Thanks for an interesting and illuminating comment!

kc

1. Choose busy vendors, the busier the better, and if office workers are eating there too it’s probably a safe bet.

2. Never use their spoons, forks, or chopsticks. Washing at these street vendors is very iffy, and most food illnesses come from improperly washed utensils, not from the food itself (if you are eating freshly cooked food). I carry my own plastic fork and spoon. You can also save a few of these from work or U.S. restaurants. I wash mine when I get back to the hotel. Washing of the plates doesn’t seem to be as much of a problem as the utensils, but if you are worried, ask for the food “to go” and you will get it in a styrofoam container.

3. If you choose to eat fresh veggies that come with your dish – like the raw cabbage that comes with some Thai dishes – it’s a good idea to use your bottled water to rinse it off, since the rinse water the vendor might have used might not be clean.

4. BYOW. Bring your own water, or buy a bottle of water from the vendor. Whatever you do, don’t use one of their reusable cups – although a straw (your own) might help.

Believe it or not, most street vendors rely on repeat business, so they try to be careful, within the limits of local custom (and local stomachs, which may both be stronger than ours, and more used to periodic “upset”).

Now that I’ve probably scared your readers away from street vendor food there is one thing to remember: often street food is tastier than restaurant food, since street vendors have no “atmosphere” to offer and rely on customers liking their taste and prices.