Eating out vendors or restaurant?

[chrissyboy76]

Am I better of eating food in a restaurant or are cheap and cheerful vendors ok as long as the food is pretty much torched to death or doused in chilli? Don't want my hol ruined by getting the shits. What do you pros recommend?

[iballooka]

The quality of the food on street stalls varies from terrific to crap, its the same in all eating places, indoors or outdoors, these are very basic questions your asking are you wise enough to be wandering round Thailand.

 

I am certain the Bar Girls will eat you for breakfast without you knowing your on the menu, Thailand and Pattaya is like nowhere else in the world, it kinda blows your mind so you need to be able to adapt and change in an instant...

 

There are some decent guys who hang out here who will show round Patts but they won't hold your hand, so do your homework and come back with specifics, street stalls are self explanatory the world over, you pays your money and ya takes your chance...

[sinclair1969]

People selling almost never wash their hands for one thing. Fried food is perhaps safer than other food but be careful when eating or ordering seafood, I only have seafood in good restaurants and even then it's not perfectly safe. The worst kind of food poisoning comes from seafood such as shrimps and badly cooked fish. Diarrhea is the mildest symptom of food poisoning, there are certain other kinds that kill people within fifteen minutes, believe it or not.

[Scumbag]

I eat from all sorts of places. Other than minor cases of the shits I have only been reasonably sick once. I think as long as you don't have a weak stomach you will be OK anywhere but you are running a bit of a risk.

 

I'm moving this to a more appropriate area.

[Randy]

Have your Thai girl check out where you eat. She knows the good places. Both street vendors and restaurants chosen by my teeraks were usually safe, only a few time some diarrhea, nothing worse. Don't be paranoia about it.

[bonabay]

I like to mix it up, the best vendor i found in my opinion is just before angelwitch. Serves a stunnin chicken noodle soup ate there alot when passing and was never ill.

[Goldfishpie]

eat at the food stalls everyday. Usually have a look at the food they're using first. I've had food poisoning a couple of times in Thailand and its always been from seafood and always shells. So I only eat shelled food in good restraunts now.

[KDNG]

Eat from everywhere, just to try it. Save loads of money if you eat from the street carts. I think I got salmonela(spelling?) once. Had water shits for a week then at end of week broke into a fever for a day then more water shits for 3 days after fever, then I was good to go!! Good thing it happened when I went home!

[chrissyboy76]

Thanks guys don't mean to sound naive have done plenty of back packing before but that was done central and south america. I usually try some of the stuff the locals eat and obviously avoid the seafood just wanted a little feedback if anyone does or to totally avoid it. Can't stand people who just eat the same crap as they do at home. To be honest though anything that survives a flaming wok and thai chillis has probably earnt the right to give you grief anyway. Thanks all

[Parkwahn]

I have only been sick from Crazy Daves and Tequilla Reef, just buy at busy places

[Ajay75]

Stalls all the way. To be honest your gonna get the shits after 5 or so days as your body is getting used to different types of food. I eat Thai 95% of the time as its so cheap and I love it. Depends what you want really but for me I dont see the point of paying 200+ bht in a restaurant when I can get the same dish for 20-30 bht from a vendor. The quality will be exactly the same. Just be a little savvy where you decide to buy from. Eat at the popular stalls where there are alot of Thais as they are just as fussy about their food.

 

Theres a massive thread in the newbie section by myself which has places, recommendations etc.

 

Good luck

[oxford]

Have only had trouble with oysters, otherwise would not hesitate to eat from street vendors

[coolman]

I never had a proplem eating out try and ues the busy ones if you dont want chill then you have to say ( Mai Peet ) means no chilli.

[whitespider - RIP]

If you really want to experience the place you have to mix it up. If you never eat at a street stall you will be missing out.

 

Watch out for

 

1. Street vendors that have large customer numbers, and likewise avoid the ones the Thais avoid.

 

2. Watch the cleanliness - its never going to be perfect on a street but is you see them washing its better than not at all. If the food LOOKS dirty, walk to the next one it wont be far away.

