magazines in the toilet/bathroom and look, upon the private time on the toilet, as a kind of small brake, during the sometimes too hectic days. For a few minutes, you might allow yourself to browse through a newspaper/magazine without the mobile ringing, a child calling for you, or a boss who urgently needs you.
We also might have placed aroma candles giving us a relaxing feeling and a pleasant scent.
Maybe you have decorated your bathroom with fun photos, posters or why not real paintings?
I remember I had a classmate, who’s guest toilet was like walking into a very small gallery. It was a pleasure to visit the toilet and being able to study a real Chagall, Kandinsky or other well-known artists. It has to be mentioned though, that his father was a big fan of fine art and a collector and all walls, in their apartment were covered with paintings from the floor to the ceiling, all made by famous artists.
No wonder we queued to go to his toilet.
What I tremble for and that we quite often find here in Thailand and most Arabian countries, are those squat toilets (the holes in the floor). It’s seldom that you find them in the big cities, but I remember on my visa runs to Cambodia when the van stopped at a gas station and we had the chance to visit a toilet and almost all were squats. I just couldn’t get it to work. It was a small hell to protect your clothes from getting wet and the shoes as well, I really disliked it.
Another thing that I think is quite interesting is, that in almost every toilet in Thailand you have a small hand shower, but no paper. I agree, to have a vaginal shower is probably very hygienic, but why not add some toilet paper so you can dry yourself before walking out? Walking around wet is not that pleasant, or?
This is something we usually don’t have in the West world, but what we have, are the bidets, that I think is a quite common toilet accessories, especially in France. The bidet was invented in France at the end of the 18th century by a cabinetmaker, but did not gain widespread acceptance until later.
It became especially popular in the Middle East and Southern Europe and to some extent in Asia. At that time, the bidet was a furniture for the upper class. The meaning of the word “bidet” in French is “a small horse”. The bidet was mostly placed in the bedroom. It might be interesting to know, that after the French revolution, the bidet became connected to brothels and therefore got a bad reputation, and because of that it didn’t spread to Northern Europe.
There is much to write about this topic, but let me now wish you a pleasant visit to the next bathroom/toilet visit and maybe you will start thinking about what a toilet session means to you. So please be seated!
The Japanese are the leaders in hi-quality toilet…Toto is the gold standard. Gold Standard Qualities of Toto Japanese Toilets include:
- Heated seat (adjustable temperature, energy-saving modes)
- Warm water washing (posterior/feminine wash, adjustable pressure, instant heating)
- Warm air dryer (hands-free drying after wash)
- Automatic lid and seat operation (sensor-based opening/closing)
- Deodorizer (built-in air purification/odor removal)
- Self-cleaning nozzles and bowl pre-mist (EWATER+ sanitization in premium models)
- Automatic flush (touchless, sensor-activated)
- Remote control or side panel (easy control of all functions)
- Night light (gentle illumination for nighttime use)
- Quiet operation and soft-close lid (comfort and noise reduction)
- Energy efficiency (eco modes, intelligent usage sensors)
- High-quality materials (ceramic glaze, antimicrobial surfaces)
- Luxury extras (UV sterilization, personalized settings, smart home integration)
