Food Poisoning

[jeebusjones]

After almost three years in Thailand, today I have my first real case of food poisoning. I feel terrible, and I know exactly what caused it. Just thinking about that dodgy "kow moo yang" I ate lastnight makes me sick.

Looks like I'll be spending the day in bed recovering.

Anyway, in my experience food poisoning is suprisingly low here. A few months ago, my girlfriend had a bad case and had to spend the day in the hospital with an IV. But aside from that, I haven't really seen a serious case, until today.

What do you think? Has it happened to you, and how often?

[Crossy]

Never really serious hospital stuff, but my tally below:-

Never in Thailand

Twice in Korea (same restaurant, Brain here went back to make sure it was really the iffy fried chicken, it was).

Once in Malaysia although I suspect the quantity of beer consumed with the food had an effect.

And (not surprisingly), bl00dy continuously here in Delhi

[Farma]

In 20 plus years I’ve had 2 cases I would call food poisoning. Both were in Malaysia years ago and both were after eating western food.

I still get the occasional dose of the squirts but put that down to excessive beer consumption.

[teacup]

Nothing major for me so far

Beside a pic of hubby’s hansum face ,..... I always make sure to have also a few anti-diarrhea tablets and anti-bacteria wipes in my bag anywhere I go, just in case

[v8tfcorty]

depnding on how many beers ive consumed in the evening but ive had 'food poisoning' 3 times in the last 7 months.

makes for a great excuse to pull a sickie esp living in thailand my poor falang belly cant take the food lmao

[jackmuu]

Every time we leave Bangkok to have a relaxing couple of days in Pattays.

[kmart]

Never really serious hospital stuff, but my tally below:-

Never in Thailand

Twice in Korea (same restaurant, Brain here went back to make sure it was really the iffy fried chicken, it was).

Once in Malaysia although I suspect the quantity of beer consumed with the food had an effect.

And (not surprisingly), bl00dy continuously here in Delhi

Never been sicker than in Calcutta, India.... I had to finish my contract early there. Sh#thole of a place, imo.

Last time I had genuine food poisoning here was after eating a filet mignon steak at some BBQ restaurant, around four months ago. Probably the bacon wrapping.....

Was in hospital for two days. Lost a few kilos too.

[gbt71fa]

After almost three years in Thailand, today I have my first real case of food poisoning. I feel terrible, and I know exactly what caused it. Just thinking about that dodgy "kow moo yang" I ate lastnight makes me sick.

Looks like I'll be spending the day in bed recovering.

Anyway, in my experience food poisoning is suprisingly low here. A few months ago, my girlfriend had a bad case and had to spend the day in the hospital with an IV. But aside from that, I haven't really seen a serious case, until today.

What do you think? Has it happened to you, and how often?

I have had massive food posioning (horrible body aches and frequent trips to the toliet) three times here. Twice were related to a local Pizza Company establishment...which is why I do not go there anymore. Probably that darn salad bar....nasty bit of business that.

[correct]

only had food poisoning once in Thailand and that was dirty falang food at a dirty falang restaurant which i won't name.

[Fred Sanford]

at least 5 times in 5 years. I stopped eating out period. all my food is supermarket fresh now

[Crossy]

at least 5 times in 5 years. I stopped eating out period. all my food is supermarket fresh now

Isn't using the words "supermarket" and "fresh" in the same sentence an oxymoron??

Much fresher in the wet markets, the meat was probably wandering around a few hours before, the chickens the Missus buys are very "fresh" (still moving), to quote the little lovely "dead one not fresh"

Edited May 24, 2007 by Crossy

[kmart]

at least 5 times in 5 years. I stopped eating out period. all my food is supermarket fresh now

I wouldn't go that far. A good guide to eating out anywhere is usually the number of people dining there already. A popular place will have a lot or repeat customers and a high turnover of stock (foodstuffs) which is some guarantee of quality, freshness, and hygiene. I'm always wary of restaurants that have massive variety of menu selections, and open, buffet-type themes. Someone mentioned salad bars above, and I don't like open food displays that people gawp, dribble, breathe, pick at, and generally fart around with; before I've even joined the queue.

[vegas]

I've been hospitalized once in 12 years in Thailand after eating a salmon burger at Calico Jacks (now gone) at Major Ekkamai. When I went back to complain, the staff thought it was pretty funny until I pulled out the bill from Samitivej (who were fantastic) and asked them to pay. The manager then emerged, sympathised but said he wasn't going to pay. That was over 6 years ago and I do recall reading in another forum that someone else got sick there as well. Thais do not understand that you cannot refrost then re-freeze seafood.

