Durian and alcohol: is the warning real, and what has research proved?
Durian extract blocks an alcohol-clearing enzyme in a test tube, and rats fed durian cleared acetaldehyde more slowly. No human trial yet: what is proven, what is not.
5 min readHorseshoe crab eggs in Thailand: tetrodotoxin, no antidote, and why to skip them
One Thai horseshoe crab carries tetrodotoxin that cooking does not destroy and no antidote reverses. Real case numbers from Chon Buri, the warning signs, and what to do.
5 min readIs MSG bad for you? What double-blind trials actually found
When people did not know if they got MSG or a placebo, reactions were few, did not repeat, and vanished with food. What JECFA, FASEB and FSANZ found, and sodium vs salt.
5 min readWhy Thai tea is orange: Sunset Yellow, the Thai FDA limit and what tests found
The bright orange in Thai tea comes from the synthetic colour Sunset Yellow FCF, not the leaf. The legal limit, what 2025 tests found, and how to drink it sensibly.
7 min readWild mushrooms in Thailand's rainy season: why folk poison tests fail
Boiling with rice, a silver spoon or insect bites cannot spot a poisonous mushroom, and some toxins survive cooking. 2026 case counts, symptoms, and when to call 1669.
5 min readIce, drinking water and iced drinks in Thailand: choosing safely
Sealed tube ice versus scooped crushed ice, what Thai FDA testing found, how to check labels and bottle seals, and when to ask for no ice.
5 min readOrdering Thai food with less salt and sugar: sodium in noodle soup, what to ask
One bowl of noodle soup holds 1,304-2,862 mg sodium per Thai Department of Health data, against WHO's 2,000 mg a day. How to ask for less sauce, sugar and broth.
5 min readThai food leftovers: storing curries and rice, the 2-hour rule, reheating
Into the fridge within 2 hours, 1 hour above 32°C. Coconut curries spoil fast, rice must cool quickly, reheat to 74°C/165°F, and how many days in the fridge.
5 min readThai street food safety: what to look at before you order
Is it really hot, does food turn over, are raw and cooked apart, does the money hand touch food, how is ice kept, and the SAN sign that replaced Clean Food Good Taste.
6 min readEating Thai food with a food allergy: peanuts, shellfish and hidden seasonings
Shrimp paste in curry pastes, oyster sauce in stir-fries, peanuts in som tam, a shared mortar: where allergens hide in Thai food, and what to ask and say.
4 min read