Bangkok pharmacies: what you can buy
HOW
Ask a pharmacist for the ingredient, not a brand. Know which fever medicines the government says to avoid in dengue, and which medicines you cannot buy without a prescription.
- AMBULANCE
- 1669
- TOURIST POLICE
- 1155
- DENGUE LINE
- 1422
Numbers from the thailand.go.th phone numbers page; the fever advice from the government dengue notice.
Short answer
Checked against the official pages on 5 November 2026 · Last change: 15 September 2026
Thai medicines fall into classes. Reports and a drug reference describe household remedies, non-dangerous drugs, dangerous drugs, specially controlled (prescription-only) drugs, and psychotropic and narcotic substances that need a licence. A pharmacist must be on duty where dangerous and specially controlled drugs are sold. “Dangerous drug” is the legal class name, not a warning that a medicine is harmful.
For a fever, the government’s dengue notice says not to take aspirin, ibuprofen or diclofenac, and to see a doctor if a high fever lasts more than 2 days; WHO names paracetamol for pain. Do not buy sleeping pills, anxiety tablets or injectable weight-loss pens without a prescription.
This page is general information, not medical or legal advice. The Thai FDA’s own classification text was not reachable, so the classes below come from a drug reference and a news guide.
Show the official wording
Quoted as published, with the source. Thai text is followed by our translation.
Government Public Relations, 3 August 2023: dengue
“If the high fever persists for more than 2 days, despite efforts to reduce it, dengue fever might be the cause. It is advised not to consume fever-reducing medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and diclofenac, and to urgently seek medical attention or visit a nearby health service.”
Government Public Relations (thailand.go.th), 3 August 2023
WHO dengue fact sheet
“There is no specific treatment for dengue, although pain can be managed with medication such as paracetamol (acetaminophen). Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen and aspirin should be avoided as they can increase the risk of bleeding.”
MIMS, Thailand FDA category S
“S - Specially Controlled Drug: A modern or traditional drug notified by the Minister as a specially controlled drug. (Prescription-only medicine) A pharmacist shall be on duty at the premises selling specially controlled drugs, at all times, while the premises are open for operation.”
MIMS Thailand (a drug reference; the Thai FDA text itself was not reached)
How medicines are classed
From MIMS and a Chiang Rai Times guide (October 2026), both secondary sources.
| Class | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| Household remedies | Lower-risk medicines for minor complaints. The guide says they may be sold outside licensed pharmacies, including in general shops, and that this applies only to products designated as household remedies, not to every mild-looking medicine. |
| Non-dangerous drugs | A pharmacist, or a doctor or nurse, must be on duty where they are sold. |
| Dangerous drugs | A pharmacist must be on duty at all times and a daily purchase and sale record is kept. The guide puts ibuprofen and cetirizine in this class. |
| Specially controlled drugs | Prescription-only. A pharmacist is on duty at all times and a daily record is kept. |
| Psychotropic and narcotic substances | Sale needs a licence. Not something a pharmacy hands over on request. |
We found no official list of what a convenience store may sell, so we give no list of products. Ask the pharmacist what is sold over the counter.
We found no official statement on antibiotic sales and list none. Ask a pharmacist or a doctor.
What to ask a pharmacist for
Ingredient names from the Chiang Rai Times and WHO; not every product in a group has the same sales status.
| Problem | Ask about | Sources say |
|---|---|---|
| Pain, headache, fever | Paracetamol (acetaminophen) | WHO names paracetamol for pain in dengue and says to avoid ibuprofen and aspirin. |
| Diarrhoea, dehydration | Oral rehydration salts (ORS) | Named as an example product to ask a Thai pharmacist about. |
| Allergy, itching | An antihistamine | Some antihistamines are in the dangerous-drug class (cetirizine is named), so the pharmacist decides. |
| Heartburn, indigestion | An antacid | Named as an example product to ask about. |
Products and prices seen in the store: paracetamol
Owner’s on-site photo, 2026-11-05, Lotus’s Fortune Town (Rama 9) pharmacy shelf. Prices differ by store and by time.
