Help Required for Dietary Needs from UK

[Pormax]

I would like to hear from anyone from the UK who is either coming to Thailand in the next couple of months, or who regularly visits Thailand, who is willing to bring some Gluten free products to Thailand.

The items I would like are Schar Bread (details forwarded if can help) and Knorr Gluten Free Chicken stock cubes.

I do have a friend who lives in Germany and one in Switzerland  who brings bread over for me twice a year but the shelf life is not good and therefore there is only so much he can bring each time.

Nothing illegal about this.

I am a Coeliac which means I am allergic to anything with Gluten in. This really is anything that contains wheat.

Unfortunately while most if not all European countries and USA cater for this dietary problem in a big way, Thailand does not, and in fact the medical knowledge of this disease is very limited.

It also does not help that the standard of ingredient labeling here in Thailand is very poor so one can never be sure what one is eating.

I am unable to travel back to UK myself  because of my poor health problems and posting items from the UK to Thailand is extremely expensive with postage costs at least tripleing the cost of any items bought.

I will not only pay the cost of the goods but will also pay something for the assistance.

Though I live in Buriram province it does not matter where you visit in Thailand  as the postage cost of EMS in Thailand is very reasonable.

I would greatly appreciate any help.

[lostinisaan]

My twin brother's daughter in Germany has the same health issues and I'll get in touch with him as soon as I can.

 

            There must be a very easy way to solve your problem, I'll get back to you asap. 

 

       Very important for you now is to stay calm, because any stress that you might think you have with getting the right food isn't good for your health and finally makes you feel unhappy, which doesn't let your brain produce enough Adrenaline. 

 

     There's a very knowledgeable Mod on this forum with the username Sheryl. If you see one of her posts, please drop her a message, as I believe that she's the most reliable source regarding any health issues here on this forum. 

 

     She's a real jewel on this forum and must have helped many foreigners in sometimes very life threatening situations. 

 

       Positive thinking helps a lot as well. Talk soon, mete. 

 

             Cheers- 

 

       

[Witblitz]

http://thailandglutenfree.com/shops.html

http://www.okaysupermarket.com/Glutenfree.html

 

Edited August 21, 2016 by Witblitz

[Pormax]

Thanks for the above replies.

 

I am very wary of so called Gluten Free products made in Thailand as the standards required to ensure no cross contamination is not good.

The same when I was living in Cyprus. I asked for a Gluten Free bread loaf to be sliced. no problem they said and proceeded to put the loaf on a machine that was just used

for slicing normal bread without first wiping the equipment down. down. They could not understand why I went ballistic then refused to buy the bread.

This is why I prefer to use a large company that specializes in Gluten Free products and have a very high standard

[chefseph]

https://www.amazon.com/Schar-Naturally-Gluten-Free-14-1-Ounce-Packages/dp/B0018QHT0Y

 

45 US dollars + free shipping to Thailand. 

 

thank god for google

[Pormax]

Hi chefseph.

 

Thank you for your input.

 

I have checked out the above website and while it says free shipping once one puts in Thailand as an address it says shipping is no longer free.

If it was it would have saved me a lot of hassle.

As It is one pack of bread without postage costs would have been approx. 230B for 11 small slices of bread. Acceptable but not with added postage costs.

 

The good thing is that I now have another web site where I can order and pay online and send to an address for someone to bring over on a flight.

[SimonD]

I'm planning on coming to Thailand in October or November this year - depends on resolving a few problems here in UK. I will be headed for Surin province by train or bus anyway and can easily stop over in Buriram on the way. I want to check out Paddy's Irish Bar in town anyway and this would be an opportunity (and valid excuse for a beer...) 

 

Tesco UK have a special offer on the stock cubes at the moment: 8 x 10g cubes for £1.20. How many boxes do you need? I could several packets as I don't imagine they'll take up much space or weigh much.

 

http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=254881241

 

Simon

[muzmurray]

9 hours ago, lostinisaan said:

My twin brother's daughter in Germany has the same health issues and I'll get in touch with him as soon as I can.

 

            There must be a very easy way to solve your problem, I'll get back to you asap. 

 

       Very important for you now is to stay calm, because any stress that you might think you have with getting the right food isn't good for your health and finally makes you feel unhappy, which doesn't let your brain produce enough Adrenaline. 

 

     There's a very knowledgeable Mod on this forum with the username Sheryl. If you see one of her posts, please drop her a message, as I believe that she's the most reliable source regarding any health issues here on this forum. 

 

     She's a real jewel on this forum and must have helped many foreigners in sometimes very life threatening situations. 

 

       Positive thinking helps a lot as well. Talk soon, mete. 

 

             Cheers- 

 

       

 

Stress actually increases the amount of adrenaline produced, in preparation for "fight or flight", and the adrenal glands are on top of the kidneys - a long way from the brain.

[Pormax]

8 hours ago, SimonD said:

I'm planning on coming to Thailand in October or November this year - depends on resolving a few problems here in UK. I will be headed for Surin province by train or bus anyway and can easily stop over in Buriram on the way. I want to check out Paddy's Irish Bar in town anyway and this would be an opportunity (and valid excuse for a beer...) 

