prescribed medicine for longer than 30 days
Hello all,
I am using two prescribed medicines, both of which are I confirmed are ok to enter without FDA registration, but the website says I should not exceed 30 tablets/pills.
I am staying for 47 days, and I even bought an extra box of each knowing that I will be gone for long. Do you think I can bring the second boxes or must I buy them while in Thailand?
Thanks
Bring the meds you need while on your trip. But bring a copy of your prescriptions or a letter from your doctor in the rare case that you do get checked.
In around 25 years of frequent visits (in recent years for 3 months at a time) no one has ever checked my meds.
You have mentioned the rules yourself.
It's unlikely if any of those who have walked through and been stopped are able to tell you whether it was anything more than all or the excess being confiscated and if they fell into the narcotics category or not.
Thailand does have doctors who can prescribe and many drugs are available over the counter without a prescription but narcotics ie heavy pain killers eg opiates would need a visit to a doctor.
Is there any way you could get your doctor to prescribe double strength tablets and taking half ?
Edited: 4:20 am, May 16, 2025OP’s medications are not on the controlled list. On the extremely rare eventuality that the OP gets checked on arrival, and the amount of medications tallies with the length of their expected stay, it’s likely they’d just get waved through. Since the visa exempt stay is now 60 days, the drugs website needs to be updated to reflect that. (Don’t hold your breath.) Obviously all people with chronic illnesses who need to take daily medications are going to bring an adequate amount for their stay.
Yes, most non-controlled meds are available over the counter in Thailand, without prescription. So if you miscount your pills, you can probably get them at a pharmacy. Siam Pharmacy at Ploenchit BTS is considered the best pharmacy in Bangkok — even recommended by doctors at MedPark Hospital.
Look, I unfortunately have several chronic conditions which are under control with a total of 8 medications, one of which I have to take twice daily. Not unlike a lot of aging people. I regularly arrive at Suvarnabhumi Airport with three months worth of those meds in my carry-on. Once again, no one has ever checked me in 25 years. If they ever did, I have a letter from my doctor certifying my need for all these pills.
Prescribing double strength is not something any doctor would do for this reason.
I would not worry, if you are just bringing in 47 days worth. Never been even checked. Bring prescription with you if you have one. The rule is stop people bringing lots of medicines to sell.
Many people can now stay 60 days without a visa.
Thank you for all the messages. One could technically buy these medicines whilst in Thailand, but I suppose I would either need to go to a doctor there or get my GP to send the scripts directly via email to the specific pharmacy (I don't know if they would accept the electronic copy that I have). So either way, it is time-consuming.
I also forgot to mention that I will spend 8 days of the 47 in Malaysia, so that leaves 39 for Thailand.
Depends on the medication, but many can be bought from chemists, without prescription.
The rules there are different.
#5 No you don’t need to go to a local doctor or get your subscription sent from your home doctor. In Thailand, pharmacists can dispense all medications which are not composed of controlled substances. So you just go into the pharmacy, tell the pharmacist precisely what you need, and he or she sells it to you, maybe with some cautions about use, often not. As I previously posted, Siam Pharmacy at Ploenchitt is widely considered the best one in Bangkok with a huge product range and the freshest pharmaceuticals. But any reasonably large pharmacy would probably stock what you need.
Some products are sold under different names in Thailand, so it’s wise to do a little internet research in advance.
But, as we’ve told you above — you don’t have to do that. Like millions of others, just bring what you need for the duration of your trip and don’t worry about it. I recently read some travel advice about packing some extra days worth of meds in case your return is delayed for some reason, which seems like good advice to me. In your case, bring 60 days worth instead of just 47.
Hello,
Tell folks what meds you take and I'm sure someone here will know how easy they are to purchase and the price.
In my case, as an American, the generic versions of my meds are really inexpensive in Thailand/SEA.
Asia is the same as the West, a chemist/pharmacy on every street corner.
Take care 🙂
**but I suppose I would either need to go to a doctor there or get my GP to send the scripts directly via email to the specific pharmacy (I don't know if they would accept the electronic copy that I have).**
I have walked into a pharmacy where I always stay in Bangkok and gotten my generic prescription filled without a Dr visit or scripts e-mailed. Never had an issueThis is Thailand. Things are done very differently.
Hi,
As noted above you do not need to go to a doctor. I have been buying medication in Thailand for years, without any prescriptions.
