Thailand Street Food

[magical]

In all my trips I have been sick to my stomach twice. Only the one time was food poisoning the other time I think I just ate and drank too much and my digestion shut down.
The only time I got food poisoning it was from eating a seafood sandwich from a cooler at a convenience store that was not 711 or anywhere like that.
This was just stupid on my part and akin to buying sushi at a gas station back home. 100% avoidable.

Don't go out of your way to eat at some food courts. While those food courts are nice, they are not necessarily cleaner than street food.
I have never heard of anyone getting sick from street food other than if you put too much chilis in your food.
This happened to me one time but I don't consider it food poisoning. I was having the world's best soup from my favourite street vendor and I put way to much chili paste in my food. I was laid out for 3 days with severe burning stomach. However they don't make the food too hot and you are fully responsible for how much spice you put in street food.

I would actually say the street food is cleaner than most restaurants.
The street vendors go buy food once a day for their cart. So daily everything is quite fresh with these vendors.
Generally they only buy what they need for the day and throw away what is left over at the end of the day.
Restaurants and food courts recycle food because they can. So the food at a street vendor is more likely fresher and better than most places.
Sure the food cart itself might not meet western standards, the food is extremely fresh and tasty.

There is also many great restaurants in Thailand and I wouldn't avoid most of them, it is a major world city with all the dining options.
It may seem clean on the customers side but a food court would probably be less safe than anywhere.
They are dealing with bulk food they keep in refrigerators and reusing the food left overs.
Plus food court workers are all employees and don't care, whereas food cart owners have pride in their product and business.

Most of the people that get upset stomach, get it from drinking the water.
That is the main thing to do is make sure to only drink bottled water, and also use it for brushing my teeth etc.
My friend got dysentery one time but it was because he drank 24 hours a day for a week.

As I say, the only thing I would warn about street food is don't put too much spice in it.
Otherwise it is one of the best things in Thailand, you just may not like to try the bugs, scorpions or baby frogs.

I think the whole issue of getting sick in Thailand is way over blown and exaggerated.

Well, I'm willing to concede you have a point about the street food. The 2018 Michelin Guide just listed its top Bangkok eateries, and one street vendor got a star (Jay Fai)! Also, there were numerous street vendors listed in the "Bib Gourmand" category:

Bib Gourmand - Exceptionally good food at moderate prices

Arunwan (Thai)
Baan (Thai)
Baan Padthai (Thai)
Baan Somtum (Thai)
Baannai (Thai)
ERR (Thai)
Jay Oh (Thai)
Khua King Pak Sod (Thai)
Khua Apsorn (Thai)
Lay Lao (Thai)
Prai Raya (Thai)
Ruen Mallika (Thai)
Sanguan Sri (Thai)
Sanyod (Chinese)
Soul Food Mahanakorn (Thai)
Thanying (Thai)
The Local (Thai)
Ann Guay Tiew Kua Gai (Thai)
Baan Yai Phad Thai (Thai)
Chakki (Street Vendor)
Charoen Saeng Silom (Street Vendor)
Elvis Suki (Street Vendor)
Go-Ang Kaomunkai Pratunam (Street Vendor)
Guay Jub Mr. Joe (Street Vendor)
Guay Jub Ouan Pochana (Street Vendor)
Guay Tiew Kua Gai Suanmali (Street Vendor)
Guay Tiew Moo Rung Rueang (Street Vendor)
Hia Wan Khao Tom Pla (Street Vendor)
Jok Prince (Street Vendor)
Lim Lao Ngao (Street Vendor)
Nai Mong Hoi Thod (Street Vendor)
Polo Fried Chicken (Street Vendor)
Thipsamai Phad Thai (Street Vendor)
Tung Sui Heng Pochana (Street Vendor)
Yentafo Convent (Street Vendor)

[Rockheart]

In all my trips I have been sick to my stomach twice. Only the one time was food poisoning the other time I think I just ate and drank too much and my digestion shut down.
The only time I got food poisoning it was from eating a seafood sandwich from a cooler at a convenience store that was not 711 or anywhere like that.
This was just stupid on my part and akin to buying sushi at a gas station back home. 100% avoidable.

Don't go out of your way to eat at some food courts. While those food courts are nice, they are not necessarily cleaner than street food.
I have never heard of anyone getting sick from street food other than if you put too much chilis in your food.
This happened to me one time but I don't consider it food poisoning. I was having the world's best soup from my favourite street vendor and I put way to much chili paste in my food. I was laid out for 3 days with severe burning stomach. However they don't make the food too hot and you are fully responsible for how much spice you put in street food.

