[EmpaccalGah]

Hi guys , very first posting so hope i do it O.K.
Going to Thailand for the first time in a bout 6 weeks.
I am allergic to all nuts eg (Peanuts, almonds ,cashews) but not coconut.
I go into anaphlatic shock and can die from this reaction if not treated quickly.
I need to carry with me siringes, a medication called 'Adrenaline' ampoules,to keep my heart going, and 'Phenergan' an antihistamine tablet to bring down the swelling.I have a letter from my doctor as well .
Does anyone know if these medications are legal to bring into the country? we are going to be flying into Bangkok and then going onto Phuket for a family holiday.Am I better to pack them in my suitcase or have them in my hand luggage? Cant seem to find information anywhere ,hope someone can help..
P.S I love thai food, peanut etc and (peanut oil free)
regards Honlou::

[RayFairhurst]

I will try to contact our doctors-in- residence to comment on your inquiry. Anyway, you still have more than a month before your trip to Thailand.

[Emunsesoxmete]

I cannot answer your question, I'd just like to point out that you need to be very careful. carry a note explaining your problem (in Thai) and the possible consequences. there was a translation posted in this thread:
http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5426

allergies are not very common in Thailand and most people just don't seem to take it seriously. here is what happened to a colleague of mine after she let the "cook" know that she has an allergic reaction to an ingredient:
http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20893

two things that may be a problem: even if you don't get peanuts in your food, the wok may have been used to fry someone's ingredients with lots of peanuts two minutes before. the other thing is, peanut oil is sometimes used to fry things in (but usually it is more likely to be palm oil).

be careful.

[PVaQlNaP]

I believe cashew, and peanuts are quite common in Thai food something u should be aware of.

[NutChusty]

I would be going to the markets and buying fresh fruit and vegetables then eating them raw, It's just not worth the risk of eating any Thai cooked or processed foods, the labeling would not be up to western standards.

[DexOnenlyCymn]

I have looked in all shops and markets and I have never found peanut oil here as I like to cook with it if I use oil, and have been told they do not have it here.
But you will get peanuts and their equivalent of peanut butter in a lot of foods, and as Betti said the wok ain't cleaned to good between orders, if I had an allergy like you have I would sure as hell not be coming to this place at all, there is no food standards for anything as Paul said, and just because you give them a note written in Thai does not mean they can read it or will understand it or will even give a damn what it says, and might sling in some peanuts to watch the show you will put on while having your fit.
Maybe the cook was mashing some peanuts a couple days ago and still got some on her hands and gets some in your grub, I have never seen a Thai wash their hands either.
I have seen a waitress wipe her snotty nose on her hands during monsoon time and then transfer the plates from a tray to table, I didn't eat anything and it was the last time to that place for me.
Only thing I will eat outside my own home anymore after watching these people for 9 years is a hard boiled egg, if I peel it and a bottle of coke, if I open it.

[Emunsesoxmete]

> I have looked in all shops and markets and I have never found peanut oil here as I like to cook with it if I use oil, and have been told they do not have it here.

FiP, I never tried but there is some cooking oil with a label that definitely looks like a picture of peanuts. I'll take a closer look next time and report back to you.

[DexOnenlyCymn]

It happens everywhere in this world, not just in Thailand.
And the case about the boy is still under an investigation by Medical Council of Thailand.

So whats to investigate, he came in with an abcessed tooth and left a short while later witout a foreskin.
So what does that mean,
Toxin is still under investigation for corruption, has been sentenced to prison and his Xwife pantyhosesagaporn or what ever her name is was sentenced to prison for 2 years for tax evasion, and where are they,, he is roaming the world stirring up trouble for Thai govt on a diplomatic passport, and she is upcountry somewhere I think, but none are doing any time, same as the policeman that killed that canadian tourist and shot his girl friend while drunk.

[TOPERink]

Honlou,
Glad I can be of any help. Thanks for the clarification. :-)
So second hand contact is your problem then you really need to tell them to clean cooking utensils if they use it to cook for someone else before you.
I would sugest you to pay a little bit more by going to a high-end restuarant. At least you can talk to someone about it. Please do not try street vendors.
However, still there can be a mistake, so please make sure you know where the nearest hospital in that area is.

