Reader question: What can I eat in Thailand and what not?

Dear Sandra,

I myself have had IBS complaints for 12 years, a very good diet has been developed for these patients by the Monasch University of Melbourne. More information about this diet can be found on Fodmap.nl.
I can only advise against eating street food from my own experience, this entails an extra risk for people with sensitive intestines. I never take ice in my drink, although most good restaurants use good water for this. Eating scoop ice cream involves a risk, factory ice cream or soft ice cream at a fast food chain is safe. If you still want to eat street food, go to a stall where it is busy and make sure that the food is prepared on site, do not buy food that is already ready. Due to the high temperatures in the wok, none of the harmful bacteria will survive. Be careful with fried rice, sometimes too old rice is used, the Thai themselves can handle it, but we cannot.

Packed ice from the 7-eleven is of course no problem, nor ice cubes in your drink, and I would also check what you can eat in the Netherlands without any problems, and then look for restaurants where they sell it. Restaurants with cuisines from all over the world are widely represented in the tourist areas.
If you still want Thai food, don't take the spicy dishes, such as Tom Yum Kung, but, for example, a Pad Thai. There is some risk of reduced bacteriological cleanliness of the food everywhere, but not necessarily more in street stalls than in a restaurant.

Hi Sandra,

First, buy 2 packs of 4 pills, NOXZY, 15 baht.
Is really good and helps class.
Open a bottle / can of cola, carbon dioxide disappear later and only then drink.
Helps guaranteed.

Furthermore, as far as street food is concerned, a quick turnover, so good food.
You usually see this in the number of “waiting for you”

At a very good restaurant I sometimes ate the wrong seafood, which resulted in a general clearance.
Likewise with beef.
But also in the Netherlands.
Luckily I have a stomach like a concrete mixer and can have it all, but yes, sometimes it's your turn.

Enjoy your vacation and try not to make this a big deal.

Good times.

LOUISE

I think there is little that can be done . I lived in Thailand for 3 years without any problem. Never sick. But when I go on vacation for a month I have diarrhea for a few days almost every time. Last time almost a whole week. What I don't read here is the danger of eating fresh crab. Those critters are incredibly polluted, absorb all kinds of poison from the sea and can disrupt your system. Scampis are not that dangerous. So it must be the shock of the big change between the heat and the food.

Everything you can eat here and everywhere. Of course depending on your taste.
7 years living here and never 1 problem.
Was different in NL.
Never at the street stalls either. On the contrary. For 50 bath, say 1 euro 25 food and drink.
But……..opinions depend on experiences.
Yes, sometimes things don't go quite right here. Like everywhere.
Think of 1 thing. Fruit and fresh vegetables are plentiful.
More than in European countries.
Welcome and wish you lots of good food.

KhunBram.

My experience (18 years) in Thailand is that food along the street is normally well stir-fried and heated, I had 2 bad experiences in a Farang restaurant, ordered a steak with pepper sauce, the sauce was
probably from the previous day, and had been on the counter before going into the refrigerator to cool down, the result was probably flies, this happened to me 2 times, 1 time in Pattaya and 1 time in Roi et, now live in the Isan where we use the local eateries and stalls for our meals, cheap and well prepared food by friendly people, in the real Thailand.

Don't be fooled by everything above. I advise you not to eat raw vegetables, you do not know what the vegetables are washed in. You can enjoy the excellent Thai noodle soups without any problems. I have been eating delicious coconut ice creams at the market for 7 years and have never gotten sick from it. Be careful with all fried foods, the oil is often of the cheapest quality and is heated too hot. At the market you can buy freshly grilled fish, with a layer of salt applied to the scale. They are beaten to death in front of you, less pleasant but you can't get any fresher. You can also buy chicken grilled in barrels or cooked in special broth at the market. The vegetables from the Royal Project farms are generally of excellent quality. There are special shops, but supermarkets also sell it. In the large shopping malls there are food courts that are run by Tops supermarket and use good vegetables. I also buy my vegetables from local residents that I know and eat them myself, usually those are types that are unknown to Westerners. It is a myth that a lot of poison is used for it. Most poison is used for intensive agriculture. There are many foreigners here who have taken growing organic vegetables to a high level. Many Thai people who eat traditionally (with quite a lot of vegetables) reach an advanced age.
The ice for all those cold drinks is supplied by special ice factories and is strictly controlled. I myself have seen how people work in a water factory, the same water for ice also disappears in bottles. Every coffee shop uses this ice because they can't afford an outbreak of disease.
All in all, don't worry too much and have a good time here.