Strange Signs In Thailand

Often the signage in Asia contains comically erroneous English, and that’s a fact, Jack. Sometimes, though, the English is fine but the sign is challenging or odd in other ways.

Take, for example, this sign inside the doorway of the Bangkok Airways lounge in the domestic area of Suvarnabumi Airport:

No Sleeping
No Food
No Drink
No Shoes
Only Children
Under Six Year

I know what they mean about the shoes, but what rule can be inferred from the proscription regarding children? Under six not allowed? Between six and eighteen not allowed?

In Southeast Asian hotels you will often see a sign that forbids the fruit called durian. It is considered a delicacy, but it has such a strong smell that most people find offensive. It can really fill a space, and the smell can endure long after the fruit has been carried off. “No Durian or Dogs” is a common variation. My hotel in Hat Yai this weekend had the following sign next to the elevator doors:

No Durian
No Grilled Cuttlefish
No Deep Fried Chicken

Maybe housekeeping complained about the grease stains from the fried chicken, but grilled cuttlefish seems harmless enough. Eating outside food in the rooms was not generally discouraged.