 

Tesco UK have a special offer on the stock cubes at the moment: 8 x 10g cubes for £1.20. How many boxes do you need? I could several packets as I don't imagine they'll take up much space or weigh much.

 

http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=254881241

 

Simon

 Hi Simon,

 

Many thanks for your post. I would be grateful for any assistance you could give me.

I notice that Tesco also do their own brand of White Sliced 'Free From' Bread at a good price.

I will PM you.

 

Pormax

[Speedo1968]

Have you thought about baking your own bread ?     Gluten free flour is available in Thailand.   Cassava flour ( I don't mean tapioca ) is gluten free or should be, then you can bake things like empanadas as an alternative to plain bread.

[Pormax]

14 minutes ago, Speedo1968 said:

Have you thought about baking your own bread ?     Gluten free flour is available in Thailand.   Cassava flour ( I don't mean tapioca ) is gluten free or should be, then you can bake things like empanadas as an alternative to plain bread.

Hi Speedo,

 

Yes thought about it and tried a few years ago when living in the UK with disastrous results, did not taste at all good.

There is no way one can compete with the specialized bakeries regarding texture and taste.

Over the years so much improvements have been made in products flavor and taste and much cheaper than a few years ago.

I would guess that making your own bread would now be more expensive when you take into account the cost of buying the ingredients and electricity.

Also not have an oven here in Thailand or a bread maker.

My past experiences have put me off this idea.

Then again you have highlighted my worry about the quality of products here in Thailand when you say 'is gluten free or should be'.

They don't understand Gluten intolerance hear in Thailand.

 

Thanks for your reply though.

[Speedo1968]

On 8/22/2016 at 0:53 PM, Pormax said:

Hi Speedo,

 

Yes thought about it and tried a few years ago when living in the UK with disastrous results, did not taste at all good.

There is no way one can compete with the specialized bakeries regarding texture and taste.

Over the years so much improvements have been made in products flavor and taste and much cheaper than a few years ago.

I would guess that making your own bread would now be more expensive when you take into account the cost of buying the ingredients and electricity.

Also not have an oven here in Thailand or a bread maker.

My past experiences have put me off this idea.

Then again you have highlighted my worry about the quality of products here in Thailand when you say 'is gluten free or should be'.

They don't understand Gluten intolerance hear in Thailand.

 

Thanks for your reply though.

 

Hello Pormax

Thanks for your reply.

Don't know if they are available now but many years ago, early 1970's, I bought a small metal box in Holland.   I took it with me when I went to live in the sticks in South America.    The box was rectangular and had a door at one narrow end.    You placed it on a gas cooker flame, you could bake bread and cake in it.     Good results.    I had a small farm and a store, people would ask for a cake for a birthday.

[Pormax]

Hi Speedo1968

 

Never heard about this type of box. Doubtful available here in Thailand.

But more importantly is the taste and texture of the bread and with my cooking skills being not good, I think it is best to stick with the White Sliced Gluten free bread

that is made by Dr Schar or try one of the large UK Supermarkets own brands.

I was surprised on surfing the web how much cheaper they have come over the years.

I guess this is due to more demand for Gluten Free products.

 

Well had no luck at the moment from the forum members either coming to Thailand or just going back to the UK for a visit.

Have someone is willing to bring some Knorr stock cubes over for me but as he is bringing quite a lot of stuff over with him to

settle down in Isaan he is limited to weight and space so is unable to help with the bread.

Any little help is appreciated and I will keep on hoping I may get lucky.

[Speedo1968]

18 hours ago, Pormax said:

Hi Speedo1968

 

Never heard about this type of box. Doubtful available here in Thailand.

But more importantly is the taste and texture of the bread and with my cooking skills being not good, I think it is best to stick with the White Sliced Gluten free bread

that is made by Dr Schar or try one of the large UK Supermarkets own brands.

I was surprised on surfing the web how much cheaper they have come over the years.

I guess this is due to more demand for Gluten Free products.

 

Well had no luck at the moment from the forum members either coming to Thailand or just going back to the UK for a visit.

Have someone is willing to bring some Knorr stock cubes over for me but as he is bringing quite a lot of stuff over with him to

settle down in Isaan he is limited to weight and space so is unable to help with the bread.

Any little help is appreciated and I will keep on hoping I may get lucky.

 

Hi Pormax

Sorry I can't help with stuff from the UK, went back in June / July, expected to be my last visit.

I brought back some foods like soy cheese and halva.

 

Demand for gluten - free has gone up, understanding / acceptance of peoples allergies by GP's is one reason ( although 'natural / alternative doctors were already doing that a long time ago ).    GP's could / would not recognise one of my twin grandchildren's allergy ( he would suddenly collapse and spent weeks in hospital ).  Any test results from local GP's / hospitals took weeks to come back etc, My daughter  took him to an 'alternative' doctor and on the first visit the doctor explained to my daughter what his allergy was AND how to manage it.    My daughter who was a vegetarian became a vegan so that her son ( twin daughter had no allergy ) can now continue to breast feed.     The boy ( now 30 months old ) is doing fine and is learning to tolerate micro doses, eventually it may be possible for him not to be allergic.

