Just now, gejohesch said:

Thanks! I know Pla Raa, of course, having been around Thailand for so many years. I just did not know "fermented" would be equated with "raw".

 

Personally, I find it totally disgusting, especially the smell. I see everyone in the villages in Isan eating that stuff all the time (added to the food when cooking), but I have forbidden my wife to use it in any food she would cook for me.

 

Reminds me a few years back, traveling around Sakhon Nakhon, we stopped by a market in the country side. People were selling a sauce from a drum that contained easily 50 litres of it: it looked like <deleted> mixed with vomit, smelled like it and probably tasted like it. That was probably a local version of Pla Raa. For the life of me, I cannot understand how people can like that thing in their food!

 

Someone asked above what was typical Isaan food. Maybe P(l)a Râa (the "l" is not pronounced by Isaan people) is one of the most typical ingredients that come to mind?

Maybe it's been said already, but constipation is just a symptom of some other underlying problem.  It could be a number of things.  Figure that out and you'll end your constipation. 

21 hours ago, Magictoad said:

The above recommendation of regular fruits in the diet combined with Forlax in a pint of water once a night; but if the the problem is severe and needs fast action then Hepalac syrup will unblock a person within 48 hours.  Both these two are taken orally (by mouth). However, another common alternative is suppositories; Glycerin suppositories. 

 

 

where to get the suppositories? can only find them in Boots in UK

Gorge on papayas and dragon fruits!

 

I noticed fruits were no easy to come by in Isaan though. Many markets didn't have any. Had to drive all the way to the nearest Big C or Lotus.

 

Some people develop serious constipation as they get older because they never got into the habit of eating fruits and greens while they were younger and didn't suffer from any constipation.

You should try to eat light food and by light food I mean less meat, because then your bowel movements will be softer and fewer hemorrhoids will form. I had the same problem, but after I changed my diet, my problem improved. One way to remove hemorrhoids is to have them clamped by the doctor, but I didn't let it get that far. Thai food is very meat-heavy, but there are also many alternatives...

Eat  a bit of street food,

and  you will be sorted PDQ.