Travel Vaccines And Advice For Thailand
Thailand is a popular destination with its tropical climate, food, culture and beaches.
Thai is the official language of Thailand. But, other smaller languages spoken in rural areas. The primary religion of Thailand is Buddhism and is prevalent in many aspects of culture throughout Thailand. Islam is also practiced in Southern provinces.
Bangkok, Thailands capital city, is also the largest city in the country. Bangkok is highly populated with congested streets, modern buildings and temples. It is most known for its nightlife.
Thailands other major cities include Ayutthaya, Chiang Mai, and Chiang Rai.
Where Do I Get My Travel Vaccines
First, phone or visit the GP practice or practice nurse to find out whether your existing UK vaccinations are up-to-date.
If you have any records of your vaccinations, let the GP know what you have had previously.
You should also ask if the GP practice is signed up to provide free NHS vaccinations for travel, as not all GP practices are.
If the GP practice does not provide NHS vaccinations for travel, you can try a:
- private travel vaccination clinic
- pharmacy offering travel healthcare services
The GP or practice nurse may be able to give you general advice about travel vaccinations and travel health, such as protecting yourself from malaria.
They can give you any missing doses of your UK vaccines if you need them.
Not all travel vaccinations are available free on the NHS, even if they’re recommended for travel to a certain area.
If the GP practice is signed up to provide NHS travel vaccines, these can be provided to you free of charge.
Other non-NHS travel vaccines may be charged for by the GP.
If the GP practice can give you the travel vaccines you need but they are not available on the NHS, ask for:
- the cost of each dose or course
- any other charges you may have to pay, such as for some certificates of vaccination
Know How To Get Medical Care While Traveling
Plan for how you will get health care during your trip, should the need arise:
- Carry a list of local doctors and hospitals at your destination.
- Review your health insurance plan to determine what medical services it would cover during your trip. Consider purchasing travel health and medical evacuation insurance.
- Carry a card that identifies, in the local language, your blood type, chronic conditions or serious allergies, and the generic names of any medications you take.
- Some prescription drugs may be illegal in other countries. Call Thailands embassy to verify that all of your prescription are legal to bring with you.
- Bring all the medicines you think you might need during your trip, including extra in case of travel delays. Ask your doctor to help you get prescriptions filled early if you need to.
Many foreign hospitals and clinics are accredited by the Joint Commission International. A list of accredited facilities is available at their website .
In some countries, medicine may be substandard or counterfeit. Bring the medicines you will need from the United States to avoid having to buy them at your destination.
Malaria is a risk in some parts of Thailand. If you are going to a risk area, fill your malaria prescription before you leave, and take enough with you for the entire length of your trip. Follow your doctors instructions for taking the pills some need to be started before you leave.
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Reduce Your Exposure To Germs
Follow these tips to avoid getting sick or spreading illness to others while traveling:
- Wash your hands often, especially before eating.
- If soap and water arent available, clean hands with hand sanitizer .
- Dont touch your eyes, nose, or mouth. If you need to touch your face, make sure your hands are clean.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve when coughing or sneezing.
- Try to avoid contact with people who are sick.
- If you are sick, stay home or in your hotel room, unless you need medical care.
How To Choose Your Quarantine Hotel Room

You have to consider first what your needs are before booking a hotel room to make your quarantine stay as comfortable as possible.
It is a good idea to do some research before booking any quarantine hotel room for your travel plan. Consider your budget, room size, and hotel policies. Quarantine rules often change and are sometimes on short notice, so it is important to understand the hotel cancellation and refund policies before you confirm your booking.
Check the hotel reviews to get feedback from the customer experiences. Ask the right questions. This will help make your decision. Find a focal point between comfort, amenities, and price.
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Which Countries Are Eligible For The Voa Pre
The following is a list of countries eligible for the Visa on Arrival pre-registration service: Bhutan, Bulgaria, China, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Fiji, Georgia, India, Kazakhstan, Malta, Mexico, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Uzbekistan or Vanuatu.
However, the Thailand Health Certificate is aimed and required for all nationalities, without exception. Please remember that for now, the VOA and Health Certificate are required documents to enter this country.
How Do I Get Vaccinations For Thailand
Anyone requiring injections for Thailand should visit their GP six to eight weeks before they leave. They should also check for any medical updates on the official government website.
Many travel vaccinations are free on the NHS, including those for tetanus, diphtheria, polio, typhoid, hepatitis A and cholera so be sure to take advantage of this and get your free travel jabs.
High street chains like Boots and Superdrug also offer vaccination services but the costs can vary greatly. The International Society of Travel Medicine has clinics in 90 countries and provides pre-travel immunisation and counseling.
