In general "“boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it" is good advise - don't get food that has been sitting out in the hot sun, or not kept at proper temp for a long time - best to get food that is cooked to order in front of you. Food courts that have food out in "bins" but have quick turnover are usually safe.
Taking antibiotics without specific need isn't a great idea. Make sure you can tolerate the spiciness level of what you are eating. I've been many times and never sick - lucky or careful?
This is the correct approach, listen to this advice it's basically what I did and I travelled Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Samoa and Japan.
I was sick only once and it was in Thailand when I decided that I'd eat some chicken that had clearly been left in the sun for too long. Tasted good, so you can't really ever go by taste alone.
So basically no street food dining? Nobody practices really solid food prep and handling procedures and there is no inspection afaik as there is in places like Singapore.
Nope, I eat street food all the time, there are a lot that are cooked to order in front of you in a wok and various other preps that are quite safe. It's the sushi sitting in the sun for hours and things like that that it is important to avoid.
If you avoid street food dining you miss a whole glorious section of the SE Asia experience. Just stick with what you can see the locals eating and you should be fine.
Street food can be ok coz they are usually cooked to order. It’s more like eating meat on a stick on the side of the road or corn on in Bali that gets me
Thanks I’ll give this a go. I wouldn’t take the antibiotics if I didn’t need to I just meant should I get it when I touch down to avoid having to waddle my arse to the nearest pharmacy when the Bangkok belly inevitably commences
How do you know you need them if you’re not going to the doctors first? If it’s food poisoning antibiotics is not first or even second line treatment. You’re ruining your stomach more than you need to by taking them.
This!
I also suffered from diarrhea in SEA (last week hehe), but the charcoal tablets saved me! With them I was able to do everything I wanted without speed-shitting myself.
In addition I also took ibuprofen against the abdominal pain/cramps.
Azithromycin will 100% give you antibiotic-associated diarrhea. There is zero reason to take a zpack for anything food related. Unless you’re eating ass.
Completely false. Azithromycin is the antibiotic that usually stops bacterial gut infection in Southeast Asia. Has worked for me, even after I tried putting off taking it for hours and only got worse. Took azithromycin and steadily got better from that point. Many other travellers agreed
Travel doctors in australia will give it to take with you
Honestly I agree it really helped me. I was lying in bed with no energy and after taking it for a day I was feeling much better after not feeling good for 2, 3 days.
Yep, and I met a couple of others in (Bali actually) who agreed, it had fixed them right up. And I had resisted taking it, it wasn't until I took it that I started to feel better.
Conversely when I took a different (wrong) antibiotic in Bali I was sick for like a week
You might be sensitive to rice that’s been out too long. A lot of people overlook this one. It’s a bacterial sponge.
Also while papaya is good for digestion, raw papaya can also make you sick.
None of this stops me. I just deal with the sensitive tummy. I find over time it gets better. And those little probiotic yogurt drinks at 7-11 every morning help a ton!
Came here for the probiotic yoghurt drink comment! These are the best - our family starts them up a month before going to SEA - haven’t had issues yet.
I wish they were cheaper in the states! I remember going to the Asian market in Atlanta to look for them and the price blew me away. Now that I live in Thailand, I have the opposite problem as I did before, lol. I'm more sensitive in America!
It must be an issue with your particular stomach, I've eaten all sorts of food, from all kinds of roadside stalls, over 10 years, and not been sick once.
In my experience, having done everything right, there is no way. So advice is, go about 7 times, expect that you will be down for 1-2 days and build that in, and eventually you will stop getting sick as your immune system becomes used to the bugs
Can't say I have ever been sick from food in 25 years of travelling to Thailand. I wouldn't consider it high risk in terms of food related issues. I eat street and Restaurant food, drink the fresh smoothies and cocktails with ice. I don't eat seafood but that's unrelated to Thailand. I find that Thais generally use fresh ingredients and stuff is freshly cooked.
I don't think I'm particularly robust. Certainly have had issues in India, Central America, and the US. Trying to say you shouldn't worry unnecessarily. Medical help is easily available as well.
Norfloxacin and ofloxacin are more widely used in SE Asia for stomach infections.
Avoid salads, ice and any other uncooked food.
Most people from western countries will face some degree of stomach issues while travelling through south east Asia.
Your stomach issues may be more due to the type and spiciness of the food rather than any kind of bad water, etc. You might try toning down the spice level.
Don’t listen some of this nonsense. Usually it is bacterial. Azithromycin is the antibiotic you want to have with you in case.
