Buying medicine in Thailand: pharmacies, prescriptions and what to expect

Availability changes. This guide reflects the rules as of 13 November 2026. Each medicine page on this site says what we found for that medicine.

Three kinds of medicine

Thai law sorts medicines into three groups:

• Over-the-counter medicines can be sold anywhere licensed to sell them, including convenience stores for some basics.
• Pharmacy medicines must be sold by a pharmacist. Many medicines that need a prescription in the US, UK or Australia are in this group in Thailand.
• Prescription medicines need a prescription from a Thai doctor.

Every licensed pharmacy must have a pharmacist on duty during opening hours. Ask to speak to the pharmacist, not just the counter staff, especially for anything stronger than paracetamol.

What you will usually find

• Easy to get: pain relief like paracetamol and ibuprofen, antihistamines, rehydration salts, basic stomach and skin treatments.
• From a pharmacist: many common antibiotics such as amoxicillin, contraceptive pills and emergency contraception. For long-term medicines like blood pressure or diabetes treatment, practice varies, so a Thai doctor's prescription is the reliable route.
• Prescription or hospital only: controlled medicines such as strong painkillers, codeine, tramadol, benzodiazepines and ADHD medicines, plus erectile dysfunction medicines, isotretinoin and injectable weight-loss medicines.

The medicine list shows what we found for each medicine.

Brand names are different

The same active ingredient is often sold under a different brand name in Thailand. Ask the pharmacist for the generic name (for example "sertraline", not the brand), and bring your old packaging or prescription so they can match it.

Online pharmacies and delivery

Thailand allows telemedicine. A licensed clinic or hospital can diagnose you and issue an electronic prescription during a video call, and a licensed pharmacy can then dispense and deliver it. Avoid sellers on social media or marketplaces offering prescription medicines without a prescription. The Thai FDA warns that illegal online sellers offer banned or restricted drugs that may be fake, expired or unsafe.

Checking a medicine is registered

The Thai FDA lets you check whether a product is registered for sale in Thailand through the Health Products Search on its website. Registered products carry a Thai registration number on the packaging.

Tips

• Use a pharmacy attached to a hospital, or a well-known chain, for anything important.
• Keep the box and leaflet, and ask for the dose in writing.
• Remember that a medicine sold without a prescription in Thailand may still be illegal to carry into your next country.

This guide is general information, not medical advice. Speak to a pharmacist or doctor about your own treatment.