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Thailand ranks among the top countries in the world when it comes to street food. I have traveled the entire country and I personally like Thai street food. But hey! You have to exercise caution while eating street food in Thailand.
What is Thai street food?
Thai street food consist of barbecued (chicken, pork, fish), fried rice, papaya salad, and all other Thai dishes. If you are fruit lover you may find vendors selling papaya, guava, mango, water melon etc.
Why people eat Thai street food?
One of the main reasons people love eating Thai street food is it’s affordability. Thai street food is really cheap. Also,Thai food is freshly prepared and served every day.
What are the tips for eating ?
Thailand’s street food market is very diverse and very chaotic. There are tons of street food vendors. And frankly speaking not all vendors are great.
Here are some tips for eating Thai street food.
1. Look out for long lines.
If a notice an empty food stall, there may be a reason why it’s empty. A cart that is unhygienic and makes people sick may not be filled with customers. Therefore, look for long lines.
Long lines in a street food shop does imply that the shop has satisfied customers. Also, see that the lines have more Thai’s than foreigners. It’s good to avoid shops with no customers.
2. Eat freshly cooked food.
If you find someone cooking in front of you, do have that. This is because it’s hot and fresh. Try to avoid pre-cooked food.
3. Eat from vendors that specializes in one type of food.
Some vendors are good at cooking fresh biryani. Some are good at cooking fried rice and some are good at cooking Pad Thai. Eat from these specialists.
4. Use Common Sense
Ask questions like
Is the cooking environment clean?
Is the raw meat kept in a cooler before cooking?
Does the vendor wash his/her hands after collecting cash ?
Do ingredients look fresh ?
Does the vendor use clean utensils?
You can figure out whether the vendor maintains a decent level of hygiene.
5. Drink Bottled Water.
Bottled water is available in almost all the Family Marts and 7-Eleven’s. Do drink bottled water. Don’t drink tap water.
6. Avoid Oily Food.
Most of the street food vendors do not use refined oil. Therefore, it’s good to avoid oily food. Do eat if you find some vendor using refined or olive oil.
7. Do have rotis and banana crepes.
We went to a night market in Hua Hin and we were delighted to have rotis and banana crepes. These are some of the nicest vegetarian street food available in Thailand.
8. Don’t eat many dishes at once.
Many tourist make the mistake of eating many dishes at one time. This is one of the reasons for stomach upset. Remember that you are in a foreign location and if you feed many many foreign elements to your stomach it is bound to panic.
Overall Thai street food is safe and clean. To be on your safe side you may follow the above eight rules of eating street food.
If you fall sick ?
Use Oral Rehydration Salts and Activated Charcoal
Little amount of food poisoning can happen if you are in Thailand. Therefore, it’s good to carry oral rehydration salts. Oral rehydration salts will help to keep you hydrated. In addition to oral rehydration salts you can also use activated charcoal tablets to absorb toxins in your stomach. If there is too much pain in the stomach, it is advised to visit a clinic or hospital. You are most likely to be treated with a saline for immediate relief.
Use a Thai-English Interpreter to communicate your allergies
If you have allergies eating street food in Thailand is something to worry about. Some people are allergic to eggs, peanuts, wheat, milk, and sea food. Therefore, before eating you can ask the vendor whether the food that is prepared contains the items. That’s where your communication skills will be useful.
If you really fall sick you will need to visit doctor. Most doctors in rural areas may not be able to talk to you in English. Therefore, it is better to take a friend or a person who knows both Thai and English. Or you already know a bit of Thai it will help you to communicate with the doctor.
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