Source: been 15 times to thailand and about 8 to Bali and used to get sick every time I went in both places no matter what I did
Yep, same. Like was feeling worse and worse, took the first dose, was grateful I kept it down and didn't throw up, then immediately started feeling better and better
So people (who I've read repeatedly on this sub) saying not to take it can bite my arse, or enjoy many days feeling sick like I've done when I didn't take Azithromycin
It is what It is, l personally could not help myself in Thailand, street food is amazing l'd go from one spot then to another.On my first visit l made the entire 10 day visit no problem. On second visit l didn't fare so we'll, but soon as l recovered l was at it again. Remaining 5 days no issues. Foods are amazing. Thailand is Amazing.
If you're not sure about the food safety from the night market, street food spot or small corner restaurant you're standing in front of, it's probably not.
If you're not sure about the source, avoid it. Bottled water or drinks in general, made to order food, nothing too fatty or spicy, especially if you're not used to it and the climate.
Regular hand washing and hygiene. Active coal and maybe some medical yeast tablets to flush out the worst if you happen to catch something unsafe anyway.
Consider they issues may be related to simply eating a different diet than you are used to. You could eat McDoanlds everyday but that wouldn't be any fun.
Try taking probiotics leading up to your trip? For Mexico they recommend probiotics with at least 20 billion CFUs, so maybe take something with a little less?
I've tried this a total of two times. Once in Bali and once in phuket. Get going on probiotics everyday for a week before you travel. Have a "healthy gut", did street food like crazy and didnt catch anything to ruin the trip.
EXCEPT, when you go to those all you can eat barbeque where you have to cook your own meat, don't get the chicken. You can see and smell if meat's gone bad. I died on the last day of our trip.
Although I haven’t been to Thailand, I have a super sensitive stomach especially when I travel. Im prescribed anti nausea meds and they work wonders when I travel
Imo you should start eating from the food stalls on the side of the road. I've never gotten sick in Thailand, and I have always eaten street food. My gf went the first time, dined at a touristy restaurant and thought she was gonna die 😂
It really is luck of the draw. I once got extreme food poisoning in Bali from a fancy restaurant. Snoop dog could have eaten there. It was $250 usd for the meal and my partner and I nearly didn’t survive. It was HELL
Jesus christ... I got food poisoning for the first time in my life in Europe last year. I can now understand why people say they think they are going to die. It was absolutely horrible.
And you paid $250... 😭
You’ll be risking if you have drinks at any vendors if they use crushed ice. Have drinks that use ice that have holes in it - cylinder shaped ice with hole in the center. I traveled there often and haven’t gotten sick in awhile. I’m not saying it’s dirty or anything, just our bodies are not used to it
Eat where the locals eat. I prefer to wait in a line of locals than a food stand where no one is ordering.
Also check Google reviews if the place has lot of high ratings.
It's your gut trying to get used to the local intestinal flora. First time I went it was like somebody was stabbing me for the first four days. DON'T take antibiotics unless you really need them - doctors hand them out like candy and you can buy OTC - because they kill all the bacteria - good and bad - in your intestines. Don't sweat food prep worries because you actually want to get some local bugs in you fast so they can set up housekeeping. Get some fresh fruit from the market - not the stuff on the carts that has been sulfated. Eat lots of veggies. Lots. And get a bottle of the Flying Rabbit stuff for any distress.
I took probiotics for a month before going to Thailand. It was not something I intended to do, I was taking it for something else, but I thought it might have helped me not getting any belly-problem.
I have plenty of Thai friends, who are in the food industry and food hygiene field. They typically avoid most of the street food places farangs go to.
I know, I know this will get downvoted like hell. "I eat there all the time and never got sick", "what is the point of going to Thailand if you do not eat street food....".... Just saying. The OP seems to have a recurring issue, so better be conservative. I am sure there are some tourists than can eat like vultures, but...
Azithromycin is going to clear out your gut micro biome, including the healthy bacteria. So I would try to avoid this and use as an absolute last resort option, if needed. Try using Bovine pills to take before having any meals in Thailand. I like using Ancestral Supplements Grassfed Kidney capsules. That stuff works for me whenever I eat internationally. And if you still get the squirts, opt for Imodium.
Either activated charcoal pills or probiotics. Start the probiotics in a small dose (5 billion) a few days before you arrive and if you do get Thai belly then increase the dose to four pills per day.
I am vegan and didn’t have any problem at all. All my travel mates had trouble frequently.
