In a Thai pharmacy the easiest way to buy a medicine is by its active substance: paracetamol, ibuprofen, cetirizine, omeprazole. The brands here are different, but give the pharmacist the name of the substance and they will find an equivalent. The brands below were checked against the Thai FDA drug register in September 2026. The main safety points: if you suspect dengue, take paracetamol only, no more than 4 g a day; medicines with pseudoephedrine (the “-D” versions) and furazolidone are not sold in pharmacies, they are only dispensed in hospitals; you can bring in ordinary medicines for 30 days of treatment.
How to use this list
- Show the pharmacist the name of the active substance, not the Russian brand name, and check it on the packaging.
- Check the strength: mg per tablet, mg per 5 ml. Forms and concentrations differ.
- For children the dose is worked out by weight, in mg per kg.
- Don’t double up on paracetamol: it’s already in many cold remedies.
- The register shows that a product was registered, but doesn’t guarantee it’s on the shelf now. If the brand isn’t there, ask for something with the same ingredients.
How a medicine is sold in Thailand depends on its category. Household remedies are sold anywhere, 7-Eleven included. “Dangerous drugs” (ยาอันตราย), which cover most antibiotics, antihistamines and ibuprofen, are dispensed by a pharmacist in a pharmacy. Specially controlled drugs (ยาควบคุมพิเศษ) need a doctor’s prescription. There are also ready-made medicines that fall into none of these groups, and they are sold in pharmacies too.
What you can’t buy at a pharmacy
Pseudoephedrine. Since 4 April 2012 it has been a Category 2 psychotropic substance. Products containing it, such as Clarityne-D, Telfast-D, Zyrtec-D, Aerius-D and the like, are only dispensed in hospitals and clinics on a doctor’s prescription. You can bring them with you only under the rules for importing psychotropic substances, covered below.
Furazolidone. Since 2019, tablets and suspensions containing it have been sold only to medical facilities, and in 2020 eleven registrations of antidiarrhoeal drugs with furazolidone, neomycin and diiodohydroxyquinoline were withdrawn. For diarrhoea, rehydrate; with blood in the stool or a fever, see a doctor.
Antibiotic lozenges. From 2019, manufacturers were required to remove antibiotics from throat lozenges, and in 2021 the remaining registrations were withdrawn. If an old pack lists neomycin, bacitracin or tyrothricin among the ingredients, that lozenge is best avoided.
Fever and pain relief
Paracetamol (acetaminophen): Sara, Tylenol, Panadol. Adults: no more than 4,000 mg a day, that is eight 500 mg tablets, with 4–6 hours between doses. Panadol Extra contains caffeine as well as paracetamol.
Ibuprofen: Nurofen, Ambufen, Ibumax. Dispensed by a pharmacist. Don’t take ibuprofen if you suspect dengue.
Sore throat
Benzydamine: Difflam spray and mouthwash. The Difflam lozenges on sale are an ordinary antiseptic, not benzydamine.
Antiseptic lozenges (amylmetacresol + dichlorobenzyl alcohol): Strepsils, Throatsil OTC, Mybacin OTC Mint. Don’t confuse Throatsil OTC with Throatsil DEX: that one contains dextromethorphan for coughs.
Ear drops
In Thailand these are antibiotics, not “pain drops”: Vesoph is neomycin with dexamethasone, Archifen Ear is chloramphenicol with lidocaine. If you suspect a damaged eardrum (discharge from the ear, sharp pain after diving), don’t use these drops without seeing a doctor: aminoglycosides can damage hearing. The leaflet for Sofradex, similar British drops, lists this as an outright contraindication.
Eyes
Antibacterial drops: tobramycin (Tobrex), moxifloxacin (Vigamox), chloramphenicol (Chloroph, Opsaram).
With a steroid: Tobradex, which is tobramycin with dexamethasone. A steroid in eye drops is dangerous without medical supervision, and such combinations turn up passed off as “just an antibiotic”, so read the ingredients.
Allergic conjunctivitis: olopatadine (Pataday), cromoglicate (Vividrin), antazoline with tetryzoline (Opsil A contains a decongestant, so short courses only). Ketorolac (Acular) is an anti-inflammatory eye drop.
Heartburn, gastritis, stomach
Alginates: Gaviscon, Belcid GERD.
Antacids: Maalox Alum Milk, Belcid and Malugel-S (aluminium and magnesium with simethicone), Alumina and Magnesia Tablets. A little-known trap: Malugel tablets are calcium carbonate, and Magnesia Tablets are pure magnesium hydroxide, which also works as a laxative.
Sucralfate: Ulcefate.
Proton pump inhibitors: omeprazole (Losec MUPS), pantoprazole (Controloc), esomeprazole (Nexium, Axiago), lansoprazole (Prevacid), rabeprazole (Pariet, Rabeprazole Sandoz).
Bismuth subsalicylate: Gastro-Bismol, Besmal. It’s a salicylate: not for people allergic to aspirin, and not together with it.
Allergies
Cetirizine: Cetrizin, Setin, Zetrix, Zyrac, Zyrtec, Cyzine.
Levocetirizine: Xyzal, A-Leaze, Cetizal 5, Levocet, Levocetin, Polilergy.
Loratadine: Clarityne, Clarid, Loranox.
Desloratadine: Aerius. Fexofenadine: Telfast, Fexotine.
Diphenhydramine: Codiphen, 50 mg tablets. Benadryl in Thailand is a cough syrup with diphenhydramine and ammonium chloride, not a “pure” antihistamine.
Chlorpheniramine: Chlorpyrimine; in pharmacies it’s often called by the abbreviation CPM.
Diphenhydramine and chlorpheniramine cause drowsiness, so don’t drive.
Spasms
Drotaverine: Deolin and generics with drotaverine among the ingredients.