Its important to be aware that not having the required inoculations could invalidate a travel insurance policy.
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Which Travel Vaccines Are Free
The following travel vaccines are available free on the NHS if your GP practice is signed up to provide vaccination services.
Yellow fever vaccines are only available from designated centres.
The cost of travel vaccines that are not available on the NHS will vary, depending on the vaccine and number of doses you need.
It’s worth considering this when budgeting for your trip.
Thailand And Medical Tourism
Increasing numbers of Australians also travel to Thailand as medical tourists, and medical procedures in any foreign country carry their own set of risks. If you are planning on travelling to Thailand as a medical tourist you should speak to the Travel Vaccination Clinic about what you intend to have done and associated risks as well as any relevant vaccination advice provided below. Any medical or dental procedures you have done should occur in a sterile environment where all equipment is properly sanitised.
This website provides general advice on vaccinations for Thailand and is not a substitute for adequate medical advice from a Travel Vaccination Clinic doctor or your own doctor. You should consult a doctor about your own travel plans, including:
- How up to date you are with the childhood immunization schedule
- Your travel itinerary while in Thailand and elsewhere on your trip
- Intended activities and style of accommodation
- Your general health and well being ahead of travelling
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Registering A Vaccination Received Overseas
If you get vaccinated while overseas, you can register your vaccination on the Australian Immunisation Register when you return to Australia.
To register your vaccination in the AIR:
- Obtain proof of vaccination from your provider when you receive the vaccine
- Bring the proof of vaccination to Australia when you return. The proof must be translated to English if its in another language.
- Make sure your Medicare online account is up to date.
- Give the proof of vaccination along with your Medicare card to a recognised vaccination provider in Australia. Theyll verify your vaccination status and add the record of vaccination to the AIR.
For more information on registering an overseas vaccination, visit Services Australia.
Do I Need Vaccinations To Visit Thailand
Hi all, a quickie, do i need any vaccinations to visit, were going to cha am and bangkok for a total of 10 days. thanks
I’m not in the medical profession but as I go to SEAsia alot I know you need Hep A, Thyphoid, Tetanus, and if your heading out near the Cambodia and Thai rural countryside you may need anti-malarials, if backpacking and spending alot of time where quick hospital access is not easy Rabies may be advantage although it cost me £110 and that was 3 years ago, for 3 pre-exposure shots. But you should go to your NHS travel clinic through your doctors surgery to get advice at least 6-8 weeks before you set off. I hope this helps.
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How Safe Is Thailand
In the past few years, there have been periodic terrorist attacks at popular tourist attractions in Thailand,. This remains a high-concern today. There is an ongoing risk of terrorist attacks in Thailand.
The National Council for Peace and Order has placed strict restrictions on media and have banned political gatherings. Tourists may be detained by the military for openly criticising the NCPO.
Pick-pocketing is common in Thailand as is sexual violence in bars and isolated areas.
Do not use your passport as collateral. Many rental places are scams.
In Southern Thailand , martial law is still prevalent. Tourists are cautioned against travelling to these areas.
Phukets One Night One Dollar Campaign

In an effort to lure tourists back, the Tourism Council of Thailand has proposed a One Night, One Dollar campaign, which would see the government subsidizing the cost of a guests first night. Under the plan, participating hotels will offer foreign tourists $1 rates for rooms that typically cost up to 3,000 Thai Baht per night.
Assuming the plan gets approved, it would launch sometime in early June. According to the TCT, out of a total of 70,000 rooms on the island, nearly one million room nights would be made available as a part of this campaign.
If the campaign is successful, it may even be expanded to other destinations such as Koh Samui, Pattaya and Bangkok.
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This wont be Thailands first push for tourism during the pandemic. The Thai tourism department has also done its best to frame quarantine requirements in a positive light.
A prominent banner on the official website proclaims, Amazing Thailand, Happy Quarantine and encourages visitors to change a boring quarantine into a joyous, relaxing time. The Happy Quarantine program includes craft kits for quarantined arrivals, according to the Independent.
Still, no vacationer fantasizes about visiting Thailand to create arts and crafts in a hotel room for two weeks, especially for travelers coming from halfway around the world.
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What Are Recommended Vaccinations
“Recommended” vaccinations are given to protect travelers from illnesses that occur routinely in other parts of the world. Doctors determine which vaccinesare recommended for international travel on an individual basis, taking into consideration your destination, whether you will be spending time in rural areas, the season of the year you are traveling, your age, your overall health status, and your immunization history. The CDC lists travel-specific vaccination requirements for individual countries on their Web site.