I would actually say the street food is cleaner than most restaurants.
The street vendors go buy food once a day for their cart. So daily everything is quite fresh with these vendors.
Generally they only buy what they need for the day and throw away what is left over at the end of the day.
Restaurants and food courts recycle food because they can. So the food at a street vendor is more likely fresher and better than most places.
Sure the food cart itself might not meet western standards, the food is extremely fresh and tasty.

There is also many great restaurants in Thailand and I wouldn't avoid most of them, it is a major world city with all the dining options.
It may seem clean on the customers side but a food court would probably be less safe than anywhere.
They are dealing with bulk food they keep in refrigerators and reusing the food left overs.
Plus food court workers are all employees and don't care, whereas food cart owners have pride in their product and business.

Most of the people that get upset stomach, get it from drinking the water.
That is the main thing to do is make sure to only drink bottled water, and also use it for brushing my teeth etc.
My friend got dysentery one time but it was because he drank 24 hours a day for a week.

As I say, the only thing I would warn about street food is don't put too much spice in it.
Otherwise it is one of the best things in Thailand, you just may not like to try the bugs, scorpions or baby frogs.

I think the whole issue of getting sick in Thailand is way over blown and exaggerated.

[Rockheart]

Yes the street vendors generally have pride in their product, more than many restaurants and food courts.
Plus with the street vendors you can see everything, other places you have no idea what is going on in the back room.

I always eat chicken skewers in front of Nana, they are fantastic.

Other great places to eat are:
Suk 11 Hostel:

https://theladyboyforums.com/asiaboard/forum/the-total-thailand-scene/the-thailand-travel-information-forum/thailand-restaurants-lounges/922059-suk-11-hostel-and-cheap-charlies-closed

DET-5 Restaurant on Soi 8 is just fantastic

https://theladyboyforums.com/asiaboard/forum/the-total-thailand-scene/the-thailand-travel-information-forum/thailand-restaurants-lounges/21045-bangkok-nana-area-restaurants

The lunch counter at Foodland is amazing, cheap and open 24 hours.

Pattaya you can see my favourites on this thread.

https://theladyboyforums.com/asiaboard/forum/the-total-thailand-scene/the-thailand-travel-information-forum/thailand-restaurants-lounges/918101-best-restaurants-in-pattaya

[magical]

This forum topic started out as a subject on bareback fucking, and somehow ended up as a discussion on Thai food cleanliness and restaurant choices 55555. I think I'm responsible for that.

[George Pill]

You're in a third world country. Don't forget that. Filthy conditions prevail so don't believe those Michelin guides to street food in Thailand. If it tastes bad or suspicious, spit it out. I refuse to eat out of those open air wagons even though they are cute and cheapo. Thais don't have any concept of germs or viruses. Neither vaccines or antibiotics. Bring your own antibiotics from home. I don't trust the local pharmacies. In the Philippines under Marcos they were buying outdated antibiotics from Pharma companies and repackaging them with labels with new phony expiration dates. Even the aspirin was weak and needed a double dose. I always brought enough of all drugs and toothpastes to last a year before I returned home for the summer vacations. I try to always eat where lots of Thais eat and there's a large turnover of foodstuff. How does a Korean waitress bring you 10 glasses of water? Uses 10 fingers INSIDE the glasses! Yuk! Do take lots of antacids and stomach coaters from home. Guerrilla backpacking rules.

[magical]

I'm gonna steer clear of the "street" wars LOL. I'll let Crag take it up with you

[Rockheart]

Hey I am not telling you where to eat, I am just telling you the facts.

First everything he said is a stereotype that food carts are unclean and bad food.
Since he said he never eats at them, not sure how you can say this.
You cannot compare Thailand in 2018 to Philippines in 1970.
Plus the corruption in Philippines is way worse, corruption in Thailand is structured not random.
In Thailand everyone is getting their cut all the way down the line.

You don't rate every restaurant in Bangkok at the same level, how can all food carts be bad.
People generally getting sick from street food is just a fallacy.
Getting an upset stomach because it is too spicy is not the same thing.
The most common cause of upset stomach in Thailand is drinking tap water.

I have eaten at food carts hundreds of times and never ever been even close to being sick.
I'd be more worried about the guy selling hot dogs outside Walmart anywhere in the USA, than any food cart in Thailand.
Plus if you say you want to eat where Thais eat, well most of them eat at these food carts and that is an absolute fact.

You cannot get Michelin ratings with rotten or unclean food, they don't just give them out like candy.
Michelin ratings are also only given after several visits to an establishment, proving consistency.

Not every part of Thailand is like a third world country. Bangkok has every amenity that any large city in the world has.
There just tends to be poorer people from the countryside.

