Diarrhoea-hit family get Bt40,000 hospital bill after eating at “fine-dining” restaurant

[DrTuner]

The "high dining" places I've been to in Thailand haven't been much to write home about. Mostly visual pomp and not much taste. I guess for Thais that's the idea. I go to find exceptional flavors.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 hour ago, nausea said:

Sea food is always a gamble in Thailand; the one time I had food poisoning here was after eating oysters at an open air restaurant in Soi 7, Sukumvit. Steered away from oysters ever since, some kind of Pavlovian response. No 40,000bt bill though, retreated to my hotel room and sent the SO out to pick up some stuff from the local pharmacy - throwing up and <deleted>ting became my lifestyle for a couple of days. It's a good way to bond though, when you're like dependent on another person, kind of reversal of roles, weird as that might seem. Ah, the good old days. 

 So that's how you picked your TVF user ID then???  

[Bobobirdiebuddy]

Ah, someday, in a faraway land, we'll be able to find out the name of the restaurant and the name of the hospital.  But not in this lifetime..

[time2093]

As stool sample will get to the bottom of this mystery.

[Old Croc]

I cant understand why anyone would go to a classy restaurant and order a meal of sea urchin gonads and bait fish that have to be imported all the way from Antarctica to a tropical country that doesn't fully comprehend proper food preservation.

I've stood on urchins on a reef and copped spikes that went right through my Japanese safety boots, very painful. 

 

 

Edited July 30, 2020 by Old Croc

[kcpattaya]

They can "claim or say" whatever.
I praise the (Japanese?) restaurant for not giving in.
They probably had a somtum (Papaya salad) on their way home...

Then again, who would eat sea urchin on a chef's table?

 

u

[Snackbar]

Friend was scratched by her own cat and spent time everyday at the hospital to get her dressing changed.

 

That was it for me, don’t need idiots like that in my life. She gone.

[British Bulldog]

Did they get the Diarrhea BEFORE or after they got the Bill ? ???? ..... sorry, I couldn't resist that one !

[Emdog]

Hope it is okay to suggest an alternative to immodium etc. This stuff was suggested to me by some roller derby women at the Ambassador in 84: Lee Buan Soa "fishing pills". Gets rid of those knife in the gut feelings, seems to slow the flow. Cheap, widely available all over Thailand. I never travel without it. Ingredients Peppermint, Clove, Menthol, Cinnamon, Glycyrrhiza, Creosote and Belladonna

Works for me. Keep it in medicine chest & never travel without some

[Percy P]

2 hours ago, pixelaoffy said:

Sea food in Thai restaurants in Bangkok.   Leathal 

Most  seafood itrems are  produced on inland farming.

[OneMoreFarang]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

had eaten dishes, including sea urchin and capelin

Maybe they took some of those sea urchins home and eat them a couple of hours later. A bad idea!

 

Sometimes I see here at fresh markets or in food courts sushi - at least it looks like sushi. And often it's "fresh" without any visible cooling.

I always wonder how people can eat that without getting sick.

[vermin on arrival]

2 hours ago, scammed said:

ime, it takes antibiotic to kill off the bacteria, immodium could well make it worse

Yeah, I had a case of dysentery 22 years ago that came from using immodium instead of antibiotics for what was a bacterial infection. I had thought it was just a little bit of stomach upset, but I was new to SeAsia at the time and unused to the local bacteria then. The immodium kept the bacteria instead to multiply and made me extremely ill; it would have been much better if I allowed my body to clean things out.. Before I made it to the hospital I was <deleted>ting blood. I spent two nights in bumrungrad with an iv drip, etc. Thankfully 22 years ago bumrungrad was much cheaper than today.

[DrTuner]

20 minutes ago, Snackbar said:

Friend was scratched by her own cat and spent time everyday at the hospital to get her dressing changed.

 

That was it for me, don’t need idiots like that in my life. She gone.

In a case of not following instructions to the I, if you get a secondary infection, some dodgy insurance companies might start yapping. So if it's covered, better safe than sorry.

[rott]

2 hours ago, thequietman said:

Cannot. ????

Is this because of section 330 Thailand Criminal Code (re defamation) which in certain cases does not allow truth/accuracy as a defence. 

[nauseus]

2 hours ago, nausea said:

Sea food is always a gamble in Thailand; the one time I had food poisoning here was after eating oysters at an open air restaurant in Soi 7, Sukumvit. Steered away from oysters ever since, some kind of Pavlovian response. No 40,000bt bill though, retreated to my hotel room and sent the SO out to pick up some stuff from the local pharmacy - throwing up and <deleted>ting became my lifestyle for a couple of days. It's a good way to bond though, when you're like dependent on another person, kind of reversal of roles, weird as that might seem. Ah, the good old days. 

