It didn’t take long before I noticed a lot of Thai boys wear two, and sometimes three, pairs of underwear. First they put on jockey or bikini briefs, followed by a pair of loose or tight fitting boxers. Three layers consist of briefs, followed by tight boxers, and then loose boxers.

Each time I encountered this I’d ask the boy why he has so many pairs of underwear on. These boys can not articulate very well in English, so I questioned several boys before getting a good answer.

The first few gave me a one-word answer - fashion. I took this to mean it was some sort of popular fashion trend with the boys in Thailand. Considering how hot it is here, I thought the whole thing was little bit silly. But these guys will wear a jacket and not break a sweat. And nothing surprises me after I found out wearing orthodontic braces is a popular fashion trend with the youth here.

I figured I might be misunderstanding the answer, so I continued my quest for the truth. It took a few more tries before I got an explanation I could understand. What all these boys were trying to tell me is their pants don’t fit unless they put on several layers of underwear.

Who would have guessed?

UPDATE

I’ve also learned that a lot of boys wear a pair of boxers over briefs, because the boxers are not considered underwear. They are considered casual wear shorts. The boys will travel to a friend’s house for a visit wearing long pants, but once there; strip down to their boxers for more comfort in the heat. Most Thai boys can not afford to run the air conditioner, so it is more practical to shed clothes in a hot room with nothing but a fan to keep them comfortable. They will even go to the 7-Eleven, or make a quick run to buy some street food in their boxers. As long as another pair of underwear is on underneath, it’s not considered inappropriate.