Some examples of vaccines that may be recommended for international travelers include the following:
- Rabies: Rabies virus is endemic in dogs in many countries throughout the world, including, but not limited to, parts of Thailand, Vietnam, Brazil, China, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia.
- Typhoid fever: This condition may be contracted in many areas of the world through contaminated drinking water or food or by consuming food or beverages that have been handled by an infected person.
- Japanese encephalitis: This condition is transmitted by a flavavirus acquired from the bite of an infected mosquito. It is the most common cause of vaccine-preventable encephalitis in Asia. It is found throughout most of Asia and the western Pacific regions.
When Should You Get Vaccinated
You should consult your doctor or visit a travel health clinic six to 12 weeks before you leave Australia.
Dont wait until the last minute to visit your doctor to discuss what vaccines you need for your trip. You might need several doses of a particular vaccine. You might also need time after immunisation for your body to develop full immunity.
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What Vaccines Do I Need For Thailand
Thailand is a great travel destination, but it pays to take a few sensible precautions to ensure your trip is trouble free, and also to ensure you dont bring home a vile disease to your loved ones.
The following is a rough guide only. No website can tell you exactly what you need, as recommendations often change and depend on your health status and what you do in the country. You need to consult a doctor with expertise in travel medicine who can review your individual health issues. Dont forget to ask for numbing cream if you are worried about pain from the injection.
All routine childhood vaccines need to be up to date this includes:
- Polio in childhood
- Meningococcal if relevant for age
- All travellers should seriously consider having influenza vaccine.
- Shingles and Pneumonia vaccines are recommended for travellers over 65 years of age.
How Can I Get My Records
Sadly, there is no nationwide system that maintains vaccine administration records in the United States. However, there are several ways to find your vaccine administration record:
Ways to Find Your Vaccine Administration Record | |
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Get Medical Advice From Your Doctor
Your personal situation can affect your health risks overseas. You need medical advice tailored to you, even if you’re usually fit and healthy.
Only your GP, travel doctor or other medical specialist can advise what vaccinations and preventative health measures you should take. See your doctor to find out what is right for you.
- Ask how to protect yourself against infectious diseases, blood clots and destination specific risks such as altitude sickness and temperature related sickness.
- Consider how your medical conditions may be affected by travelling, such as heart conditions, diabetes or mental health.
- If you’re an older Australian, ask if there are any additional precautions you should take.
- If you’re travelling with babies or children, check their usual and travel vaccinations are up to date. Ask about any health issues that may be particularly relevant to them at your destination.
- If you’re pregnant, ask what vaccinations you can take, what special risks you may face and what destinations you may wish to avoid.
- Read our general advice on taking care of your health.
Malaria And Other Mosquito Borne Illnesses In Thailand
Malaria is present in Thailand, however risk level depends on where you are going and what you are doing. There are precautions to take against mosquito bites such as using repellent, wearing long, loose clothing, using a mosquito net where appropriate and avoiding contact with insects and mosquitos. You should discuss these with the doctor during your appointment as other mosquito borne illnesses such as dengue fever and including Chikungunya Fever, Japanese Encephalitis and Filariasis are also present in Thailand.
The main area recommended for anti-malarial drugs is forested land that borders Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos. There is little to no risk of Malaria recorded in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai or Koh Phangan, Koh Samui, Pattaya, Phang Nga, and Phuket.
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If Immunization Is Not An Option
More than 30% of typhoid cases are fatal if untreated. Life-threatening complications of this disease include the following:
- internal bleeding
41.7 |
The period between exposure to typhoid and the development of the first symptoms is 10â14 days.
High! You will be very sick and will not know what is causing your symptoms, so you will need to see a doctor to be diagnosed and treated. Various diseases have similar symptoms, and a doctor needs to examine you and conduct some tests to reach a diagnosis and make a treatment plan. In addition, if untreated, typhoid may result in serious health complications. It is highly recommended that you see your doctor if you think that you may have typhoid.
- laboratory workers who are exposed to rabies
Dengue Fever In Thailand

There is a risk of Dengue Fever. It is spread by a species of mosquito called Aedes aegypti, otherwise known as the tiger mosquito which mainly bites during the day. The illness is widespread throughout the tropics and subtropics, affecting over 100 countries with approximately 50 million cases globally a year. Currently most infections occur in SE Asia, South and Central America, Mexico, Africa, Indian sub-continent, Hawaii and the Pacific. There is currently no vaccination against Dengue Fever, it is therefore important to protect yourself during the day with bite avoidance products like DEET. For more information .
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