Food Poisoning in Thailand: Prevention & Recovery (2026)

Real talk: Most travelers get at least mild stomach issues in Thailand. That's not a reason to avoid street food — it's delicious and usually safe. This guide covers prevention, what to do if you get sick, and how to bounce back quickly without wasting travel time.

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The Honest Truth About Food Poisoning in Thailand

Myth: Thai street food will make you sick.

Reality: Street food is generally SAFER than restaurants because:

• High turnover = fresh ingredients
• Cooked in front of you = you see hygiene (or lack thereof)
• Locals eat there daily — if it made people sick, they wouldn't
• Hot food kills bacteria

What actually causes food poisoning:

• Undercooked protein (rare in street food, more common in restaurants)
• Sitting food that's lost heat (buffets, pre-cooked food)
• Ice made from questionable water (rare in tourist areas)
• Raw vegetables washed in contaminated water (rare)
• Your digestive system adjusting to new bacteria (not "poisoning," just adjustment)

Bottom line: You're more likely to get food poisoning in a nice restaurant than from a street stall.

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Food Poisoning vs. Traveler's Diarrhea: What's the Difference?

Food Poisoning

Cause: Bad food (undercooked, sat out too long, contaminated)

Symptoms: Sudden onset within 4-24 hours

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Stomach cramps
• Diarrhea
• Sometimes fever

Duration: 24-48 hours usually (sometimes up to 3 days)

Treatment: Self-care (ORS, rest, light food)

Traveler's Diarrhea (TD)

Cause: Bacteria in food/water your body isn't used to (E. coli, Campylobacter, etc.)

Symptoms: Milder

• Loose stools (3-4 times daily, not severe)
• Mild stomach cramping
• Usually NO fever or vomiting

Duration: 1-3 days

Treatment: Usually passes on its own, ORS helps

Reality: Most "food poisoning" in Thailand is actually traveler's diarrhea — uncomfortable but not dangerous.

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Prevention: How to Minimize Risk

Rule 1: "Boiled or Grilled, Never Wrong"

Safest foods:

• Cooked rice (boiled)
• Grilled meat/fish/chicken
• Curries (cooked in boiling sauce)
• Soups (hot = kills bacteria)
• Any hot food cooked fresh

Less safe:

• Cold salads (raw vegetables)
• Pre-cooked buffet dishes
• Food sitting at room temperature
• Anything with raw/undercooked meat or fish

Street food rule: If you can see it being cooked hot, it's safe.

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Rule 2: Eat Where Locals Eat

The test: If a stall is crowded with Thai people, it's safe.

Why? High turnover means:

• Fresh ingredients used quickly
• Food cooked constantly (always hot)
• Locals would not eat there if it made them sick (word spreads fast)
• Clean environment (locals demand this)

Red flag: Stall with no Thai customers at peak meal time = probably not good.

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Rule 3: Ice — Usually Fine in Tourist Areas

In tourist zones (Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, islands):

• Ice is commercially made from filtered water
• Totally safe
• You can use ice freely

In remote villages:

• Ice might be made from tap water
• Skip ice if you're not sure
• Or just drink room temperature drinks

Reality: Most travelers worry about ice too much. In cities, it's fine.

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Rule 4: Vegetables — "Peel It, Cook It, Boil It, or Forget It"

Safest vegetable options:

• Cooked vegetables (stir-fried, curried)
• Peeled fruit you peel yourself (banana, orange)

Be cautious with:

• Raw salads (water might be contaminated)
• Pre-cut fruit sitting out
• Vegetables in raw spring rolls (if made with tap water)

Reality: Most tourists avoid salads and eat cooked vegetables. Safe approach.

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Rule 5: Water

Don't drink tap water. Period.

Safe drinks:

• Bottled water (ubiquitous, cheap)
• Soft drinks (sealed, safe)
• Hot tea/coffee (boiling kills bacteria)
• Coconut water from unopened coconuts (great recovery drink)

Cost: 10-20 baht per bottle. Not expensive.