Both ends sounds like salmonella. Only time I threw up and crapped myself at the same time. Had to choose what went in the toilet. Horrible.

[Bender Rodriguez]

free hospital for thais

 

charcoal tablets = 25 baht for 10 pills

 

 

[Bender Rodriguez]

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Or they could have purchased a packet of Loperamide (Imodium) for 20bht.

when you have the runs, it is for a REASON

 

you should not stop that with a pill that give you artificial constipation

 

but that is how MD's think in general ...

 

this being thailand, probably got a bag of ANTIBIOTICS also, which off course, will only worsen the runs

[newnative]

Walk it off.  The medical bill would have been $40,000 in the US.

[CLW]

Their fault for using a private hospital in the hope the restaurant would cover the costs....

[JeffersLos]

When eating at a Thai restaurant, remember that Thai bathroom sinks could still be in their original wrapping. 

 

Clean their ars3, go to the mirror to fix their hair and pop a spot, then back to the kitchen to prepare your food. 

[geisha]

I’ve had food poisoning twice. Once really bad , seafood. I was  ill ,passed out on the floor at home, lasted 3 days.My friends had the runs but not so bad. The second time was years later, shared a prawn dish, I was the only one ill. In these times of Covid and less people eating in restaurants , it’s best to be very careful where and what you eat. I’ve often seen Thai restaurants display their seafood , then putting it back in the ice end of a hot evening. Serve yourself sushi , wow, all those people using the serving tongs and breathing over them, ugh ! 

[saminoz]

The point of the story may just be ........ the story.

As an earlier poster said, the word will get around amongst the HiSos and the business is in trouble, at least for a while.

[Burma Bill]

2 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

fish belong in the water not in yer guts

I take it you are not a fan of fish & chips?

[Burma Bill]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

had to shell out Bt40,000 for hospital treatment.

I bet when they got this bill, the ......... really did hit the fan!!

[smew]

human nature: when sick and suffering money does not come into consideration until after you get better.. 

Whenever experienced food issues iit was always with 6-9 hrs after eating: restaurant is the culprit.. 3 out of 3 got sick.. no room for error on this statistic  

[malibukid]

happen to me as a newbie.  one night private room at private hospital with IV 3000 baht.  right as rain in the morning. 

Edited July 30, 2020 by malibukid

[xtrnuno41]

OK , can happen. But running to hospital immediately? Once had it in Phuket.

Nice looking restaurant, eating oysters. my wife had the same. Only I got sick, runs , feeling real low in energy.

However carried on, i think i had Imodium. Took one day, feeling low and having runs. 

This year had those green clams from the market, boiled on the spot. No problems.

But im aware Thailand could handle their food better. Go to Makro and you see meat dripping in ice water, just out in the open.

[baansgr]

2 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

Never happened to me but then not eaten this muck for 48 years, fish belong in the water not in yer guts ????

And cows in the fields, chickens in the pens and veggies in the ground...what do you eat

[ukrules]

Short lived quick onset - it's almost always the rice.

 

There's two variants of 'b cereus', one makes you puke and it generally happens quickly like within 1 to 2 hours after eating and the other type gives you diarrhoea after 6 or more hours. The puking (emetic) variety is much more common based on my experience.

 

If you ever walk out of a restaurant and almost immediately throw up your entire dinner - this is what caused it.

 

It's the most common type of food poisoning in the world, all it needs is rice kept out of the fridge for a while and the toxins form. Once the toxins are there then that's it - your fate is sealed. Doesn't matter how much you reheat it, etc - it's still there.

 

In this scenario they suggest taking activated charcoal capsules and drinking rehydration sachets mixed with water then just waiting. I would only take imodium if I needed to do something or go somewhere where there's no toilet available - like get in the car and drive for 5 hours, that kind of thing.

Edited July 30, 2020 by ukrules

[yankyoakum]

Through hard knocks (or quick trots) learned long ago Charcoal pills, was given them in India in 1986, when you have ingested a toxic/nasty substance you want to absorb it and get it out.. immodium and Lomatil, are to stop the flow..bad idea, remove the toxins.. Large amounts of water and charcoal pills... Vet gave them to my dog when she ate rat poison.. She lasted 6 more years...Also great if you have diverticulitis bouts... can take up to 20 a day and I usually take 5 at a time 4 times daily... Not sure where to buy here, I'm down to my last bottle from USA but somewhere here has them...