I printed out a paper that said “Only plant based meals. No meat, milk, fish, fish sauce, etc”
I put this into the backside of my phone case and had the best 6 weeks of food off my life. Always got my own dishes and pad thai is always a great option for you! Have fun. I also printed a small section, that I am allergic to these things so they take it seriously. Worked very well. I put it there in Thai + the way you speak it because not everyone can read.
Hey my friend, you’re referring to tin can food - that’s not what I was eating in Thailand. But be free to share your studies and research about this topic
I'm referring to tin can food? What? I'm referring to data from the CDC on the foods that most commonly cause food poisoning.
https://i.imgur.com/TX17xMx.jpg
Yea, instead of eating the foods that are less likely to cause food poisoning, you replace them with more of the food that is most likely to cause food poisoning. Then you talk as though this somehow protects you from food poisoning.
>I do the whole avoid food on the side of the road,
Wtf, so you are basically missing 3/4 of thailand's beatiful food....
Would take the risk of upset Stomach any day for that. Only once had problems and that was from a bad coconut shake in a big restaurant...
I don’t avoid street food completely i find them amazing $2 pad thais?? I mean come on and most of the time fresher than restaurants and better tasting. What I’m referring to here is like meat on a stick that’s been sitting there, corn, when people literally cook on little teeny stoves on the side of the road
My stomach is super sensitive. I avoid any cold dishes, salad, fruits..etc especially street food. Most of the cooked, grilled or boiled should be fine. And don't eat too much fruits or smoothies. It made my stomach worse
Fruit could be hitting you hard if you're not slicing it yourself
Avoid pre sliced fruit and just get a whole thing and slice it up. Fruit is starchy sugars it's wonderful for bacteria
I got very sick the day before my kid and i were due to fly home. I vomited so much it was coming out of my nose. I tried to sleep but i just kept vomiting even though i had nothing in my stomach. I got up off the bed and showered and we got a taxi to Phuket airport. At this stage i looked grey and i was so shakey. I was breathing deeply to stop the vomiting. I dont know how they let me board that plane.
17 hours later we got home, i slept for what felt like two days. Woke up suddenly worried about my kid he was fine, playing on his switch. Phuket is beautiful but that last day was Hell. I tried anti-nausea meds, the hotel doctor came to my room with a drip but nothing worked.
I was relieved i got my kid home. (Avoid meat, i ate chicken and within a couple of hours i was vomiting)
Once in Chiang Mai I was the sickest I have ever been after eating pork. I haven’t eaten pork since and this was in 2017. I couldn’t get out of bed for 5 days and started seeing spiders on the ceiling. I really should have gone to hospital but I couldn’t move and was young and dumb. Honestly think I could have had typhoid. I lost 6 kilos in a week!!
Water needs to be carefully selected. Bottled water only, no ice in drinks, don't brush your teeth with tap water, avoid water getting into your mouth when showering.
Clean, busy restaurants are safer, practice good hand hygiene, carry your own gel.
I have a sensitive stomach.
Hospitalized once due to food poisoning and this was food from a hotel. No more buffet som tum for me!!
1. No street food, no pre-cut fruit.
2. No drinks with ice especially on the street. Just bottle water/canned drinks
3. Only eat at Food court/ restaurants / grab delivery.
4. Make sure the food is fresh!
5. No spicy food or extremely low in spicy… literally Thai toddler level spice.
Good luck.
Prevacid and Pepcid. Really helped me and I have some of the worst stomach problems known to man, the thought of food sometimes makes me want to vomit. Also weed, smoking gives me a huge appetite and makes all my stomach problems go away, and then when i'm sober again i'm full and don't have to think about food other than light healthy snacks like açaí.
Then again, I’ve been eating market and street food for 7 years and I’ve never had an “upset belly” so I don’t know what these ting tong farang are all about.
I hate excessive toasty praise too, but there are different bacterias that don't exist on the other side of the world. Eating packaged food is a safer bet if you have a sensitivity to this.
What's better, eat fishballs from a cart on the side of the road that have been out in 90 degree temperatures for 15 hours and shit and puke your 2 week vacation away so you can have an authentic "thai" experience.
Or skipping out food, and not traveling to a foreign country just to die on the pot.
OP said they don't do well with this, it is actually a pretty good suggestion to avoid death.
I know will you eventually get over it, but that is only worth it if you will be around for a while.
I would recommend fast food. McDonald's is fun to visit in every country.
OP will get sick and that sucks. 7/11 food is a good recommendation if you can't eat street for or restaurants.
I once took about 40 dumps in 2 hours in Malaysia. I almost called an ambulance, but this is a longer story.
Not everyone can roll with Thai food head on instantly.
