Is Food Safe In Thailand

[Pierrot]

About two weeks ago a friend of mine living in Shanghai told me they're leaving China because they consider the food there not safe enough for their 3 years old. And it means resigning from a top job in a major international corporation !!

How do you consider the food in Thailand, both the local and the imported one ? Nowadays, they really promote organic farming in Thailand. Do you trust the "organic / made in Thailand " labels ? Or if food safety is one of your top priority would you rather buy imported food?

[Nurse]

I would advise Farangs to bring a packed lunch.

Seriously, I find it very hard to believe that anybody would resign from a Top job with a major Multinational company because of fear of poor food, it sounds unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable.

Sorry, I can't accept it.

Edited June 19, 2009 by Nurse

[sanmiguellight]

About two weeks ago a friend of mine living in Shanghai told me they're leaving China because they consider the food there not safe enough for their 3 years old. And it means resigning from a top job in a major international corporation !!

How do you consider the food in Thailand, both the local and the imported one ? Nowadays, they really promote organic farming in Thailand. Do you trust the "organic / made in Thailand " labels ? Or if food safety is one of your top priority would you rather buy imported food?

I once ate some Thai food but unfortunately got food poisoning and died ....... dont't like to complain about it though .... some you win, some you lose.

[Garry9999]

Thais alway wash their meat & vegetables before cooking & peel they're fruit before eating. - There's a lesson in that.

I wouldn't be too keen on Chinese import food after the recent milk problems.

[LawnGnome]

Thais alway wash their meat & vegetables before cooking & peel they're fruit before eating. - There's a lesson in that.

I wouldn't be too keen on Chinese import food after the recent milk problems.

Americans do to. At least the one's who's heads aren't stuck up their asses. It's 2009 - pesticides produce all your food. Wash it all.

[Pierrot]

I would advise Farangs to bring a packed lunch.

Seriously, I find it very hard to believe that anybody would resign from a Top job with a major Multinational company because of fear of poor food, it sounds unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable.

Sorry, I can't accept it.

A lot of people take into account the well being of their family and loved on when making important decision. Obviously you're not one of them.

For those who care, do you believe that Thailand, as far as food is concerned, is the right place to raise a family ?

Do you think you can trust the labels to give you honest information about the content of what you're going to eat, for local and imported food, same as in you home country ?

Edited June 19, 2009 by Pierrot

[Nurse]

I would advise Farangs to bring a packed lunch.

Seriously, I find it very hard to believe that anybody would resign from a Top job with a major Multinational company because of fear of poor food, it sounds unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable.

Sorry, I can't accept it.

A lot of people take into account the well being of their family and loved on when making important decision. Obviously you're not one of them.

For those who care, do you believe that Thailand, as far as food is concerned, is the right place to raise a family ?

Do you think you can trust the labels to give you honest information about the content of what you're going to eat, for local and imported food, same as in you home country ?

A man with a top job with a multinational resigns because of concerns over food ?

It's laughable.

No, Thailand is not the right place to raise a family, it's terrible, just read the posts on this forum, it must be the worse country in the entire world.

so what are you doing here ?

[DP25]

Only food I import is cheese and wine. And that has nothing to do with safety concerns.

[jackdanielsesq]

If it has a label on it, its prolly processed. You shouldnt be eating anything thats processed anyway. Especially you dont feed kids that stuff.

The fresh food in Thailand is world class. I have never been sick here. Which is more than I can ever say for any western country.

I eat bugs & live food off every cart, everywhere in the world. Even the odd Thai restaurant. Mostly I cook at home. Then I know its good.

Too much very cold Chang beer & Single Barrel will kill ya - but not the fresh food.

Very rare steak and sashimi are known sources of prime protein - again Thailand is famous for both. Simply befriend a good grocer or butcher and fresh fish is avail 24/7.

The China syndrome is inherent in their psyche - it doesnt matter if its lead paint, or plastic laced milk - its simply the way they are. Get out.

BR>Jack

[ratio]

Unfortunately you can get bad food anywhere.We have eaten in 5 star restaurants to trying food on the carts and that in Asian and western countries. It doesn't' matter where you eat, you can get sick eating out of your own kitchen .

[cognos]

Dear Inspector Pierrot: With all due respect..get some of your detectives working on this !! Delegate man.. seriously though ..in Canada they have a program called Food Safe...no shiite..and organic food in Vancouver is coming down in price quickly, almost as cheap as the regular stuff ...go ORGANIC signed: in a good mood..coming to LOS in 7 days to see the wife eh

[Zeid]

Dubai two weeks ago two children brother and sister ate out, died within 36 hours, from food poisoning first child arrived dead at the hospital, the second one died on teh way to er room.

very very sad

[isanb]

I would advise Farangs to bring a packed lunch.

