Any tips on how to not get sick in Thailand

[Bonobojt]

I will be back in Bangkok this week, my last 2 visits I’ve ended up getting sick and going to the hospital,  well this time I don’t want that to happen and I want to be smart and think ahead, keep my immune system strong and stuff

im thinking of buying apple cider vinegar and drinking that in water in the morning 

 

maybe will buy a herbal tea like green tea or ginger tea

 

only eat food I’ve seen freshly cooked

 

exercise, little alcohol

 

Though I’m looking for tips on what you do to stay healthy and not get sick ?

[stud858]

Poor hygiene in most places.

I cook myself and buy meat early in the day at food land or big c.

Fresh veg.

Be careful what drinks your accepting.

Be wary of cutlery and glasses.

Use alcohol wipes.

If the place your eating at looks clean then risk it. Otherwise..walk away .

Stay away from seafood at restaurants.

[Ebumbu]

Sick with what? 

[Rally123]

Cover all cuts and scratches immediately in toothpaste. And leave it on.

[FritsSikkink]

Maybe stop thinking about all the things you think you have (STD, parasites in your stomach) and just start living. 

[shadowofacloud]

Sick as in gastrointestinal troubles? Cold/inflammations in the throat/tonsils? Something more serious?

[Sheryl]

Not what you are asking for, but:

 

From your posting history you seem to have somatization disorder which is a type of anxiety disorder. In which case no amount of health precautions are going to help. I strongly suggest you see a good psychologist to address the underlying anxiety and help you stop being so hypervigilant about physical sensations and minor ailments

[maxisrael]

Maybe better stay home....................?

[tagalong]

I am 80 y o....I've lived here for 20 years n do not get sick..(touch wood)...?

I av been drinking pure lemon juice or lime juice from frozen pks half cup every 3 days...

 

If I get a slight touch of the sniffles / cold, I take eucalyptus oil equal to 2 eye drops of, with sugar in a teaspoon..

The sugar drowns out the eq taste..Old bush remedy from my farming days in OZ ..Been doing this from when I was 7 years old...

 

I got caught on street food 15 years ago n never touched it since..Always buy from big stores now where one can see it is clean in preparation...

From what I av seen on street food over the years would turn ones stomach...

[mommysboy]

Stay cool, or as cool as possible.  Don't overstretch yourself.  Good sleep.  Light exercise at a clean gym.  Avoid alcohol (and smoking). Don't go nutty with your diet- a Big Mac won't give you food poisoning.  For extra fibre: eat bananas and there are some whole grain cereals on sale even in 7/11.

[mommysboy]

29 minutes ago, maxisrael said:

Maybe better stay home....................?

The very best piece of advice so far. 

[themerg]

Don't drink public water.

For diarrhea, which I had, here are 3 advices.  Number 1-- Get and keep a supply of all medicines you were given at the hospital.  Number2-- Have the doctor give you a 10-day supply of medications. Thais are smaller people, the normal prescription is 5 days.   Number 3-- Go to a hospital, you will most likely need an IV bag of of Vitamin B complex.

Thai hospitals are very inexpensive. I went to Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai emergency room for diarrhea, it cost me 3, 360 Thai Baht ($100.00 US) with medicines included, and they billed me for 15 days later. In the USA, this would have cost $600.00. I was feeling better and able to travel in 3 hours on a already scheduled trip to Mon Jam.

[Nyezhov]

[worgeordie]

Buy a effective hazard suit,with its own air supply,don't eat

or drink anything,and I am sure you will be 100 % OK,........

for a while anyway, it must not be easy been a hypochondriac

and visiting Thailand, 

 

regards Worgeordie

[Catoni]

My first trip to Thailand, four months in Chiang Mai and to tribal villages northwest of Chiang Dao, I made sure all my regular and travel vaccinations were up to date. AND I took two doses of DUKORAL oral cholera and e.coli traveler’s diarrhea vaccine. I pretty well lived on street food, including salads, lots of drinks with ice. Spent days with my Thai friends in mountain villages that tourists never see. I was the only westerner in those villages at the time and ate and slept in village homes and half the time had no idea what I was eating, but I did see the pig slaughtered for a big dinner. 

I NEVER got sick.

    Same with two months in Siem Reap and surrounding villages last year, I did the two doses of DUKORAL before arriving in Cambodia. Again lived on street food or at tiny restaurants that local Cambodians eat at, and meals with a poverty stricken family in a village. NEVER got sick. 

     Some other travelers I met had tried the vinegar and other natural immunity things, and they spent days sicker than a dog. One woman ended up getting help at a hospital. Vomiting and bad diarrhea, losing it out both ends. She felt horrible, and lost several days due to sickness. Oh well. They said they don’t trust vaccines. 

     If you can’t get DUKORAL in your country, (I get it in Canada) , then in Bangkok get Dukoral at the Travel medical clinic at the tropical disease section of Mahidol University in Bangkok

https://www.thaitravelclinic.com/

Two big trips to Southeast Asia, even in isolated villages, NEVER SICK. I’m a 66 year old Canadian. Yes, I believe in vaccines, including DUKORAL oral vaccine. 

Google Dukoral for more information. I’m very happy with it. 

Don’t drink the tap water. And don’t brush your teeth with tap water. It’s okay to shower with it. I buy bottled water or use the water machines in Thailand for drinking and brushing teeth. Same in Cambodia, but I didn’t see water dispensing machines in Siem Reap. 

[soistalker]

After showering and brushing your teeth, rinse your mouth with bottled water. Cook everything at home. Cook chicken as it doesn't go bad as quickly as meat or pork. I like Stud858's idea to buy the chicken early in the morning at Big C or Tesco Lotus where I go. It is always out in the open for people to sneeze or cough on. Or go to Makro.  Seems to be a high turnover of meat. 

