Bringing your medication in — and what pharmacies can sell you here

Ordinary medicines can be carried in for personal use up to a 30-day supply, ideally in original packaging with the prescription. Controlled substances are a different game, governed by the Narcotics Code B.E. 2564 (2021) and a Ministerial Regulation B.E. 2567 in force since 21 September 2024. Schedule II–III narcotics (codeine, morphine, oxycodone, fentanyl, methadone and similar opioids) may be brought in up to a 90-day prescribed supply, but only with a Form IC-2 permit applied for online at permitfortraveler.fda.moph.go.th at least 15 days before arrival, and you must declare them at the customs red channel. Psychotropics in Schedules II–IV (alprazolam, diazepam, clonazepam, zolpidem, methylphenidate, phentermine, even pseudoephedrine) need no permit for up to 30 days' supply if you carry a physician's certificate or prescription stating diagnosis, dosage and the prescriber's licence details; 31–90 days requires the IC-2 permit.

The trap that catches people every year: amphetamine and dextroamphetamine — i.e. Adderall — are Schedule I narcotics with no medical status in Thailand. No permit exists; bringing them in is importing narcotics. Ritalin (methylphenidate) is the lawful ADHD route with the paperwork above. Also banned outright: GHB, psilocin, dronabinol, cathinone. Mailing any of these in parcels is prohibited too.

On the ground, pharmacies feel looser than the law reads: under the Drug Act B.E. 2510 (1967), a large 'dangerous drugs' class (most antibiotics, blood-pressure pills and the like) may be dispensed by the pharmacist without a doctor's prescription, while 'specially controlled drugs' and controlled substances genuinely require one.