As I said before the owners of these carts have pride in their product, this is their livelihood and if they get a bad reputation they are finished.
They go to the markets in the morning and hand pick their food for the day and only buy enough for that day.

Compare this to a large hotel, restaurant or food court.
They order bulk product once a week and don't hand pick it.
The cooking is done by low paid workers who have little pride in the product.
Food is re-used over and over and over, nothing is wasted or thrown away if possible.
Soup of the day in most western restaurants contains the oldest foodstuffs they have and soup is the final way to use it up.
You get soup from a cart in Thailand it will be made fresh daily with fresh ingredients.
I worked in the restaurant business for years and I will say large hotels are the most disgusting places of all.
Due to food cost pressures the chefs recycle everything.

As far as the food courts go, they basically sell the same type of food as the carts but it is massed produced by low paid workers.
The stalls in the food courts are all owned by the same company and share supplies.
Just looking into any stall you can see it is messier and unclean probably worse than any food cart, and you cannot even see what goes on in the back room.
In some ways having someone cooking in front of you gives you more piece of mind that if they go into a back room and do it secretly.
Basically at a food cart you can actually see the quality products going into your food.

Saying Thais don't have an awareness of bacteria or viruses isn't true.
In fact, for some reason Thais take way too many antibiotics as they think that taking them all the time is good.
They also like to take a lot of paracetamol which is just the UK form of Acetaminophen.
Taking antibiotics when you don't need them is bad for your immune system, it kills the good bacteria which are part of your health.
You need the good bacteria in your gut especially if you are somewhere you may be eating strange food.
The other fact is that people in Thailand just don't get the flu or other viruses as much as people from colder countries.

The quality of drugs at the pharmacies in Thailand have always been the same quality as those I get in Canada.
The viagra is the same, the hormones are the same and the antibiotics are the same.
Trying to guess what antibiotics to bring with you isn't really worthwhile when you can get the ones you need at the time you need them.

Most of the pharmaceuticals in Thailand come from the UK due to Thailand basically being a colony of theirs in the past.
If you are worried about the quality of drugs at pharmacies then go to places like Boots that are UK chains and are consistent across locations.
It is possible some smaller independent pharmacies could try to change out the product,
but then what is stopping any independent pharmacy in the USA from doing the same thing?

Plus, as I said, the corruption in Thailand is institutional, not random.
When products come from other countries, people in Thailand take their piece of the action as it flows through the system.
Why would a pharmacist sell you crap? Do they want to go out of business or have the police come?
Sure don't buy your drugs off the street.

Part of the beauty of Thailand is things are cheaper but usually good quality.

[outlander5]

I went to where the Thais eat at a thai barbecue and was sick with food poisoning there were no foreigners except some koreans and chinese, raw meat picked by chopstix onto a hot grill bad idea for me but asians stomachs are like iron!! anyway learned my lesson also got sick from a food cart once in koh chang the night before had great chicken skewers the next got some more from another cart this one had her raw meat stored next to her cooked within 2 hrs i was pissing out my ass on a thai toilet thank god thais have good meds my first stop is at the pharmacy now!! it can happen anywhere in thailand just watch where they keep the raw from the cooked!! also i suggest everybody to get the hpv vaccine gardasol my friend is getting treated for throat cancer caused by hpv 47 days of radiation and probably won't start tasting food again for 5 yrs but we're all grownups do and believe what you want like barebacking its rolling the dice!!

[Rockheart]

Thai BBQ is a whole different story. You need to be experienced and go to a good place.
Making sure all the raw stuff in there is actually cooked.
Some have the food portioned out in trays so there is no picking. Good Thai BBQ in the country can't be beat.
In Bangkok hard to find a real good place but I have been to one in Pattaya.
Definitely need to always keep your eyes open for bad food practices.

HPV is probably one of the top ones to get your shots for sure.
Michael Douglas said he got it from eating pussy.

[George Pill]

If you eat BBQ or fried chicken taste a bite to see if it is raw. Most times it is and I ask them to recook it. You should watch them put the chicken let with my saliva on it back in the hot oil. They really cheap on gas cooker fuel. Also I do NOT like them putting this powdery seasoning heavily on my food just like the omelet guy in my restaurant. I do chance some tasty wagon and motorcycle eateries up and down the sois full of bars. I get the munchies. Haven't gotten sick from one of them yet. Did get pasty stools from a shrimp cocktail at Pig and Whistle. Their tomato dip is not so good. Not fresh and no horse radish, Tabasco sauce, or Worcestershire sauce. Gotta bring my own in little squeeze bottles. I love eating with tourists and locals at the Jatujak Flea Market on the weekends in Bangkok. Find the BBQ moo (Pork with hard skin) and take some with its spicy hot sauce in little squeeze tube to the central eating area with a order of rice (Kaow or Cow) and boiled big fat shrimp. Later I will order one of those osterized fruit drinks and continue my exploring and photo shooting. Really beautiful girls from all over the world. Those tall Asian girls with super white skin and long slender legs and torsos are Chinese. God, they are beautiful. Even their feet are perfect sculptures with perfect toes like Vienna sausages. Very few Ladyboys. they don't want to talk to me when I ask them, "Hey. You katoey?" Get a lot of funny reactions. "I like take yo picture, yes?"

