Hi all,

I'm travelling to Thailand for a two week holiday later this month and I was just hoping to get some advice on how to ensure a smooth trip for me and my j-pouch. Pretty much any info on travelling would be helpful as this is my first overseas trip ... first time I've been healthy enough!

I'll be going to a resort in Phuket, and will be sticking fairly strictly to the tourist areas. I'm especially interested in what food to stay away from.

Would really appreaciate any tips/thoughts.

Thanks!

I've been to Phuket (pronounced Poo-ket in case others were wondering - seems appropriate somehow lol).

Don't drink the water - your hotel will usually leave a flask of cold water in your room which is safe to drink. Also use this water to brush your teeth with.

Don't eat from any dodgy carts by the roadside or dirty restaurants. There are plenty of wonderful and clean restaurants there to eat in.

I went to a supermarket and stocked up on drinks and bottled water and kept them in the fridge in the room. It's very humid in Phuket so make sure you drink lots of water.


I went on one tour to a floating village. Beware: their loos are holes in the ground and you clean up with a hose after you're done. I didn't have much trouble emptying my bag into the hole but I did have problems trying to stop the bottom of my jeans from getting wet cos the floor was soaked (with water I'm hoping). Other than that experience which I survived, all the loos I encountered were usually clean and generally what we're used to.

Have fun, enjoy the beautiful ocean and don't forget to go on an elephant trek through the jungle

quote:

Have fun, enjoy the beautiful ocean and don't forget to go on an elephant trek through the jungle

Do the elephants come with ensuites?

Now, the 'dirty restaurants', are they easy enough to pick from the good ones? And the food, should I stick to cooked food and steer clear of salads (because they've been washed in water)?

That tip about getting water/drinks from the supermarket is a good idea. Thanks, Shaz.

My daughter went to Thiland with her jpouch also and she started taking pepto bismol a few days before leaving. This seems to help to protect your intestines from bacteria. I agree, dont drink water or brush with it and stay away from ice cubes unless they specify that they are from filtered water. She went with a friend who has normal anatomy and they both had frozen drinks on a beach one day and her friend got sick so I think the pepto helped my daughter. I believe she was also taking probiotics at the time also. You are right about the salads also, I would stick with cooked foods. My daughter survived an exciting trip. Oh, dont forget bug spray, mosquitoes are not good.

I listened to Stell (and Jaime)and I start chomping Pepto tablets a few days before I go on trips. Not that I expect to encounter bad things but because I don't want ANYTHING to interfere with my trip. I've never been sick. I also take my metamucil wafers, a prescription of Cipro, loperamide, nupercainal, Ilex, butt wipes, and hand cleaners. All of this should be on your carry-on if you're allowed to.

If you're staying in a higher-end resort I'd bet they have everything you can eat or drink without worry. They wouldn't want to make their clients sick, now would they?

We were going to go to Phuket and were planning our trip, then the tsunami wiped out most everything. I'd still really love to go. You have a great time and we (I) want photos of the trip.

BTW - I just saw something about keeping mosquitos away - dryer clothes softener sheets. I don't know what they're called in Australia, but something like Bounce maybe?

envious kathy

Oh yes, you can tell the better restaurants from the ones you need to stay away from lol. In the good restaurants, the salads are fine to eat - everything is very sanitary - it has to be or else the visitors wouldn't keep going back to them.

Ummm... the elephants don't come with ensuites lol, but there's plenty of jungle around if you really need to go Don't forget to give your elephant a drink of Pepsi after the trek to say 'thank you'

Pepto Bismol, hmm, I don't know if we have this in Australia. I'll go talk to the chemist.

Hi Lixxie,

I spent 3 months backpacking around Thailand a couple of years ago, staying in $1 per night shacks and eating all over the place - street stalls, back-alley places, you name it, and I had a great time. Staying in a place geared up for tourists like Phuket, I'm sure you'll have no problem at all. The advice above is all good.

If you do want to stray off the beaten track I'd recommend to eat in the places that seem to be fairly popular and that you feel good about. If you do fancy the street stalls, just pick the busier ones and watch them cook it so you can see it's properly cooked and not been hanging around.

The food in Thailand is INCREDIBLE and I ate a lot of it (though I drew the line at hot fish curry for breakfast). The fruits are amazing and the flavours are making me lick my lips as I write this. If you've not had it before, be sure to try some Durian fruit - it smells like old socks but tastes sublime!

Bottled water is widely available everywhere.

As for the squat toilets (if you come across them), once I got used to them I actually came to prefer them - something about squatting seems to make everything move more easily.

Most of all enjoy it. I've not been to Phuket, but Thailand is a beautiful country with beautiful people.

John

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Trojan,

Hi Lixxie,
Oh lucky, lucky you! Have a wonderful trip
I lived in Thailand for 3 years when I was in my teens and it sparked a love for Thai food. Gut-friendly stuff: fresh papaya (pawpaw) with lime juice drizzled over; the lovely, tiny little Thai bananas; grilled fish; fresh ginger and garlic...there's loads of healthy and FAB food there. Yes, stay off tap water obviously, and be careful about street stalls, but in general I'd say Thais are very hygiene-conscious and proud of their cooking. I never once got food poisoning there. Oh - and coconut is a well-known laxative, so be wary! What more? Nothing except have an excellent trip

Thanks so much to everyone for all the tips.

I'm really looking forward to the trip, my first overseas, and something I could never have contemplated before surgery.

"Oh - and coconut is a well-known laxative" ... Good to know!

Leaving tomorrow night for Thailand, with my immodium in one hand and Flagil from my doc in the other. I'm all set!

Thanks again for the tips!

Don't forget to have a great time!

Lixxie, what perfect timing! How horrible is the weather at the moment?

Have a great trip!

Have heaps of fun Lixxie. I want to hear all about it when you get back.

Hi all,

Just wanted to say I had an awesome time. And, my pouch, he's such a good little guy. Handled the trip/food like a pro. I think I even faired better then most of my colon-ed friends, as they all seemed to have one or two episodes of the runs, whereas I was nice and firm the whole time, with only one immodium in the morning.

I ate where I liked ... Thai, Italian and the best nachos I have EVER had. I find it funny that the tastiest meal I had in Thailand was Mexican! Bought delicious banana pancakes from a street vendor, but steered clear of buying meat off the street. I was also cautious with the tape water, not even brushing my teeth with it.

The beach was loverly, the people were loverly. Overall my pouch and I had a great time!

This photo pretty much sums up the trip ...

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