Bringing Medication Into Thailand: Limits, Permits and Papers

Ordinary medicine is fine in the amount you need for personal use, up to 30 days. Narcotic medicines in Schedule II or III need a Thai FDA permit at least 15 days ahead. Psychotropic medicines in Schedule II, III or IV need a doctor's certificate up to 30 days, and a permit beyond that.

If your medicine is an ordinary one, pack up to 30 days of it in its original box and you are set. Narcotic and psychotropic medicines are the exception, because they need a Thai FDA permit before you travel.

travelers entering or leaving Thailand with medications containing narcotic drugs in Schedule II or III, or psychotropic substances in Schedule II, III, or IV, must obtain a permit from the Food and Drug Administration before traveling.

Thai FDA flyer, revised 5-2024, hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

What you can carry without a permit

• Ordinary medicines: the amount necessary for personal use, up to 30 days.
• Psychotropic medicines in Schedule II, III or IV: up to a 30-day supply as prescribed, with a certificate or medical prescription from the prescribing physician.
• Herbal products: quantities for use not exceeding 90 days.

Type I psychotropic substances are not allowed in at all. Herbal products that contain cannabis or hemp may not be brought in.

When you do need a permit

The permit rule comes from a Ministerial Regulation under the Narcotics Code, which took effect on 21 September 2024. This is who needs what.

Bringing any kind of narcotic to treat your own disease must be licensed by the Narcotics Division of the FDA before importing. The Narcotics Code names codeine and morphine as examples of category 2 narcotics.

How to apply

1. Apply online at the Thai FDA traveller permit site, at least 15 days before your arrival or departure date.
2. Have the exact date of travel and the exact port of initiation and port of arrival in Thailand ready.
3. Attach the medical prescription or medical document and a copy of your passport.
4. Use Form IC-1 to carry medicine into Thailand. Form OC-1 covers carrying out, for patients treated by physicians in Thailand.
5. Wait for approval, which usually takes about 3 working days after a completed application.

Do the application on a PC or laptop, because it cannot be done on a mobile phone. The permit arrives by email, so print it and carry it through the airport customs channel.

What to carry in your bag

Keep medicine in the original containers with proper labels, and carry a letter or prescription from your doctor. For a permit trip, add the permit and the medical documents.

The letter should show the patient’s name and address and the medical condition, the posology and total amount prescribed, and the prescribing physician’s name, address and licence number. Ask for all of it on one signed page, in English.

ADHD and sleeping pills

The FDA’s example list for Category 2 psychotropic substances includes zolpidem, zopiclone, temazepam, alprazolam and phentermine, and methylphenidate for ADHD. The 30-day certificate rule and the 31 to 90-day permit rule from the table apply.

Amphetamine and dexamphetamine are different, because the same guidance names them as prohibited. If your ADHD medicine contains either one, we recommend emailing the FDA before you book (address below).

Codeine and morphine need the permit from the table. Travellers are forbidden to sell or supply their medications to others.

At the airport

On entry, you present the medications, medical documents and the permit at the Customs Department (Red Channel). On exit, you present them upon request. At the red channel, prohibited or restricted goods lead to prosecution of the passenger.

Importing a category 2 narcotic carries up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to THB 1,000,000. The full penalty table is in Thailand drug laws and penalties.

Cannabis, CBD and vapes

Extracts from all parts of the cannabis plant are category 5 narcotics, except extracts with THC of not more than 0.2 percent that are licensed to be extracted from cannabis or hemp grown in the country. E-cigarettes are goods prohibited from import. See Thailand cannabis law for tourists and Thailand vape law.

If you run short

Hospitals and pharmacies across Thailand will usually accept UK prescriptions. Brand-name medication can often be more expensive than the locally produced version, so ask the pharmacist for the generic. Do not buy from the street, because medication sold there may not be genuine or may have been stolen.

Who to ask

Email the Narcotics Control Division of the FDA at tnarcotics@fda.moph.go.th, or call +66 2590 7346. More border rules are in what not to bring into Thailand and Thailand laws and fines for tourists.

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Not confirmed: No official page found lists which named medicines sit in which schedule, so check yours with the Thai FDA Narcotics Control Division before booking. The FDA names Form IC-2 for a 31 to 90-day psychotropic permit, while the flyer names Form IC-1. Confirm the form when you apply online.

General information checked against the sources listed above. Prices, opening hours and other details change; confirm them with the provider before you act. See how guides are checked.

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