It is always important to look after one’s health, even more so when travelling. Therefore, ThailandThailand.net provides the following brief compilation of useful advice worth considering before taking off for Thailand. Perhaps most importantly, plan your time as far as vaccinations are concerned; start by consulting your local clinic in good time ahead of your trip.
General Advice
Do not get scared by those few appalling diseases that could be caught in this part of the world. The probability of that happening is actually very low; most holiday trips rather get disturbed by minor afflictions of “everyday” character. Tourist diarrhoea probably is the number one holiday spoiler. The bad news is that there is not that much one can do avoid the risk of being exposed to it. It is definitely not worth staying away from all the delicious food offerings available in Thailand. Nevertheless, bringing Dukoral against cholera with you on the trip is not a bad idea as it also gives some protection against tourist diarrhea.
Whilst staying in a tropical climate such as that of Thailand, maybe the most important thing to remember is to drink a lot, regularly. You should at least drink three liters during every 24 hours, preferably even four up to five liters. It is not uncommon to become dehydrated in a hot climate, particularly at the beginning of a vacation trip. Similarly, you will sweat considerably more due to the heat, meaning it is vital to look out for salt deficiency. Should you experience headache, dizziness and general weakness, your body may indeed be lacking salt. A good piece of advice is to put extra salt on your food — again especially at the beginning of your stay.
As a general rule of thumb, always remember not to hesitate contacting a doctor if your symptoms, whatever they may be, get very serious — such as high fever, persistent headache, etc.
Something that is easy to forget is how extremely strong the sun can be in Thailand. A solarium-created pre-tan might provide some protection. However, what most white-skinned need is high factor sunscreen together with thin clothes and perhaps a sun hat. Another outdoor danger is the actual ocean. Look out for the likes of underwater currents as well as jellyfish. Having said that, also freshwater lakes have their dangers, mainly in the form of nasty parasites.