Good luck with your trip. Have fun !!!!

P.S. Sorry, I did not mean to thank the post above. :-)

[DexOnenlyCymn]

And please wash kitchen appliances contaminated with nuts before using them to cook for me.

You do have a good sense of humor alright.5555

[DexOnenlyCymn]

SYN, The only difference here between a good restaurant and a bad one is out in front, what goes on in the back is the same country wide.
And Thai do not seem to take things like this serious, Mai Peen Rai.

I would be very worried if I had such a thing with peanuts, I do have such a thing, but with bee stings, if around the head or neck I have 5 minutes to inject from my kit or I can't breath as my throat has closed, I carry no kit anymore tho and instead I do have a Primateen mist inhaler with Adrenalin, and thats supposed to do it, I hope the Dr. was right as I have not been stung in years and it was to great an expense buying new kits and throwing old ones away.

Betti, Thanks, I didn't think I had left a stone unturned as I do like Pnut oil when using oil especially when cooking Chinese as it is more sensitive to imported flavors,, cooking Thai you could use SAE 10/40 Texaco oil and no one would notice.

[TOPERink]

Faranginpetch,
I did not joke because in the good restaurants, they should be able to do it. Did I use the wrong word? I mean clean the kitchen appliances like pans or pots before using it to cook. And it should be done because if Honlou has a really severe allergy, that will kill Honlou.

[Emunsesoxmete]

sorry FiP, I checked it, not peanut oil.

[EmpaccalGah]

Thank you to all that responded so very quickly to my questions!
Will take onboard all advise given, with gratitude +++++
so for the dodgy ending to my post when rereading i realised what i'd said.
Ment to say "I LOVE EATING THAI FOOD, WE GO TO OUR LOCAL THAI RESTAURANT AND THEY ALWAYS COOK FOR ME (nut and nut oil free )They are fabulous and have never had a problem eatting there !! Not to say thats the case at ordinary restauants, had many a close call ,too close in fact .After stressing the point to the waitresses and even speaking to the chef directly,have ended up raced to emergency with hives ,swelling, constricted airways,etc.On occassions have made it with minutes to spare.My doctor reccomended the siringes and adernaline ampules as eppi-pens are over $100 dollars each and only have a shelf life of about 1 year compared to the ampoules which are a pack of 5 for $16
[/COLOR]My allergy is a direct contact one, so just sitting next to someone eatting nuts is fine .I have to eat or touch something that has had contact with nuts to have a reaction .Kissing my husband is a no, no, if hes eatten nuts that day. second hand contact of food is a real problem too!!!
E.G Ordered takeaway one night ,got nachos and a gormet pizza my husband asked what was in the gormet pizza it was marinated chicken with goats cheese and tomatos etc so asked what the marinade was and got a fairly basic answer and asked was there any nuts or nut oils used, the answer was 'no'.When the pizza and nachos arrived I could smell the nuts straight away so i decided to only eat the nachos ....boy was that a mistake ,obviously they had made our pizza first and then gone on to make our nachos ,either not washing hands or changing gloves .And there we have it, another race to the emergency dept at the hospital.
Thank you to all once again,
regards Honlou

reguards Honlou

[TOPERink]

SYN, The only difference here between a good restaurant and a bad one is out in front, what goes on in the back is the same country wide.
And Thai do not seem to take things like this serious, Mai Peen Rai.

Because thai people sometimes don't take things seriously, Honlou should make it clear that it is serious. Thai people are smart enough to know when to take it seriously. And yes, they will clean cooking utensils in good restuarants if they know how serious this allergy could be and if they are informed. They don't want to take responsibility if something bad happens.

[adultcomicssitedessaa]

hey there. sorry to say, there's little you can do to avoid some things in Thailand. Luckily as faranginphetch mentioned, peanut oil is rarely if ever seen in Thailand. We've bought it in Bangkok before but it was a special item we had to buy in the arab district. So I highly doubt any restaurants are using it.

