Peanut allergy? Here's how to eat safely in Thailand
How To Survive Thailand With A Peanut Allergy is the ultimate guide to confidently finding, ordering, and enjoying peanut-free meals in Thailand.
What you'll learn:
✓ Communicate your allergy to Thai waitstaff without awkward confusion—even if they don't speak English.
✓ Find common peanut-free dishes—both Thai and Western—that you can order just about anywhere.
✓ Avoid the five nuttiest Thai dishes and understand the one type of food you should just avoid altogether.
✓ Browse menus and restaurant options using one smartphone app that only locals only know about.
When I found out I would be living in small town Thailand for five months, my first thought was, “So this will be how I die.”
Given my peanut allergy, going out for Thai food in America was always a sketchy dining experience. Even when I would inform waitstaff about my allergy, most of my attempts at eating it had me reaching for the Benadryl or careening into a bathroom stall to return to sender.
Needless to say, I was…cautious about my predicament. Would I be able to communicate my allergy to restaurant staff? Would I find safe (and tasty) alternatives? Would I annoy everyone I went out to eat with? Would I freakin’ die?
Spoiler: this page wasn’t written posthumously. While there were some dicey moments in the beginning (mostly from my own naivete), once I figured out a few key things, avoiding peanuts in Thailand wasn’t any more difficult than it was in America.
Before my trip, I couldn’t find much helpful information about navigating the country with a peanut allergy. Once over there, I kept detailed notes about what I ate and how to best communicate my allergy, hoping to one day pass along what I wish I had known before my own trip.
Those notes became How to Survive Thailand With A Peanut Allergy, a PDF guide to help those in my situation understand they won’t need an ammo belt of EpiPens to feel safe and have a great trip.
What's inside
🧳 A peanut-proof packing list
💀 5 foods to avoid at all costs
✔️ 20+ commonly-found safe foods and where to find them
📱 A list of four smartphone apps to help in finding and ordering safe meals
📝 An allergy card to hand to cooks and waitstaff, explaining your condition in Thai
🍜 100+ dining phrases and food words, written in English, karaoke Thai, and Thai script
And more...
The secret to enjoying Thailand with a peanut allergy
Thai people who interact with Westerners on a regular basis will usually have some familiarity with the concept of food allergies. However, there's no guarantee they will fully understand what you are trying to communicate, or the severity of your condition.
This means that being able to communicate your allergy effectively could be the difference between enjoying Thailand or spending your trip inside your hotel room mainlining antihistamine (or something even more unpleasant).
But in my experience, the country's reputation as a nation of peanutphiles is inaccurate, and with the right knowledge (and of course a doctor’s blessing) I believe the Land of Smiles can be enjoyed by anyone.
Let me show you how in 62 detailed pages, like these 👇:
100% Money-Back Guarantee
This guide documents the same M.O. I used to stay alive and healthy while living in Thailand for five months.
However, if reading it doesn't help you make a better decision about whether you should make the trip, or doesn't make you feel better prepared if you do go, I'll give you a full refund, no questions asked—just shoot me an email.
About the Author
Hi, I'm Andrew! Professionally, I'm a copywriter but for fun I like to write things that (hopefully) help people.
A few years ago, I lived in a small town in southeastern Thailand despite having a peanut allergy. There, I took language lessons for fun and ate a ton of delicious Thai food.
While I was a little freaked out to go live in a country that everyone assumed would kill me the second I stepped off the plane, I discovered that eating in Thailand safely was pretty simple once I learned a few basic things.
And that's why I wrote this book—to share the details that will allow you to spend less time worrying and meal-hunting and more time enjoying everything the Land of Smiles has to offer.
Questions? Send me a message at: [email protected].
Questions People Sometimes Ask Frequently
If I buy and read your book, is it guaranteed I'll be safe in Thailand given my peanut/tree nut allergy?
NO! The severity and sensitivity of everyone's allergies are different. The book is intended to do two things only:
1) give a better idea of what real Thai food is like and what common dishes (both Thai and Western-but-readily-available) usually do and don't have peanuts or nuts.
2) should you decide to go to Thailand, give you the tools and resources to find food that has a high probability of being safe, and successfully communicate your allergy to those preparing it.
I can't stress enough that I am not an allergist and that it's probably wise to see one (if possible, one that is well-traveled) before planning a trip to Thailand.
For reference, what are you allergic to and how bad are your allergies?
I am allergic to all peanuts and tree nuts. I've carried an Epi-Pen on me most of my life (but have thankfully never had to use it). While when I was younger a reaction would cause me to break out in hives and give me a 'tight' throat, as an adult I get an itchy scalp and skin and incredibly nauseous.
For these reasons, I'd unscientifically label my allergies as moderate—I never had to sit at a special table at lunch, ruin others' flights by depriving them of peanuts, or really been bothered in any way other than ingesting (or putting a peanut butter covered finger in my eye, like I did in first grade).
How long is the book?
The book is a 62-page PDF, designed for referencing on your smartphone while you are on the go. You could probably read it in one sitting (and many times on the plane ride over).
What's the best way to use the book?
You could save it to your phone for quick access, or just take notes of or screenshot the pages with the information most relevant to you. Many of the phrases and terms in the book include Thai script for showing your phone to a Thai waiter or cook when ordering food. Same goes for the allergy card in the back of the book, which can be printed or shown to better communicate your allergy.
Is there a physical version of the book available?
I pitched the original manuscript to several publishers, but couldn't find any interested takers (granted, it is a pretty niche topic). If you work in publishing and are interested in the idea, reach out!
Are there photos of every food mentioned in the book?
Due to budget and space constraints, there's currently only nine photos (four safe, five unsafe) included. If you're in or going to Thailand and would like to contribute more photos of the food mentioned, let's talk.
Are you fluent in Thai?
Not even close. I took Thai lessons three times a week for five months, which was long enough to learn to read menus, road signs, and have the most basic of conversations. All the Thai in this book was written and/or proofed by an actual Thai person.
Is it absolutely necessary to try and speak Thai when in Thailand?
Absolutely not. I'm not going to lie, speaking Thai is much more difficult than fumbling through a romance language like Spanish or Italian. HOWEVER, even just attempting to speak Thai in Thailand accomplishes two things: A) It shows you are serious about getting the point across about your allergy; and B) even just attempting to speak will open up to you a kind of experience you would miss out on by sticking to English-speaking pizza restaurants for every meal. Of course, whether you want to try and speak Thai or just as a backup, I highly recommend showing the allergy card printout included in the book anytime you order food.
TL;DR: No, but you'll have a richer experience if you do.
I have another question/I have a suggestion/I spotted a mistake. How can I contact you?
Slip into my inbox.
© 2022 Andrew Elsass.