Safe to eat from the street carts

[munibung 0]

I would like to know is it safe to eat from the motor bike carts,I know in Patong it was ok! as it will be my first time to Pattaya I would appreciate some advise.

[Pigalle 0]

I've never had any problems in 3 trips to Patts. Just be wary of the water and ice in your drinks!! Only time I got the "shats". No good on holiday

[munibung 0]

Thanks mate! I would hate to ruin a holiday by sickness or lack trying different things.

[midlifecrisis 4,030]

I get innoculated for hepatitis A & B

 

Hep A is food handling related

 

Other food pathogens besides the afore mentioned water and ice are sanitation related or food preservation related.

 

Use common sense.

 

I often got mellons and such off the food carts in Bangkok. They were freshly cut.

 

Here even in the states, ecoli & salmonella are problems - there is always a risk in the best of circumstances - but you can't live life in a jar - oops botulism there, hehe.

 

Healthy adults may get ill from ecoli and salmonella but rarely seriously, however Hep A is not a good thing and is preventable by a painless innoculation.

[MrMango 665]

I have eaten out of the carts a lot. It's cheap, good and available everywhere.

 

My favorite trick is to go one of the outdoor beer bars at 5-6 in the evening, order a beer and when one of the carts goes buy, several satays, etc. You can feed all of the BG and yourself for $4-$5 US$

 

You are the hero of the bar!

 

Don't drink water - Stick to beer

[jacko 8,766]

Anything that is cooked infront of your eyes is likely OK. Beware of the soups where they just seem to pour 'hot' water from a flask over some meats... sometimes raw liver is in there. Late at night the water may not be so hot, and the meats have been sitting around.

Personally never had a problem that I could attribute to ice, but I don't like the way I sometimes get a glass that is still wet from a bowl full of slops.

Edited January 8, 2009 by jacko

[munibung 0]

Thanks,I appreciate all your comments on this subect and I will take your advise.

[tomm 0]

I need to drink heaps of water but it's straight from the plastic bottle with no ice. Bitterly cold from the 711 for around 10 baht. If I get 6 or 7 small water bottles down a day, I find I can drink all the alcohol I like and not have a serious hangover.

 

Street food has never given me a problem. The only time I really got the shits bad was from a Subway salad. Probably just bad luck, wouldn't stop me going back.

 

The street food in Pattaya is generally excellent and is one of the main things I really miss when I go home to a boring pie or pastie from the bakery next to my workplace - which costs literally 5 times as much. Can't wait to get back for some pork & rice & greens off a street cart, it's magic stuff and healthy too.

[mrmixology 0]

On the way back to the room with the BG, I always grag some of those beef and chicken on a stick snacks they grill up for you for 10baht...they are awesome when you are pissed up.

[munibung 0]

Thankyou my friend,I will try them.

[JohnnyK 28]

choose busy carts

[soi unwise 6]

If you want to wait longer to eat

[Owl_ 0]

I have eaten off of carts and sidewalk cafe's in Pattaya many times it's been some of the best Thai food I have eaten on my visits to Thailand. I usually let the Thai girls I'm with pick the place as they seem to know where all the good food is!

[munibung 0]

I have eaten off of carts and sidewalk cafe's in Pattaya many times it's been some of the best Thai food I have eaten on my visits to Thailand. I've had hamburgers off the cart just outside of Nana (in Bangkok) and they were pretty good too. I haven't gotten sick before from any of my eating experiences in the LOS. I usually let the Thai girls I'm with pick the place as they seem to know where all the good food is!

Ok Thanks mate!

[Arno 0]

I was once walking past a street cart with a Thai girl when the owner was trying to move it and the whole of the contents tipped over on to the floor.

 

The Thai girl said "they're not going to re-use the food are they?". But quickly changed this to "Yes, they are!" as the cart owner picked up each chicken-on-a-stick, fish ball, etc that had fallen in the dirt and placed them carefully back on the racks.

 

If you eat from the street carts often enough then it is a question of when not if you will get ill. Street carts keep food out in open and have limited means of keeping food cold or hot.

