Salted to Death on Thai Food - Starved of it on Western...

[Lewie London]

You know what’s been windin’ me right up lately? The salt situation in this country. Thai food, right, it’s like sodium on steroids, yeah. You get a plate of stir-fried anything in the land of smiles and by the time you finish it you’ve aged three years and your kidneys are writing formal complaints. Fish sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, MSG, they chuck the lot in like they’re tryin’ to embalm you. One bowl of noodles and you’re basically halfway to becoming jerky. Lovely grub, don’t get me wrong, but FFS, I can feel me arteries crispin’ up like pork cracklin’.

 

But then, and here’s where it gets proper backwards, the minute a Thai chef has a go at Western food, suddenly salt’s this terrifying dark magic. Mental innit. It’s like they think we season our chips with plutonium. You order a plate of spaghetti or a bit of grilled chicken and it comes out like someone rinsed it in bath water. No seasoning, no flavour, just vibes and disappointment. And if you dare put a bit of salt on it, suddenly you’re the one with the problem. “Oh-ho, farang eat too salty na.” Do me a favour. I’ve had soups here that could dehydrate a camel, but I’m the savage because I want my mashed potatoes to taste like something other than boiled regret.

 

It’s like they’ve got two switches, full throttle sodium overload with fish sauce and sugar, or absolute flavour-free zone if it’s Western. No middle ground. And don’t even get me started on Italian food. I saw a Thai bloke once put ketchup on a carbonara and tell me it was too salty. Brother, you’ve been eating minging fermented fish for breakfast, but parmesan’s too much for you?

 

I love this place, I really do. But someone needs to sit these people down and explain: salt ain’t the enemy, mate. Western food without salt is just depression on a plate. Give it a shake. Live a little. If I wanted bland, I’d go visit me auntie Brenda in Croydon and eat her meatloaf for Sunday dinner.

 

Right. Rant over. Pass the crisps. Proper salted ones, yeah mates. 

[hotsun]

Yeah my wife cooks for me otherwise i would be nearly dead

[Gandtee]

I got a rollicking from the missus last night because I asked for fish sauce to spark up my Sator nut stinky beans. "I worry about your kidneys!" I'm 91! A bit late to worry about kidneys? I want to die happy. Not miserable, worrying about my kidneys. Why are my feet swelling?

[Lacessit]

9 minutes ago, Gandtee said:

I got a rollicking from the missus last night because I asked for fish sauce to spark up my Sator nut stinky beans. "I worry about your kidneys!" I'm 91! A bit late to worry about kidneys? I want to die happy. Not miserable, worrying about my kidneys. Why are my feet swelling?

You have edema. See a cardiologist.

[Lacessit]

There there Lewie. Just import a cold pork pie and a warm beer, and your taste buds can vegetate just as if you were in old Blighty.

[Quentin Zen]

soil is poisoned.  plastics on everything.   pollution dust and whatever permeates everything.  nothing can be organic.  it's impossible.  

 

once, in 1989, I went to an orchard and picked some apples.   I later checked the fertilizer and it was synthetic.  I came soo close that time.

 

there are 10 trillion pesticide molecules within every square meter.

 

just eat whatever you want and exercise.  genetics might play a bigger role.   eating too much will kill you.  drink water.  sleep.   salt is not the root of our problems.  it's eating 100 bags of chips (American word) and watching TikTok while riding your motorbike 10 meters to 7-11 to buy  beer.  

 

 

 

 

[proton]

Tomorrows edition of post bait- bum guns are they a good thing? 🥲

[josephbloggs]

50 minutes ago, proton said:

Tomorrows edition of post bait- bum guns are they a good thing? 🥲

Is there a way to get this forum removed from posts that show up in "unread"? That would be amazing.

I have to scroll past 3-4 posters' absolute tripe constantly and probably miss good threads because my feed is clogged up with this inane rubbish. (And yes, I know it is not 3-4 posters but probably one, maybe two, just many aliases).

[bunnydrops]

4 hours ago, Lacessit said:

You have edema. See a cardiologist.

They will just tell him to lay off the salt. He is 91, He made it this far, let him enjoy the next 10 or so years.

[Lacessit]

45 minutes ago, bunnydrops said:

They will just tell him to lay off the salt. He is 91, He made it this far, let him enjoy the next 10 or so years.

The other option is they will prescribe a diuretic.

 

Worked very well with me.

[Gandtee]

1 hour ago, bunnydrops said:

They will just tell him to lay off the salt. He is 91, He made it this far, let him enjoy the next 10 or so years.

