Can only carry max 30 days of "regular" medication into Thailand?

[Atum]

This is from the FAQ of the Thai FDA:

 

Question 8. We are planning to arrive in Thailand within the next two weeks, and my husband needs to use medication for his back pain. I would like to know if
it is enough for us to have the prescription from his doctor to accompany the medication, or do we need a permit (Form IC-2) from the Thai FDA for Tramadol, which is not found on your list of narcotic drugs. We intend to bring into Thailand a one-week dosage of this medication.

 

Answer from Thai FDA:
Tramadol is classified as a medical preparation according to the Drug Act B.E. 2510 (1967). It is not classified as a narcotic or a psychotropic substance.  Therefore, you are not required to apply for a permit to bring Tramadol into Thailand. A patient under treatment of medications such as Tramadol is allowed to carry those medications into Thailand for personal use in a quantity NOT EXCEEDING 30 DAYS OF PRESCRIBED USAGE when accompanied by a valid prescription and/or medical document from the prescribing physician. In your case, as you already have the prescription from the prescribing physician to accompany the medication in question, if you have nothing else to declare you are allowed to pass through the Green Channel at airport customs without declaring the medication because it is then considered as personal belongings.
---

 

I am not on Tramadol, but on lithium which is also "not classified as a narcotic or a psychotropic substance". But for years I have travelled into Thailand with 2-3 months worth of this medication with just a letter from my doctor in Europe. But now I find out I have been breaking the law...  :-(

 

What would have happened to me if I had been stopped at the airport in Bangkok. Would they just have confiscated all my lithium except for a 30 day supply or would I have been fined or arrested or deported?

 

So now I have to get lithium from a doctor in Thailand, I guess.

 

Or have I misunderstood something - again?

Edited August 23, 2017 by Atum
changed a line one line up

[steve187]

Good question, i bring many months of my blood pressure medicine in each year.

[RichardColeman]

I bring back 9 months worth of medication from the UK every 9 months. I keep it in my hand luggage and have never been stopped - never met anyone stopped at Thai customs. Probably more angry I bring back 9 months of gravy powder, tea and cake than medication !

[oldhippy]

So do I..., and have never been stopped.

But what happens if we are stopped?

 

Also, when my Belgian doctor writes a prescription, I have to hand that to the pharmacy in order to obtain the medecin.

Should I make a photo copy? Would that be accepted?

 

 

[realenglish1]

This is a common medicatioin All you need to do is go to see a doctor here tell him you are on LIthuim and he will give it to you It will be far less expenvise here then in your home country and you can get  2 or 3 months supply without a problem. Not need to fret  at the border

[oldhippy]

1 minute ago, realenglish1 said:

This is a common medicatioin All you need to do is go to see a doctor here tell him you are on LIthuim and he will give it to you It will be far less expenvise here then in your home country and you can get  2 or 3 months supply without a problem. Not need to fret  at the border

Thanks to our health care system in Belgium, medication is cheaper than in Thailand. And maybe less risk of counterfeit.

[Pilotman]

17 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

I bring back 9 months worth of medication from the UK every 9 months. I keep it in my hand luggage and have never been stopped - never met anyone stopped at Thai customs. Probably more angry I bring back 9 months of gravy powder, tea and cake than medication !

we may all do this, but if you are caught you will be in trouble. The regulation is unambiguous and the issue according to my Brother in Law, a senior Police Officer, is that you could be deemed to be a dealer, as you have more than that required for personal use.  Its a big risk. 

[Pilotman]

12 minutes ago, realenglish1 said:

This is a common medicatioin All you need to do is go to see a doctor here tell him you are on LIthuim and he will give it to you It will be far less expenvise here then in your home country and you can get  2 or 3 months supply without a problem. Not need to fret  at the border

I agree, much the better course. 

[Pilotman]

A bigger issue if it is in your hand baggage is if you transit through  a middle east country where many common prescribed meds, such  as Tramadol, may be illegal in any quantity.  People have been  jailed in the  past for having over the counter meds in their possession. . 

[Hans Rayong]

With Swedens  health care system I pay maximum 9,100 baht/year.

In Thailand I would have pay 165,000/year for the same medication.

[Woofer]

I brought in 6 months supply of my medication. I had my local doctor write me a letter saying I needed this medication in case I was stopped at airport and asked about it. However, I was never asked about it, but its a good precautionary measure,

[Minnehaha]

3 minutes ago, Hans Rayong said:

With Swedens  health care system I pay maximum 9,100 baht/year.

In Thailand I would have pay 165,000/year for the same medication.

this is impressive.

and performing cost benefit analysis, I can advise you to bring in the meds rather than buying in Thailand

and to be clear, bring a note from your gracious doctor saying he has given you meds for ________  period of time and for _______ reason. you can fill in the blanks.

 

[impulse]

7 minutes ago, Woofer said:

I brought in 6 months supply of my medication. I had my local doctor write me a letter saying I needed this medication in case I was stopped at airport and asked about it. However, I was never asked about it, but its a good precautionary measure,

 

While that's a good idea, I'm not sure a doctor's note supersedes the law that limits it to 30 days.  That said, I often travel with 2-3 months worth and have only been asked one time in Korea what I was carrying.  It was caffeine tablets, OTC.

 

Edited August 24, 2017 by impulse

[shaurene]

I bring more than 3 months supply on my medication, never been stopped. I always carry the copy of doctors prescription and the pharmacy document. If the pharmacy keeps my doctors prescription i just ask for a copy, they always give me one.

