Where can I buy Ritalin or other ADHD meds in Bangkok?

[tremsy]

Preferably without a prescription. Which pharmacies in Bangkok sell Ritalin? Any help is apperciated. Thank you

[Ben Zioner]

Doubt you can get Ritalin without prescription. My daughter  gets it from her Doctor at Manarom, English speaking. I can dig out her name if you want.

[LaosLover]

Just now, tremsy said:

Not recreational. I’d imagine it can be abused but I use for adhd

No Adderal here either. Def see a psych. Not expensive here. Do you have a prescription from home?

 

'No interest in judging you, but why do prefer not to have a prescription?

[tremsy]

26 minutes ago, impulse said:

I'd be real surprised if you can get ritalin outside of a hospital, even on the druggie scene.  It's very tightly controlled.  Probably meth or yaba sold as ritalin from the druggies. (Edit: or maybe it's real, but I wouldn't trust it)

 

I can tell you that you can get it at Bumrungrad Hospital, Behavioral Medicine department.  800 baht for the consultation and about 30 baht per 10mg pill.  Genuine Ritalin, no generics AFAIK.  Which makes it about 10x as expensive per mg as a generic from the USA. Ouch. 

 

I'm not claiming Bumrungrad's the cheapest available.  Nor am I sure it's a slam dunk the doctor will prescribe it.  I brought a note (e-mail) from the psychiatrist back home indicating the patient had been effectively treated with ritalin.  I don't know if that letter was decisive, but I brought it just in case.

Limited to a 60 day supply (360 pills) each time you buy some.

 

How do I get a consultation? That seems very reasonable. I just wanted quickest way to get hold. Some drugs in very small amounts that are illegal or legal can act as adhd medication so I wanted to try that as Ritalin isn’t best to me but im worried about getting caught now. 

[impulse]

19 minutes ago, tremsy said:

How do I get a consultation?

Call Bumrungrad main line and ask for an appointment with their Behavioral Medicine Dept.  After about 15 seconds of selecting English, they have excellent English speaking operators that should get you in with the right doctor(s).  You'll have to Google the phone number.  I'm afraid I'd "spell" it wrong if I posted it here.  To get there, I always took the BTS to Nana Station and it was about a 10 minute brisk walk.  15-20 minutes if you walk like a local.

 

BTW, the 800 baht consultation fee is for each refill, because the Dr has to authorize each.  I don't recall the initial consultation cost.  The fact I don't remember means it couldn't have been bad.  May have even been 800 or less since that was over 10 years ago.  Refill costs are from this year.

Edited September 7, 2023 by impulse

[Sheryl]

A post advocating illegal activity and replies to it have been removed.

 

These drugs are strictly controlled in Thailand and can only be obtained at a hospital. Buying or having it in your posession without prescription can lead to lengthy jail sentence.

 

@tremsy you need to see a psychiatrist at a hospital.  You can easily make an online  appointment for most of the private hospitals here.

 

 To name just a few:

 

Bangkok Hospital

BNH Hospital

BumrungradlMabarzm (psych hospital) 

MedPark

Samitivej

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[impulse]

11 hours ago, Sheryl said:

These drugs are strictly controlled in Thailand and can only be obtained at a hospital. Buying or having it in your posession without prescription can lead to lengthy jail sentence.

 

@tremsy you need to see a psychiatrist at a hospital.  You can easily make an online  appointment for most of the private hospitals here.

@Sheryl, for those on a tight budget, is ritalin available at all from public hospitals? 

 

Also, any insights into visa status required?  (Example, can you fly in on a visa exempt for a long weekend to stock up if you don't have a previous relationship with the hospital?)

 

Thanks

 

[Retfed50]

8 minutes ago, impulse said:

@Sheryl, for those on a tight budget, is ritalin available at all from public hospitals? 

 

Also, any insights into visa status required?  (Example, can you fly in on a visa exempt for a long weekend to stock up if you don't have a previous relationship with the hospital?)

