Knowledge on Narcotics in Thailand in Terms of Import for Personal Use

Therapeutic drugs for human use are classified in pursuant to the Thai law into three categories, namely those considered narcotics, those considered psychotropic substances and those in neither of these two categories. This last category is regulated as drugs under the Drugs Act.

Regulation of the importation of drugs for personal use varies, depending on which act the drugs of interest belong to. Each act further specifies drug sub-categories, which are differently regulated.

Narcotics and Psychotropic substances under the Narcotics Code are classified into five and four schedules, respectively.

Schedule II narcotics under the Narcotics Code are permitted to be carried by patients into or out of Thailand in the quantity for 90-day use, provided that permission is granted by the Food and Drug Administration. On the other hand, the importation of schedule I is forbidden even though they are carried with patients.

Psychotropic substances in schedules II, III and IV under the Narcotics Code are permitted to be carried with patients into/out of Thailand in the quantity for 30-day use in the presence of medical certificates. However, they are permitted to be carried by patients into or out of Thailand in quantities for 31 to 90 days of use, provided that permission is granted by the Food and Drug Administration. Moreover, the importation of schedule I substances is forbidden even though they are carried with patients.

Drugs that are not regulated as narcotics or psychotropic substances are legally permitted to be carried with patients into or out of Thailand in the quantity for 30-day use. We recommend that you should have a valid prescription or medical document of a physician for any drugs that carrying into Thailand.

For other products;

1. Medical Preparation and Drug Supplements, please contact directly to : Medicines Regulation Division
Email: drug@fda.moph.go.th
Tel: +662 590 7165

2. Medical Device, please contact directly to : Medical Device Control Division
Email: mdcd1988@fda.moph.go.th
Tel: +662 590 7149

3. Herbal Products, please contact directly to : Herbal Products Division
Email: herbaldivision@fda.moph.go.th , econsultcenter@fda.moph.go.th
Tel: +66 2590 7476

4. Food and Food Supplements, please contact directly to : Food Division
Email: food@fda.moph.go.th
Tel: +66 2590 7176 , +66 2590 7257

5. Cosmetic, please contact directly to : Cosmetic Control Group
Email: Cosmetic@fda.moph.go.th
Tel: +66 2590 7273 , +66 2590 7277