Bringing Medication Into Thailand

[Rj 81]

Hi All,

Does my friend need to do anything regarding taking his prescribed medication with him to Thailand on holiday?

Ie; fill out extra forms or go through customs declaration ect??

The only reason I'm asking is because it is not normal medication. He had a brain tumor operation last year and is on;

Keppra 250mg

Epilim Controlled release tablets 250 and 500

Any help is much appreciated.

[Mario2008]

Having a doctors note and have him declare it at customs is always advisable with prescription drugs. Also when he goes through customs if he has a stop over at another location.

[noahvail]

Agreed, Mario. I've been through incoming customs at BKK 3 times in the past year with my cocktail of meds. A doctor's note on his letterhead; the meds in their respective bottles or cartons, with the pharmacy label on each; and got through the red line - even if there is no officer manning it. Twice I was just waved through, the third time I had to show the meds, got the question 'these all yours?' and my reply 'yes.' And that was that.

Not declaring meds, especially controlled substances, can have very dire consequences in many countries in SE Asia, and Thailand is no exception.

Edited: typo.

Edited November 16, 2009 by noahvail

[ignis]

Does my friend need to do anything regarding taking his prescribed medication with him to Thailand on holiday?

If you can go into the Thai pharmacy and ask if you can buy the medication, many prescribed medication in UK/USA can be bought freely over the counter here

[hmficc]

Does my friend need to do anything regarding taking his prescribed medication with him to Thailand on holiday?

If you can go into the Thai pharmacy and ask if you can buy the medication, many prescribed medication in UK/USA can be bought freely over the counter here

Anything over a 30 day supply is subject to import tax, 10 or 20 % depending on the drug. A Dr. letter stating illness and drugs

will be a great help if they stop you.

Wife and I always go green line with 6 months supply of 15 meds and 6 suppliments. Been stopped once. The called the FDA kid over. He asked for a Dr. letter-no have. We told him we were traveling Asia for a year, the truth. We do every year. He looked at a couple bottles wrote the name down of 2 items and wished us well. This was CM. Other day, other guy, other outcome.

[Rj 81]

Thank you for your reply's and advise I will pass on.

Chok dee

[GucciLittlePiggy]

I have a bad back at the moment and have been given Cocodamol and Diclofenac to ease the pain, and Valium to help me sleep. Will I need a doctor's letter for these? I have the original box with the pharmacists sticker on it - is that sufficient?

On a wider point, if I get searched by the BiB (which I do, regularly), will they be able to understand a doctor's note? Is it guaranteed that a docs letter from the UK will allow me to carry prohibited drugs in thailand without the BiB demanding their tea money?

[londonthai]

take with you some tablets, as well as the cophy of prescription - all these medicines you can get in any thai pharmacy. Of course you will be ok with bib

[GucciLittlePiggy]

take with you some tablets, as well as the cophy of prescription - all these medicines you can get in any thai pharmacy. Of course you will be ok with bib

And if I don't have a copy of the prescription?

[londonthai]

you might show a box with your name and your ID, if not the exact medication at least you will get something similar, maybe less potent. Painkillers are everywhere, changing them would even benefit their effect, as after time of using your regular medicine, they become less efective and there is a danger of addiction.

a new prescription in thailand you can get from any doctor, even a dentist, a short visit costs a hundred B

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Narcotics need to be approved by the Narcotics Control Board IN ADVANCE of importation. A doctors letter alone is insufficient for Customs purposes.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

take with you some tablets, as well as the cophy of prescription - all these medicines you can get in any thai pharmacy. Of course you will be ok with bib

And if I don't have a copy of the prescription?

if they are narcotics, carry your toothbrush.

[londonthai]

codeine is available in the uk over the counter (in lower potencies) - it's paracetamol with some other compound.

diclofenac is know as voltaren and is anti-inflammatory, in many countries over the counter.

with those 2 there should be no problem in thailand

valium is a prescription drug in thailand, but can be bought in many pharmacies by foreigners without one (just go alone and wait till you are alone with the pharmacist, because it's not stricly legal)

[ronyates]

you might show a box with your name and your ID, if not the exact medication at least you will get something similar, maybe less potent. Painkillers are everywhere, changing them would even benefit their effect, as after time of using your regular medicine, they become less efective and there is a danger of addiction.

a new prescription in thailand you can get from any doctor, even a dentist, a short visit costs a hundred B

I'm on 13 to 15 tablets a day with codydromol. 6 aday for pain/ Lansoprazole/ for hitus Hernia/ water tablets 2 aday to get rid of water in my body/ Heart tablets losartan/ as I had a triple heart bypass/ simvastatin/ Asprin/ 10 years ago Lansoprazole cost 50 baht each in Thailand.

by the way my name is on all the boxes. Also the name of the chemist. But unles I give the custom people 100.000 baht I could possibly do 20 years in there filthy cook or prison. Cook in thai for prison. But why should I pay 5000 baht a month for 8 months when I get mine on NHS. i am 73 years old

good luck yak man or ron yatesmedication into Thailand

[ronyates]

you might show a box with your name and your ID, if not the exact medication at least you will get something similar, maybe less potent. Painkillers are everywhere, changing them would even benefit their effect, as after time of using your regular medicine, they become less efective and there is a danger of addiction.

a new prescription in thailand you can get from any doctor, even a dentist, a short visit costs a hundred B

You could get a prison sentence. But good luck