 

Thanks

 

My step son(Thai)gets his Ritalin from Khon Kaen hospital. So, yes, it is available at government hospitals. From my experience, medications are cheaper at government hospitals than at private hospitals. The downside is the long waits. The evening outpatient clinics at the government hospitals are an option. A little more expensive but much less waiting and still cheaper than private hospitals.

[kingstonkid]

14 hours ago, tremsy said:

How do I get a consultation? That seems very reasonable. I just wanted quickest way to get hold. Some drugs in very small amounts that are illegal or legal can act as adhd medication so I wanted to try that as Ritalin isn’t best to me but im worried about getting caught now. 

Simple contact one of the top tier hosp andake an appointment.  I use bnh but all the others are good.  For time restraint would stay away from government hospital 

[impulse]

1 hour ago, Retfed50 said:

My step son(Thai)gets his Ritalin from Khon Kaen hospital. So, yes, it is available at government hospitals. From my experience, medications are cheaper at government hospitals than at private hospitals. The downside is the long waits. The evening outpatient clinics at the government hospitals are an option. A little more expensive but much less waiting and still cheaper than private hospitals.

Big ask, I know.  How much are you paying per pill?  Might help someone's decision whether the extra wait is worth it.  As I posted above, I'm paying about 30 baht each with a maximum of 360 pills per visit. 

 

I'm actually hoping someone will come along and call me an idiot, because I can get them so much cheaper at XXXX.

 

Edited September 8, 2023 by impulse

[arick]

3 hours ago, Retfed50 said:

My step son(Thai)gets his Ritalin from Khon Kaen hospital. So, yes, it is available at government hospitals. From my experience, medications are cheaper at government hospitals than at private hospitals. The downside is the long waits. The evening outpatient clinics at the government hospitals are an option. A little more expensive but much less waiting and still cheaper than private hospitals.

Yes medication is triple the price at private hospitals. 

[Sheryl]

13 hours ago, impulse said:

@Sheryl, for those on a tight budget, is ritalin available at all from public hospitals? 

 

Also, any insights into visa status required?  (Example, can you fly in on a visa exempt for a long weekend to stock up if you don't have a previous relationship with the hospital?)

 

Thanks

 

 

It is available at larger/higher tier public hospitals (i.e. regional or university hospital, or government pysch hospital). And will indeed cost less there. Hospitals do not know or  care anything about the various types of visas and will ask for your passport only for identification purposes.

 

HOWEVER:

 

1. Red tape is considerable, you need a Thai speaker alonfg especially on first visit, and it may take several visits (and possibly long wait i.e. days or even weeks) before you actually see a psychiatrist. Will go better if you go to a psych hospital (obviously they have psychiatrists every day) and use the "after hours" channel. That adds 200 - 500 baht to the consultation fee but does nto affect drug cost and is which quicker plus you see a more senior doctor.

 

2. Many, arguably most, Thai psychiatrists are unfamiliar with ADHD in adults and view it as a pediatric condition. Together with the high sensitivities about abuse of this class of drug (which is a huge problem in Thailand) and general stereotypes about foreigners you may have a lot of trouble getting it prescribed.  If you can show a prescription from your home country it will help but still no guarantee. Odds are better at a psych hospital or major university hospital as psychiatrists there are more knowledgeable.

 

3. Even if you get a script, they will limit how much they dispense. No way can you "stock up". Even at a private hospital they will do this. A month supply is likely the most you could get at one time if you get it at al (see above). Might even be given less e.g. a week or two supply and expected to return in person for refills. These drugs are seriously controlled substances in Thailand.

 

Government hospitals are a viable channel for people who live here and are willing to put in the extra time, but I can't see that working for someone just flying in for a short stay and seeking to stock up.

 

 

 

 

[arick]

It's easy any drugs that you're not sure that they have in Thailand just walk into the closest pharmacy and they have the national database and they can look it up on the computer that's what I did at Bangkok Hospital in Khon kaen they said the computer says no. 

[Freddy42OZ]

Has anyone been able to get Guanfacine here ? 

It is or at least was available but none of the hospitals we've tried in Bangkok have it.

https://www.thailandmedical.news/pages/drugs/intuniv

[Sheryl]

A post describing illegal activity has been removed in keeping with Forum standards