I do like the food from the traveling wagons, BUT did you notice they have no running water. No can wash anything. None of these would be allowed under Hawaii's strict sanitation laws. We do have lunch wagons in big cargo truck-like operations, and they must cook their food in commercial kitchens with expensive stainless steel equipment. Not in their home kitchens. Must meet strict temperature settings. The food business is very hard work with long hours starting just after midnight. I think a company builds these wheeled cooking platforms and rents them out to little enterprisers. Many do look them same. Amazing how these little motor scooters can haul such heavy platforms. You should see the ice haulers every morning.

HPV vaccine is called Guardasil and is recommended for people up to age 26. That's why I was unable to get it. I don't understand why it can't be given above age 26. Michael Douglas is a great actor but a dumb fool to say he got oral cancer from consuming pussy. Really embarrassed his young wife. Immature schmuck but funny. Sad to see him grow old like all of us. His famous father is still alive thanks to his pacemaker. You cannot die with this in your chest.

[Rockheart]

Thai bbq you cook yourself....
as I say you cannot say all food carts are bad and dirty. It just isn't the case.

they say the hpv vaccine is not effective in men over 26. Getting vaccine is still possible it just may not give any benefit but they are not sure.
In Australia it is given up to age 45. There is no hpv test for men. Most people that get hpv do not get cancer. 80% of all people will have an hpv infection in their lifetime. Genital warts are not related to hpv infections. The rate of oral infection among adults is 4%. Asians are much lower than the average. Blacks have the highest risk.

[rxpharm]

I've posted one of Mark Wiens' Thai street food videos before (the all you can eat street buffet). I would recommend anyone who wants to try Thai street food (or from several other countries) to check out his videos.

Halal Thai Street Food

Bangkok China Town Street Food

Thai Street Food Michelin Star Jay Fai - giant crab omelette

[George Pill]

Am getting the munchies for some Thai food. I try to eat hot foods and stay away from foods sold at room temp or cold. Will eat the boiling hot noodles sold on the streets of
Thailand but only hot stuff. In Hawaii we have very strict food inspectors with thermometers. They come in surprise visits and issue green placards if passable. In not, it's yellow and some have been fined $2000 for removing them from the window. This is all thanks to the contaminated sewage-tainted seafood from the Philippines which spread Hepatitis through raw fish sushi. Filipino food is shit food. They have almost no concept of cleanliness or germs and viruses. Food in the windows are shown with flies sitting on them. If you've ever eating in some Filipino restaurants you must have seen rats as big as fat cats running under the tables and onto your foot. I have seen rats scavenging in the alley space between the Sukhumvit Sofitel and Thermae. Don't know why they don't use warfarin poison baits near the rubbish cans (if they can find them). At my home I loaded warfarin in rat stations and they do work. They hide in the storm drains and come out at night.

Love Middle Eastern cooking vid. I know there is a little area full of them folks across the Sukhumvit street from the Nana Plaza. Too bad we don't have many Muslims in Hawaii. FYI Thailand is a bigger melting pot than we are. So gotta go there and do my second best thing. EAT exotic foods.

That crab omlette is huge! Must remember to bring some Tupperware food containers for the extras I can't swallow. My Hawaii friends think I just fuck in Thailand. I have a hard time telling them what a great place to visit for 2 months. Miss Chaatuchak food and shopping. Great for you mental well-being to get away from America with its constant news about impeachement, race wars, white supremacists, free Medicare for all, Middle East wars, and other depressing stuff.

[Rockheart]

There is rats on every square inch of Bangkok, they just stay well hidden most of the time.
I remember the first time I was in Thailand eating late at night just off the street in Nana and feeling the rats brushing by my feet. Also I remember they didn't take any of the egg shells out of my Thai omelette.

When all the garbage bags are out on Sukhumvit at night there is rats all over the sidewalks.

I think Chatuchak has the best Pad Thai plus less Rodents

[outlander5]

I noticed on my last stay in Bangkok all the street vendors are gone at soi 18 & sukhumvit