Hello everyone,

My doctor has prescribed I take anti-malaria meds (Doxycycline - an antibiotic) to take while I am in thailand. The problem is these are suppose have side affects making you feel ill and I also heard anti-biotics can lower your immune system. Also I was suppose to take a shot against japanese encyphalitis before I go... but since I am heading out this weekend that becomes near imposible now.

My stay is only a little under a month in which I will be visiting Bangkok, one of the southern beach areas (Phuket or Samui) at a resort or hotel and maybe Chang Mai. I was told in another forum that I probably wouldn't need to worry about malaria in these areas and should not take them because of the other symptoms. That endemic areas for malaria are small villages around rice fields and in the middle of the jungle where mosquitoes flurish and where I am in high populated areas, just using DEET repellant should be fine.

Would any repellant I bring from N. America be fine? Or are there stronger repellants more effective in thailand I should consider?

I will be bringing them with me in any case but I wanted to see what you more knowledgeable people of the health forum might think before I make the decision.

Thanks for your time!

From the list of places you are visiting there is no need for Malaria prophylaxis or JE vaccination.

I recently had a discussion with a Medical Director at a very large vaccine company about the JE vaccine and he told me its not that effctive - we both travel to places where JE occurs in the season and have stayed in rural ara's where pig's are kept and so hence the questions.

Dengue is the mosquito borne disease you are mostl likely to face - repellent is the only option. Dengue comes from day time mossies.