Medical Care in Thailand

Medical Services :

Medical treatment in Thailand is good, principally in Bangkok, all tourist areas and major towns have hospitals and clinics. General practitioners are readily available. Doctors and staff in the larger hospitals are well-trained and generally speak good English.

The Thai word for private hospital is "long-piya-barn ekachon". In 1989, there were 11,000 private clinics and 180 private hospitals in Thailand.

Emergency numbers are useful if you can speak Thai, if you have an urgent situation, you should contact the Tourist Police or contact your embassy or insurance company.

Pharmacies :

There are numerous pharmacies in Thailand, they sell q wide range array of products and medicines, both locally and internationally produced, generic drugs are notoriously cheaper that 'brand name' drugs. In some cases, pharmacies are able to sell you medications that would require a prescription.

Common Ailments :

Being a tropical area, Thailand has its fair share of tropical diseases. HIV/AIDS and other Sexually Transmitted Infections are common, resulting generally from unprotected sexual contacts; all casual sex must be protected with the use of condoms.

Currently there is no compulsory immunization required in Thailand, visitors do not require vaccinations except those coming from or passing through a designated infected area, the following vaccines are generally recommended for adults:

Illness	Recommendation	When to see a doctor
Malaria in Thailand	There is no risk in cities and main tourist areas; limited risk exists in rural areas bordering Cambodia (including Ko Chang in Trat Province), Laos and Myanmar.	1 day before travel
Hepatitis A	Suggested for all travelers	2 week before travel
Typhoid	Caused for food and drinks contaminated	1 week before travel
Yellow fever	Required for all travelers coming from a yellow-fever-infected area.	10 days before travel
Japanese encephalitis	Recommended for those at significant risk for periods of 1 month or more in endemic areas in Eastern and Southeastern Asian countries	4 weeks before travel
Hepatitis B	There is moderate to high risk of infection, this disease infects through blood, sexual activities and in small children, through saliva. The Hepatitis B vaccine can be combined with the vaccine against Hepatitis A.	5 - 6 weeks before travel
Tetanus-diphtheria	Recommended for those who have not received an immunization within the last 10 years. Tetanus vaccine is usually given in combination with Diphtheria.	1 day before travel

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