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What Causes Food Poisoning Most Often

In Thailand Specifically

#1: Restaurants (higher risk than street food)

• Pressure to serve fast
• Food kept warm at unsafe temperatures
• Shortcuts with hygiene

#2: Eating at night when food's been sitting since lunch

• Buffets with 6+ hour old food

#3: Undercooked seafood (especially raw)

• Sashimi/sushi with non-sushi-grade fish
• Raw shrimp

#4: Your body adapting

• Not food poisoning exactly
• Just different bacteria than home
• Your gut adjusts in 3-5 days usually

#5: Alcohol + bad food

• Alcohol damages stomach lining
• Increases risk of infection

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If You Get Food Poisoning: Step-by-Step Recovery

Hour 0-1: You Feel It Coming

Symptoms:

• Nausea
• Stomach cramps
• Feeling off

What to do:

• Stop eating
• Drink small sips of water or ORS
• Don't panic (food poisoning is almost never serious)
• Plan to rest for rest of day

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Hour 1-4: Acute Phase

Vomiting/diarrhea kicks in

What to do:

• Hydration is #1 priority — drink ORS constantly
• Buy ORS at any pharmacy (10-20 baht per packet)
• Mix with water, sip slowly
• Don't eat solid food yet — your stomach needs to settle
• Lie in bed, rest

What NOT to do:

• Don't take Imodium yet (traps the bad stuff inside)
• Don't eat heavy foods
• Don't drink alcohol or caffeine
• Don't exercise

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Hour 4-12: Settle In

Still feeling bad, vomiting/diarrhea ongoing

What to do:

• Keep drinking ORS (this is crucial)
• If you can't keep fluids down: Go to hospital for IV fluids
• Sleep if possible
• Light rice soup (khao tom) if stomach tolerates it

Hospital check: Go if vomiting prevents any fluids staying down for 4+ hours

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Hour 12-24: Starting Recovery

Vomiting usually stops, diarrhea continues

What to do:

• Continue ORS
• Now you can eat light food:
  • Plain rice with salt
  • Banana (potassium helps)
  • Toast or crackers
  • Plain chicken (if appetite returning)
  • Coconut water (natural electrolytes)
• Take Pepto-Bismol (Bismuth subsalicylate) if available — helps stomach
• Avoid: Spicy food, dairy, caffeine, alcohol, fat

Pharmacy medication:

• Thai pharmacies sell Smecta (clay binder) — very popular, works well
• Or Imodium now if diarrhea is slowing

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Day 2-3: Recovery Phase

You're past the worst

Symptoms:

• Diarrhea might continue but less severe
• Appetite slowly returning
• Energy still low

What to do:

• Continue light diet
• Keep drinking extra water/ORS
• Rest (don't rush back to activities)
• Gradually add normal food back in

Food progression:

• Day 2: Rice, banana, toast, light chicken
• Day 3: Rice with simple curry, egg, more vegetables
• Day 4: Back to normal diet usually (but avoid spicy for 24 more hours)

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Days 4-7: Full Recovery

Most people fine by day 3-4

Still might have:

• Weak appetite
• Slightly loose stools
• Fatigue (from not eating much)

What to do:

• Return to normal diet gradually
• Still avoid super spicy food for 24 more hours
• Rest well
• Rebuild food intake slowly

Back to activities: Day 2-3 for light activities, Day 4-5 for full activities

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When to Actually Go to Hospital

Go immediately if:

• Blood in stool (signs of more serious issue)
• High fever above 38.5°C (101°F) lasting 4+ hours
• Can't keep ANY fluids down for 8+ hours (severe dehydration risk)
• Severe abdominal pain (not just cramping)
• Symptoms lasting 5+ days (might be something else)
• Extreme dizziness/confusion (severe dehydration)

Don't be a hero. Hospital visit costs 2,000-3,000B, prevents real problems. Cheap insurance.

What they'll do:

• Blood test to identify bacteria
• IV fluids if dehydrated
• Prescription antibiotics if bacterial infection
• Send you home to rest

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Medication Options

Over-the-Counter (Pharmacy)

Best for mild food poisoning:

| Medication | What it does | Cost | When | |-----------|------------|------|------| | Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) | Replaces electrolytes | 10-20B | Start immediately, continuous | | Smecta | Binds toxins, settles stomach | 30-50B | Days 1-2 | | Pepto-Bismol | Reduces stomach inflammation | 100-150B | After vomiting stops | | Imodium | Stops diarrhea | 50-100B | Day 2-3 (NOT when vomiting) | | Lomotil | Stronger anti-diarrhea | 100-150B | If needed (ask pharmacist) |

Pharmacist recommendation: Just tell them you have food poisoning. They'll give you ORS + Smecta. This combo works.

