All I did was visit the local amphur's mini-LOTUS here and have lunch at a small restaurant.
Next morning I woke up coughing with a sore throat, a running nose and was in for misery.
Never was hit that hard with rhinitis or common cold. Hardly came out of bed to move to the sofa and back.
Did eat 2 yoghurts and 1 kao pad in 3 days.
Wife wanted me to visit the doctor, but that is useless for a cold. Took paracetamol, nasal decongestant and cough surpressant.

Funny we call it "cold" Thailand is a tropical country and the illness is caused by a virus.

Felt better day 5 and now is day 5, I should be OK later to day.
Seems the wife got spared from it.

Has anyone be infected? Is it spreading or am I an isolated case?

I always contract something like that...never used too but is it age related i wonder, sore throats are the worst.

My immune system must be improving with age. When I first started visiting Udon 5 years ago there was the same pattern. Day 2 or 3 start sneezing then coughing. Colds/chest infections... I got to know the joy of the Thai over prescribe policy and would go home with 7 different kinds of pills.

When I began living in Thailand full-time the incidents of illness lessened. Had my last bout about 3 weeks ago but it wasn't much, just shivered for 3 days. When I get a cold I hate cold drinks and I wouldn't touch beer so I live on hot tea and eat soup and phad grapao (sp.) to keep me warm. Doesn't put me off the other thing though...

i have had some terrible colds in LOS ,really virulent that i have trouble getting rid of .never get any colds back home in UK despite the more inclement weather .

Colds here always seem to follow the same pattern.

Sore throat -> Chesty cough -> Runny nose

Over the course of about 10 days. Weird...

Can't Drink..Can't eat...Can't smoke......even having a bit of Sex is no fun...

The "common cold virus"seems to be more severe in Thailand to me.Every year about november I get a sore throat.
I have had this cough now one month.It just wont budge.
Here is a guide how to avoid a virus.But short of go out wearing a surgical mask and gloves not so easy.

How to catch a cold
As the calendar pages fall away and autumn creeps toward winter, we slog through the inevitable cold and flu season. You know those first, scratchy-throated signs that a cold has taken hold. And you know you're in for about a week's worth of unshakeable symptoms - a dry, sore throat, stuffed-up nose, and coughing and sneezing fits. Want to make sure to get in on all that fun? Here are some surefire ways to catch a cold:

Become a sneeze guard. Cold viruses get spread around by mucus and saliva flung out of the body by sneezes and coughs. Thus, if you really want to catch a cold, try standing downwind of someone who already has one.

Touch everything and never wash your hands. While most cold germs are airborne, many get passed around on our hands. Thoroughly washing your hands or using hand sanitizers will remove many of the germs, but cold viruses can lurk anywhere hands have touched: door knobs, toilet flushers, telephones, bus or subway poles, and shopping cart handles.
The machines at the gym and the buttons on the AT M, too. So touch everything - especially your nose!
Stick your nose out.
Temperatures drop and you bundle up in coats, scarves, and gloves, but your nose often gets left out in the cold. One catch-a-cold theory goes that when your nose is cold, you become less resistant to infection.

Walk barefoot in the cold. Your grandma may have warned you about "catching your death of cold" if you dared go out outside with a wet head in wintertime. Well, it seems your grandma may be at least partly right.
You see, many of us carry cold viruses around with us all the time, but we just don't always show the symptoms. Researchers at Cardiff University in Wales suggest that when the feet are cold, blood vessels in the nose constrict. This then makes it tough for your nose to fight off the virus and cold symptoms kick into high gear.

So it seems like we just "caught" a cold, but it had been there waiting for a chill all the time.
Hang out in the city. Cities are packed full of virus carriers - building ventilation systems, people walking or riding on buses and in cars, children going to and from school, and people crossing paths in hospitals, malls, and any number of other public gathering places.