Wounds
Gentamicin: Garamycin cream.
Chloramphenicol: Chloment and Colfamin ointments.
Povidone-iodine: Betadine Ointment.
Pises Powder: a powder with sulfanilamide (known in Russia as streptocide) and tannin.
Cough
Ambroxol: Mucosolvan, Amtuss, Ambronox.
Bromhexine: Bisolvon.
Acetylcysteine: Acetin.
Guaifenesin: Robitussin (in Thailand it’s an expectorant, not a product with dextromethorphan).
Dextromethorphan: A-Tussin. A Thai herbal remedy: ยาแก้ไอผสมมะขามป้อม (Compound Makham Pom).
Colds: equivalents of Fervex and Theraflu
Tiffy and Decolgen: paracetamol with chlorpheniramine; Tiffy Dey and Decolgen Prin also contain phenylephrine.
Veracold: paracetamol, chlorpheniramine and phenylephrine.
Cold-Tab: paracetamol, brompheniramine and dextromethorphan; don’t combine it with A-Tussin or alcohol. None of them contains pseudoephedrine.
Digestion and constipation
Enzymes: Creon, Combizym, Gaszym (pancreatin; Gaszym also has simethicone).
Multizyme: plant enzymes without pancreatin.
Lactulose: Duphalac, Safex, Hepalac, Hepatolac.
Micro-enemas: Unison Enema, Patar Enema.
Rehydration: equivalents of Regidron
SEA ORS, Babi-Lyte, Hydralyte, Delyte ORS and ORS powders from various manufacturers. In the heat, with diarrhoea and vomiting, these come first.
Migraine and nausea
Triptans: Imigran (sumatriptan), Relpax (eletriptan).
Ergotamine with caffeine: Cafergot, only during an attack. It must not be combined with the antibiotics clarithromycin and erythromycin, which are sold in the same pharmacies: this can cause a dangerous spasm of the blood vessels.
Pizotifen: Zosegor, Migrin. This is migraine prevention; it won’t stop an attack.
Metoclopramide (for nausea): Nausil, Vomesea. No longer than five days: with long use the risk of movement disorders grows, especially in children.
Skin: bites, itching, fungus
Itching and bites: hydrocortisone 1% (Hytisone Cream), dimetindene (Fenistil Gel), diphenhydramine with calamine (Fadril Lotion). Repellent: Soffell lotion with DEET.
Fungal infections: terbinafine (Lamisil cream, EU 2000), clotrimazole (Canesten 1% cream; Canesten O.D. is a different substance, bifonazole), ketoconazole (Nizoral and Kenoral shampoos).
Burns and grazes: Bepanthen First Aid (chlorhexidine with dexpanthenol).
Cold sores: aciclovir 5% (Zovirax, Virless, Zovivir PIP).
Nose
Decongestants: xylometazoline (Otrivin, Actavia), oxymetazoline (Oxymet). Short courses, as in the leaflet.
Steroid sprays for allergies: Flixonase, Avamys, Nasonex.
Sea water: ClariCare.
Travel sickness, muscles, haemorrhoids
Dimenhydrinate for travel sickness: Dramamine, Denim.
Diclofenac gel: Voltaren Emulgel.
Haemorrhoid suppositories: Proctyl, Doproct (hydrocortisone, benzocaine, zinc oxide). Proctosedyl contains the antibiotic framycetin as well as the steroid.
Don’t mix
- Paracetamol + cold remedies (Tiffy, Decolgen, Veracold, Cold-Tab): they already contain paracetamol, so there’s a risk of overdose.
- Two anti-inflammatories at once, such as ibuprofen with diclofenac, naproxen or aspirin: a higher risk of stomach problems, bleeding and kidney damage.
- Dextromethorphan twice: Cold-Tab together with A-Tussin.
- Ergotamine (Cafergot) + clarithromycin or erythromycin.
- Sedating medicines with sleeping pills or alcohol: dextromethorphan, diphenhydramine, chlorpheniramine, brompheniramine together with alcohol, sleeping pills, tranquillisers. And don’t drive.
- Kratom with alcohol, tranquillisers, opioids, sleeping pills and “drowsy” antihistamines: the sedative effects add up. Kratom has been legal in Thailand since 2021, but the 2022 law prohibits mixing it with narcotic and psychotropic substances.
Dengue: symptoms and what to do
Typical signs are a high fever, severe aches, headache, pain behind the eyes, weakness, and sometimes nausea and a rash.
For fever and pain, paracetamol only. Avoid ibuprofen, aspirin, naproxen and diclofenac: they raise the risk of bleeding. The Thai Ministry of Public Health specifically warns against buying “ยาชุด”, ready-made packets of fever pills with unknown contents. Drink plenty and watch for dehydration; with diarrhoea and vomiting, take ORS solutions.
See a doctor urgently if:
- the gums or nose bleed, or there’s blood in vomit or stool;
- there’s severe abdominal pain or the vomiting won’t stop;
- breathing is fast, or the person is restless or, on the contrary, lethargic;
- the skin is pale and cold, with severe weakness;
- the condition gets sharply worse on days 3–7 of the illness: the dangerous phase often starts when the fever is already going down.
Which medicines you can bring in
Under Thai FDA rules, ordinary medicines can be brought in for 30 days of treatment, preferably with a prescription or a doctor’s letter. Psychotropic ones (benzodiazepines, zolpidem, pseudoephedrine) can be brought in for up to 30 days with a doctor’s letter or prescription; for 31–90 days you need a Thai FDA permit, applied for online no later than 15 days before the trip.
Narcotic drugs, such as codeine, need a permit. Some substances can’t be brought in at all: phenazepam, for instance, is a Category 1 psychotropic substance, and importing it is prohibited.
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