Vaccines and treatments for Thailand

Hi there,

I’m not a doctor. In 40+ trips there, I’ve never taken any health precautions like the ones you mentioned (I travel in cities, mountainous areas, and a lot in the countryside, including remote spots). For mosquitoes, you can buy the product in the photo below at any of the countless 7-Elevens—it’s very effective and cheap (around 2.50 € for the large size).

If I understood correctly, for a stay of less than 60 days, no visa is needed (I’m a French national)? You just need to fill out the TDAC form 3 or 5 days before arrival?

No visa is required for a tourist stay of up to 60 days/59 nights. The TDAC must be completed within 72 hours before arrival.

In October or November, I’m planning to go to Thailand (...) I’ll likely be (...) in the south, around Phuket or Krabi

I recommend reading the last part of Djalma’s reply today at 9:56 AM in this thread: https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=10757780;page=last;#last

Officially, hepatitis and yellow fever vaccines are recommended. It’s also a matter of luck; some people have had nothing after 15 trips, while I know someone who got dengue—and badly—on their first trip.

My wife prefers the one that’s orange—it really does smell good...

Version for Madame One:

Thanks for the tips. I’ll still pop by the tropical medicine clinic near me to ask for advice. Fred

I’ll still go for a quick visit to the tropical medicine clinic near me to ask for advice.

Even though (in my opinion) health risks are limited in the tourist areas you’re visiting, I always recommend that those who ask medical questions on the forum first consult competent medical authorities (tropical disease specialists).

Officially, hepatitis and yellow fever vaccinations are recommended.

I’d really like to know who’s recommending that? Your doctor?!

Institut Pasteur: One of the major puzzles in the history of infectious diseases is the absence of yellow fever in Asia, even though the virus has historically been endemic in sub-Saharan Africa and South America.

I’m not a doctor, but yellow fever isn’t widespread in Asia. It’s only found in sub-Saharan Africa and South America.

Hi,

It’s recommended to get at least the hepatitis A vaccine. This vaccine (in 2 doses) is usually valid for life, so even if Thailand isn’t the highest-risk country, at least you’ll be set and won’t have to worry about it for future trips to tropical destinations.

Hi,

Is it for life? I thought it was only valid for 10 years. Back in 2009, I got the hepatitis A vaccine for a trip to Tanzania.

Yeah, that’s what my doctor told me at the time. As long as you get the two doses. But definitely double-check with a specialist, of course.

Hi Annabelle,

At least you’re at peace and don’t have to wonder about future trips to tropical zones anymore.

That’s exactly the flip side—the falsely reassuring aspect of these hepatitis vaccines. They often lead to "no longer questioning things," to eating stuff that wisdom or common sense would’ve otherwise made you think twice about. I think we shouldn’t see these vaccines as immunity totems; we should assess what kind of traveler and consumer we are, etc. You can also get a serology test done—hepatitis A is common, often goes unnoticed, especially in childhood. A good portion of people born before the 1970s are actually immune for life.

Yes, the protection is considered lifelong, whether through natural immunity or vaccination. That said, you’ll always find someone who wants to protect you even more.

Michel

Hi Tatra,

There’s a big misunderstanding—I didn’t mean it that way at all. What I meant was that once you’ve gotten the vaccine, you don’t have to worry about it again for future destinations. I’m *super* anxious about health stuff, and believe me, I never skip basic health precautions when I travel, even in Europe (where I never drink tap water, for example). 😉

Tap water is safe to drink throughout Europe and is often of better quality than bottled water (plastic or glass), plus it’s 100 times cheaper. 😏 Personally, I’ve drunk tap water everywhere—in all the countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. I even drank water from the Niger River… I was a bit unsettled, but that was about it.

Hello, we went to Thailand last year with our 3 young daughters. We’re both doctors. We stayed in the south and central regions. I pretty much agree with what was said below. I recommend the hepatitis A vaccine since it’ll be useful for many destinations, same for typhoid. For malaria, there’s no point—you’d be taking more risk with potential side effects. Note that we were hardly bothered by mosquitoes (less than in France...), but the small bottles in the photos are very effective (the pink one comes as a lotion, very pleasant and easy to find in 7/11s). I suggest taking the photo with you to show at the checkout if you can’t find it on the shelves—it’ll be easier than miming a mosquito. Of course, food hygiene precautions will be your best guarantee. However, watch out for monkeys, especially if you’ve never been to Asia before. They’re cute but only in photos. Lopburi is particularly overrun because the monkeys there are protected. Never eat in front of a monkey or even in a place where they might be around. A monkey jumped on my backpack when I didn’t have anything in my hands. The risk of rabies is real—if you’re bitten, you must go to the nearest hospital for post-exposure prophylaxis, which is effective if done early. Don’t forget there’s no treatment for rabies.