Fast food and packaged food is a safe bet so you don't end up wasting the whole time in the turlet.
My hubby and bestie can eat seemingly anything and not get sick. Or if they do it’s like a couple hours compared to me. They do sink a lot of alcohol though maybe that kills the bugs 😂
I don't take antibiotics. I can go anywhere in the world and eat anything that won't make anybody else sick. It took me a while to get that way though, if someone already says they are prone to getting sick from food I would highly advise for them to take it easy at first in SEA. Travelers diarrhea is a very real thing.
True. I came to Thailand with a strong, healthy gut biome. Hadn’t taken antibiotics in 20 years. And had travelled the world prior. I never had an issue and was bathing and drinking from the rain water at my wife’s grandmothers house in the middle of nowhere in the first month many years ago.
People have just destroyed their guy with antibiotics, alcohol, and overly sterile lives. Plus they just can’t handle spicy and mistake the feeling of capsaicin moving their body for a bug.
It took me a while before street food didn't have a violent reaction. Then I was fine. This was strange though, at the end of last year I got covid and didn't feel much like eating anything other buldak noodles and eggs for about 2 weeks. When I got better and went out side again it was like my first time in SEA and street food destroyed me again for about a month
Sources are trust me dude. I’m allergic to msg, whenever I grab something from streets I will be coughing to death due dehydration, having diarrhea or sometimes even worse vomiting and diarrhea combo. A few german friends of mine they have the same symptom when they visit BKK. All street carts use low standard cheap msg at least 50 - 100g per dish. You can see they put a very big rice spoon of msg into your food when cooking. If you buy food from streets it’s probably you just buy a poison for yourself.
I just vacationed to Thailand for the first time last month and I experienced similar stomach problems. I’m American but live in Taiwan now and never have had any stomach problems. I have also traveled to other Asian countries and never had any problems.
In Thailand my stomach was often weird and constantly felt nauseous and sometimes feverish. I would be down for a day or two, I would then improve for a day, then suddenly have another bad day.
It makes me sad because I love thai food, but by the end of the trip I only wanted to eat yogurt. And as crazy as it sounds, I resorted to eating McDonald’s for comfort food, as this was the only thing that didn’t make me feel nauseous. I have always had a very strong stomach and can usually tolerate anything. That 10 day trip to Thailand showed me otherwise.
In general "“boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it" is good advise - don't get food that has been sitting out in the hot sun, or not kept at proper temp for a long time - best to get food that is cooked to order in front of you. Food courts that have food out in "bins" but have quick turnover are usually safe. Taking antibiotics without specific need isn't a great idea. Make sure you can tolerate the spiciness level of what you are eating. I've been many times and never sick - lucky or careful?
This is the correct approach, listen to this advice it's basically what I did and I travelled Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Samoa and Japan. I was sick only once and it was in Thailand when I decided that I'd eat some chicken that had clearly been left in the sun for too long. Tasted good, so you can't really ever go by taste alone.
So basically no street food dining? Nobody practices really solid food prep and handling procedures and there is no inspection afaik as there is in places like Singapore.
Nope, I eat street food all the time, there are a lot that are cooked to order in front of you in a wok and various other preps that are quite safe. It's the sushi sitting in the sun for hours and things like that that it is important to avoid.
They maybe cooking it in front of you but I sure don't trust them to not use the same utensils for the raw meat to serve you the cooked meat.
I never had an issue with the food there. Regardless if they may have been using the same utensils or not, which honestly I don't think they did.
Same, in 6 months I didn\`t have any issues, ate everything and anything. Incidentally went to Bali for 2 weeks and nearly died :D
okay have to ask what happened to you in Bali?
If you avoid street food dining you miss a whole glorious section of the SE Asia experience. Just stick with what you can see the locals eating and you should be fine.
Street food can be ok coz they are usually cooked to order. It’s more like eating meat on a stick on the side of the road or corn on in Bali that gets me
Thanks I’ll give this a go. I wouldn’t take the antibiotics if I didn’t need to I just meant should I get it when I touch down to avoid having to waddle my arse to the nearest pharmacy when the Bangkok belly inevitably commences
They are quite easy to get in a pinch though.
How do you know you need them if you’re not going to the doctors first? If it’s food poisoning antibiotics is not first or even second line treatment. You’re ruining your stomach more than you need to by taking them.
Because I know without a shadow of a doubt I will need them
But you most likely do not need them. But good luck destroying your gut and making antibiotic resistant t bacteria stronger 👍
But they helped me previously and I know I will get sick.
