Can you bring Tramadol (Ultram, Tramal) to Thailand?
You can probably bring a personal supply of up to 30 days with your prescription, but confirm with the Thai FDA first as sources disagree. Since early 2026 plain tramadol is no longer sold in Thai pharmacies, only through hospitals and clinics on prescription.
Bringing it into Thailand
Allowed with a prescription, up to 30 days
None of the official Thai traveller guidance we could read names tramadol as a narcotic or psychotropic, so it appears to fall under the general rule for prescription medicines: up to 30 days of prescribed use, in original labelled packaging, with your prescription or a doctor's letter. At least one secondary website claims tramadol needs a Thai FDA permit, so check it in the Thai FDA 'Check the Drug' tool on permitfortraveler.fda.moph.go.th, or email the Thai FDA Narcotics Control Division, before you fly.
Getting it in Thailand
Hospital or specialist clinic only
Because of widespread misuse by teenagers, Thailand made oral single-ingredient tramadol a specially controlled drug: the notice was gazetted in July 2025 and took effect 180 days later, and it is now supplied only through hospitals and clinics on prescription, not by pharmacies. Tramadol combined with paracetamol was reported to remain available from pharmacies with a pharmacist present.
- Thai classification
- Specially controlled drug (oral single-ingredient tramadol, under a 2025 MOPH notice that took effect in early 2026); not named on the Thai narcotic or psychotropic traveller lists we could check
- Last checked
- 13 November 2026
- Source quality
- Medium: official and secondary sources
What to carry
- Original packaging with the label visible
- Prescription or doctor's letter in English, with the generic name and dose
- No more than 30 days' supply
Good to know
- The pharmacy ban on single-ingredient tramadol is recent (effective early 2026); older guides saying pharmacies sell it are out of date.
- Thai authorities treat tramadol misuse as a serious drug problem, so expect questions if you carry large amounts.
Rules change. Before you travel, confirm with the Thai FDA (permitfortraveler.fda.moph.go.th) or the Royal Thai Embassy in your country. This page is information, not medical or legal advice.
Sources
- Royal Thai Embassy London: bringing medications to Thailand
- Royal Thai Consulate-General Los Angeles: bringing prescriptions to Thailand (updated Feb 2025)
- PPTV: Royal Gazette publishes MOPH notice making oral single-ingredient tramadol a specially controlled drug (Jul 2025, Thai)
- The Nation: Thailand tightens controls on painkiller tramadol amid misuse crisis (Jul 2025)
- Thai Post: FDA moves single-ingredient tramadol to healthcare facilities only (Jun 2025, Thai)