Never Let Them See You Sweat
You can manage to avoid most of the bad things that Thailand has to offer if you come prepared, but no matter how much you try, the one thing about Thailand that you can’t escape is the heat. When I first walked outside of the airport on my first day in Thailand, I literally thought I was standing in an exhaust vent for hot air - it was crazy. People often ask “Have you gotten used to it?” My answer is always “You don’t really get used to the heat - you just get used to ignoring the beads of sweat running down your back.” A thin coating of sweat in Canada means an immediate shower - in Thailand it’s just the beginning of the night. With that - below are some of my hints and suggestions in dealing with the heat and it’s associated problems and foibles when you’re traipsing around the Kingdom.
- If you’re wearing shorts and a t-shirt, you’ve got little to worry about; in that uniform, you’re obviously not going to a business meeting, so some sweat stains are no problem. But, if you happen to be wearing a dress shirt, wear an undershirt. Wife-beater, t-shirt, v-neck, whatever. It might seem crazy, but you’re not trying to avoid the heat, you’re trying to avoid the sweat stains, essentially using the undershirt as a mop. Trust me on this - when you have to meet a student or a client or a potential employer, the last thing you want to look like is a guy who just got doused by a bucket of water.
- When you go out to any place where you don’t want to sweat, bring a handkerchief, preferably a cotton one, that you can jam in your back pocket. After a twenty-minute walk trying to find an address that makes no sense, you’ll be thankful for the handy sweat mop. It also doubles as a towel in the bathroom; many Thai bathrooms don’t have paper towels - or even toilet paper or soap, in some cases!
- For some quick relief, duck into a 7-11, which are on every street corner and usually very heavily air-conditioned. Stand right in front of the air-con if you want, they won’t bother you - you don’t even have to buy anything (although if you’re all sweaty, you might enjoy a water). The skytrain and subway work well too, as do shopping malls if you’re in the right area.
- The most obvious - drink lots of water. Lots! It’s cheap here (about 30 cents a bottle) and is available at nearly every store you see. It’s the first step in avoiding heatstroke - I’ve been on the doorstep of that one, and it ain’t fun.
- This may sound silly too, but it’s not always obvious - a simple fan will decrease your recovery time by leaps and bounds. Until I moved here, I had no idea just how awesome even a light breeze feels when you’re dripping with sweat and the humidity is 80%. Best bet - at most cafe-style or outdoor restaurants, ask for a fan (say pad lom). It’ll help you feel better in no time.
So… just a few quick tips.
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