When you need one
| Your medicine | What the Thai FDA asks for |
|---|---|
| Ordinary medicine, up to 30 days | Original container and your prescription |
| Psychotropic, up to 30 days | A certificate or medical prescription from the prescribing doctor |
| Psychotropic, 31–90 days | Thai FDA permit, plus your prescription or medical document |
| Narcotic (Schedules II–III) | Thai FDA permit, plus your prescription or medical document |
| Category 1 (e.g. amphetamine) | Not allowed. No letter or permit helps |
Not sure which applies? Look up your medicine on DrugsThailand, or read bringing medication to Thailand.
What to include
The Thai FDA guidance doesn’t publish a required format. This checklist reflects what officials and pharmacists need to see, and what permit applications ask about:
- Your details: full name as on your passport, date of birth and passport number.
- The doctor’s details: name, qualifications, practice address, phone, email and registration number.
- The diagnosis or condition the medicine treats. A general description is fine if you prefer.
- Each medicine: the generic (active ingredient) name as well as the brand, strength, form, daily dose and total quantity you are carrying.
- Duration: that the quantity is for your personal use during your trip, with your travel dates.
- Date, signature and practice stamp or letterhead.
Thai brand names are often different. “Methylphenidate 54 mg” is clear in any country; “Concerta” may not be. This also helps a Thai pharmacist find an equivalent if you need more.
Template
[Practice letterhead]
[Date]
To whom it may concern
This is to confirm that [full name], born [date of birth], passport number [number], is under my care for [condition] and is prescribed the following medicine for personal use:
[Generic name] ([brand]) [strength] [form], [dose] daily. Quantity carried: [number] [tablets/capsules], sufficient for [number] days.
[He/She/They] will be travelling in Thailand from [date] to [date]. The medicine is for [his/her/their] own use only.
[Signature]
[Doctor’s name, qualifications, registration number]
[Practice address, phone and email]
Tips
- Carry the original letter and a photo of it on your phone.
- Make sure the quantity in the letter matches what you carry, and is within the 30- or 90-day limit.
- Keep the letter with the medicine in your hand luggage.
- If you need a permit, have the letter or prescription ready for your application on the Permit for Traveller site.
Common questions
Do I need a doctor’s letter to bring medicine to Thailand?
For psychotropic medicines (such as methylphenidate, alprazolam or zolpidem), the Thai FDA says travellers carrying up to 30 days’ supply need a certificate or prescription from the prescribing doctor. For ordinary medicines, the Thai FDA asks for the original container and your prescription. A letter is the simplest way to cover both.
Does the doctor’s letter need to be in Thai?
The Thai FDA guidance doesn’t specify a language. A clear letter in English that uses generic medicine names is the usual approach. A Thai translation can help if a Thai doctor or pharmacist needs to read it.
Is a doctor’s letter enough for narcotic medicines?
No. Narcotic medicines in Schedules II and III, such as codeine, oxycodone and lisdexamfetamine, always need a Thai FDA permit as well, applied for at least 15 days before you travel.
Sources
- Thai FDA: guidance for travellers carrying narcotic or psychotropic medicines
- Thai FDA: FAQs on medicines (Drugs Act B.E. 2510, s.13(4))
- Thai FDA: Permit for Traveller
General information, not medical or legal advice. Rules change, so confirm with the Thai FDA before you travel. Spotted an error? Tell us.
More guides
- Bringing medication to ThailandThe 30-day personal-use rule, what paperwork to carry, and which medicines need a permit.
- ADHD medication in ThailandAdderall, Vyvanse, Ritalin and Concerta: what is legal, what Thai doctors prescribe, and the permits travellers need.
- Ozempic, Mounjaro and weight-loss medicines in ThailandGLP-1 injections are registered but prescription-only; phentermine is controlled. Travelling with pens.
- Phentermine in ThailandA Category 2 psychotropic: legal on a Thai prescription, with permits for longer trips.
- Codeine in ThailandWhy travellers need a permit even for co-codamol, Nurofen Plus or codeine cough syrup.
- Tramadol in ThailandNot a narcotic, but not sold freely: what the Thai register shows and the travel rule.
- Antidepressants in ThailandBringing SSRIs and other antidepressants, Thai brand names and getting refills.
- Viagra and Cialis in ThailandPrescription-only under Thai law: Thai brands, buying safely and bringing your own.
- Buying antibiotics in ThailandWhich antibiotics a pharmacist can sell without a prescription, and using them safely.
- Morning-after pill and contraception in ThailandEmergency contraception and the pill from Thai pharmacists, without a prescription.
- Melatonin in ThailandA registered medicine, not a supplement: where to buy it and bringing your own.
- Isotretinoin (Accutane) in ThailandPrescription-only acne treatment: Thai brands, precautions and travel.
- Xanax, Valium and anxiety medication in ThailandBenzodiazepines are controlled psychotropics: prescription only in Thailand, and the 30-day travel rule.
- Sleeping pills in ThailandZolpidem and zopiclone are controlled; melatonin is a pharmacy medicine. What you can buy and bring.
- Painkillers in ThailandWhat pharmacies sell without a prescription, and which opioids need a permit to bring in.
- Leaving Thailand with medicationPermits on the way out, and taking medicines bought in Thailand home.
- Finding your medicine in ThailandYour brand may have another name in Thailand. Find the equivalent by active ingredient.
- Controlled drugs in ThailandHow Thai narcotic and psychotropic categories work, and what each means for patients.
- Is cannabis legal in Thailand?Weed, THC and CBD rules in 2026: prescriptions, tourists, bringing products in, and the new medical-only bill.
- Prescription medicine in ThailandWhat pharmacies can sell over the counter, and when you need to see a doctor.
- How to search the Thai FDA databaseLook up a registration number, Thai trade name or active ingredient yourself.