A sensible answer. But 10 or so? I hope not. But who knows?

[bunnydrops]

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

The other option is they will prescribe a diuretic.

 

Worked very well with me.

I am sure you are not over 90 years old. Old age and disabilities go hand in hand. 98% of all people in their 90s who lived in a nursing home had a disability and 81% of people in their 90s who did not live in a nursing home also had one or more disabilities. Many who never thought they would live so long have run out their savings. When you are a young lad of 80, it may be well and good to squeeze out another day so you can worry about squeezing out another. A time comes when you can stop worrying about tomorrow.

[mikebell]

Some more great imagery.

[KhaoHom]

Yawn..

 

You can hardly customize any order of food in Thailand.

 

Very simple to ask for no salt / MSG, sugar or whatever

 

Hard fail

[geisha]

I always ask for no sugar in my stir fried meals. No problem.

[zz4096]

Loadabollix

[Formaleins]

On 6/20/2025 at 3:39 PM, Lewie London said:

You know what’s been windin’ me right up lately? The salt situation in this country. Thai food, right, it’s like sodium on steroids, yeah. You get a plate of stir-fried anything in the land of smiles and by the time you finish it you’ve aged three years and your kidneys are writing formal complaints. Fish sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, MSG, they chuck the lot in like they’re tryin’ to embalm you. One bowl of noodles and you’re basically halfway to becoming jerky. Lovely grub, don’t get me wrong, but FFS, I can feel me arteries crispin’ up like pork cracklin’.

 

But then, and here’s where it gets proper backwards, the minute a Thai chef has a go at Western food, suddenly salt’s this terrifying dark magic. Mental innit. It’s like they think we season our chips with plutonium. You order a plate of spaghetti or a bit of grilled chicken and it comes out like someone rinsed it in bath water. No seasoning, no flavour, just vibes and disappointment. And if you dare put a bit of salt on it, suddenly you’re the one with the problem. “Oh-ho, farang eat too salty na.” Do me a favour. I’ve had soups here that could dehydrate a camel, but I’m the savage because I want my mashed potatoes to taste like something other than boiled regret.

 

It’s like they’ve got two switches, full throttle sodium overload with fish sauce and sugar, or absolute flavour-free zone if it’s Western. No middle ground. And don’t even get me started on Italian food. I saw a Thai bloke once put ketchup on a carbonara and tell me it was too salty. Brother, you’ve been eating minging fermented fish for breakfast, but parmesan’s too much for you?

 

I love this place, I really do. But someone needs to sit these people down and explain: salt ain’t the enemy, mate. Western food without salt is just depression on a plate. Give it a shake. Live a little. If I wanted bland, I’d go visit me auntie Brenda in Croydon and eat her meatloaf for Sunday dinner.

 

Right. Rant over. Pass the crisps. Proper salted ones, yeah mates. 

Where are you buying your salty food? I'd love some, I am sick to death of bloody sugar in everything!

[OneManShow]

Forgot to mention "sugar" 🤔

[peter48]

On 6/20/2025 at 10:31 AM, Lacessit said:

You have edema. See a cardiologist.

Is it common for over 75's farangs to have swollen feet only in Thailand not UK. I did at Songkran when over & temps were very high. I got water tablets but they were not a great solution although the 3rd Pharmacist gave me some better ones to take. Likely I need to talk to my GP before coming over for several weeks next month etc.?   My bedroom had no air con but very big fan. Thanks  

[Lacessit]

15 minutes ago, peter48 said:

Is it common for over 75's farangs to have swollen feet only in Thailand not UK. I did at Songkran when over & temps were very high. I got water tablets but they were not a great solution although the 3rd Pharmacist gave me some better ones to take. Likely I need to talk to my GP before coming over for several weeks next month etc.?   My bedroom had no air con but very big fan. Thanks  

Heat edema is more common in the elderly. It can also be related to cardiac insufficiency.

 

I sleep with my feet elevated on a bolster, to help shrinkage. It works most of the time.

 

If I feel it is getting out of hand, I take a course of a half dose of Moduretic for four days, which has me back in shape for 1-2 weeks.

[still kicking]

On 6/20/2025 at 8:48 PM, josephbloggs said:

Is there a way to get this forum removed from posts that show up in "unread"? That would be amazing.

I have to scroll past 3-4 posters' absolute tripe constantly and probably miss good threads because my feed is clogged up with this inane rubbish. (And yes, I know it is not 3-4 posters but probably one, maybe two, just many aliases).

You're talking about Bob?