When people are planning a trip to Thailand, one of the most common questions I hear is what are the vaccines needed for Thailand.
Let me preface this by saying I am not a medical professional, and I highly recommend you consult with a travel clinic before your trip to Thailand. I visited a travel clinic with Passport Health a few months before backpacking Southeast Asia, and I can highly recommend them.
While Thailand does not require you to show proof of vaccination before entering the country, there are a few recommended vaccines you should consider getting before your trip.
In this post, I’ll review the vaccines you need for Thailand, and also provide you a guide on how to get travel vaccines in Thailand, if needed.
Do I recommend everyone get their travel vaccines in Thailand? No. In fact, if you can, I would suggest getting them all in your home country. This is because vaccines take 7-14 days after the final dose to provide the best protection.
So, why did I get vaccines done in Thailand as opposed to my home country?
As I’m from the United States, vaccines can be very costly here. The Japanese Encephalitis vaccine alone costs $1,000.
That’s more than my plane ticket!
I made the decision to get a few vaccines in my home country and a few in Thailand. Keep reading for a breakdown of the vaccines I got, where I got them and the costs.
Recommended Vaccines for Thailand
As mentioned, there are no vaccines required to enter Thailand. That being said, there are some vaccines that are wise to get before your journey.
Before going to Thailand, I referred to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended vaccines for travel.
Based on my research, travel vaccines needed for Thailand tend to fall into two categories: routine vaccines and vaccines specific to the country you are traveling to.
Routine vaccines
- Chickenpox (Varicella)
- Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis
- Flu (influenza)
- Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR)
- Polio
- Shingles
These are the vaccines you should be up-to-date on before any trip. I wouldn’t be surprised if the COVID-19 vaccine is soon added to the routine vaccine list.
I highly suggest obtaining a copy of your vaccination record to see which of these vaccines you’ve had (if not all of them). In the United States, many of these are given as part of the childhood routine vaccines.
Of these, I needed to get my flu shot and a booster of the Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis vaccine (recommended every 10 years). Since I had insurance, these shots cost me $0.
Non-routine vaccines
- COVID-19
It’s recommended to get your yearly COVID-19 shot before traveling to Thailand. This can come at little to no cost. I got my COVID-19 vaccine before traveling to Thailand for $0.
- Cholera
Per the CDC, there is no longer active cholera transmission and vaccine is not recommended.
- Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B
These vaccines are recommended for traveling to Thailand. Be sure to check your vaccine record to see if you’ve had these, though. In the United States, these are now required childhood vaccines, but you may not have them if you were born before the 1990s.
To my surprise, I already had both of these vaccines when I was a child, and therefore didn’t need to worry about getting them as an adult. To my understanding, these vaccines are on the affordable side.
- Japanese Encephalitis
This is where it gets a little tricky. The Japanese Encephalitis vaccine is one you should consider getting based on your itinerary and duration of travel.
See the CDC recommendations below:
Recommended for travelers who
- Are moving to an area with Japanese encephalitis to live
- Spend long periods of time, such as a month or more, in areas with Japanese encephalitis
- Frequently travel to areas with Japanese encephalitis
Consider vaccination for travelers
- Spending less than a month in areas with Japanese encephalitis but will be doing activities that increase risk of infection, such as visiting rural areas, hiking or camping, or staying in places without air conditioning, screens, or bed nets
- Going to areas with Japanese encephalitis who are uncertain of their activities or how long they will be there
Not recommended for travelers planning short-term travel to urban areas or travel to areas with no clear Japanese encephalitis season.
As I was planning to backpack Southeast Asia for multiple months with a TBD itinerary, I thought I should get this one to be on the safe side. Then I found out this vaccine would cost me $1000 at a travel clinical in the United States, and I thought maaaaybe not.
That’s when I learned about the option to get vaccinated in Thailand. More on that soon.
- Malaria
This one can also be a little tricky. The CDC recommends that travelers going to certain areas of Thailand take prescription medicine.
Again, while I’m not a medical professional, I can tell you that I opted out of malaria medication and did not meet a single person who took malaria pills.
If you’re planning to travel into remote areas, this may be something to consider and discuss with a travel clinic. However, if you plan to stay on the beaten path, you likely won’t need it.
- Rabies
Before traveling to Thailand, everything I knew about rabies I learned from The Office. Rabies, transmitted by infected animals, is a very serious and fatal disease.
The rabies vaccine is recommended for long-term travelers and those who may come into contact with animals.
This is another vaccine that costs about $1000 in the United States. Yikes!
Originally, I did not plan to receive the rabies vaccine, as it doesn’t completely prevent rabies. That was a little narrow minded of me, though, as pre-exposure vaccines can save your life if post-exposure vaccines are delayed.
This was another vaccine that I chose to receive in Thailand due to the astronomical cost in the United States.
- Typhoid
The typhoid vaccine is recommended for travelers to Thailand. I chose to receive this vaccine in the United States before my travels. It cost me $160.
- Yellow Fever
This vaccine is only required if you’re traveling from a country where yellow fever is present. If not, you don’t need it.
Where in Thailand Should You Get Travel Vaccines?
While it’s best practice to receive the vaccines needed for Thailand before you leave for your travels, if you’re like me and from the United States, you may be struggling with the cost of some of the vaccines.
There are a few places in Thailand where you can get travel vaccines, including Bangkok Hospital and Thai Travel Clinic.
I personally visited the Thai Travel Clinic and would recommend it.
You can make an appointment online before you leave for your travels and visit them shortly after arriving in Bangkok.
Thai Travel Clinic is located on a large campus and is a little difficult to find, but once you get there, the staff is very kind and efficient. The medical staff spoke good English and provided me with a lot of recommendations for my health.
I elected to receive the Japanese Encephalitis vaccine and the first dose of the Rabies vaccine at the Thai Travel Clinic. Although these two vaccines aren’t always heavily recommended, it gave me peace of mind to have them.
What is the Cost of Travel Vaccines in Thailand?
My total cost for the Japanese Encephalitis vaccine and the first dose of the Rabies vaccine (plus doctor and administration fees) came to 1,209 baht. That’s about $33.
I paid $33 in Thailand for vaccines that would have cost me $2000 in the United States.
If you’re considering visiting Thai Travel Clinic, you can view all their prices online. It’s definitely a good option to receive the vaccines needed for Thailand.
Remember, always consult with a doctor to see what’s the best option for you!
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6 comments
My first impression of this post was how expensive shots are in the US! Do they not want people to be safe to travel? I can see why you would get the shots in Thailand. This is good advice for first-time travellers.
Wow, that is eye-opening! Hard to believe that vaccines can cost so much in the U.S. Good to know ahead of time.
I have heard that vaccines are quite expensive in the US – but had no idea about the actual figure. The Japanese Enzephalitis vaccine is about 130 Euro here in Germany, right now we have a vaccine shortage. Getting vaccine or even buying medicine, like Malaria pills, once you are in the country is often a cheaper option. But it is important, as you write in your post, to get the necessary information early on.
$1,000 for a vaccine is extreme! I have done all of the vaccines listed but I never heard of Japanese encephalitis and since I’ll be visiting Thailand and Indonesia for the first time, this is very helpful info especially because I will be moving in the rural areas most of the time. Very helpful article.
$1000 for a ONE vaccine in the US?! That is insane. Thank you so much for this post. I was unaware that the vaccines could be done in the country you are traveling to and for so much less than it costs here in the US.
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