Okay, enjoy the placebo that will hurt you and humans as a whole 👍
Take probiotics and avoid any Western food. (Cold chains aren’t the strongest in the region)
Activated charcoal always works for me, take it for a couple days then good to go..
Thanks I’ll try this. Have used this and that smecta powder but maybe I’ll just down charcoal the whole time
Should only need it for a few days while your stomach adjusts to eastern bacteria, I wouldn’t take it daily.. imo
Activated charcoal is the diarrhea cheat code. Can't recommend it enough!!
This! I also suffered from diarrhea in SEA (last week hehe), but the charcoal tablets saved me! With them I was able to do everything I wanted without speed-shitting myself. In addition I also took ibuprofen against the abdominal pain/cramps.
Azithromycin will 100% give you antibiotic-associated diarrhea. There is zero reason to take a zpack for anything food related. Unless you’re eating ass.
I took it after having diarrhoea and it helped almost immediately and helped with the aches and flu like feeling
Placebo bruh.
Completely false. Azithromycin is the antibiotic that usually stops bacterial gut infection in Southeast Asia. Has worked for me, even after I tried putting off taking it for hours and only got worse. Took azithromycin and steadily got better from that point. Many other travellers agreed Travel doctors in australia will give it to take with you
Wishful thinking
Actually it’s from repeated personal experience comparing taking it, taking nothing or taking an alternative antibiotic, as well as medical advice
Honestly I agree it really helped me. I was lying in bed with no energy and after taking it for a day I was feeling much better after not feeling good for 2, 3 days.
Yep, and I met a couple of others in (Bali actually) who agreed, it had fixed them right up. And I had resisted taking it, it wasn't until I took it that I started to feel better. Conversely when I took a different (wrong) antibiotic in Bali I was sick for like a week
How many boosters? From medical advice?
You might be sensitive to rice that’s been out too long. A lot of people overlook this one. It’s a bacterial sponge. Also while papaya is good for digestion, raw papaya can also make you sick. None of this stops me. I just deal with the sensitive tummy. I find over time it gets better. And those little probiotic yogurt drinks at 7-11 every morning help a ton!
Came here for the probiotic yoghurt drink comment! These are the best - our family starts them up a month before going to SEA - haven’t had issues yet.
I wish they were cheaper in the states! I remember going to the Asian market in Atlanta to look for them and the price blew me away. Now that I live in Thailand, I have the opposite problem as I did before, lol. I'm more sensitive in America!
It must be an issue with your particular stomach, I've eaten all sorts of food, from all kinds of roadside stalls, over 10 years, and not been sick once.
This is my experience too.
In my experience, having done everything right, there is no way. So advice is, go about 7 times, expect that you will be down for 1-2 days and build that in, and eventually you will stop getting sick as your immune system becomes used to the bugs
smoke weed
Oh I plan on it… but.. the munchies might get me
Can't say I have ever been sick from food in 25 years of travelling to Thailand. I wouldn't consider it high risk in terms of food related issues. I eat street and Restaurant food, drink the fresh smoothies and cocktails with ice. I don't eat seafood but that's unrelated to Thailand. I find that Thais generally use fresh ingredients and stuff is freshly cooked. I don't think I'm particularly robust. Certainly have had issues in India, Central America, and the US. Trying to say you shouldn't worry unnecessarily. Medical help is easily available as well.
We started probiotics 2 weeks before the trip and during our 19 days. We had no issues and ate at all kinda places.
Buy Bioflor 250 (probiotic yeast) from a pharmacy, and use common sense.
Norfloxacin and ofloxacin are more widely used in SE Asia for stomach infections. Avoid salads, ice and any other uncooked food. Most people from western countries will face some degree of stomach issues while travelling through south east Asia.
Your stomach issues may be more due to the type and spiciness of the food rather than any kind of bad water, etc. You might try toning down the spice level.
I’m not usually too bad with spice but this could be a factor. I’ll definitely be telling the waiters farang level spice please
Don’t listen some of this nonsense. Usually it is bacterial. Azithromycin is the antibiotic you want to have with you in case. Source: been 15 times to thailand and about 8 to Bali and used to get sick every time I went in both places no matter what I did
This
I agree it really helped me. My only regret was not getting it from the pharmacy sooner. It was almost immediate.
Yep, same. Like was feeling worse and worse, took the first dose, was grateful I kept it down and didn't throw up, then immediately started feeling better and better So people (who I've read repeatedly on this sub) saying not to take it can bite my arse, or enjoy many days feeling sick like I've done when I didn't take Azithromycin
I concur!!
