Detailed Gluten-Free Restaurant Card — Thailand

Rice-based, with one phrase to learn

Thai cuisine is rice-based, and fish sauce (nam pla) — typically gluten-free — does much of the flavoring, which is a genuine advantage. The catch: soy sauce and oyster sauce, both usually wheat-containing, run through the stir-fry repertoire, and soups often lean on bouillon cubes and seasoning powder. I say “mai sai see ew” (no soy sauce), show this card, and ask every time.

What’s on the card

• An explanation of celiac disease in Thai — essential at street stalls and local kitchens
• What I can’t eat and where gluten hides: see ew (soy sauce) in most stir-fries, pad thai sauce that sometimes includes soy sauce, tom yum and other soups where bouillon cubes and seasoning powder are the risk
• What’s usually workable: gai yang (grilled chicken) with sticky rice once the marinade checks out, and pla neung manao (steamed fish with lime)
• The kitchen questions in Thai — led by “mai sai see ew,” plus the bouillon-cube question and a clean-wok request

What’s in the travel companion (page 2)

• Where I start: hotel restaurants and Western-style cafes in Bangkok, vegan and health-focused cafes in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, and Find Me Gluten Free reviews before I go
• Six dishes to anchor a trip — through mango sticky rice — plus shopping notes (San-J tamari at Villa Market and Tops; Schär at international supermarkets; bring gluten-free soy sauce sachets from home) and where options cluster: Sukhumvit and Silom, Chiang Mai, the resort islands
• If you get glutened: pharmacies (ร้านขายยา) are widespread and tourist-area staff often speak some English; emergency numbers are 1669 for an ambulance and 1155 for the English-speaking tourist police

The honest certification picture

Thailand has no celiac association and no local gluten-free certification. The phrase ปลอดกลูเตน (gluten-free) appears on some imported and specialty products, but no one is certifying restaurant meals — so the card does the explaining, in Thai, every time you order.

Format

Instant download: a 2-page PDF for your phone or a printed copy in your day bag.

This card helps communicate your dietary needs. It does not guarantee a gluten-free meal or eliminate cross-contact risk. Always use your judgment, and when in doubt, do not eat. Not medical advice.