HOWEVER...

I have a moderate seafood allergy, and despite being specific I still have problems often, simply because some chefs' concept of "avoid seafood" is a little iffy. For example, once I asked for pad thai with chicken, no shrimp, no seafood. I got the pad thai, started to eat it, and there were the little tiny crushed shrimp they use for flavoring. I ran to the bathroom and threw up then I asked the chef what the heck happened. She said those shrimp aren't seafood lol...

[TOPERink]

It happens everywhere in this world, not just in Thailand.
And the case about the boy is still under an investigation by Medical Council of Thailand.

[EmpaccalGah]

thank you Syn for the translation , I will carry it with me everywhere, you may have saved a life.
I wish you good carma and a happy day
Honlou

[TOPERink]

Hi guys , very first posting so hope i do it O.K.
Going to Thailand for the first time in a bout 6 weeks.
I am allergic to all nuts eg (Peanuts, almonds ,cashews) but not coconut.
I go into anaphlatic shock and can die from this reaction if not treated quickly.
I need to carry with me siringes, a medication called 'Adrenaline' ampoules,to keep my heart going, and 'Phenergan' an antihistamine tablet to bring down the swelling.I have a letter from my doctor as well .
Does anyone know if these medications are legal to bring into the country? we are going to be flying into Bangkok and then going onto Phuket for a family holiday.Am I better to pack them in my suitcase or have them in my hand luggage? Cant seem to find information anywhere ,hope someone can help..
P.S I love thai food, peanut etc and (peanut oil free)
regards Honlou::

An adrenaline pen would be better than carrying a syringes and ampules. It is easier to use and it won't break. Ampules can break. Have you seen or tried one yet? Please ask your doctor about it. It is ok to bring adrenaline and Phenergan into Thailand but make sure you have a letter from your doctor with you at all times. You should also call your airline in advance to make sure its ok to bring those with you on the plane.

I remember in one flight, the flight attendant told passengers to not open any bags that has peanuts because there was a passenger who has severe allergic reaction to peanuts. He would die if he inhales it. So make sure you tell flight attendants when board a plane.

You said you are allergic to peanuts but you like peanut. I am confused. :-)

Have you ever been abroad at all? If yes, how did you manage to avoid these types of food.

In Thailand, they do not clean kitchen appliances in between so it is very likely that you will be exposed to food with peanuts or any other nuts.

How severe is your allergy?
If someone open a bag of peanuts and you smell it, will you be allergic to it?
I assume the worst case and here is the message in Thai.

©Ñ¹á¾é¶ÑèÇÍÂèÒ§Ãعáç¶Ö§µÒÂä´é áÁéÇèÒã¹»ÃÔÁÒ³àÅ硹éÍÂ

I am allergic to nuts severely and will die even with a small amount.

¡ÃسÒÍÂèÒ»¹à»×é͹ÀÒª¹ÐËÃ×ÍÍÒËÒâͧ©Ñ¹´éǶÑèÇ

Please do not contaminate kitchenwares or my food with nuts.

áÅСÃسÒÅéÒ§ÀÒª¹Ð·Õèãªé»ÃاÍÒËÒ÷Õ軹à»×é͹¶ÑèÇ¡èÍ ¹·Õè¨Ðãªé»ÃاÍÒËÒÃãËé©Ñ¹

And please wash kitchen appliances contaminated with nuts before using them to cook for me.

¢Íº¤Ø³ÁÒ¡

Thank you very much.


I do not know if you are male or female. If you are male, end sentences with " Khrap" and if you are female, end sentences with " kha"

Please let me know if you have any more questions.

Good luck and have fun with your trip.

[SzefciuCba]

I have to take medication with me whenever I travel but since losing my bags on a flight to Rio will not put them in checked baggage. I would advise you do the same.

As to carrying sringesairlines will normaly allow you to carry them if you have a doctors letter but some airlines insist on storing them securely until needed.

Carrying the information written in Thai is essential as Syn told you.

Have a great time and just be careful

Mike