Here’s the link to our wonderful trip: https://www.voyagesetenfants.com/thailande-centrale-en-famille-et-koh-chang/

Wishing you a great trip! Thailand is a great choice for your first time in Asia! Happy to help

Hi, Thanks for your advice. I was mainly wondering about Hepatitis A. And I thought the vaccine was only effective for 10 years, but it’s actually for life. I got vaccinated in 2009 during a trip to Tanzania. Fred

Of course, now’s a good time to remind everyone that I made a tutorial about these mosquito repellent products: https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=9714220;search_string=moustique%20jOJOONE

Mosquito repellents don’t really exist—or at least, they only offer limited protection that lasts at most half an hour.

I can't comment on the products mentioned above since I’ve never tried them, but the ones in the Insect Ecran Tropics range work really well and last longer than half an hour. You need to reapply at least twice a day for maximum effectiveness. Tested on the whole family—result: only a few bites, usually on "forgotten" spots or when we’ve been a bit lazy about reapplying. The downside: the smell is pretty strong and can be uncomfortable. And the feeling of "eating it" when sweat makes the "delicious" 🏴‍☠️ product run toward your mouth. But hey... you’ve got to make choices, especially in countries where dengue is still very common.

Mosquito repellents don’t really exist—or at least, they only have a relative effectiveness that lasts at most half an hour.

You should check out the tutorial...

I had this product in Florida in the Everglades. Down there, mosquitoes were a real plague... One day, while chatting with an American entomologist, he demonstrated at his place how ineffective my product was. He asked me to spray the DEET-based product on my hand, then I put my hand in a large transparent plastic bag filled with local mosquitoes. They approached my hand without landing, but after a few minutes, I had about ten mosquitoes on my hand, biting me...

It's simple—you can't kiss before showering anymore. 😎

Small detail: for us, Insect Ecran turned out to be way less effective than the local products mentioned in the thread.

And despite everything, try visiting a national park in July, right in the middle of the jungle, and you’ll consider yourself lucky if it lasts a quarter of an hour—you’ll be sweating that much.

Unfortunately, luck plays a part: you can’t be slathered in repellent 100% of the time over three weeks.

I had this product in Florida in the Everglades. Over there, mosquitoes were a real plague. One day, while chatting with an American entomologist, he demonstrated at his place how ineffective my product was. He asked me to spray the DEET-based product on my hand, then I put my hand in a large transparent plastic bag filled with local mosquitoes. They approached my hand but didn’t land, but after a few minutes, I had about ten mosquitoes on my hand biting me...

It’s because you’re particularly tasty 😛

Tap water is safe to drink throughout Europe and is often of better quality than bottled water (plastic or glass), and what's more, it's 100 times cheaper. Personally, I've drunk tap water everywhere—in all the countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. I even drank water from the Niger River... I was a bit unsettled, but that was about it.

You should talk to Montagnard74 about this. Apparently, he drinks a lot, but hardly any water, just so you know. [;]

Hi Tatra,

I’m a total germaphobe when it comes to health, and believe me, I never skip basic hygiene rules when I travel—even in Europe (where I never drink tap water, for example). 😉

Years ago, when I started being too fussy about it, my dad told me this story: "There was once a guy who went to the pub downtown all the time. The regulars noticed he always wiped the door handle before going in or out, he was so afraid of catching something. And well, one day, he still died from a disease like that."

I learned a lesson from that, and it helped me live with less fear—but I also think people who are really scared might unconsciously know their body is extra fragile in that way, so they’re right to be careful. Maybe they should even think twice about traveling to certain countries, who knows.

You're right—even the biggest precautions don’t guarantee total protection. For example, we got sick in Indonesia despite being careful.

