Vaccination and Health Risks

Your doctor can give you important advice and prescribe vaccines and medications to help you stay safe while traveling abroad. The following are vaccinations and medications you and your physician may wish to consider before travel to Thailand.

To have the most benefit, see a doctor at least 4-6 weeks before your trip to allow time for your vaccines to take effect. If you are leaving sooner, it is still important to see a doctor as soon as possible for vaccines, medications and information about how to protect yourself from illness and injury while traveling.
Your doctor will make specific recommendations, depending on your health and immunization history, areas of the country you will be visiting, planned activities and other factors. If your travel plans will take you to more than one country during a single trip, be sure to let your health-care provider know. Long-term travelers, such as those who plan to work or study abroad, may also need additional vaccinations as required by their employer or school.
If you have a chronic medical condition, share your travel plans with any doctors who are currently treating you.

Vaccine or Disease	Risk	Vaccination or Treatment Recommendations
Routine		Recommended if you are not up-to-date with routine shots such as, measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus (DPT) vaccine, poliovirus vaccine, etc.
Hepatitis A		Recommended
Hepatitis B		Recommended, especially if you might have sex with a new partner, get a tattoo or piercing, or have any medical procedures.
Japanese Encephalitis		Recommended, especially if your trip will last more than a month, depending on where you are going in Thailand and what time of year you are traveling. You should also consider this vaccine if you plan to visit rural areas in Thailand or will be spending a lot of time outdoors, even for trips shorter than a month. Endemic countrywide; seasonal epidemics in the northern provinces. Transmission season: Year-round with seasonal peaks May-October, especially in the north. Highest rates of human disease reported from the Chiang Mai Valley; sporadic human cases reported from Bangkok suburbs; several cases reported recently in travelers who visited resort or coastal areas of southern Thailand.
Malaria		Primarily in provinces that border Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, and Laos and the provinces of Kalasin, Krabi (Plai Phraya district), Nakhon Si Thammarat, Narathiwat, Pattani, Phang Nga (including Phang Nga City), Rayong, Sakon Nakhon, Songkhla, Surat Thani, and Yala, especially the rural forest and forest fringe areas of these provinces. Rare to few cases in other parts of Thailand, including other parts of Krabi Province and the cities of Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Koh Phangan, Koh Samui, and Phuket. None in the islands of Krabi Province (Koh Phi Phi, Koh Yao Noi, Koh Yao Yai, and Ko Lanta) and Pattaya City. Drug resistance: Chloroquine and mefloquine. Recommended: Provinces that border Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, and Laos, the provinces of Kalasin, Plai Phraya district of Krabi, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Narathiwat, Pattani, Phang Nga (including Phang Nga City), Rayong, Sakon Nakhon, Songkhla, Surat Thani, and Yala: Atovaquone-proguanil or doxycycline. All other areas of Thailand with malaria including the cities of Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Koh Phangan, Koh Samui, and Phuket: Mosquito avoidance only.
Meningococcal Meningitis		Not endemic
Rabies		Recommended for travelers involved in outdoor and other activities in remote areas that put them at risk for animal bites (such as adventure travel and caving), people who will be working with or around animals (such as veterinarians, wildlife professionals, and researchers), people who are taking long trips or moving to remote areas in Thailand, and children, because they tend to play with animals, might not report bites, and are more likely to have animal bites on their head and neck.
Typhoid		Recommended, especially if you are staying with friends or relatives, visiting smaller cities or rural areas, or if you are an adventurous eater.
Yellow Fever		Required if traveling from a country with risk of yellow fever transmission and at least 9 months of age and for travelers who have been in transit at least 12 hours in an airport located in a country with risk of yellow fever transmission.

Resource Links

This document is not a complete medical guide for travelers to this region. Conditions change over time and the recommendations for various countries at the time you travel may differ from the recommendations listed here. Consult with your doctor or visit the CDC website for specific information related to your needs and your medical history; recommendations may differ for pregnant women, young children, and persons who have chronic medical conditions.

Be sure to read the information about all the regions you are planning to visit.