{"id":73,"date":"2023-07-20T16:27:25","date_gmt":"2023-07-20T16:27:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.happyceliac.com\/?p=73"},"modified":"2024-04-27T20:55:53","modified_gmt":"2024-04-27T20:55:53","slug":"gluten-free-thailand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.happyceliac.com\/gluten-free-thailand\/","title":{"rendered":"Gluten-Free Thailand: A Travel Guide for Celiacs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
There is a buttload of misinformation out there about eating gluten-free in Thailand, information that can be extremely harmful for those with a gluten allergy or celiac disease, like myself. Information like Thailand is a celiac\u2019s haven, or everything here is gluten-free is a load of crap. We spent over a year in Thailand, and I honestly believe Thailand is one of the worst places for a celiac.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To be frank traveling as a celiac around Asia is super difficult but with the help of this guide and our new ebook, 100% dedicated Gluten-Free Restaurants Around the World<\/a> it’s now a bit easier as this book has dedicated GF restaurants in places like Bali, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan and of course Thailand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let me be clear, this article is not about how Thailand sucks for celiacs or gluten-free dieters, rather it\u2019s about correcting the wrong information and of course, helping make your gluten-free Thailand trip safer and easier! Warning, this is a very long, but super useful gluten-free travel guide<\/a>. If you are looking for something specific, like gluten-free restaurants in Thailand, just use the index below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There will be so many delicious foods\/street foods in Thailand that you, as a celiac or gluten-free dieter, will not be able to indulge in. This will be mentally and emotionally challenging! But don\u2019t despair! If you utilize this gluten-free Thailand guide during your trip, you will get to taste some gluten-free Thai food during your stay. Not to mention that we found at least one restaurant in several popular Thai destinations that\u2019s either gluten-free friendly or 100% gluten-free!<\/p>\n\n\n\n As mentioned earlier, there\u2019s a lot of misinformation circulating the web about eating gluten-free in Thailand! For example, when you Google gluten-free restaurants in Chiang Mai, the first restaurants that will come up will be Salsa Kitchen<\/strong>, Blue Diamond<\/strong>, and Butter is Better<\/strong>. Even though all these restaurants offer gluten-free options, they are NOT 100% safe for celiacs because the possibility of cross-contamination is very high. Salsa Kitchen even states on their menu that there might be cross contamination. If you want a cross-contamination-free meal, and want to avoid spending your entire Thai vacation on the toilet (talking to you celiacs), check out our favorite gluten-free restaurant in Chiang Mai below, it\u2019s 100% gluten-free!<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Thai cuisine soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce and mushroom sauce are used in almost every dish. Unfortunately, wheat is commonly found in soy sauce, some fish sauces (although the commonly used fish sauce brand does not use wheat), oyster sauce and mushroom sauce. Sometimes the oyster and mushroom sauces use cornstarch instead of wheat, but still contain soy sauce, so please be aware of that! If you think you can just point at a bottle and tell the street vendor not to add it, think again. Most street vendors don\u2019t have sauces in their original bottles laying around, just a huge container with a dark sauce, which will have you pondering what did they just add to the dish! With that being said\u2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Buy your own gluten-free soy, fish and oyster sauce and bring them to restaurants with you, or use them to make your own meals! We found and used a gluten-free sauce brand called Megachef<\/a>, which is available in Thailand at Villa Supermarket, Tops Market and sometimes Tesco Lotus. The gluten-free Megachef sauces include soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and even mushroom sauce. The Megachef sauces are more commonly available in the bigger cities like Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket than on the islands, so plan accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat You\u2019ll Find in This Article<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Tips for Traveling Gluten-Free in Thailand<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Mentally Prepare Yourself<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Take What You Read Online With a Grain of Salt<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. Understand That Sauces are the Culprit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. Purchase Your Own Gluten-Free Sauces<\/h3>\n\n\n\n