Seriously, I find it very hard to believe that anybody would resign from a Top job with a major Multinational company because of fear of poor food, it sounds unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable.

Sorry, I can't accept it.

A lot of people take into account the well being of their family and loved on when making important decision. Obviously you're not one of them.

For those who care, do you believe that Thailand, as far as food is concerned, is the right place to raise a family ?

Do you think you can trust the labels to give you honest information about the content of what you're going to eat, for local and imported food, same as in you home country ?

I do take into account the well being of my family that's why wherever i am i try to choose the best quality of food i can find but nothing can be 100 % safe even in the western countries.

Don't you think that someone (specialy with a top job) will not be able to afford the best quality of food even in china ?

The only solution for him now is to be farmer in order to produce his own food

[Spee]

How do you consider the food in Thailand, both the local and the imported one ? Nowadays, they really promote organic farming in Thailand. Do you trust the "organic / made in Thailand " labels ? Or if food safety is one of your top priority would you rather buy imported food?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_certification

"avoidance of most synthetic chemical inputs (e.g. fertilizer, pesticides, antibiotics, food additives, etc), genetically modified organisms, irradiation, and the use of sewage sludge;

use of farmland that has been free from chemicals for a number of years (often, three or more);

keeping detailed written production and sales records (audit trail);

maintaining strict physical separation of organic products from non-certified products;

undergoing periodic on-site inspections."

Based upon this Wikipedia definition, I will go out on a limb and speculate that little if any food in Thailand is organically farmed, or that such promotion exists in even modest quantities.

How do you consider the food in Thailand, both the local and the imported one ?

I doubt seriously that I have ever had imported food in Thailand, unless it was some pre-packaged store brand from Tesco-Lotus. As for the local food, I've never had an issue with it, and probably eat healthier and better when I am in country that elsewhere. Much of what we buy and eat comes from the local farmers' markets in Phichit, Taphan Hin and Tap Khlo. Thai food can be fatty because of the oil, but there is such an abundance of fresh vegetables and fruit and of course rice, that it is really hard for me to equate food with being unsafe.

Just my own wrong opinion.

[pattaya_girl]

I absolutely love the raw Prawns with the salad, I just cannot resist eating them, but they always make me so so sick. Yummy

[kjhbigv]

Personally I have never been sick here (apart from once a 3/4 years ago when I was on holiday here at some resort) and I think the food is pretty good, I eat from from street vendors (regularly), nice restaurants etc and no problem at all.

Probably better for you than most of the stuff back home that is processed with who know's what E numbers and chemicals are put in to make it look nice and preserve it??!!

At least here if it's not fresh, you can see it!

As for raw prawns...nice...the GF does eat raw crab sometimes sucking the nice raw 'jelly' from it's legs...and then moans why she has upset stomach!! Some people!

[mahtin]

My wife puts 15 chilis in the somtam and then complains of stomach ache.

Agree with Jack et al that you're probably better off with fresh market food than the guaranteed poisoned labelled stuff.

Where can you get unrefined salt?

[anothertorres]

I once ate some Thai food but unfortunately got food poisoning and died ....... dont't like to complain about it though .... some you win, some you lose.

i don't believe this story one bit. TROLL!

[saintofsilence]

About two weeks ago a friend of mine living in Shanghai told me they're leaving China because they consider the food there not safe enough for their 3 years old. And it means resigning from a top job in a major international corporation !!

How do you consider the food in Thailand, both the local and the imported one ? Nowadays, they really promote organic farming in Thailand. Do you trust the "organic / made in Thailand " labels ? Or if food safety is one of your top priority would you rather buy imported food?

Of course the food safe but it depends what you eat personally I don't like meat

[G54]

From the chicken breasts at the local market to the vegetables I buy there and down onto the local side street stalls, I can honestly say I have never yet had food poisoning.

On the other hand, I have no genuine idea what chemicals and pesticides are being used in and on the food I eat here, or what the long term effects are, if any.

So, for raising children here, I would be uncertain, yet many Thai children do not seem to do so badly though they do seem smaller and more undernourished than many of our children down to a variety of other factors. A bit like it was back home a 100 years ago when wages and conditions were a lot worse.

I do know that the amount of sugar, oil and salt I see added to many foods is more of a worry to me when eating things like Chicken fried rice. My heart needs less salt and I can do without the sugar too. Therefore I limit the amount of food I eat at many places and rely on what I cook.

[Lickey]

Every few weeks when there is a Buddha day, Mrs will buy a large piece of pork, chop it up to mince size, add a few green leaf spicy leaves, and then eat it like thais eat sticky rice, im sure Thais have a bovine stomach, she never has any ill effects after eating raw pork, so her imune system must be right up to date, [wish mine was!!] Cheers, Lickey.

