I recently got back from a vacation on the beautiful island of Phuket in Thailand. There you can stay in 5-star resorts for a fraction of what they would cost elsewhere. Phuket has gorgeous white-sand beaches, warm water, and friendly locals. However, I have a dangerous wheat allergy, known as WEDIA, and have to eat gluten-free (GF). It’s not easy to be gluten-free in Thailand, but it’s possible.

I did a ton of online research before my departure. Most of that research turned out to be wrong. For instance, one popular online site said there was a hotel that was very gluten-free friendly. So I stayed there for my first few nights. But when I broke out my Nima gluten-tester, the first meal I had was full of gluten! The website also said there was a grocery store with lots of gluten-free stuff. There was one, but it didn’t have the products I like. The products there also required cooking, which wasn’t an option. While vacationing, I learned a lot about how to be gluten-free in Phuket. Here are my learnings:

Pack plenty of Kind Bars – I was in Phuket for eight days, the scientifically proven best duration for a vacation. For it, I packed four boxes of Kind Bars. I recommended you do the same. But be search to check the allergens as not all Kind products are gluten-free. Bring the bars on the Plane with you because the Asian airlines aren’t great about giving you actual gluten-free meals. They make mistakes. Bring a Nima gluten-testing device – I got one of these little testers specifically for my vacation in Phuket. I used it before I ate each meal, even on foods advertised as GF, and it saved me once. They cost a lot, but they are worth it if you are a celiac or have gluten-intolerance. Stay at the Marriot – The Marriot didn’t advertise itself as GF, but they had a ton of options. They have a breakfast buffet each morning. If you ask the cook to tell you what is gluten-free, he will walk you around and show you. They even have GF bread! They also have incredibly comfortable pillows, but I digress. If I could do it over again, I would stay at the Marriot the whole time. Eat at Bake Free– UPDATE: It appears that Bake Free has closed permanently. Please update us via the comments below if you know one is still open. There are a few Bake Free cafes on the island. These are dedicated gluten-free cafes. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I ate some incredible GF pancakes there and took some sandwiches to go each day.

Well, those are my learnings on how to be gluten-free in Phuket. I hope they help you have a more enjoyable vacation. If you have any questions or additional tips on how to be gluten-free in Phuket, please leave a comment below.