Health Care in Thailand

Vaccination Requirements

There are currently no required vaccinations for visiting Thailand. Depending on how long you are planning to stay in Thailand and whether you will be spending your time in urban or rural areas, there are different vaccinations that are recommended by travel health specialists. Universities often have travel clinics that provide vaccinations at a lower cost than private clinics. In general, the most useful vaccinations for Thailand are hepatitis A, hepatitis B, tetanus/diptheria, Japanese encephalitis, and typhoid fever. Some doctors also recommend getting a rabies shot – beware of stray dogs. Malaria pills are recommended if you’ll be traveling outside of Bangkok for an extended period of time.

In rural areas especially, boiling water (or buying it bottled) is a wise precaution; vegetables and fruits should be peeled before eaten, and uncooked foods should generally be avoided.

For up-to-the-minute information on vaccination requirements and disease information, visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website. They provide regular updates for every country.

Hospitals

Good health care is available in Thailand, and the quality continues to improve rapidly, especially in urban areas. All of the good hospitals have outpatient services, including laboratories and X-rays with general practitioners and specialists. Some of the hospitals also have good dental clinics. If you need medical care, the best thing to do is search online. It’s easy to find hospitals using a search engine.