fwiw i've been hearing about this from people all over bangkok, not just here in ari. there's something weird going around that's not just covid or the usual flu, i know a few folks who tested negative for everything but still had symptoms for weeks. one friend finally got a blood test at st louis hospital and it came back as cmv, which is a virus that's usually dormant but can flare up when your immune system is already struggling. might be worth asking your doc about that or even getting a full panel done, the regular clinics don't always check for it. also try steaming with menthol or eucalyptus oil, it helped me more than any allergy med did when i had a similar thing last month

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ngl this sounds like the long covid thing that's been running through bangkok since the rainy season started. my partner had the exact same pattern - recover, go out once, get wrecked again for weeks. turned out to be a combo of reactivated ebv (the mono virus) and post-viral sinusitis. the ent at bumrungrad ran a blood panel and found it, regular docs kept saying allergies too. might be worth asking for an ebv antibody test and a sinus ct if you can swing it, the infection can hide in your sinuses even with air purifiers running. also try swapping to a neti pot with distilled water and saline twice a day, it helped clear the congestion when nothing else would

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yeah this has been super common since like may or june here. i live near thong lo and know at least five people who got knocked down for 3-4 weeks straight after a mild covid case. one theory i heard from a doc at bnh is that covid messes with your histamine levels for a while after recovery, so even normal dust or mold can hit you harder than before. might be worth asking about a different antihistamine like fexofenadine instead of the basic cetirizine, some people react totally different to each. also check if ur apartment has any hidden mold, this humidity is brutal for that right now

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Krua Dok Mai Kao is solid but I've always found their som tam a bit tame on the pla ra. If you want the real funky version, try the shophouse spots along Soi Udomsuk 26, near the night market end. They pound it fresh with fermented fish that'll clear your sinuses, and it's like 60 baht. Different style from the On Nut places, more Lao-leaning.

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for som tam specifically i'd say the Isaan spots in Chatuchak are underrated, weekdays only though since the weekend crowd ruins the vibe. there's a stall near gate 2 that does tam pa with fermented bamboo shoots, super sour and funky, not something you see much in On Nut. if you're already heading north for Or Tor Kor anyway its worth the detour.

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honestly the som tam at Krua Dok Mai Kao is good but what got me hooked is their nam prik pla raa dip with the raw veggies, that funk hits way harder than the papaya does. think most people sleep on it cuz they just order the som tam and gai yang. also pro tip, go before noon on weekdays, after that teh pla ra gets milder cuz they batch it for the lunch rush

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