I go to two different street food venders, usually taking home 5 or 6 bags of food. Then heat them up in the microwave when hungry. As I said, I only go to those two places, and they haven't let me down yet.

[Catoni]

42 minutes ago, tagalong said:

I am 80 y o....I've lived here for 20 years n do not get sick..(touch wood)...?

I av been drinking pure lemon juice or lime juice from frozen pks half cup every 3 days...

 

If I get a slight touch of the sniffles / cold, I take eucalyptus oil equal to 2 eye drops of, with sugar in a teaspoon..

The sugar drowns out the eq taste..Old bush remedy from my farming days in OZ ..Been doing this from when I was 7 years old...

 

I got caught on street food 15 years ago n never touched it since..Always buy from big stores now where one can see it is clean in preparation...

From what I av seen on street food over the years would turn ones stomach...

According to research, if you permanently move to another part of the world, it takes your body about seven years to adjust to the local “bugs” (bacteria etc.) in the local food and water. 

[Pilotman]

I am always at my healthiest in Thailand, so I don't see what the issue is.  Sensible precautions, such as drinking only bottled water,  keeping hands clean etc are what I do at home,  so I live no differently here.  Stop worrying is the best advice I can give you.  

[Pilotman]

2 minutes ago, Catoni said:

According to research, if you permanently move to another part of the world, it takes your body about seven years to adjust to the local “bugs” (bacteria etc.) in the local food and water. 

Sounds like BS to me.   

[Catoni]

2 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

Sounds like BS to me.   

 

2 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

Sounds like BS to me.   

I’m sure you’re much smarter than doctors and scientists and researchers. Please share your wisdom with us. Can I get your autograph? 

[dotpoom]

Myself and many aquaintances do not have this problem. We eat at stalls etc., and do not take any particular precautions. 

  It appears it is a medical situation you may have and making enquiries with a doctor might be a good idea.

  Possibly an allergy of some description. As the say..."ask the experts"... Go see the doc.

 

[jgarbo]

17 hours ago, stud858 said:

Poor hygiene in most places.

I cook myself and buy meat early in the day at food land or big c.

Fresh veg.

Be careful what drinks your accepting.

Be wary of cutlery and glasses.

Use alcohol wipes.

If the place your eating at looks clean then risk it. Otherwise..walk away .

Stay away from seafood at restaurants.

Easy really. Don't eat, don't drink, don't move. Meditate. Enjoy your stay.

[murraynz]

16 hours ago, shadowofacloud said:

Sick as in gastrointestinal troubles? Cold/inflammations in the throat/tonsils? Something more serious?

i  visited thailand many times, before moving here--only once been sick -from eating fish {too much sweetn sour sauce}.

occasionaly get head colds..this is from  aircond---dont need aircond in my condo-problem solved.

it  should be easy to live a healthy life in thailand

[Saraphee]

I do not eat street food, but do drink water from my own bore and filtered. Those are my only precautions and I not had a day's sickness in 15 years living here.

[geriatrickid]

Easy and low cost way to prevent most communicable  illnesses like a cold;

1. Wash hands regularly. Do it with vigor and for  30 seconds or more. Do not touch public faucets, towels  etc. after doing so.

2. Stop touching mouth and nose. Stop rubbing eyes.

3. Stand clear of the  hackers, coughers and sneezers.

4. Wai, don't shake hands.

[Autonuaq]

Not becoming sick in Thailand is just not go to Thailand.

 

Moat things take time to popup. You may catch it in the way travling to Thailand. Or take ot from home.

 

Just avoid Thailand i am sure that you never will get sick in Thailand.

 

For the rst you can become sick anywere. The concerns you have have them also at home.

 

Please find some help to make understand the issues that you think that are only in Thailand. They are everywhere.

 

I have never been sick in Thailand and do eat also 'street food and street drinks'.

 

Some people are more sensitive then others. We have to accept that.

[jkcjag]

...lived in Bangkok 20 years; had occasional flu, but much less frequent than in UK or Oz...take the usual same medicine for relief of symptoms as anywhere else. I never drink tap water, but always cleaned teeth with it. After one bout of food poisoning from grilled chicken from a street market that looked and tasted delicious, and where there was a long queue at the counter, I never eat street food. Never had any vaccines. You mention "only eat food that you've seen freshly cooked"...you cannot easily do that if you eat in most restaurants, where you basically trust the kitchen...as in any country. The only food you can "see" being cooked is street food, and you don't know how it was treated before arriving in the street. Buying fresh food to cook from supermarkets...Tescos, TOPs, Villa, Big C, Foodland... is the norm in big towns, as in many other countries. You seem overly concerned...use common sense (BTW, What prompts you to think that apple cider vinegar or herbal tea is of any benefit in preventing any illness at all? If it were, then I'm sure medical science world wide would be very interested in this).

[soistalker]

54 minutes ago, geriatrickid said:

Easy and low cost way to prevent most communicable  illnesses like a cold;

1. Wash hands regularly. Do it with vigor and for  30 seconds or more. Do not touch public faucets, towels  etc. after doing so.

2. Stop touching mouth and nose. Stop rubbing eyes.

3. Stand clear of the  hackers, coughers and sneezers.

4. Wai, don't shake hands.

This guy just won the thread.

[Ajvat37]

Check out Grapefruit Seed Extract.  You just put some in your water daily.  I’ve had family friends come out here for a few weeks, a family with three boys and they used it the entire time, didn’t have any gut issues.

[Krataiboy]

Avoid people.