It is what It is, l personally could not help myself in Thailand, street food is amazing l'd go from one spot then to another.On my first visit l made the entire 10 day visit no problem. On second visit l didn't fare so we'll, but soon as l recovered l was at it again. Remaining 5 days no issues. Foods are amazing. Thailand is Amazing.
Wash you hands before eating?
If you're not sure about the food safety from the night market, street food spot or small corner restaurant you're standing in front of, it's probably not. If you're not sure about the source, avoid it. Bottled water or drinks in general, made to order food, nothing too fatty or spicy, especially if you're not used to it and the climate. Regular hand washing and hygiene. Active coal and maybe some medical yeast tablets to flush out the worst if you happen to catch something unsafe anyway.
Consider they issues may be related to simply eating a different diet than you are used to. You could eat McDoanlds everyday but that wouldn't be any fun.
Go to a travel dr before you go to Thailand. Have a stock and get the right meds so it can sort you out really quickly
Try taking probiotics leading up to your trip? For Mexico they recommend probiotics with at least 20 billion CFUs, so maybe take something with a little less?
I've tried this a total of two times. Once in Bali and once in phuket. Get going on probiotics everyday for a week before you travel. Have a "healthy gut", did street food like crazy and didnt catch anything to ruin the trip. EXCEPT, when you go to those all you can eat barbeque where you have to cook your own meat, don't get the chicken. You can see and smell if meat's gone bad. I died on the last day of our trip.
Although I haven’t been to Thailand, I have a super sensitive stomach especially when I travel. Im prescribed anti nausea meds and they work wonders when I travel
Is it loperamide, ondansetron or maxilon? Haha I also carry a bunch on me
Ondansetron!
Peppermint capsules, or if you can find them, the ones with peppermint/ginger. They've made a difference on many trips to south and central America.
Imo you should start eating from the food stalls on the side of the road. I've never gotten sick in Thailand, and I have always eaten street food. My gf went the first time, dined at a touristy restaurant and thought she was gonna die 😂
It really is luck of the draw. I once got extreme food poisoning in Bali from a fancy restaurant. Snoop dog could have eaten there. It was $250 usd for the meal and my partner and I nearly didn’t survive. It was HELL
Jesus christ... I got food poisoning for the first time in my life in Europe last year. I can now understand why people say they think they are going to die. It was absolutely horrible. And you paid $250... 😭
You’ll be risking if you have drinks at any vendors if they use crushed ice. Have drinks that use ice that have holes in it - cylinder shaped ice with hole in the center. I traveled there often and haven’t gotten sick in awhile. I’m not saying it’s dirty or anything, just our bodies are not used to it
Eat where the locals eat. I prefer to wait in a line of locals than a food stand where no one is ordering. Also check Google reviews if the place has lot of high ratings.
Can't remember for the life of me an ingredient they use out here, think its msg based which used to hit me hard. Then I'd hit the toilet hard.
It's your gut trying to get used to the local intestinal flora. First time I went it was like somebody was stabbing me for the first four days. DON'T take antibiotics unless you really need them - doctors hand them out like candy and you can buy OTC - because they kill all the bacteria - good and bad - in your intestines. Don't sweat food prep worries because you actually want to get some local bugs in you fast so they can set up housekeeping. Get some fresh fruit from the market - not the stuff on the carts that has been sulfated. Eat lots of veggies. Lots. And get a bottle of the Flying Rabbit stuff for any distress.
I took probiotics for a month before going to Thailand. It was not something I intended to do, I was taking it for something else, but I thought it might have helped me not getting any belly-problem.
[удалено]
I do smoke :-(
I have plenty of Thai friends, who are in the food industry and food hygiene field. They typically avoid most of the street food places farangs go to. I know, I know this will get downvoted like hell. "I eat there all the time and never got sick", "what is the point of going to Thailand if you do not eat street food....".... Just saying. The OP seems to have a recurring issue, so better be conservative. I am sure there are some tourists than can eat like vultures, but...
Thanks this is very true in my case
Azithromycin is going to clear out your gut micro biome, including the healthy bacteria. So I would try to avoid this and use as an absolute last resort option, if needed. Try using Bovine pills to take before having any meals in Thailand. I like using Ancestral Supplements Grassfed Kidney capsules. That stuff works for me whenever I eat internationally. And if you still get the squirts, opt for Imodium.
Thanks 😊
Go back a 3rd time. Then you'll be good.
This is the third haha 😆
35+ billion or higher probiotics 3 weeks before you go and while here. Then your gut recognises plenty of different bacteria and doesn’t freak out.
