Thailand is a modern country with good healthcare — but tropical diseases, heat, and unfamiliar food can catch visitors off guard. We Thais drink bottled water, use mosquito repellent, and seek a clinic when fevers spike. A little preparation goes a long way.

Pair this page with our travel insurance and checklist.

Routine and recommended vaccines

Consult a travel clinic 4–8 weeks before departure. Recommendations depend on your home country, age, and itinerary.

• Up to date on routine shots: measles-mumps-rubella (MMR), diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis, polio, influenza, COVID-19 as advised at home.
• Hepatitis A: Recommended for most travelers — spread through food and water.
• Hepatitis B: Consider for longer stays or medical procedures.
• Typhoid: Recommended if eating street food or visiting rural areas.
• Japanese encephalitis: Consider for rural stays over a few weeks, especially during rainy season.
• Rabies pre-exposure: Consider if you will handle animals or stay in remote areas far from rabies vaccine.

Yellow fever vaccination is required only if arriving from a yellow-fever endemic country (certificate may be checked).

Malaria — limited areas only

Most tourist destinations — Bangkok, Chiang Mai city, Phuket, Pattaya, Samui — are NOT malaria zones. Risk exists mainly in forested border areas:

• Parts of Tak, Mae Hong Son, Kanchanaburi borders
• Some southern border provinces (Narathiwat, Yala, Pattani — travel advisories may apply)
• Rural Cambodia/Myanmar border trekking routes

If you trek overnight in those areas, ask a travel doctor about antimalarial tablets, long sleeves, and insect repellent. Standard beach holidays do not need antimalarials.

Dengue prevention

Dengue is spread by day-biting mosquitoes (Aedes) and occurs nationwide, especially in rainy season (May–October).

• Use repellent with DEET, picaridin, or IR3535 — reapply after swimming.
• Wear light long sleeves at dawn and dusk in risk areas.
• Stay in air-conditioned or screened rooms where possible.
• There is no tourist vaccine widely required yet; a dengue vaccine exists for certain eligible residents — ask your doctor at home.

Symptoms: high fever, severe headache, pain behind eyes, rash. If fever persists, go to a hospital — dengue can worsen on day 4–5.

Tap water — not recommended for drinking

Tap water in Thailand is treated in cities but we locals generally do not drink it straight. Pipes and building tanks vary in quality.

• Drink bottled or filtered water — cheap and sold everywhere.
• Brushing teeth with tap water is a personal choice; many tourists use bottled.
• Ice in restaurants is usually factory-made from purified water — generally safe in established venues.
• Refill stations and mall water fountains are fine if you trust the source.

Food safety

Thai street food is one of the joys of visiting — and usually safe if you follow local instincts:

• Choose busy stalls with high turnover — food is fresh and hot.
• Watch for clean utensils and cooked-to-order dishes.
• Peel fruit yourself; be cautious with raw seafood far from the coast.
• Wash hands often; carry sanitizer.
• Spicy food and ice-cold drinks can upset sensitive stomachs — pace yourself.

Explore safely: food you can’t miss and how to order at Thai restaurants.

Travel clinics and pharmacies

• Get vaccines and malaria advice at a travel medicine clinic in your home country before flying.
• In Thailand, pharmacies (often green cross signs) sell OTC remedies; pharmacists speak some English in tourist areas.
• For persistent illness, use a private hospital clinic — faster than public ER for non-emergencies.

Hospital guide: medical and hospitals.

Heat, sun, and other tips

• Dehydration and heatstroke are real — drink water, use sunscreen, limit midday sun.
• Travel insurance with medical cover is essential — see our insurance guide.
• Pack personal medications in carry-on with prescriptions for customs.
• Smog season (Northern Thailand, Feb–April) affects air quality — masks help sensitive travelers.