[Travel2003]

After almost three years in Thailand, today I have my first real case of food poisoning. I feel terrible, and I know exactly what caused it. Just thinking about that dodgy "kow moo yang" I ate lastnight makes me sick.

Looks like I'll be spending the day in bed recovering.

Anyway, in my experience food poisoning is suprisingly low here. A few months ago, my girlfriend had a bad case and had to spend the day in the hospital with an IV. But aside from that, I haven't really seen a serious case, until today.

What do you think? Has it happened to you, and how often?

I have had massive food posioning (horrible body aches and frequent trips to the toliet) three times here. Twice were related to a local Pizza Company establishment...which is why I do not go there anymore. Probably that darn salad bar....nasty bit of business that.

Once only, in 7 years.

From pizza. Delivered from one of the big western companies.

Sailor

[boxingbeauty]

I've had one really bad case of food poisoning. It was on Koh Phi Phi (2003). It was in the Viking chicken place ... anyone know it? The boss walked around with a Viking hat on. It's now been moved due to the Tsunami. Anyway, the next day was awful. I don't need to explain the details ... you all know!

I was also ill recently in Koh Phangan. It lingered on for 2 weeks. Maybe I should have starved myself to get rid of the bacteria? Everytime I ate, I felt sick, and every morning I spent time in the bathroom.

I eat a variety of food from all nations, so I like to think that I have quite a strong stomach ... I have some friends that are forever getting a 'Delhi Belly'.

I'm heading to Isaan and Laos soon ... I've heard the food is great ... let's hope all will be good with my stomach.

[peter991]

Almost never in Issan after eating local food. Occasionally in Pattaya or Bangkok after eating western food at buffet breakfast or dinner.

[Travel2003]

The boss walked around with a Viking hat on.

Probably from the "mjød" you had.

;-)

Sailor

[jdinasia]

REAL food poisoning?

only once in Thailand. Had to have 3 IV's and lots of meds.

minor, inconvenient, bothersome stuff? every 3 months for the first year I lived here. After that almost never! maybe once a year and usually when I am away from home.

I would say that having KFC delivered to the house in BKK led to more than one of those inconvenient bothersome episodes.

[aussiestyle1983]

Only once. This is still my first time to come to Thailand and I have been here about 20 months now, but a month after I first arrived, we went to Phuket and I ate some small western style hamburgers from a market stand at the Phuket festival. The grated carrot on the burgers drove my stomach insane! I felt like I was gonna die and I had to ride the 12 hours bus trip back to BKK in 3 hours! The family here took me to the hospital and the Doc gave me some good medicine that blocked me for 3 weeks! Nevertheless, I have never eaten carrots in Thailand since and I never will again and that bus ride back to BKK was the longest and most painfull 12 hours of my life.

Edited May 24, 2007 by aussiestyle1983

[tijnebijn]

I had it a few times,it was at the beginning when i was still travelling around.Now this year I stay In Los for 8 years now and know how to cope now.Even I think after a few years our farang stomachs get used ti it also.

I have not been in stomach pain for at least 4 years.How?

Well first of all I like 'aroi' food,so that menas mostly thai chinese dishes and most especially my wifes cooking

You got to make sure evrything is hot served,and most likely chicken and sauces make you go to the toilet rapidly when not taking a consideration how it is cooked.Anyhow when you are not sure always take a coca cola after,the best working even light coca cola.It really works,cola is rubbish ofcorse but it works to claen coins amazingly and also our stomachs.I think this is the best tip yet.

[jeebusjones]

I would say that having KFC delivered to the house in BKK led to more than one of those inconvenient bothersome episodes.

Yeah I've had some bad experience with delivered KFC as well. Best to stay away from it.

It really works,cola is rubbish ofcorse but it works to claen coins amazingly and also our stomachs.I think this is the best tip yet.

Interesting tip. There may be something to that.

Anyway, I guess it all depends on what you eat and where you eat. The food that made me sick was from a restaurant at Central. I've eaten there a few times before and never had a problem. When my girlfriend had here nasty bout of food poisoning, it was from Black Canyon. Stick to the coffee, don't try the food!

I remember reading about a study in the Bangkok Post a couple of years ago. It found that the restaurants in shopping malls like Central/MBK etc were actually dirtier and more contaminated than the street side stalls. In my experience, I'd have to agree.

[jeebusjones]

...don't be so quick to assume that it was this or that. You'll never know where it really came from in 99.9% of cases.

Proper foodborne illness like Campylobacter (the most common) or Salmonella takes at least 8 hours to have a noticable effect.

That's not actually true. Many foodborne illnesses can be felt within an hour. See here:

Depending on the cause, you may start having symptoms hours to months after you eat contaminated food. The most common types of food poisoning cause symptoms in 30 minutes to 2 days. Some types of food poisoning by shellfish may take only a few minutes to cause symptoms.

