Street food, has it given you dysentery or worse?

[Viandefraich]

I always get the shits after eating with bargirls, but i do it anyway. the thing that always does it is somtam, i suspect it's from the old wooden bowls soaked in nam pla, fish sauce. Stick with fried food, soups and fresh fruits.  If you're only in BKK and Pattaya, there's lots of western food available. Food safety is pretty good in Thailand compared to most other asian countries. 

 

Are these Isaan girls by any chance? If you are eating Som Tam Isaan style with the pickled crab and fermented fish sauce? That may be the issue. I can see where some could have a problem there.

[bkkwill78]

I have never had an issue with food in Thailand

[no_1977]

Never had an issue with the street food. Love it. Nice and spicy and keeps you uhhhh.... regular.... ;-) Lived in South east Asia for several years so maybe stomach user to it

[detectivethai]

There is no health, hygiene and safety food standards enforced in Thailand regarding street food stalls. You pay your money and take your chances. Best advice is make sure that whatever you eat is well cooked and served piping hot.

[sgvinnie07]

One of the things that work for street food in Asia than western food is no refrigeration. Sounds crazy right?

A litre of milk can last at room temperature for (only?) 6-8hrs, however it will last a week with refrigeration. So guess what happens in the west, we have some, put it back in the fridge and we could be actually having week old milk and be OK with it.

 

So in asia, (and include Singapore & HK as well as less development countries like LOS & Vietnam) the hawkers and street food vendors only buy the amount of food they will sell/serve that day. They can't store it for overnight. If they are out, they close up and go home. If they don't sell it, is thrown out or given away. But the food we have during the day is unbelievably fresh and what is in season.

 

Fresh, hot and in demand is the best rule if anyone who is worried about street food.

[Rolondo]

I have eaten street food all over the place, but only bangkok and Pattaya in Thailand. I have never had any trouble

though after drinking the local water in Kenya I did have a morning on the loo.

 

The foods ok, just stick to bottled water.

[tiago1971]

i dont eat often in the streets, but anyway all the time i eat i never had any problems. Otherwise i had some stomach problems after eat in a thai barbecue, maybe because they refroze the remaining food every night

[leocom6]

I always got sick off the Donner