Traveller’s diarrhoea treatment in Bang Tao
You are on the fifth trip to the bathroom, you have a boat booked for tomorrow, and you are trying to work out whether to take the tablets from the pharmacy or leave it alone. It affects a large share of visitors to Southeast Asia. Traveller’s diarrhoea treatment in Bang Tao comes down to replacing fluid properly and knowing which medication helps and which makes things worse.
What causes it here
Most cases are bacterial, with E. coli the commonest, picked up from food or water carrying organisms your gut has not met. Viruses such as norovirus cause outbreaks that run through hotels and boats. Parasites like giardia are less common and cause a longer, more drawn-out illness.
Ice, salads rinsed in tap water, fruit peeled by someone else, and food kept warm rather than hot are the usual routes. Street food is not automatically riskier — a busy stall cooking to order in front of you is often safer than a buffet sitting under a lamp.
Rehydration is the treatment
Everything else is secondary. Oral rehydration salts beat water, soft drinks and sports drinks, because the balance of sugar and salt is what allows the gut to absorb fluid rather than pass it through.
Sachets are cheap in any Thai pharmacy. Mix with bottled water, sip steadily through the day, and aim to keep your urine pale. Cola and sports drinks are too sugary and can worsen the diarrhoea by drawing water into the bowel.
When loperamide helps and when it harms
Loperamide slows the gut. It is reasonable for watery diarrhoea with no fever and no blood, particularly if you have a flight or a long journey.
Do not take it if you have a fever, blood or mucus in the stool, or severe stomach pain. In those cases the diarrhoea is your body expelling something that should leave, and holding it in can cause serious complications. Never give it to a young child.
When antibiotics are appropriate
Most cases settle in two to four days without them, and taking antibiotics for every loose stool drives resistance and can prolong carriage of some bacteria.
They are worth using for moderate to severe illness with fever, for blood in the stool, or when symptoms are not improving after three days. The doctor decides after examining you, and where useful a stool test identifies the organism. Persistent diarrhoea lasting more than two weeks points towards giardia, which needs a different medication entirely.
When it is more than a stomach bug
Come in the same day if there is:
- Blood or mucus in the stool
- Fever above 38.5C
- Six or more watery stools in a day
- Dizziness on standing, or barely passing urine
- Severe pain concentrated in one area
- Any diarrhoea in a young child that is not settling
Dehydration is the real danger, and in this heat it arrives faster than people expect. If you cannot keep fluids down, an IV drip corrects it in about an hour. See also food poisoning.
Frequently asked questions
How much does treatment cost?
A consultation with rehydration advice and anti-nausea medication is inexpensive. Stool testing and IV fluids cost more, and are quoted before being started.
Should I stop eating?
No. Eat plain food when you feel able — rice, toast, bananas, clear soup. Starving yourself slows recovery of the gut lining.
Can I still go on my boat trip?
If you are dehydrated or feverish, no. A day offshore with no shade and no bathroom turns a manageable illness into a serious one.
Can a doctor come to me?
Yes. A doctor hotel visit covers Bang Tao, Cherng Talay, Laguna and Layan, at any hour.
How do I avoid it for the rest of the trip?
Bottled or filtered water, including for brushing teeth if your stomach is already upset. Eat food that is hot and freshly cooked, peel your own fruit, and wash your hands before eating — hand hygiene prevents more cases than avoiding street food does.
Come in, or we come to you
Take Care Medical Clinic Bang Tao is open open 24 hours, 7 days a week on Bandon Road in Cherng Talay, a few minutes from Bang Tao Beach and Laguna Phuket. Walk in without an appointment, call +66 81 718 9080, or message us on WhatsApp. If you would rather not move, ask for a doctor hotel visit and we will come to your room.