(http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/aha/aha_foodpois_crs.htm)

And here:

The common symptoms of food poisoning are nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, diarrhea, and general weakness. Symptoms usually begin within 1 to 24 hours after eating the food.

(http://www.uihealthcare.com/topics/prepareemergencies/prep4918.html)

I also disagree that you won't know where it came from. I know that everyday I don't get sick. I know that on this occasion I ate some rather dodgy looking pork and within a few hours I felt terrible. It's very easy to know exactly where it came from. I knew while I was eating it that I probably shouldn't have done so, but I was too hungry to complain.

Don't suppose you've got a link for that?

Unfortunately no, I don't have a link. But I can tell you it was in the Bangkok Post in November 2004, when I first arrived in Thailand. I should specify that the article was talking about food court food, not restaurants. So yes, boiling water may be the most effective way to prevent foodborne pathogens. But I highly doubt most foodcourt workers are taking the time to carefully clean every dish and cooking utensil with boiling water.

That being said, in this case I was made ill by food from a restaurant, not the food court.

[boxingbeauty]

The boss walked around with a Viking hat on.

Probably from the "mjød" you had.

;-)

Sailor

What does mjod mean?

[cmsally]

A few years back a certain chain of fast food restaurants seemed to cause some bad cases of food poisoning including a friend out from the States and a group of students (one was a friend) and also me. That was last case of food poisoning I had ( not too bad as food was horrible and only took a few bites).

My worst and only other case was cold street food in Agra, boy was that bad.

[Travel2003]

The boss walked around with a Viking hat on.

Probably from the "mjød" you had.

;-)

Sailor

What does mjod mean?

It is the Scandinavian word for Mead, which the Vikings drank.

Sailor

[richard10365]

In over 3 years, I never had food poisioning from food in Thailand.

[aussiestyle1983]

I notice a constant trend in Thailand from Westerners that don't know about food hygiene that they are eager and quick to blame anyone but the real local places.

I've never met a Thai more knowledgeable on hygenic food & eating practises than a Westerner.

The thai cooking staff at the school I work at believe it is in best practise to not rinse of the dish washing liquid after washing the dishes. After tying to talk to them several times, they don't change their practises. They believe that "By leaving the dishwashing liquid on the plates after washing them, it will help clean the food"

I could not stop laughing after hearing that and they still don't understand why I never use their plates, cups, etc. I always bring my own or buy food outside of the school.

[terry57]

Only once. This is still my first time to come to Thailand and I have been here about 20 months now, but a month after I first arrived, we went to Phuket and I ate some small western style hamburgers from a market stand at the Phuket festival. The grated carrot on the burgers drove my stomach insane! I felt like I was gonna die and I had to ride the 12 hours bus trip back to BKK in 3 hours! The family here took me to the hospital and the Doc gave me some good medicine that blocked me for 3 weeks! Nevertheless, I have never eaten carrots in Thailand since and I never will again and that bus ride back to BKK was the longest and most painfull 12 hours of my life.

worst thing you can do is take meds to bung yourself up. only a good idea if its necessary to travel.

best thing to do is let the good time's roll ( in the dunny) and keep very well hydrated.

tends to build a bit of resistance getting a dose of the squirts every now and then.

[aussiestyle1983]

Only once. This is still my first time to come to Thailand and I have been here about 20 months now, but a month after I first arrived, we went to Phuket and I ate some small western style hamburgers from a market stand at the Phuket festival. The grated carrot on the burgers drove my stomach insane! I felt like I was gonna die and I had to ride the 12 hours bus trip back to BKK in 3 hours! The family here took me to the hospital and the Doc gave me some good medicine that blocked me for 3 weeks! Nevertheless, I have never eaten carrots in Thailand since and I never will again and that bus ride back to BKK was the longest and most painfull 12 hours of my life.

worst thing you can do is take meds to bung yourself up. only a good idea if its necessary to travel.

best thing to do is let the good time's roll ( in the dunny) and keep very well hydrated.

tends to build a bit of resistance getting a dose of the squirts every now and then.

I agree with you 100%

But I had to go back with the family, on a 12 hours bus trip (the bus toilet is usually not equipt to handle #2, especially hundered of doses of it) so I had no option. If I was at home, I would have let the good times (and the bad smells) roll...............

[Gary A]

Four times until I narrowed it down to green mussels. No one else got sick, only me. I must have some type of allergy to those things. I have never been sick from a food vendor on the street. I had a mild case from a pizza from an Italian restaurant. It's now out of business. The green mussels are pure poison for me. Within 6 hours I would be naked on the bathroom floor with everything coming out of both ends at the same time.