 

Guaranteeing to avoid the shits is nigh on impossible - the commonest cause of diarrhea is excessively cold drink so you could get it even if you didnt eat at all.

[Mr Unix]

Am I better of eating food in a restaurant or are cheap and cheerful vendors

Up to you. I'm kinda mixing it up. Never had a problem with the food courts at Soi Postoffice and I've tried nearly everything they sell there. Usually I start the day with a soup and a cider at my "local" bar in Soi Postoffice.

Sometimes I feel the urge to eat huge piece of meat. Then I'll just go to the Beefeater or places like that.

 

I've had "minor problems" only from busy places like Ruen Thai or Beefeaters - probably because they add milk and I'm easily affected by lactose.

 

You know your body and your limits - just eat what looks good. You'll be wiser next time.

[Daveo]

I am very careful since I saw a guy selling kebabs on one of those bikes stop at the back of Soi 6, take a piss, then move on a hundred yards and stop by a bar and serve a couple of kebabs, didnt see him wash his hands, and I was watching as I expected he wouldnt.

[particle]

Street vendors are generally fine, use common sense, food is often excellent

 

I've been sick only once in 15 years, probably due to poor kitchen hygiene at home giving me resistance, the only time I had a problem was eating chicken a vendor was hawking round the bars, was sick for 8 hours and weak for another two days.

Edited August 24, 2008 by particle

[chrissyboy76]

Well guess it's kind of like I thought, you follow the crowd and avoid the vendors everyone else is, cos there's loads of differing opinions. Personally I prefer to be a bit savvy and I love Thai food too much anyway to completely avoid the vendors. Anyway thanks to all the guys who posted their comments

[supertony]

Hi all

 

Initially I avoided street vendors as that was the general travel advice.

 

However, after I had asked a girl I'd barfined if she'd like something to eat - Yes - & could she choose venue - Yes again - & could she please order for me - Same-Same- she took me to a street-side eaterie somewhere on 2nd Road not far from where I was staying in Soi 9. The place was busy & we had to wait a bit for a table. She ordered for both of us & it was fab... & really cheap.

 

As I've said in a previous post, if it's busy with locals that's always a good sign (that's true for anywhere in the world), & if you let your Honey choose & order for you, she's unlikely (in my opinion & subsequent experience) to pick a dodgy eaterie & order a dodgy meal. There is also the opportunity to eat somewhere & consume something you may not have found or indeed known to order.

 

Here's another look at the first Thai Patts Honey who introduced me to the wonderful world of streedside eateries....

 

Tone x

 

Edited September 3, 2008 by supertony

[prak]

Agreed with posters above- if you don't mix it up your missing half the experience!

[KhunK]

Agreed with posters above- if you don't mix it up your missing half the experience!

 

I've been to Thailand 5 times and always mix it up between vendors and restaurants.

I only got sick once from Thai food, and that was from shrimp at a Thai restaurant in the United States!

Edited September 3, 2008 by KhunK

[ELOnia]

tap water

ice

milk

fresh fruits and vegetables

 

Are high risk products. But when it comes to street food i always go with

 

Boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it.

[JonnyLongStroke]

My last trip I/we ate something exotic looking from the street vendors’ everyday and never got sick just don’t drink the tap water. After all I didn’t come to Thailand to eat western style food and pay western prices. I highly recommend the street vendors that sell those shih kabob things early in the morning on Walking Street, very cheap @ 20 baht each and they are the best drunk food I’ve have ever had. Best advice is let your BG order it for you and if she eats it you eat it too, she will introduce you to some very spicy and exotic foods that otherwise you probably wouldn’t be brave enough to try on you own. Oh, yeah if you don't "eat spicy" they won't respect you so start with something mild like Tabasco sauce now to build up you stamina.

[lincslad]

Oh, yeah if you don't "eat spicy" they won't respect you so start with something mild like Tabasco sauce now to build up you stamina.

 

I eat bags of naga jolokia chillies so they will respect me

[Mike Asia]

I eat bags of naga jolokia chillies so they will respect me

 

I soak my dick in Nam Pla Prik and i always get respect