My first day in BKK, I accidentally wet my toothbrush with the hotel tap water and stuck it in my mouth before I realized what I had done. Three days later, I was sick.

After I got home, it took a month to clear everything up - I had a bacteria and a parasite! Needless to say, when I go back next summer, I will try to be careful. I am planning on taking a perscription antibiotic with me, though. I just can't resist some of the food!

Some cases of suspected food poisoning may not be that. It could be the change in diet especially for those who are not used to hot and spicy food. Some of us could simply have more sensitive stomach than others.

I agree that a lot of it is simply the change in diet and also people's individual sensitivity. Some people can eat anything while traveling and never get sick, while others need to be much more careful. Everyone should just do what feels comfortable.

Keep in mind that people coming from developing countries (both locals and expats who have lived there a long time) often get stomach problems when they come to the States or Europe. Just depends on what your stomach is accustomed to in many cases.

Of course it's important to always eat at clean places and, for me, the key word is busy and popular places. I wouldn't eat anywhere that was empty where the food might not be fresh.

I agree with BillT that it's also just luck.

I've been traveling in Asia for something like 10 years and never been sick from local restaurants, street food, or salads. The only time I got sick was at a buffet at a 5 star restaurant in Siem Reap that had a fancy apsara dance show and gorgeous looking buffet. I was terribly sick for a few hours and then it went away. The only time my fiance has been sick (and he loves eating at local restaurants even more than I do), was at a top fancy restaurant in Hanoi, Brothers Cafe, and again it was a buffet. So for us, I can say buffets can be dangerous because you just don't know how long the food has been sitting out, no matter how upscale the place may be.

In Luang Prabang, I ate many "Luang Prabang Salads" and they were all so delicious. I never thought "I'm eating a salad and should be worried." I had them at nice clean looking restaurants. Maybe I'm so laid back now, I never worry about much, but I think mainly my stomach is not so sensitive because of all the traveling. I think people who usually don't eat this sort of thing while traveling, would probably get sick.

When in doubt, better not to risk it, I would say.

I think papaya salad would be safe for most all people, unless you are sensitive to the spices.

we stear away from all buffets except breakfast and then we eat mostly the eggs custom cooked and other things that have been cooked...the heat alone is dangereous imo...

hawaiiantraveler, my cousin and his wife were in Thailand for several weeks on a job (both photographers) and in BKK were staying at the Oriental. The wife was dying for some salad after several weeks of depravation and decided to indulge at the hotel. My cousin told her "don't do it" but she did. They were flying home the next day and she was sick as a dog and spent the entire flight in the toilet, and realized my cousin was right. Other than the salad, they ate the same stuff so it had to be the salad that made her sick since my cousin was fine. Granted, this was in 1985 but everytime I think about having a salad in SEA, I think of this and not have it.

Times have changed in the last 20 years. I also stayed at the Oriental in 1985 and would never have had the salad or ice. However, about 10 years ago they got a water filtration system which is used for all their ice, kitchen stuff etc. However, what your story does ishow is you shouldn't assume, you should ask. And not just if something is safe but what they wash the lettuce with etc.

it must have been the yellow water in the shower....hahaha