Last checked: 29 Oct 2026

Bringing medicine into Thailand: rules and limits for 2026

Ordinary personal medicines: the 30-day limit

The Thai FDA allows medicines in the amount needed for personal use for up to 30 days. Check each active ingredient before treating a medicine as ordinary: narcotic and psychotropic medicines follow the separate rules below. If you need a larger supply of an ordinary medicine, check with the Thai FDA or your Thai embassy before travelling.

Source: Thai FDA personal-use guidance.

Use this guide alongside the Thailand entry checklist when preparing your documents.

Controlled medicines: limits and permits

Use the Thai FDA’s Check the Drug service with the generic name or active ingredient of each medicine. For combination medicines, check every active ingredient.

Personal-use controlled medicine rules
Medicine category	Supply	Documents or permission
Narcotics, Schedule II or III	Up to 90 days of prescribed use	FDA permit (IC-2), plus medical documents; apply at least 15 days before arrival.
Psychotropics, Schedule II, III or IV	Up to 30 days of prescribed use	Certificate or prescription from the prescribing physician; no FDA permit needed for this quantity.
Psychotropics, Schedule II, III or IV	31–90 days of prescribed use	FDA permit (IC-2), plus medical documents; apply at least 15 days before arrival.

The FDA lists codeine, morphine and oxycodone as Schedule II narcotics. Examples of psychotropics include methylphenidate, alprazolam and zolpidem (Schedule II), and diazepam (Schedule IV). These examples are not a complete list.

ADHD medicines need an ingredient check: methylphenidate follows the psychotropic rules above, but the FDA identifies amphetamine and dextroamphetamine as prohibited. Check your exact medicine with the FDA; do not assume a prescription is sufficient.

Source: Thai FDA carry-in guidance, sections A and B.

Source: Thai FDA psychotropic list, updated 18 September 2026.

Apply through the official FDA portal

Open Request Permit, register and choose the carry-in application, Form IC-1. The issued permit is Form IC-2. Submit the application at least 15 days before arrival, with your passport copy, travel dates and ports, and the signed prescription or medical document. The September 2026 application guide says the medical document must have been issued no more than six months before travel.

Keep the original documents with you and carry the issued permit, printed or available on your phone. For questions about your medicine, contact the FDA Narcotics Control Division at tnarcotics@fda.moph.go.th.

Source: Thai FDA online application guide.

Source: Thai FDA carry-in guidance, permit timing and documents.

What to carry

Original packaging: keep medicines in their original prescription bottles with clear labels.
Prescription or doctor’s certificate: for controlled medicines, include your name and address, diagnosis, medicine names and strengths, directions, reason for treatment, dosage and total quantity, and the doctor’s name, address and licence number.
English documentation: the Copenhagen embassy specifies an English medical certificate in its legalisation guidance. Ask your Thai embassy or the FDA whether translation or legalisation is required for your documents.
The permitted quantity and any FDA permit: keep the medicine, permit and medical documents together throughout the trip.

Source: Thai FDA carry-in guidance, sections A and C.

Source: Royal Thai Embassy, Copenhagen (English certificate guidance).

For children’s medicines, check each ingredient with the FDA and ask about any uncertainty over the child’s documents; see our Thailand entry guide for children for the rest of the family’s arrival planning.

Cannabis, CBD and vapes

The FDA’s personal-use guidance says cannabis- or hemp-based foods, cosmetics containing cannabis extract or hemp, and herbal products containing cannabis or hemp cannot be imported. For a particular CBD medicine or oil, check with the Thai FDA or embassy before packing; this guide does not establish permission for it.

Source: Thai FDA personal-use guidance (food, cosmetics and herbal products).

For vapes, read the separate Thai customs and prohibited-items guide.

Declaring medicine at customs

Use the Red channel for Schedule II/III narcotics and for 31–90 days of Schedule II–IV psychotropics. Present the medicines, medical documents and FDA permit.

The FDA’s carry-in guidance exempts other personal medicines, including Schedule II–IV psychotropics, from declaration when the quantity is no more than 30 days and you have a certificate or prescription. Keep the documents with you during your stay.

If unsure, use Red and ask an officer. Thai Customs excludes prohibited and restricted goods from the Green-channel personal-belongings concession. A declaration is not a substitute for permission to import a medicine.

Source: Thai FDA online application guide, section 5.

Source: Thai FDA carry-in guidance, section C.

Source: Thai Customs passenger procedures.

Frequently asked questions

Can I bring my prescription medication to Thailand?

Yes, if it is permitted in Thailand and you meet the rules for its ingredients and quantity. Ordinary personal medicines have a 30-day limit. Keep medicines in their original labelled packaging with your prescription or medical certificate; controlled medicines have separate permit rules.

How much medicine can I bring into Thailand?

Ordinary medicines: up to 30 days for personal use. Schedule II/III narcotics: up to 90 days of prescribed use with an FDA IC-2 permit. Schedule II–IV psychotropics: up to 30 days with a certificate or prescription; 31–90 days require an IC-2 permit. Apply at least 15 days before arrival when a permit is needed.

Can I bring ADHD medication to Thailand?

Check the active ingredient with the Thai FDA. Methylphenidate is a Schedule II psychotropic: up to 30 days with a medical certificate or prescription, or 31–90 days with an IC-2 permit. The FDA identifies amphetamine and dextroamphetamine as prohibited. Do not assume all ADHD medicines have the same rules.

Do I need to declare medicine at Thai customs?

Declare Schedule II/III narcotics and 31–90 days of Schedule II–IV psychotropics at the Red channel with the medicine, medical documents and permit. The FDA exempts other personal medicines, including Schedule II–IV psychotropics, from declaration when the supply is no more than 30 days and you carry a certificate or prescription. If unsure, use Red and ask an officer.

Sources

Official sources fetched and checked 29 October 2026. The FDA’s detailed carry-in and September 2026 application guides are used for controlled-medicine rules; the Copenhagen page is cited only for its English-certificate guidance.