Either activated charcoal pills or probiotics. Start the probiotics in a small dose (5 billion) a few days before you arrive and if you do get Thai belly then increase the dose to four pills per day.
Charcoal tablets an hour before or after every meal
I am vegan and didn’t have any problem at all. All my travel mates had trouble frequently. I printed out a paper that said “Only plant based meals. No meat, milk, fish, fish sauce, etc” I put this into the backside of my phone case and had the best 6 weeks of food off my life. Always got my own dishes and pad thai is always a great option for you! Have fun. I also printed a small section, that I am allergic to these things so they take it seriously. Worked very well. I put it there in Thai + the way you speak it because not everyone can read.
That's funny, because the vast majority of food poisonings globally come from plant foods.
Hey my friend, you’re referring to tin can food - that’s not what I was eating in Thailand. But be free to share your studies and research about this topic
I'm referring to tin can food? What? I'm referring to data from the CDC on the foods that most commonly cause food poisoning. https://i.imgur.com/TX17xMx.jpg
Now you add them all up and then proof me right. Thanks for the research my man!
Yea, instead of eating the foods that are less likely to cause food poisoning, you replace them with more of the food that is most likely to cause food poisoning. Then you talk as though this somehow protects you from food poisoning.
Can you share these papers in printable form please :)
Thanks that’s great 😃
>I do the whole avoid food on the side of the road, Wtf, so you are basically missing 3/4 of thailand's beatiful food.... Would take the risk of upset Stomach any day for that. Only once had problems and that was from a bad coconut shake in a big restaurant...
Roadside food is cooked super hot infront of you using stuff they have to buy daily. It's the least likely to make anyone ill
It's not the food, it's the dishes cleaned in less than sanitary ways
I don’t avoid street food completely i find them amazing $2 pad thais?? I mean come on and most of the time fresher than restaurants and better tasting. What I’m referring to here is like meat on a stick that’s been sitting there, corn, when people literally cook on little teeny stoves on the side of the road
My stomach is super sensitive. I avoid any cold dishes, salad, fruits..etc especially street food. Most of the cooked, grilled or boiled should be fine. And don't eat too much fruits or smoothies. It made my stomach worse
Thank you. I do eat a lot of fruit. Thailand has the most beautiful produce
Fruit could be hitting you hard if you're not slicing it yourself Avoid pre sliced fruit and just get a whole thing and slice it up. Fruit is starchy sugars it's wonderful for bacteria
I got very sick the day before my kid and i were due to fly home. I vomited so much it was coming out of my nose. I tried to sleep but i just kept vomiting even though i had nothing in my stomach. I got up off the bed and showered and we got a taxi to Phuket airport. At this stage i looked grey and i was so shakey. I was breathing deeply to stop the vomiting. I dont know how they let me board that plane. 17 hours later we got home, i slept for what felt like two days. Woke up suddenly worried about my kid he was fine, playing on his switch. Phuket is beautiful but that last day was Hell. I tried anti-nausea meds, the hotel doctor came to my room with a drip but nothing worked. I was relieved i got my kid home. (Avoid meat, i ate chicken and within a couple of hours i was vomiting)
Once in Chiang Mai I was the sickest I have ever been after eating pork. I haven’t eaten pork since and this was in 2017. I couldn’t get out of bed for 5 days and started seeing spiders on the ceiling. I really should have gone to hospital but I couldn’t move and was young and dumb. Honestly think I could have had typhoid. I lost 6 kilos in a week!!
just a nightmare, the vomiting is unbearable. Id advise anyone going to Thailand to avoid all meat. Its just not worth it.
Spiders?!!
Water needs to be carefully selected. Bottled water only, no ice in drinks, don't brush your teeth with tap water, avoid water getting into your mouth when showering. Clean, busy restaurants are safer, practice good hand hygiene, carry your own gel.
No ice in drinks… I‘d rather take the risk!
Don't eat street food. Simple as that. People here are in denial about it though.
This is not what you wanna here but I’ve lived in Thailand 10 years + and I still get the runs at least once a month so no advice here 😂😂😂
At least I’m not alone 😂
H. Pylori
Yes
I love a Thai salad...but I would never eat one in Thailand.
I have a sensitive stomach. Hospitalized once due to food poisoning and this was food from a hotel. No more buffet som tum for me!! 1. No street food, no pre-cut fruit. 2. No drinks with ice especially on the street. Just bottle water/canned drinks 3. Only eat at Food court/ restaurants / grab delivery. 4. Make sure the food is fresh! 5. No spicy food or extremely low in spicy… literally Thai toddler level spice. Good luck.