Honestly, what freaks me out the most is the thought of getting sick far from home, where medical care can be difficult or limited depending on where you are. We had a major issue in Crete 10 years ago when my son got hurt—a really deep cut on his foot. The nearest hospital was a 2-hour drive away. They stitched him up with almost no anesthetic, or at least something ineffective because I could hear my kid screaming like he was being slaughtered. The medical team later told us how helpless they felt and how little they had to work with. They did their best, and in the end, my son didn’t get an infection, which is what mattered most. But that experience really stuck with me. Still, I love traveling too much to stop exploring the world just because I’m afraid something might go wrong. 😛

Yes, I’m talking about special tropical insect repellent screens. That’s usually what pharmacists give you when you tell them you’re heading to the tropics. The product is DEET-based, not exactly harmless, by the way, for those who slather it on all day long. PS: Check out what’s said about DEET toxicity...

I understood we were talking about the same product. And yes, I’m already aware of the risks of DEET. But sometimes you have to choose the least bad option—catching dengue isn’t risk-free either, and in the worst cases, it can even be fatal. Given that this product worked well for us, even in extreme conditions (hiking in the jungle, etc.), I’d still prefer it. Since it’s only an occasional and rare use for us—we’re not in the tropics every day—my last tropical trip was actually back in 2016. But there’s no miracle solution, we totally agree on that—I’m very aware of it. Everyone does what they think is best with the information they have.

You should discuss this with Montagnard74. Apparently, he drinks a lot, but hardly any water.

During my first crossing of the Sahara via the Tanezrouft with a tarpaulin-covered 404, the vehicle’s engine overheated so much that I had to use my drinking water reserve (for beverages, etc.) to fill the Peugeot’s radiator, naively thinking the water I’d soon find in wells south of the Malian Sahara and later in Niger would be "drinkable"... First stop at a well in Mali: We lower a large goatskin flask to the bottom of the well and pull it back up using a camel. No, they don’t pour the water directly into my canteen—instead, it goes into the camels’ trough where dried dung is floating... When I reached Niger, I thought I was saved... but we were following the river, and the only water the entire population drinks is from the river itself. I was about to fill my canteen by the water’s edge when someone signaled that it wasn’t safe to drink there. A local guy stepped in, took two steps into the river, and filled my canteen—"Now it’s good," he told me! At a rate of 3 or 4 liters a day, I ended up with a nasty case of diarrhea. An old traveler had advised me to take two doses of straight pastis—a product you can easily find all over West Africa—and I was quickly cured. Back in France, the symptoms came back... I didn’t continue the pastis treatment and went to see a tropical disease specialist. Turns out I just had a simple case of traveler’s diarrhea... That said, I don’t think the pastis could’ve killed any amoebas!

I understood we were talking about the same product. And yes, I’m already aware of the risks of DEET. But sometimes you have to choose the least bad option—catching dengue isn’t risk-free either, and in the worst cases, it can even be fatal. Since this product worked well for us, even in extreme conditions (jungle hikes, etc.), I’d still go with it.

I’ve used this product in the past… Actually, I don’t even know if it’s effective or not. It must be in some countries under certain conditions. I’ve traveled a lot in tropical countries, and personally, I didn’t notice a huge difference whether I used repellent or not. What’s certain is that it doesn’t work in Florida! Maybe the mosquitoes there have gotten used to repellents? The only places I’ve really suffered from mosquitoes were in Florida (Everglades) and on Oléron Island! I just got back from Réunion, where there’s still a chikungunya epidemic, and I didn’t see a single mosquito the whole trip! Back in the Drôme, though, we’ve got a few mosquitoes getting into the bedroom even with window screens! :/

I’m not surprised about Île d’Oléron—there was a big issue there with tiger mosquitoes spreading in the area. I live nearby (La Rochelle), and the whole region was affected.

Loved the pure adventurer anecdotes!

Okay, I assume you're all well insured for every trip. After some research, we went with Mondassur, which seemed like the best value for money. Around 100 € per person for a month in Thailand.

I remember a colleague—her first trip to Asia—and boom, after a few days, her husband got a severe case of dengue. They’re too scared to go back now. My wife got it in Guadeloupe; she said she almost felt like she was dying. And apparently, it’s even more dangerous the second time. Now, we’re about to face the same risks in mainland France—what bad luck!

After about ten trips to Asia without any issues, despite a few mosquito bites every year, we’ve been lucky, like many others. Luck or bad luck, there’s nothing you can do about it...

Thanks for the info about insurance—I’m actually in the middle of comparing options for an upcoming trip to the US. So far, I haven’t signed up for anything, but I saw a deal from Chapka that looks interesting.

I see we’ve strayed a bit from the original poster’s concern. Sorry about that!