top of page
TYME CAPSULE
Tyme to Eat!
A Guide to Thai Street Food for People with Food Allergies
I created this book, based on my own personal experiences with food allergies and Thai street food, I want to inform people of the various types of street food commonly found in Thailand. More specifically, I aim to guide foreigners with food allergies into the vast and complex world of delicious Thai street food.
click this link to download a copy of my book
Also, I have created a dual language Allergy Card to help communicate with Thai street vendors. This card is an essential tool when you order Thai street food. Please click this link to download
The Journey of "Tyme to Eat!"
I’ve been dealing with severe egg, dairy, and nut allergies for my whole life. Luckily, I’ve been able to grow out of my egg allergy, but I still constantly deal with my other allergies every day. My parents are both from Thailand. So, Bangkok is practically my second home. Through my many years of constant traveling and eating in Thailand, I’ve had many close calls with Thai street food...it has even sent me to the ER before! Then, I came to a realization that if it was difficult for me to order food in my own country, would foreign visitors with food restrictions stand a chance? With the language barrier as another challenge, it would be almost impossible to enjoy street food safely. It was then that I set forth to create a street food companion for those with nut, dairy, and egg allergies, so foreigners could safely and easily enjoy Thai street food!
While many people know of the popular dishes like “Pad Thai” and “Tom Yum,” you will find that those barely scratch the surface of Thai street food. I spent several summers dedicated to compiling information for this book. Every time I had a chance to go back to Thailand, I would explore and learn about unique dishes, take photos, and research the common ingredients used to make the dishes. I hope that people with food allergies will be more knowlegeable of Thai street food and more confident to try them.
At the back of the book, I also created a QR code that links to a dual languages allergy card that you can save onto your mobile device while traveling in Thailand.
I showed my final draft of the book to my allergist Dr. Ziv Harish, whom I had the privilege of being his patient since I was a baby. I asked if he would be willing to review my book and write an introduction for me. Dr. Ziv Harish was extremely impressed with my work and was happy to be part of it. He values my booklet as a good resource of the wonderful world of Thai cuisine for people with food allergies.
It literally took me a couple years to complete this book. I finally took delivery of 200 copies around the beginning of 2021. To be honest, I was ecstatic and sad at the same time. Initially, I contacted several hotels in Thailand to help distribute the books to tourists that are visiting Thailand. Unfortunately, Covid-19 came and hit Thailand really hard in the middle of 2021. Thailand was in lockdown mode. No one was allowed to travel in and out. Thus, the plan is on hold.
I came across the project "Thai Cuisine & Biz Here" that the Royal Thai Consulate General New York created with the purpose to support Thai businesses and Thai communities in New York and nearby states. I had a lightbulb moment that I would like to be part of this project. I decided to approach the Thai Embassy in New York for distribution advice. The reaction of Mr. Fabio Chinda, the Thai Consulate General, was more than I could ever have hoped for. Deeply impressed by the book and my intention of spreading Thai cultural appreciation to the international audiences through promoting its cuisine, the Consulate General excitedly asked if the booklet’s PDF version could be published on the Embassy’s website and social media platforms. To my biggest amazement, he asked to sponsor the production of 500 more copies of my book, so they could be distributed to other Thai embassies worldwide. You can view my post here
I'd like to sincerely thank Mr. Fabio Chinda (the Consul General) and the team for giving me this opportunity. Thank you for recognizing my work and help to make my dream come true!
bottom of page