| Product | Pack | Shelf price |
|---|---|---|
| Yanhee Paratemp 500mg | 10 tablets | ฿10 |
| Sara 500mg | 10 tablets | ฿15 |
| Bakamol 500mg | 10 tablets | ฿15 |
| Paracap 500mg | 50 tablets | ฿50 |
| Paracap 500mg | 100 tablets | ฿77 |
| Tylenol 500mg | 50 tablets | ฿85 |
| Bakamol 500mg | 100 tablets | ฿99 |
| Sara 500mg | 100 tablets | ฿149 |
| Tylenol 500mg | 100 tablets | ฿168 |
| Product | Pack | Shelf price |
|---|---|---|
| Tylenol 8 Hour | 10 tablets | ฿57 |
| Tempra Fizz 500mg | 12 effervescent tablets | ฿89 (regular ฿125, until 11 November) |
| Product | Pack | Shelf price |
|---|---|---|
| Sara 120mg/5ml | 60 ml syrup (strawberry) | ฿48 |
| Tempra Kids | 60 ml syrup (orange) | ฿65 |
For a child’s dose, tell the pharmacist the child’s weight and ask.
Two notices on the shelf:
- กรุณาชำระเงินที่เคาน์เตอร์ยาเท่านั้น: Please pay at the pharmacy counter only.
- ใช้ยาทุกครั้ง โปรดปรึกษาเภสัชกร: Every time you use a medicine, please consult the pharmacist.
Products and prices seen in the store: antihistamines
Owner’s on-site photo, 2026-11-05, Lotus’s Fortune Town (Rama 9) pharmacy shelf. Prices differ by store and by time.
| Product | Pack | Shelf price |
|---|---|---|
| Yanhee Mukfy (chlorpheniramine 2mg) | 10 tablets | ฿15 |
| Allernix (loratadine 10mg) | 10 tablets | ฿72 |
Prices seen in the store: ORS
Owner’s on-site photo, 2026-11-05, Lotus’s Fortune Town (Rama 9) pharmacy shelf. Prices differ by store and by time.
ORS sachets on the shelf (Oreda ORS, Royal-D): the price tags run from about ฿7 to ฿15 a sachet. The photos do not tie a price tag to a product, so no price is given per product.
Insect repellent on the same shelf
Owner’s on-site photo, 2026-11-05, Lotus’s Fortune Town (Rama 9) pharmacy shelf. Prices differ by store and by time.
| Product | Pack | Shelf price |
|---|---|---|
| Sketolene Shield | 40 ml spray | ฿55 |
| Sketolene citronella | 30 ml spray | ฿55 |
| Sketolene Jungle | 70 ml spray | ฿205 (regular ฿220, until 11 November) |
Prices for the shelf photographed in one store are in the folds under each problem. They are one store on one day, not a price list for Bangkok.
Other problems (motion sickness, cuts) are not listed because we found no source for them. A mosquito repellent seen on the same shelf is under “Insect repellent on the same shelf”.
Fever and dengue
Thai government notice (3 August 2023): if a high fever lasts more than 2 days, dengue may be the cause; do not take aspirin, ibuprofen or diclofenac, and see a doctor or a nearby health service urgently. The Department of Disease Control hotline is 1422.
The notice does not mention paracetamol. WHO’s fact sheet says pain can be managed with paracetamol and that ibuprofen and aspirin should be avoided. The Department of Disease Control’s own page on this could not be read (404), so we give the government notice and WHO side by side.
Medicines you should not buy without a prescription
Sleeping pills, anxiety tablets and stimulants such as zolpidem, alprazolam, diazepam and methylphenidate are psychotropic substances. In January 2023 a traveller was caught at the airport with 79,200 tablets of these; Bangkok Post says Category 2 offences carry one to 15 years in jail and/or a fine of 100,000 to 1,500,000 baht, and Category 4 up to five years and/or 500,000 baht (the article uses “narcotic” loosely; this is a news report, not a legal text).