Stress out. Want a cold? Worry! Get anxious! It's thought that tension can make you less resistant to infection.
Stop aging. With age comes wisdom, and this is true with your immune system, too. With every cold you battle, your immune system creates more and more antibodies and becomes smarter at handling new viruses that come along.
Be human. No wonder it's called the common cold: Over two hundred different viruses float around and infect us humans every year, causing those familiar, unpleasant symptoms. Adults suffer an average of 2 to 5 colds each year, while kids experience 7 to 10 sniffle-and-sneeze episodes.

In all seriousness, it is tough to fend off all of the viruses that create cold symptoms. But you can lower your risk by turning all of those tips on their head - well, except for those last two!

Cover your mouth when you sneeze and cough. Keep germs off of your hands by coughing and sneezing into the bend of your elbow. And, of course, stay out of the line of fire of other people's germs.

As much as you can, refrain from touching your nose, eyes, or mouth. Wash your hands with soap and water often - it's the best way to remove germs you've picked up from touching things around you. Hand sanitizers will tide you over until you can get to a sink.

Learn to cope with stress in your life.
Bundle up when you head out into the cold, and don't forget your poor vulnerable nose!

Try to steer clear of crowded places during the high contagious season. Stay home from work or school if you're sick to prevent spreading the cold you've "successfully" caught.

As far as the medicines go, Tiffy-Fu which comes in a little packet of 4 tabs is remarkably effective.
It is, in essence, paracetamol but also a with decongestant and I think a little ephinedrine? little pick-me-up.
Just seems to speed up kicking it out of your system and lessens the misery. The sore throat thing must be
the local climate? I seem to be buying strepcils at the 7-11 once a week on a regular basis. My pet-peeve are
the folks who insist blowing their nose on the ground or just in the immediate area, spreading the germs as
best they can so others will be sick also. Very considerate, I think it's called "greng-jai".

cali4995 wrote:As far as the medicines go, Tiffy-Fu which comes in a little packet of 4 tabs is remarkably effective.
It is, in essence, paracetamol but also a with decongestant and I think a little ephinedrine? little pick-me-up.
Just seems to speed up kicking it out of your system and lessens the misery. The sore throat thing must be
the local climate? I seem to be buying strepcils at the 7-11 once a week on a regular basis. My pet-peeve are
the folks who insist blowing their nose on the ground or just in the immediate area, spreading the germs as
best they can so others will be sick also. Very considerate, I think it's called "greng-jai".

I swear by that too Cali... When I go home I know I will get a cold and I take a few packs back with me. 500 mg paracetamol, 2mg chlorpheniramine maleate and Pseudoephedrine 30mg. I agree that it does seem to speed up the recovery process.

"folks who insist blowing their nose on the ground or just in the immediate area, spreading the germs as
best they can so others will be sick also. Very considerate, I think it's called "greng-jai".

Yes this habit is common with folk here.The blowing of the nose,one finger blocking one side of the nose hole to enhance extra pressure on fall out.
Also the "bringing up phlegm" gargle up as much as they can,splat where ever they want. Disgusting!
Actually its "My soo pahp". (impolite) " Geng jai" is feeling imposing on someone.

I was trying to make a little joke. greng-jai (considerate) which of course it is not. Yes, that
excessive coughing-up of phlegm is a sore point with me as well. Sometimes, it is just that,
hawking-up a doobie to go splatter on the sidewalk for others to walk through, and sometimes,
it is kind of an insult, like you "deserve to be spit-on" and this is my clever way of insulting you
which of course, you will never catch on to. In any event I also find it mai soo pahp(impolite)
and there have been instances in which i have immediately begun hawking up phlegm in reply
and i realize this is juvenile and immature and likely to get one in trouble.and well life goes on.

it is kind of an insult, like you "deserve to be spit-on" and this is my clever way of insulting you

Yes I agree Cali.These are farang haters!They envy our better life.I have this with a Thai man most days.He passes my house and every time I am in the garden, spits.I stare at him,but he will never look at me.

mortiboy wrote:it is kind of an insult, like you "deserve to be spit-on" and this is my clever way of insulting you

Yes I agree Cali.These are farang haters!They envy our better life.I have this with a Thai man most days.He passes my house and every time I am in the garden, spits.I stare at him,but he will never look at me.

Morti,Why DONT you....... in HIS Face ???