POLL: Have You Suffered Food Poisoning in Thailand?

[Nereus]

I often wonder when I read about "food poisoning" if a lot of times it is not the actual food per se, but the preparation and / or handling of it by unhygienic hands.
I picked up a bait once from the salad bar at Golden Place, which was very quick acting and although short lived, was violent while it lasted.

[Terry]

Too true

You can have the most spotless kitchen with the freshest ingredients - but - if a fly that has spent the last few moments playing on a dog turd, just happens to alight on your lunch, and you don't see it - then you may be in for a dose of the trotts - big time.

[PeteC]

We request that all flies remove their shoes before entering the house. We have a wee little sign posted to that effect.

[HHTel]

Once many years ago in Jomtien. I thought I was dying for the next 4 days. My mate also suffered. Definately caused by eating seafood from a wandering beach vendor. I've never eaten food from these vendors ever since and have had no problems.

[Korkenzieher]

Only once in Thailand that I remember. It was in Phuket. The doctor (in Singapore) seemed to think it was likely contamination from someone who had entered Thailand unwell from perhaps India or Nepal. Having had giardiasis a couple of times (Nepal and Laos) I'm inclined to agree. On the whole Thailand is pretty safe for food.

Edit - I'm not including the very occasional dose of the trots here, but more serious food poisoning!

[tuppence]

My missues got a dose of it on the Thai Airways flight to Dubai. She was in business class, and when she tried to eat the guacamole dish, it was fizzy. Two hours later - boom. The cabin crew tried to fix it by massaging her hand, which didn't work, and once she puked, they made themselves pretty scarce.

[PeteC]

I forgot to say above that in recent history here when I have a minor problem for a day or less, it's always been with western food from one restaurant or another. No problems in a few years with eating at local Thai food shops. The wife, and I'm sure most Thais, have a built in radar concerning Thai shops. They'll know in a minute or less by observing things if we should eat there or not. Pete

[Mrock]

I got it bad for 24 hours. I mean real bad.
Went for breakfast at the Royal Hua Hin before a round of golf. Got somewhere around the 15 hole and oh my lord. Just about didn't make it home in the taxi after than the round....if you know what I mean.

[image]

i nearly died of food poisoning in bangkok...hit me so quickly...from every orifice at once..i was dehydrated in 30 minutes..rushed to hospital..couldnt get drip in arm...blood was dry..i was going in and out of consciousness...eventually they got it in...doctor said possibly too much somtum..found out later after a government investigation of a porkball place using stray dogs..that the bbq pork balls i ate about 1 hour before were made by that company!!!!....so possibly it was that..unfortuately has made me a lil paranoid now with food there...(...note..always be aware of food left outside, food not cooked correctly..temperatures are important to kill germs

[Big Boy]

Away from the question, but I find with some of these answers I am surprised nobody has jumped on the response. I've read quite a few threads about food poisoning on here, and the response is usually 'it couldn't have been that - food poisoning takes at least 6 hours to kick in'. However, on this thread nobody seems to be blinking an eye when as with the last post, image was completely dehydrated within 30 minutes.

[certocito]

My wife had a bad dose (three days in hospital) a few years ago when we were visiting here. Hotel buffet laid out breakfast at 06.30 by an open window. Silly woman decided to eat the scrambled eggs about two hours later and that's what did the damage.
But must agrree with earlier posts that talk about food hygiene etc We were going to try an Italian outlet in Market Village (Posh I know.!!!) when my brother in law came out of the bog - he saw the owner/chef come out of the toilet without washing his hands and went straight back behind the counter to work, needless to say we didn't bother with lunch there and haven't been back since. My missus is always commenting on the number of girls who work in food outlets there who have the same disregard for personal hygiene post bog visit..!!

[Randy Cornhole]

Never been ill once and have eaten in many restaurants and often from street vendors. Come to think of it I have traveled all over the world with no ill effects except a kebab house once in England!

I must have the constitution of a street dog...

[Green Nomad]

I have answered 'Yes, several times'..But I will admit that there is a difference between a bit of iffy guts, and full blown or confirmed poisoning. I could say I am bit of an expert on this. I have been in hospital 3 times, but only once in Thailand. That being Gastro-entoritus, having to spend 9 hours on drip in Bumrumgrad BKK. I put it down to badly cooked fish and chips in Bullies Bar near Nana plaza, I was stupid not to complain the fish was still cold inside the batter. I do get the runs very often after eating thai food, but I do like chilli and that tends to go right through me.
I have experimented however, and have found that I was getting bad guts mainly from having ice with my drinks, like iced coffee, so said to the wife have to have bottled beer all the time, digwa!!. No probs with that. GN

[PeteC]

Away from the question, but I find with some of these answers I am surprised nobody has jumped on the response. I've read quite a few threads about food poisoning on here, and the response is usually 'it couldn't have been that - food poisoning takes at least 6 hours to kick in'. However, on this thread nobody seems to be blinking an eye when as with the last post, image was completely dehydrated within 30 minutes.

We need Dr.Mike or someone similar to comment via their education. I know that amoebic dysentery can lay you low within a half hour, but that's from water, ice, soups etc. We've all seen the reports about Thai school kids and bad milk, it hits them during class right after lunch.

I don't think E. coli and similar work that fast, but again as many have said......everyone's system is different and for some bad things may wait until the substance reaches the large intestine...and for some much earlier in the digestive track. Pete

EDIT: From some reading I think that amoebic dysentery killed more Brits and others on the WWII Burma railway than anything else. Total dehydration with no introduction of fluids, and subsequent organ failure.

In turn, if you go to a hospital with a complaint where they need to observe you, even if they just put you on a cot in the outpatient area, they'll start a saline IV. They have no clue what's wrong with you then, but saline is never a bad thing, I don't think. If you have been spouting ffrom both ends due to whatever you drank or ate, it can be a life saving thing to combat dehydration.

[Khundon1975]

I can definately pin it down to a hotdog from a Jet station, many courses of anti biotics, but it stayed with me for months

Think I'd have thrown it straight away Don, or was you keeping it for possible evidence in court

Welcome back by the way, not seen oyu on here much lately

SJ

Hi SJ

Yes I should have thrown it away but I'm a greedy bastard and I was very hungry.

BIG MISTAKE.

We were driving down to Prachuap Khiri Khan to look at some land, in FIL brand new Beemer M6 and I almost spoilt his new leather interior but he pulled over and I nipped into a building site to drop off my excess baggage.

Not been on much, as we always planned to spend 4.5 years travelling with our son, as when he starts school we will be restricted to when he has school hols. 2.5 years to go and he has already been to 9 countries