The Nation reported that injectable GLP-1 medicines (semaglutide, liraglutide, tirzepatide and others) became prescription-only from 15 September 2026 under Notification on Specially Controlled Drugs No. 58. We could not find the Gazette text.
For bringing your own prescription medicine into Thailand, see the entry checks page: up to 30 days of ordinary medicines, and a doctor’s papers or an FDA permit for controlled ones. The Royal Thai Embassy in London gives the same 30-day guidance.
Opening hours and 24-hour pharmacies
- Samitivej Hospital says its pharmacy services run 24 hours a day. We could not confirm a 24-hour counter at Bumrungrad or Bangkok Hospital.
- Chain pharmacies keep their own hours by branch, and mall branches follow the mall. We could not read the chains’ branch pages, so check the branch before you go.
Emergency numbers
From the government’s phone numbers page for visitors (updated 24 July 2023) and the dengue notice.
| Number | What it is | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1669 | National Institute of Emergency Medicine: emergency accident notification | Government Public Relations (thailand.go.th) |
| 1155 | Tourist Police | Government Public Relations (thailand.go.th) |
| 191 | All urgent matters | Government Public Relations (thailand.go.th) |
| 1554 | Vajira Hospital Medical Rescue Unit | Government Public Relations (thailand.go.th) |
| 1422 | Department of Disease Control hotline | Government Public Relations (thailand.go.th) |
| 1672 | Tourism Authority of Thailand information centre | Government Public Relations (thailand.go.th) |
STEP BY STEP
At the pharmacy
A short routine.
Say the problem and ask for the ingredient
Name the symptom, then ask for the active ingredient so you can compare products.
Show your prescription
A photo of the box or the doctor’s letter helps the pharmacist find the same ingredient.
A fever past 2 days: see a doctor
Do not reach for aspirin or ibuprofen. Dengue hotline 1422.
Do not ask for controlled tablets
Sleeping pills, anxiety tablets and weight-loss pens need a prescription.
Emergency: 1669
Call 1669 for an emergency and 1155 for the Tourist Police.
What changed, and when
Rules, fees and counters that changed, oldest first. A row is added for every change; earlier rows are never rewritten.
| Date | Change | Basis | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 January 2023 | Bangkok Post reports 79,200 tablets of restricted medicines found in a traveller’s bags at the airport. | Reports only | Bangkok Post |
| 3 August 2023 | The government advises against aspirin, ibuprofen and diclofenac for a prolonged fever; WHO’s sheet names paracetamol for pain. | Official | Government Public Relations (thailand.go.th) · World Health Organization |
| 15 September 2026 | The Nation reports injectable GLP-1 medicines become prescription-only (Notification No. 58). | Reports only | The Nation |
Questions
- Can I buy paracetamol in Bangkok?
- Paracetamol is an example the Chiang Rai Times gives of a product to ask a Thai pharmacist about. Sales status differs by product, so ask.
- What should I not take for dengue?
- The government notice says not to take aspirin, ibuprofen or diclofenac, and to see a doctor if a high fever lasts more than 2 days. This is not medical advice.
- Can I buy Xanax, Valium or Ambien at a pharmacy?
- Not on request. They are psychotropic substances: they need a prescription, and a drug reference says selling them needs a licence. A 2023 Bangkok Post report describes a large airport seizure.
- Can I buy injectable GLP-1 pens (semaglutide and similar)?
- The Nation reports injectable GLP-1 medicines became prescription-only from 15 September 2026.
- Is there a 24-hour pharmacy?
- Samitivej Hospital says its pharmacy services run 24 hours a day. We could not confirm other hospitals.
- Can I buy antibiotics without a prescription?
- We found no official statement and list none. Ask a pharmacist or a doctor.