Cost of Living in Thailand – Part 3/3

Francis:

Have there ever been any problems with, how do I say this nicely, food digestion?

Stefan:

One time. I don’t know what it was but I felt weird. Let me think. I have one time something and a friend of mine had one time but it wasn’t like you have to go to the hospital.

It was rather that you feel kind of weird and you have a little diarrhea for one day or half a day. Then you’re better like after 2 days or something.

Francis:

Anything we can do against it to prevent such problems especially if it’s on the Holidays?

Stefan:

Same stuff could happen in German, actually. I assume this happened to you in Germany too that you had a diarrhea from something.

If the food doesn’t look healthy then don’t eat it, of course. But that’s a common advice. If it doesn’t look normal or it smells then you shouldn’t eat it. 

What I would suggest is never eat somewhere where nobody eats because that is never a good sign. 

Francis:

That, I think, is a valuable advice anywhere.

Stefan:

Yeah but other than that, I don’t think you will have problems with the food. I ate in a lot of places and I never had like really problems. One time for 1 day, a little weird feeling and stomach pain but that could happen everywhere, I guess.

Francis:

Is there any crazy food the actual local people eat in Thai that is very surprising, some insects or something like that?

Stefan:

Of course, you can eat insects here. They are like deep-fried to chips or crisps, whatever you want to call them. I haven’t eaten them yet. You can also eat like scorpions, spiders and stuff like that. Of course that’s an Asian thing. But it’s not even that common to be honest. 

Where I live right now, it’s not the most touristic area and I haven’t seen it here to be honest. It doesn’t seem the Thai’s love it too much. I think it’s more of a tourist thing. They offer it tourists. I saw it in the tourist area more than here. I think the Thai’s noticed that it’s exotic for the tourists and then they offer it.

So, insects aren’t so big. Other than that, they eat pretty normal foods. They eat spicy. Of course if you don’t like spicy food, you will have a problem in Thailand I guess. Let me explain it this way, if you order a dish and you say “nothing”, you get 3 chilies in it.

If you say “spicy”, you get 6 chilies in it. And if you say “special”, you have to say I don’t want much spicy then you get no chili or maybe 1 chili because it’s necessary.

Francis:

Yes.

Stefan:

There are some dishes that aren’t possible without chilies. It’s not a Thai dish. It’s another dish if you leave out 1 chili. So you have to put it on chili.

Francis:

One question which would really interest me because I’m also a big fan of non tourists area. How big do you think is the chance of me saying I would really like to eat at a table of a normal family – Normal day to day food and just like how they eat there?

Stefan:

You mean like getting to know a Thai family and getting invited to the home?

Francis:

Yes.

Stefan:

I think that is very unrealistic in terms of a classical family. I mean, it’s very likely that you get to know younger people but they won’t invite you home. You would go out together to eat.

Because as I said previously, that it’s not very common to cook at home.

That is very different from western culture, all of or I don’t know even the Turkish culture or something, where they have a home meal cooked; they go out to eat. So I think that is very unrealistic too that that happens.

Francis:

At least, local people can recommend to me non-touristic bars and non-touristic eating places.

Stefan:

Yes, they do. You can. Yes, that is possible. It’s not too hard to find them. We also found something in Phuket. I mean, this is like the heart of tourists. 

The most touristic area whoever was in Mallorca/Ballermann, you know?

Francis:

Yes, I know.

Stefan:

This is Ballermann in Thailand. This is one complete like all Phuket is Ballermann.

Francis:

Okay. It’s scarier.

Stefan:

So even there we found some place that was normal. It took a while but we found it. So it’s not impossible but it might be hard. But only in places like Phuket. In Bangkok, it’s like you can find anything in Bangkok. And where I live, in Krabi, it’s no problem at all.

Francis:

Okay. So wow, this was a very, very cool insight into living in Thailand. Although you already said that many people say they will visit you and they never do.

I really do hope that I will be able to visit you and if within 1 year my dear readers don’t see any pictures from me and Thailand with you next to each other, then everyone is invited to write me angry emails and don’t visit my site anymore for punishment.