[Pilotman]

17 minutes ago, Woofer said:

I brought in 6 months supply of my medication. I had my local doctor write me a letter saying I needed this medication in case I was stopped at airport and asked about it. However, I was never asked about it, but its a good precautionary measure,

Unfortunately, my information is that such a letter will not over rule the regulation. 

[oldhippy]

2 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

Unfortunately, my information is that such a letter will not over rule the regulation. 

I'm afraid you are right.

But that letter may make a difference when trying to convince the immigration officer to be lenient.

[Pilotman]

I have tried to ween myself off my  regular medication which I think had probably been over prescribed in any event.  Not wise maybe and I certainly wouldn't advocate it for everyone,  but for gout and arthritis, it seems to have had no effect. I was on Tramadol for many years following Dengue Fever, joint damage, but I just stopped it.  After a nasty week or so of withdrawal, it made no  real difference to pain control that co co-codamol cant deal with.  

[Pilotman]

3 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

I'm afraid you are right.

But that letter may make a difference when trying to convince the immigration officer to be lenient.

I agree, and that you are not intending to deal 

[impulse]

1 hour ago, realenglish1 said:

This is a common medicatioin All you need to do is go to see a doctor here tell him you are on LIthuim and he will give it to you It will be far less expenvise here then in your home country and you can get  2 or 3 months supply without a problem. Not need to fret  at the border

 

The pricing thing may be true for generics.  Unfortunately, if it's a name brand prescription, it's not uncommon to pay 2-3 times the "back home" price here in Thailand.  Especially common when the script is for a medication only sold in hospital pharmacies.  I'm paying 5x the back home price for one script because it's only available as a brand name AND only sold in hospital pharmacies.

 

[Hans Rayong]

  52 minutes ago, Hans Rayong said:

With Swedens  health care system I pay maximum 9,100 baht/year.

In Thailand I would have pay 165,000/year for the same medication.

In the last 40 years I have always taken medicine from Sweden. Customs has seen my medicine but never asked to see my doctor's certificate. 

[impulse]

46 minutes ago, shaurene said:

I bring more than 3 months supply on my medication, never been stopped. I always carry the copy of doctors prescription and the pharmacy document. If the pharmacy keeps my doctors prescription i just ask for a copy, they always give me one.

 

That's good information, and it seems to be the common experience.  I do the same.  But I'm always cognizant of the fact that there's a possibility that one day we'll be reading a TVF thread about increased enforcement and a bunch of foreigners sitting in detention or paying big fines because that's what we did.  Not saying it's a bad idea, but do it with a full understanding of the risks.  And I have it in my mind that apologies and contrition are a better way to deal with it than getting irate and defensive if my number does come up.

 

[joecoolfrog]

I carry a lot of medication (2 months supply fills a shoe box ) in my hand luggage and it has been flagged up a couple of times. The officers have only ever been interested in my Insulin and have always waived me through when I show them my prescription and a typed doctors note.

As mentioned in a previous post I would be far more concerned going through Middle Eastern airports , one or two surprising items are often on their  prescribed lists.

[DFPhuket]

Coming into Phuket I had four months supply that was noticed when they Xrayed my luggage. They opened it, saw what I was, I explained it was medicine (it was in the original packaging with labels with my name), and they waived me through. While anything could happen in Thailand, I wouldn't worry - although this may be one of those times that looking the part of a "normal" middle aged person who responds with a smile could help. 

[atyclb]

think immigration is more concerned with illicit street drugs than bonafide rx or non rx medications. also keep in mind in some developed countries a fair % are hooked-addicted to rx narcotic medications obtained through valid medical channels and those people do indeed travel on holiday.  in usa vicodin is infamous.

Edited August 24, 2017 by atyclb

[Laza 45]

3 hours ago, steve187 said:

Good question, i bring many months of my blood pressure medicine in each year.

Me too... 

[oldhippy]

So far so good.

As we knew only a small chance of being searched.

And those who were searched got away with it.

Keep your fingers crossed, and bring a statement from your doctor!

 

 

 

[ajnamoon]

Correct me if I'm wrong but never heard of Lithium being used for back pain !!!

[Atum]

9 minutes ago, ajnamoon said:

Correct me if I'm wrong but never heard of Lithium being used for back pain !!!

The only claim made here in regards to lithium is that it is classed as a "regular" drug by the Thai FDA under it's rules. That means that it is NOT classed as a narcotic or a psychotropic (by the Thai FDA).

http://permitfortraveler.fda.moph.go.th/

[Sheryl]

A doctor's letter cannot override the 30 day rule, but the 30 day rule is not strictly enforced as long as quantities look small enough to be consistent with personal use and it is not a controlled substance. Don't try to bring in a suitcase full, but 2-3 months use usually OK. I have not known them to ever count out number of tablets. But certainly what looks at a glance to be a very large quantity would raise issues if checked.

 

 

[bazza73]

I've been bringing in six month's worth of meds along with a doctor's letter for 8 years now. Never been questioned once. I think the authorities are more concerned with the illicit drugs. Let's face it, how many Somac or Valsartan addicts are there on the streets of Bangkok?

One thing I do is repackage the meds. I've found I can usually fit the prescriptions from 3-4 boxes into one box. So possibly it looks like less on the X'ray scanner.