I think one of my greatest fears while travelling (or life in general) is having explosive diarrhea while exploring with no public bathrooms around. So while planning for my upcoming Thailand trip, I was reminded of a story one of my friends told me when she had food poisoning in Thailand.
She and her husband had been out all day exploring Chiang Mai and tasting all the local cuisine at both restaurants and food stalls along the streets. It was a great time they said…until it wasn’t.
In the evening and back in their hotel, both their stomachs were cramping and cold sweat dripping from their heads. Without going into too much detail, they had to take turns using the bathroom throughout the night, but still managed to wake up in time for the morning boat ride they had booked.
But the story doesn’t stop there. You would think after emptying their bowels all night they would be fine by the next day but NOPE. What should have been a relaxing morning boat ride turned into a test of endurance. Every bump caused by the waves could only be described as a grenade ready to blow up. Luckily they made it out okay but that story was enough to traumatize me and remind me of my own past experiences with travellers’ diarrhea.
Food Poisoning in Thailand Happens More Often Than You Realize
While food poisoning and traveller’s diarrhea is not exclusive to Thailand and can happen anywhere in the world, it is worth having a conversation about because of how well known their street food is.
Major cities like Bangkok and Phuket have dozens if not hundreds of streets lined with delicious restaurants and food stalls. The food is affordable so you can definitely find yourself exploring these streets for hours and trying a bit of everything.
But the behaviour of lowering our guard while abroad when it comes to new cuisines is exactly what can lead to food poisoning while exploring Thailand’s rich food culture. We sacrifice the part in our head telling us to be cautious for the sake of experiences. I mean can you imagine going to Thailand and not trying street food? That’s unheard of.
And I get it. Travelling is about new experiences and food will always be a part of that. But what if I told you that you don’t have to give up experiences at the cost of saving your bowels?
Here are the 4 things I plan on doing to lower my chances of getting food poisoning in Thailand.
Avoiding Food Poisoning in Thailand
Because I have had far too many episodes of food poisoning while on vacation, this is what I plan on doing to avoid getting food poisoning in Thailand.
1. Choose Cooked Foods
Foods prepared at the proper temperature and have been thoroughly cooked generally have a lower chance of being contaminated. Make sure they are freshly cooked though (like you can still see the steam coming from them), otherwise you won’t know how long the food has been sitting out.
I would also try to avoid or minimize eating foods like salads, unpeeled fruits, and raw foods because they could have been washed in untreated water and have a greater risk of carrying bacteria and toxins. Most food stalls won’t have potable water so if you choose to buy fruits, consider washing them yourself with treated water. But most of the time, I would be choosing cooked foods if I had that option.
2. Follow the Crowd
When I know I’m travelling for yummy food I like to do a bit of research beforehand (and by research I mean doomscrolling Tiktok to see what foods are popular and where). I do this because I know the food can be trusted if that many people are willing to line up and go for it. But I know how tiring it can be to chase these Tiktok Instagram food hot spots and waiting 1-2 hours for some donuts.
You don’t have to go to these viral spots, but you can apply the same principle and choose stalls or restaurants that you see that have customers. Typically I use this as an indicator of trust because the more people I see, that means the higher turnover in food there is so nothing is sitting out for too long. It makes me more confident in giving it a try even if it means waiting a little bit. Don’t be shy in asking locals if they have any suggestions as well!
You don’t have to go to 5 star restaurants and viral spots to get safe food. Just look for the signs that the food is handled well and has a high turnover.
3. Drink Bottled Water
Most sources say that drinking tap water in Thailand is not recommended. That may be a different story for Bangkok (https://iamkohchang.com/blog/tap-water-in-thailand.html) but various factors such as age of the pipes, maintenance, etc could affect the quality of the water.
In this case I think it is just safer to stick with bottled water instead of having to figure out if it is safe or not. This also applies to ice as well. If the ice is from treated water then go ahead, but if I’m unsure of the source then I’d rather skip it than take a chance knowing my sensitive bowels.
4. Hand hygiene
This is a pretty standard one that you should be doing every day no matter where you are. You’re going to be out all day touching money, souvenirs, transit railings, menus, etc. It can be hard to find a place to wash your hands. I recommend bringing a small bottle of hand sanitizer along, just to use before eating if you can’t reliably clean your hands with soap and water.
Look, if I’m going to Thailand I will be trying a street food stall or two, and that is a non-negotiable. But another non-negotiable is avoiding food poisoning in Thailand. By following the 4 things I plan to keep in mind while out patrolling for food, I can make smarter food choices and lower my risk of getting diarrhea while on vacation.
Will this guarantee that I won’t get food poisoning in Thailand? Probably not but sometimes it’s about finding balance between risks and experiences while on vacation. And if I do end up sick anyway? I guess you guys can read about it in my next Thailand travel health article.
But for now, I plan on leaving Thailand with a full stomach and happy memories, none of which involve sitting on a toilet for 3 hours.
