Medications

[muffinzman]

I have a couple of questions regarding medications in thailand.... On the customs website it says you can only bring a 30 day supply into thailand so i am wondering what would i do on a 60 day tourist visa with a one month extension or a metv.... would a letter from my doctor help? ......The other question is .... what is the law regarding having medications sent to thailand from an online pharmacy from canada, england or australia as one pharmacy said that i should contact customs to make sure they are not prohibited in thailand ( i did email a customs address but received no reply ) ? I am guessing my medications  are not prohibited as they  are available in thailand but way too expensive. I was in thailand last month and  My thai friend and i went to   4 pharmacies and one hospital ( bangkok only )  and the  cheapest quote was 16000 baht per month as opposed to 6500 baht from an online western pharmacy... The medications  are mesalazine, azathioprine and nexium for a condition called chron's disease...The online question is more to do with research and  if i wanted to retire there one day as i could not afford 16000 baht per month....I am from australia....

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated......

[BritTim]

You have not posted this in an appropriate forum, but I will offer one suggestion. For this kind of medication, you need to use the public hospitals, probably Chulalongkorn Hospital. The private hospitals overcharge outrageously for any medications, and the private pharmacies are expensive for any low turnover brand name drugs. You will probably need to queue for half a day at Chula, but should be able to get what you need at reasonable cost.

 

An American friend of mine used to receive prescription drugs sent through the post by his sister, but I am unsure of the legality.

[muffinzman]

Ok thanks brit tim i will look into it.... Thanks to whoever moved my post to the proper forum.....

[glegolo]

Yes have almost the same experience with overcharge of the medicines. the expensive ones in this order from top;

 

1. Private hospitals

2. clinics

3. public thai hospitals

4. pharmacies

 

The cheapest here for me in Chaiyaphum, are without any doubts the pharmacies...

 

Glegolo

[chiang mai]

YOU asked the same question two years ago, the answers haven't changed:

 

 

[robblok]

You are only allowed 30 days but I am sure that if you take more mostly it will go unnoticed. My dad is a heart patient and he took 4 months with him when he was here on a work visa. He had no problems but also was not checked.

 

Sending in medicine that is an other thing, especially if they are not OTC. 

[tonray]

The government run a series of Pharmacies called GPO. There are a bunch in BKK...not sure about other locations. Prices are about 1/2 to 1/3 of a typical street pharmacy. Anyone can shop there. There is one in the basement of Changwattana immigration also. One near Victory monument. Google search GPO pharmacy and ask about prices.

[BKKdreaming]

at these  GPO pharmacies do you need a prescription from a Doctor ?

[chiang mai]

3 minutes ago, BKKdreaming said:

at these  GPO pharmacies do you need a prescription from a Doctor ?

 

It's the same rules as at any other pharmacy, the need for a prescription is determined by the meds you want to buy, not by the place you buy them from.

[Sheryl]

1. They are not very strict ion the 30 day rule as long as the meds are clearly labelled, not controlled substances, and in quantities consistent with personal use.

 

2. It is technically not legal to receive pharmaceuticals by mail in Thailand unless you possess a pharmacy license.  That siad, customs will usually let small amounts through if sent by regular post and not a courier.

 

3. You can get your meds at Thai pharmacies for much less than what you werre quoted if you:

 

1. Change from nexium to omeprazole (please see my reply to your previous thread of 2 years ago)

 

2. Buy Mesalon brand of  mesalazine direct from the distributir;  see this  thread http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/870159-mesalazine-salofalk-pentasa-in-bangkok/

As you will note,  as of a year ago cost was 5000฿ for 500 tablets.

 

3. Buy a less expensive brand of  azathioprine e.g.

- Azadus (made in India - local distributor is Kaspa Pharma  http://www.kaspapharma.com/contact.php

- Imuprin (made in Cyprus) - local distributor is Pharmadica which is a branch of Pharmaland (see above)

 

Please also note my comments of 2 years ago re health insurance. If you move permanently to Thailand you will no longer be eligible under Australian NHS, and you will not be bale to get a local health insurance policy. You may be able to get an internationally-issued expat policy but likely to exclude anything related to your pre-existing conditions and premiums will be high. You need to consider not only what you will do in case you need hospitalization related to your  Crohn's but also in case of accident or any new health problem.  There is also the problem of lack of medical expertise with Crohn's among Thai doctors. All in all, from a health standpoint, a permanent move is unwise. I suggest you think more in terms of spending just part of each year here so that you can continue to be cared for by your doctor in Oz and maintain eligibility under NHS. Even then, you still need health insurance for while you are in Thailand but could do so via travel insurance - look for a policy that covers "acute exacerbations" of pre-exisitng conditions, some do.

 

 

 

 

[bbi1]

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

 

Please also note my comments of 2 years ago re health insurance. If you move permanently to Thailand you will no longer be eligible under Australian NHS, and you will not be bale to get a local health insurance policy. You may be able to get an internationally-issued expat policy but likely to exclude anything related to your pre-existing conditions and premiums will be high. You need to consider not only what you will do in case you need hospitalization related to your  Crohn's but also in case of accident or any new health problem.  There is also the problem of lack of medical expertise with Crohn's among Thai doctors. All in all, from a health standpoint, a permanent move is unwise. I suggest you think more in terms of spending just part of each year here so that you can continue to be cared for by your doctor in Oz and maintain eligibility under NHS. Even then, you still need health insurance for while you are in Thailand but could do so via travel insurance - look for a policy that covers "acute exacerbations" of pre-exisitng conditions, some do.

 

 

 

 

As far as you remain an Australian citizen, wouldn't the OP be covered by Australian NHS/Medicare? Even if living in Thailand for a number of years & occasionally going back to Oz every now & then?

Edited September 4, 2016 by bbi1

[Sheryl]

Unfortunately, no, if you live abroad five years or more you cease to be covered, and re-enrolling is possible only if you can prove you have returned permanently and severed all ties with the country you had moved to. (1 year in the case of permanent residents as opposed to citizens).

 

UK residents have a similar problem.

 

Maintaining an address in Australia and spending at east part of each year there would maintain eligibility.

 

 

[bbi1]

3 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Unfortunately, no, if you live abroad five years or more you cease to be covered, and re-enrolling is possible only if you can prove you have returned permanently and severed all ties with the country you had moved to. (1 year in the case of permanent residents as opposed to citizens).

 

UK residents have a similar problem.

 

Maintaining an address in Australia and spending at east part of each year there would maintain eligibility.

 

 

So it's easy then, maintain an address in Australia by staying in your parents house (if you have lived there all your
life), have your mail go there or maintain that address with the taxman/government agencies & go visit the parents once
or twice a year for a few months each time. Solution to the problem, right?