Bringing medicines to Thailand

The short answer

Thailand bans amphetamine and dexamphetamine, so medicines such as Adderall can't be brought in at all. Methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta) is allowed up to a 30-day supply with a doctor's letter, or up to 90 days with a free Thai FDA permit, and opioids such as codeine and oxycodone need a permit for any amount.

Check every active ingredient on the Thai FDA's website and apply for any permit 15 to 30 days before you fly.

What are Thailand's rules for prescription medicines?

Since 21 September 2024, Thai rules let travellers bring up to a 90-day supply of controlled medicines, but only with a Thai FDA permit.^[1]

Thailand sorts controlled medicines into schedules of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances under its Narcotics Code. Importing them is prohibited except under the traveller rules below.^[1] These examples come from the Thai FDA's guidance and its online drug checker, searched on 11 October 2026.

Scroll sideways to see the full table.

Classifications are by active ingredient, not brand. Check each ingredient in the Thai FDA's own checker before you travel; schedules can change.

Can you bring ADHD medication to Thailand?

It depends entirely on the active ingredient, so read the label rather than the brand name.

• Amphetamine-based medicines are banned. The Thai FDA lists amphetamine and dextroamphetamine as narcotics with no medical use in Thailand, and it can't issue a permit for them.^[1] Adderall contains amphetamine salts, so it falls in this group.
• Methylphenidate is allowed with limits. It is a Schedule II psychotropic: up to a 30-day supply with a doctor's letter, or 31 to 90 days with a permit.^[1][3]
• Lisdexamfetamine needs a permit. The Thai FDA's checker lists it as a Schedule II narcotic, which means a permit for any amount, up to 90 days.^[2] It is easy to confuse with the banned dexamphetamine, so if you take it, confirm by email with the Thai FDA before you travel.
• Non-stimulants are not controlled. The checker lists atomoxetine and guanfacine as ordinary medicines, which travellers may bring for up to 30 days with a prescription.^[2]

If your usual medicine is banned, the Thai FDA advises asking your doctor about alternatives.^[1] Leave plenty of time: changing a medicine is a decision to plan with your doctor, not something to rush before a flight.

Is the limit 30 days or 90 days?

Both, depending on the medicine and whether you have a permit. Older Thai FDA guidance, still hosted on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, set a 30-day limit for both narcotic and psychotropic medicines.^[6] A Ministerial Regulation that took effect on 21 September 2024 changed this.^[1]

• Schedule II and III narcotics: up to 90 days, always with a permit.^[4]
• Schedule II to IV psychotropics: up to 30 days with a doctor's letter and no permit; 31 to 90 days with a permit.^[3]
• Uncontrolled prescription medicines: up to 30 days. The Thai FDA says anyone staying longer than 30 days must see a doctor in Thailand to continue treatment.^[2]

Some official pages haven't caught up. The Royal Thai Embassy in London's medication page, last updated in March 2024, doesn't mention the 90-day rule.^[7] We follow the Thai FDA's current guidance; if an embassy tells you something different, ask the Thai FDA's Narcotics Control Division to confirm in writing.

How do you get a Thai FDA permit?

Permits are issued online by the Thai FDA's Narcotics Control Division and are free.^[5]

1. Check the drug. Enter each generic name in the checker on the Thai FDA permit website.^[2]
2. Work out the amount. The Thai FDA's example: if you take one tablet a day, the most you can carry is 90 tablets.^[5]
3. Apply 15 to 30 days before you travel. The guidance says at least 15 days ahead; the September 2026 application guide says around two weeks but not more than a month.^[1][5]
4. Use a computer. The Thai FDA says the form can't be completed on a phone and recommends the Chrome browser; you verify your email with a one-time code.^[1][5]
5. Upload documents: a copy of your passport and the doctor's letter or prescription, plus your exact travel date and the airports you fly from and into.^[5]
6. Receive the permit by email, usually in about 3 working days. Print it or keep it on your phone.^[1]

A permit covers one arrival; each new entry needs a new permit.^[5] If you have no reply after a week, email the Narcotics Control Division with your transaction number.

What should the doctor's letter say?

You need a letter or prescription signed by the prescribing doctor for any controlled medicine, with or without a permit. The Thai FDA asks for these details:^[1]

• Your name and address
• The diagnosed medical condition
• Each medicine's name, strength, instructions and the reason it was prescribed
• The dose and the total amount prescribed
• The doctor's name, address and licence number

For a permit application, the document must be issued no more than 6 months before you travel.^[5] Ask for it in English.

How should you pack and declare medication?

• Original packaging. Keep medicines in their original prescription containers, clearly labelled.^[1] Keep them, and the documents, in your hand luggage.
• The Red Channel. If you carry medicines under a permit, go to the customs Red Channel on arrival and show the medicines, permit and medical documents.^[5] The guidance also says psychotropics up to a 30-day supply with a doctor's letter count as personal belongings, but its wording on declaring is not fully consistent, so if in doubt use the Red Channel.^[1]
• More than 90 days. If you arrive with more than the allowed 90 days and stay no longer than that, the Thai FDA says the excess can be left in the airport's customs bond and collected when you leave from the same airport.^[5]
• Never share or sell. Travellers may not sell or supply their medicines to anyone else.^[1]

Leaving Thailand, you don't need a separate permit for leftover medicines you brought in under a permit, but customs may ask to see them.^[1]

What about medication during a rehab stay?

Tell the center about every medicine before you book, including doses, and send it a copy of your doctor's letter. Ask how its doctor will manage each one during the stay, and whether stimulant ADHD medicine is continued during treatment.

• Stays longer than 30 days. For uncontrolled medicines you can bring only 30 days' worth, so ask whether the center's doctor can prescribe in Thailand and whether your medicine is available there.^[2]
• Controlled medicines and detox. If treatment includes reducing benzodiazepines or opioids, that plan should be agreed between your prescriber and the center's doctor before you travel.
• No posting. Controlled medicines can't be sent by post, so don't plan to have more mailed to you.^[1]

Plan the paperwork alongside your visa: our visa guide covers the 30-day visa exemption and the medical treatment visa.