Street Food

[tutsiwarrior]

Of course, I was astonished at this attitude and told them that I really think they missed out!

Hmmmmm... I would NEVER recommend visitors to eat streat food, espaecially the soups.

I tried my luck many times with the wonton noodle soups, etc, and have paid the price. Not everyone is immune to the water here. I have lived here for 1 year, & if I temp my fate at the free water or some of the soups, I can be suffering for 1-2 days with no sleep. Not to mention the site of skinned chickens hanging from the stalls, which scares me as to how long they have been there..

Since, I have used only bottled water & avoided the street soups, & have been MUCH better off.

'

yeah...you got to admit, no good foisting street food on the fresh off the plane...go slowly with the hotel breakfast buffet, Mac D and other relatively harmless arrangements...

just make sure that the newbies understand the difference between 5 star hotel quality 'thai food' and what you get at the bus station...

[blue eyes]

I eat "street" food all of the time and have not once had a problem!If I eat any type of Farang food to wit McD KFC Sub W.. I do seem to have a problem with the bowels.It must have something to do with me living in the Kingdom as a child eating Issan food and loving spicey food.

[egeefay]

I got amebic dysentery 37 years ago in Songkla , Thailand.

I think that I got it from a food cart vendor.

I ended up in the hospital for a few days. It was an experience I'll never forget

Ever since then I have tried to be careful what I eat.

I try to avoid food stalls because they generally don't have access to runnning water or refrigeration. I dislike eating from other peoples dishes that haven't been washed and rinsed. I don't like eating meat that's been sitting under hot sun...for who knows how long. And I don't like eating food prepared by someone who doesn't have access to running water to wash their hands.

I avoid fresh leafy vegetables that haven't been cooked...even in nicer restaurants

In fact I avoid everything that hasn't been cooked.

The safest thing for me is fruits , vegetables and nuts that I can peel myself.

I don't think restaurants are any cleaner than food stalls.

Thailand has few of the sanitary rules that govern food handling and preparation in the west.

So you are at the mercy of a food handler whose goal is to make as quick a profit as possible.

Food safety is not something high on the Thai governments "to do" list.

Edited June 18, 2006 by egeefay