Prescription (Doctor/Hospital)

If above doesn't work:

• Antibiotic (if bacterial infection)
• Anti-nausea injection (if severe vomiting)
• Anti-diarrheal prescription

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Recovery Nutrition: What to Eat

Phase 1 (First 12 Hours): Nothing solid

• Water
• ORS
• Coconut water
• Light tea

Phase 2 (12-24 Hours): Bland foods only

• Plain boiled rice (khao tom)
• Crackers
• Banana
• Plain toast
• Clear broth

Phase 3 (24-48 Hours): Light normal foods

• Rice with eggs
• Rice with plain chicken
• Rice with mild curry
• Porridge (easier to digest than normal rice)
• Banana
• Soup (tom yum is OK)

Phase 4 (48+ Hours): Back to normal gradually

• Your normal diet
• Avoid: Super spicy for 24 more hours
• Avoid: Heavy oily food for 24 hours
• Avoid: Dairy/lactose for 24-48 hours

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Real-World Timeline: Typical Food Poisoning Case

8pm Tuesday: Eat dinner at restaurant near Khao San Road

11pm Tuesday: Start feeling off

1am Wednesday: Vomiting starts, terrible cramps

3am Wednesday: Very sick, buy ORS from 7-Eleven, lie in hostel bed

6am Wednesday: Stop vomiting, but severe diarrhea

9am Wednesday: Diarrhea continuing, drink ORS, lie down

2pm Wednesday: Starting to feel slightly better, eat plain rice

Evening Wednesday: Diarrhea slowing, can eat light soup

Thursday morning: 80% better, can walk slowly, eat rice

Thursday afternoon: Mostly recovered, can do light activities

Friday: Back to normal, can eat normal food

Lost time: 1.5 days of activities (mostly sleeping/resting)

Total cost: 50B ORS + maybe hospital visit if severe (2,000B). Cheap.

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Prevention Checklist

Before eating in Thailand:

☐ Is the food hot (just cooked)? ☐ Are locals eating at this stall? ☐ Can I see food being prepared? ☐ Is it a busy stall (high turnover)?

If mostly yes = safe to eat

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FAQ: Food Poisoning in Thailand

Should I avoid street food? No. Street food is delicious and usually safe. Eat where locals eat. Many travelers never get sick.

Is Thai water really unsafe? Yes for drinking/brushing teeth with. But ice in tourist areas is fine (commercially made).

Is cooked ice cream safe? No. Soft-serve ice cream is made from powder/liquid that might have contaminated water. Skip it if unsure.

What if I'm vomiting and can't keep ORS down? Go to hospital for IV fluids. Serious dehydration is real. Don't wait.

Is traveler's diarrhea the same as food poisoning? No. TD is milder, your body adjusting to different bacteria. Food poisoning is acute from bad food. But treatment is same (ORS, rest).

Can I get food poisoning from the same stall twice? No. Once you're sick from a place, avoid it. But it's unlikely — most "poisoning" is your body adjusting, not the food.

Should I take preventive antibiotics? No. Evidence shows they don't help much. Causes antibiotic resistance. Skip them.

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Pro Tips for Food Poisoning Avoidance

✅ Eat when and where locals eat (lunch 11am-1pm, dinner 5-7pm)

✅ Avoid eating late night (food sitting around longer)

✅ Bring small pack of ORS sachets from home (peace of mind)

✅ Eat at busier stalls (higher turnover, fresher food)

✅ Cooked food only first few days while your gut adjusts

✅ Stay hydrated (even if not sick, prevents problems)

✅ Have small emergency medical kit (ORS, Smecta, Imodium)

✅ Know location of nearest hospital just in case

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Final Thoughts

Food poisoning in Thailand is common but not dangerous if you treat it right. Most cases resolve in 24-48 hours with rest and hydration. The key is:

1. Drink ORS — most important thing
2. Rest — let your body recover
3. Eat light food after vomiting stops
4. Go to hospital if dehydrated — IV fluids fix it quickly

Don't let fear of food poisoning prevent you from eating amazing Thai street food. Thousands of travelers eat it daily without issues. Be smart (hot food, busy stalls, locals eating) and enjoy.

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Got food poisoning in Thailand? Take care of yourself, rest, drink ORS, and you'll be fine. Questions about recovery? Drop them in comments.