I am fairly new to Chiang Mai and last week I was diagnosed with Celiac disease.

Is there a support group or something in Chiang Mai to help me navigate this? I know there's a lot of information online (especially from the western countries) , but I'm just uncertain on what is gluten free in Thailand. Thanks!

You could check this blog about living gluten free in Thailand http://glutenfreethailand.wordpress.com .The blogger wrote also about Chiang Mai http://glutenfreethailand.wordpress.com/2013/10/31/surviving-gluten-free-in-chiang-mai/

I eat mostly home-cooked. When in restaurant I stick to naturally gluten-free dishes such as rice, potato, grilled or steamed fish or other seafood and salads. No sauces or dessert, a bit boring yes. Problem is that in restaurant you can’t know if they wash or even wipe clean the pots and pans in between cooking different meals so there is a risk for cross contamination. Soy and fish sauces can contain wheat so I stay away from glazed meats and such, especially street food.

I live in Pattaya and here is at least four supermarkets selling gluten-free products from Australia and USA, they are quite OK and a life-saver when you are craving for cereals, bread or cake. I have yet not started to bake from scratch but there is a good variety of flours for that. You probably have those products in Chiang Mai too and maybe even some bakeries making fresh bread, I read in a thread somewhere here in TV.

The good thing about celiac disease is that you can’t eat fast food anymore (but it doesn’t stop you longing for it..) Although, for example KFC and McDonalds SEEM to do their french fries in a dedicated fryer. I’ve fallen off the diet wagon a few times and did not get any symptoms from their fries.