Food Allergy Guide for Thailand: Navigating Thai Cuisine Safely

Thai cuisine is one of the world's great food traditions but poses real challenges for those with food allergies. Peanuts, shellfish, fish sauce, and soy are found in dishes that may not appear to contain them. Cross-contamination is near-universal in busy street kitchens using shared woks. Understanding Thai food allergen culture is essential for eating safely. The most common hidden allergens in Thai food: Fish sauce (nam pla) is the base of almost every Thai savoury dish — it is invisible but present. Most "vegetarian" Thai dishes still contain fish sauce unless specifically requested otherwise. Shrimp paste (kapi) appears in curry pastes, some relishes, and the fermented shrimp paste dip served with many dishes. Peanuts are used in stir-fries, curries, and as a topping — Pad Thai without peanuts is possible but must be requested explicitly. Tree nuts (cashews) appear in several stir-fries. Shellfish is in many soups and curries. Eggs are in fried rice, Pad Thai, and omelette dishes. Gluten: most Thai dishes are naturally gluten-free (rice-based, not wheat-based) but soy sauce (used in Chinese-influenced stir-fries) contains gluten. Oyster sauce also contains wheat in most formulations. Communication: learn a few Thai phrases and supplement with a printed allergy card. "Pae tua lisong" = allergic to peanuts. "Mai sai naam pla" = no fish sauce. "Pae kung/ahaan talay" = allergic to shellfish. Print an allergy card in Thai — services like AllergyEats and allergy translation apps can generate these. Show it to the cook, not just the waiting staff. Higher-risk situations: street food stalls with shared cooking surfaces and limited language communication. Low-risk options: vegetarian restaurants (Jay in Thai = vegan/plant-based Buddhist food — genuinely free from meat, fish, and often shellfish), dedicated Western restaurants with trained staff, and upscale restaurants with English-speaking staff who can relay allergies to the kitchen. Anaphylaxis preparedness: carry two EpiPens if you have severe allergies. Know the location of the nearest hospital. Travel insurance covering emergency treatment is essential. Major Thai cities have excellent hospitals but response times in remote beach areas can be long.