 

But I am not sure if the restaurants adhere to much better hygiene standards e.g. if something falls on the floor would they throw it away?

[Rick1079 0]

The Thai girl said "they're not going to re-use the food are they?". But quickly changed this to "Yes, they are!" as the cart owner picked up each chicken-on-a-stick, fish ball, etc that had fallen in the dirt and placed them carefully back on the racks.

 

Don't mine a little bit of extra flavour every now and then, I think most of the time we never know what we are actually eating or care, as long as it tastes good.

I've never had any problems eating from the food carts.

[Dr Mick 111]

I get innoculated for hepatitis A & B

 

Hep A is food handling related

 

Sound advice ,your doctor should have advised you on this before your travel

[bratpack 91]

the only country in the world that i havent been poisened.5 years eating thai food from carts to cheap side cafe to good restaraunts and never had a problem.maybe cos i like very spicy lol.

[Picco01 0]

I love the street cart BBQ. Its all good.

[N3RGT 118]

In the past I had really enjoyed eating from the street carts, especially taking a few assorted skewers of meat back to the "Loom" with lady; However I will be much more careful this next upcoming trip.

 

We used to regularly stop off at a particular cart in Soi Marine on the way back to the hotel but towards the end of my last trip in Feb last year I caught a really bad dose of the shits. I had brought with me some immodium but that had almost no effect.

 

So on the flight back home I ended up having to get up to go to the bog just about every half hour

or so which got to be a bit fuckin' embarrassing, especially when you get a centre seat !

 

Went to see the doc back home, giving a sample and a few days later got a letter from my District Council Offices telling me I had contacted Salmonella poisoning, most likely from eating food contaminated by faecal matter. Lovely ! So that's why it's called a Notifiable Disease !

 

I then discovered that there is not a lot that can be done to counter all the nausea that goes along with the symptomns other than sound advice as to what food to eat etc etc, and to ensure that you don't get dehydrated.

 

My doctor then prescribed some Codiene Phosphate which then solidified things up significantly.

 

This Salmonella Poisoning took me the best part of 10-12 weeks to shake off and was probably one of the most unpleasant experiences of sickness in my whole life.

 

I will certainly be much more careful in selecting street food stalls next time around, and yes I know it's a bloody lottery, but for sure I will always carry some Codiene Phosphate with me from now on which certainly helped getting over the more outward embarrassing signs of this the sickness.

 

Just my experience for what it's worth

[Picco01 0]

Damn N3RGT, I guess I will only eat them when drunk from now on after you scarring me with your story.

[jacko 8,766]

I have had 3 or 4 dodgy stomachs in Thailand, but considering the amount of time I have been here, that isn't so bad.

I have a much higher rate of 'hits of shits' on trips to India.

 

In Thailand I have gotten sick twice from having some food cooked for me on the beach, and twice from Indian restaurants. I don't use the carts outside of the meat on sticks barbecue..... that was after seeing what happened to a girl I was taking back to the room.... she was not well!

 

I have been very ill twice from a certain well known brand of beer too!

Edited January 9, 2009 by jacko

[N3RGT 118]

Quote jacko

 

"I have been very ill twice from a certain well known brand of beer too!"

 

Does it begin with an "S" and end with an "A" by any chance ?

[jacko 8,766]

Quote jacko

 

"I have been very ill twice from a certain well known brand of beer too!"

 

Does it begin with an "S" and end with an "A" by any chance ?

Afraid not..... think elephant!

[BigDUSA 71]

Some guys on this forum have cast iron stomachs and can eat and drink damn near anything and have no problems. Others and I include myself in this group look at a food cart and my stomach starts to feel queasy.

 

The problem with food cart sanitation is there is none. No refrigeration to keep the meat cold. No hand washing faculties. No way to clean the cutting board, preparation knife and the same dirty rag is used for wiping down the cutting board, prep knife and whatever else needs to be wiped down.

 

The most dangerous meat one can eat off a food cart is chicken. Seafood is another dangerous food to eat. I have four years experience with restaurant sanitation from my time in the US Army.

 

 

22 days till wheels UP..................