 

Food intolerance has undoubtedly increased since I was a child in the 1940's.    I started farming when I was 15 and drinking milk straight from the cow was a good way to start the day.     Refined foods, replacement ingredients from other sources etc, probably even are lifestyles are much to blame.

 

Oh, the cakes ( basic flour / sugar / eggs ) and bread from THE BOX ( in South America ) were entirely edible and that was using local ingredients, not imports.   People  came from  kilometres away, even by ox and cart to buy, didn't make much profit but it brought people in to our small farm and store.

 

I have no food allergies, if eaten in moderation; only phak chi farang ( Thai coriander ) will make me violently ill, but not Indian coriander.

 

Not sure where you live in Thailand, if in Bangkok you may find gluten - free bread in the old  Seri Centre.

 

Cooking basic cake is easy ( ok bread a little more difficult ! ).   An easy coconut cake is just flour ( gluten-free ), sugar, coconut milk ( Aroy - D brand if you are a vegan ) and fresh shredded coconut from the market.    About 10 minutes to prepare ( depends how much shell is mixed in with the coconut ) and 30 - 40 mins to cook.

 

Good hunting in Thailand for your bread - there must be somewhere out there ................ ???

[Pormax]

4 hours ago, Speedo1968 said:

 

Hi Pormax

Sorry I can't help with stuff from the UK, went back in June / July, expected to be my last visit.

I brought back some foods like soy cheese and halva.

 

Demand for gluten - free has gone up, understanding / acceptance of peoples allergies by GP's is one reason ( although 'natural / alternative doctors were already doing that a long time ago ).    GP's could / would not recognise one of my twin grandchildren's allergy ( he would suddenly collapse and spent weeks in hospital ).  Any test results from local GP's / hospitals took weeks to come back etc, My daughter  took him to an 'alternative' doctor and on the first visit the doctor explained to my daughter what his allergy was AND how to manage it.    My daughter who was a vegetarian became a vegan so that her son ( twin daughter had no allergy ) can now continue to breast feed.     The boy ( now 30 months old ) is doing fine and is learning to tolerate micro doses, eventually it may be possible for him not to be allergic.

 

Food intolerance has undoubtedly increased since I was a child in the 1940's.    I started farming when I was 15 and drinking milk straight from the cow was a good way to start the day.     Refined foods, replacement ingredients from other sources etc, probably even are lifestyles are much to blame.

 

Oh, the cakes ( basic flour / sugar / eggs ) and bread from THE BOX ( in South America ) were entirely edible and that was using local ingredients, not imports.   People  came from  kilometres away, even by ox and cart to buy, didn't make much profit but it brought people in to our small farm and store.

 

I have no food allergies, if eaten in moderation; only phak chi farang ( Thai coriander ) will make me violently ill, but not Indian coriander.

 

Not sure where you live in Thailand, if in Bangkok you may find gluten - free bread in the old  Seri Centre.

 

Cooking basic cake is easy ( ok bread a little more difficult ! ).   An easy coconut cake is just flour ( gluten-free ), sugar, coconut milk ( Aroy - D brand if you are a vegan ) and fresh shredded coconut from the market.    About 10 minutes to prepare ( depends how much shell is mixed in with the coconut ) and 30 - 40 mins to cook.

 

Good hunting in Thailand for your bread - there must be somewhere out there ................ ???

 

Hi Speedo.

I don't live in Bangkok but in Buriram. Yes there are a couple of shops apparently in Bangkok that do as limited range of Gluten free bakery but as I mentioned in a previous post.

Because Thailand knows very little about Coelic disease/Gluten Intolerance, I am very wary of getting stuff from a small shop rather than a large company who actually specialize. One is never

sure if they understand about cross contamination with other wheat products in their store. This can happen so easily as I saw with my own eyes when I lived for a while in Cyprus.

They were slicing Gluten Free bread on the same machine as normal bread and not cleaning the machine down before or after. So now I am very wary and stick to the large companies who have strict quality control.

It is not just the actual bakers that need to understand but the shop assistants on how to handle the products

Anyway thanks for your replies. I am still hoping that someone going back to visit or coming here for a holiday might be able to assist me. If not no more sandwiches etc for me.

One does not fully understand the things you miss until you can't get them.

 

[Speedo1968]

Hello Pormax

This is Speedo1968 again.

 

Have asked a friend whose brother is a baker.   Also a family member is gluten intolerant.

They recommend "Bob's Red Mill" gluten free flour.    It's imported.    Available - should be - in TOPS.   

I don't know if Buriram has a TOPS.

I would still ask around as you seem to be highly intolerant to gluten - is it just gluten ???

If you find the flour suitable I would still have a bash at making a basic cake for yourself.

Good luck