A squat toilet is a toilet where the user squats. There are several types of squat toilets but they all consist of essentially a 'hole in the ground'.

Types of Squat Toilets

• The Turkish toilet (known as alaturka (alla turca) in Turkey, in contrast to alafranga (alla franca) flush toilets) where the user puts his or her feet on foot rests; the user faces the entrance to the cubicle; it is prevalent in Turkey where flush toilets are now getting more in use for households and can still be found in public buildings and at motorway services in France, Italy, Balkans and, more often, in the former USSR. In India such a toilet is widely used and is referred to as the Indian water closet or IWC in contrast with the European water closet or EWC or the Western (or "Roman") style of toilet. It is also used in the Middle East and can be found in rural areas of Greece and Italy. This toilet is prevalent throughout most of South East Asia.
• The Japanese toilet is shaped differently, and the user faces the flush apparatus.
• The Thai toilet is a form of squat toilet with a spiral-shaped bowl.

Squat toilets can be a shock to people used to sit-down toilets, and may be difficult to use for the unwary, especially if on trains or ships. Many Britons, having encountered the devices in France and other countries, refer to them euphemistically as "Stand & Deliver" toilets; said with the same emphasis as when used in its ordinary context by a highwayman.

Arguments in favor of squat toilets

• Squatting is the oldest known mode of human elimination and is believed by some to prevent virtually all colorectal disorders and disorders of the pelvic floor (constipation, Crohn's disease, colitis, etc.).
• They are cheaper to clean and maintain.
• They induce rapid user turnover (no time lost due to people reading newspapers, talking on mobile phones, resting, etc.).
• The splashing of water on the buttocks after a heavy bowel movement does not occur.
• They do not involve any contact between the bare skin and a potentially dirty surface.
• They are less vulnerable to vandalism than western-style toilets.

Arguments against squat toilets include:

• If one is not balanced properly, or the floor of the toilet is moist, one can easily slip and fall;
• The toilet and the floor around it can be soiled by diarrhea or simply bad aim;
• Problematic for people with osteoarthritis of the knee;
• Splatter on legs and feet;
• One has to remove his shoes to use it;
• It takes practice to use squat toilets without getting one's pants wet;
• One could get leg cramps;

A common argument against the squat toilet is that if toilet paper is used where there is no flushing system installed, it is easy for the inexperienced user to clog the toilet. Those unfamiliar with the squat toilet should be sure to ask the location of the flushing bucket before attempting use. These buckets flush the toilets manually like a tank would.

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