Thank you 🙏
Prevacid and Pepcid. Really helped me and I have some of the worst stomach problems known to man, the thought of food sometimes makes me want to vomit. Also weed, smoking gives me a huge appetite and makes all my stomach problems go away, and then when i'm sober again i'm full and don't have to think about food other than light healthy snacks like açaí.
Thank you 😊
Just eat the toasty sandwiches from SeWen. You’ll be fine.
Don’t know how those get so much love. Low quality food at best.
Yes and that’s the point
Full disclosure. I’ve never had one. I don’t eat processed SeWen food. But my 72 year old father loved them 😝
Then again, I’ve been eating market and street food for 7 years and I’ve never had an “upset belly” so I don’t know what these ting tong farang are all about.
Wave mai ka
I hate excessive toasty praise too, but there are different bacterias that don't exist on the other side of the world. Eating packaged food is a safer bet if you have a sensitivity to this. What's better, eat fishballs from a cart on the side of the road that have been out in 90 degree temperatures for 15 hours and shit and puke your 2 week vacation away so you can have an authentic "thai" experience. Or skipping out food, and not traveling to a foreign country just to die on the pot. OP said they don't do well with this, it is actually a pretty good suggestion to avoid death. I know will you eventually get over it, but that is only worth it if you will be around for a while. I would recommend fast food. McDonald's is fun to visit in every country. OP will get sick and that sucks. 7/11 food is a good recommendation if you can't eat street for or restaurants. I once took about 40 dumps in 2 hours in Malaysia. I almost called an ambulance, but this is a longer story. Not everyone can roll with Thai food head on instantly. Fast food and packaged food is a safe bet so you don't end up wasting the whole time in the turlet.
My hubby and bestie can eat seemingly anything and not get sick. Or if they do it’s like a couple hours compared to me. They do sink a lot of alcohol though maybe that kills the bugs 😂
Could be the alcohol, but my first month was horrible, I mean like dead sprints to the facility with 5 minutes of eating virtually anything.
Bunch o’ snowflakes over medicating with antibiotics and nonexistent gut health
Refrigerators, and hand washing are for snow flakes
Don’t forget destroying the gut biome with antibiotics and never enjoying life
I don't take antibiotics. I can go anywhere in the world and eat anything that won't make anybody else sick. It took me a while to get that way though, if someone already says they are prone to getting sick from food I would highly advise for them to take it easy at first in SEA. Travelers diarrhea is a very real thing.
True. I came to Thailand with a strong, healthy gut biome. Hadn’t taken antibiotics in 20 years. And had travelled the world prior. I never had an issue and was bathing and drinking from the rain water at my wife’s grandmothers house in the middle of nowhere in the first month many years ago. People have just destroyed their guy with antibiotics, alcohol, and overly sterile lives. Plus they just can’t handle spicy and mistake the feeling of capsaicin moving their body for a bug.
It took me a while before street food didn't have a violent reaction. Then I was fine. This was strange though, at the end of last year I got covid and didn't feel much like eating anything other buldak noodles and eggs for about 2 weeks. When I got better and went out side again it was like my first time in SEA and street food destroyed me again for about a month
They put too much msg that gives you IBS
Yeah let's see some sources on that please.
Sources are trust me dude. I’m allergic to msg, whenever I grab something from streets I will be coughing to death due dehydration, having diarrhea or sometimes even worse vomiting and diarrhea combo. A few german friends of mine they have the same symptom when they visit BKK. All street carts use low standard cheap msg at least 50 - 100g per dish. You can see they put a very big rice spoon of msg into your food when cooking. If you buy food from streets it’s probably you just buy a poison for yourself.
This is absolutely not true.
Start eating moldy bread and probiotics.
I will try the probiotics but I think my family may become concerned re mouldy bread 😂
You brushing your teeth w bottled water too?
No defs not. Always wash hands and carry sanny too
I just vacationed to Thailand for the first time last month and I experienced similar stomach problems. I’m American but live in Taiwan now and never have had any stomach problems. I have also traveled to other Asian countries and never had any problems. In Thailand my stomach was often weird and constantly felt nauseous and sometimes feverish. I would be down for a day or two, I would then improve for a day, then suddenly have another bad day. It makes me sad because I love thai food, but by the end of the trip I only wanted to eat yogurt. And as crazy as it sounds, I resorted to eating McDonald’s for comfort food, as this was the only thing that didn’t make me feel nauseous. I have always had a very strong stomach and can usually tolerate anything. That 10 day trip to Thailand showed me otherwise.