[Gary A]

We get all our vegetables from the garden and the local fresh market. From the garden we know there are no chemicals. From the fresh market, my wife buys vegetables that have holes in the leaves from insects. The next stall will have beautiful looking produce at the same price but she won't buy there. She says that if the insects don't want to eat those vegetables, we are not going to eat them either. She has a major fear of insecticides.

[Carib]

The food in China has raised millions of Chinese, and the all grew up.

Looking at the melamine scandal, I can think of something what could be used as an excuse. But using food in GENERAL as an excuse to leave, seems a bit over the top to me. Sure there is no other reason?.

[zorro1]

OP did you mean this? if so I would agree their food could be dangerous to your health

Three killed in stampede in China supermarket

http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/i...108439020071110

I imagine there would be more to his leaving than just the food .The Chinese have disgusting eating habits. At the buffet in the Phnom Penh hotel in Cambodia I had to leave as there were a group of 30 chinese eating on a tour. The buffet was free but I paid in the restaurant next door rather than listen and watch them eat.

Edited June 20, 2009 by zorro1

[llso]

I too believe there is a problem in developing countries. I was talking to a food scientist from a western university and he told me that never eat grapes because of the pesticides used. There is litle or no regulation on the use of pesticides and many that were banned in the West are now sold and used elsewhere in the world. I am certain that China doesn't care about the dangers of using harmful pesticides if the crops yield more.

LL

[Pierrot]

Actually the problem is not only in developing countries. I read lately that nowadays you can only find low fat yaourts because milk producers prefer to sell the cream to the cosmetic industry that buy it a good price and pig based gelatin provided a low cost alternative

Now to tell you how much people in Hong Kong valued Chinese produced food, imported pork or chicken sell around five time more than the locally produced meat. But, compared to China, at least we have the choice ! Same for organic vegetable imported from Australia or Europe. And now most the eggs sold in Hong Kong are imported from Thailand.

I'm almost ok with the vegetable in Thailand, provided there are properly washed as many mentionned, it's with the meat I'm not really confortable here

[Latindancer]

Every few weeks when there is a Buddha day, Mrs will buy a large piece of pork, chop it up to mince size, add a few green leaf spicy leaves, and then eat it like thais eat sticky rice, im sure Thais have a bovine stomach, she never has any ill effects after eating raw pork, so her imune system must be right up to date, [wish mine was!!] Cheers, Lickey.

You might like to get her checked for tapeworms sometime. Seriously.

[a2396]

I would advise Farangs to bring a packed lunch.

Seriously, I find it very hard to believe that anybody would resign from a Top job with a major Multinational company because of fear of poor food, it sounds unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable.

Sorry, I can't accept it.

A lot of people take into account the well being of their family and loved on when making important decision. Obviously you're not one of them.

For those who care, do you believe that Thailand, as far as food is concerned, is the right place to raise a family ?

Do you think you can trust the labels to give you honest information about the content of what you're going to eat, for local and imported food, same as in you home country ?

A man with a top job with a multinational resigns because of concerns over food ?

It's laughable.

No, Thailand is not the right place to raise a family, it's terrible, just read the posts on this forum, it must be the worse country in the entire world.

so what are you doing here ?

Not hardly. Read about the social conditions in USA. Makes Thailand sound like a Sunday school picnic.

[JR Texas]

I would advise Farangs to bring a packed lunch.

Seriously, I find it very hard to believe that anybody would resign from a Top job with a major Multinational company because of fear of poor food, it sounds unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable.

Sorry, I can't accept it.

A lot of people take into account the well being of their family and loved on when making important decision. Obviously you're not one of them.

For those who care, do you believe that Thailand, as far as food is concerned, is the right place to raise a family ?

Do you think you can trust the labels to give you honest information about the content of what you're going to eat, for local and imported food, same as in you home country ?

A man with a top job with a multinational resigns because of concerns over food ?

It's laughable.

No, Thailand is not the right place to raise a family, it's terrible, just read the posts on this forum, it must be the worse country in the entire world.

so what are you doing here ?

Not hardly. Read about the social conditions in USA. Makes Thailand sound like a Sunday school picnic.

Lived in China two years and loved the food (1000 times better than Thai food). I never got sick. Yes, I read about the horror stories in the newspaper too.

The food in China is like the food in Thailand.......don't think you will find any difference in terms of hygiene.

The fruit in Thailand is great but I know what happens to it before it reaches the table.........for that reason I will not eat it. Thai farmers put so much pesticides on plants that the food can't be safe.

It is what you can't see that worries me about Thai food..........specifically, pesticides. Take precautions and you should be able to eat in Thailand fine (or China).

For me that means eating food cooked in a hot wok (no fresh salads).

I think quitting a good job in China because the person thinks (mistakenly) that the food in Thailand will be better for a child's health is a mistake, especially in these economic times.

[BigSnake]

Yes safe in my few, I have been eating it for 17 years now never a problem, even back 40 years ago in 1970s had no problem