Most UK travellers to Thailand are advised to be up to date with hepatitis A, tetanus and typhoid, with hepatitis B, rabies and Japanese encephalitis considered for some trips. Your final list is confirmed at a consultation at Crewe Travel Clinic.
For Thailand, most UK travellers are advised to be up to date with hepatitis A, tetanus and typhoid, with hepatitis B, rabies and Japanese encephalitis recommended for some trips depending on your plans. Malaria risk is low and limited mainly to rural border areas, while the main tourist spots like Bangkok, Phuket and the islands have no risk, so bite avoidance is usually enough. The team at Crewe Travel Clinic will review your itinerary and confirm exactly which vaccines and antimalarials you need at your consultation.
From the temples and street food of Bangkok to the islands of Phuket, Koh Samui and Krabi, the northern hill country around Chiang Mai and the full-moon parties of Koh Phangan, Thailand is one of the most popular long-haul destinations for travellers from Crewe and across Cheshire. Whether you are planning a two-week beach holiday, a backpacking loop, a diving trip or a longer stay, the health advice can vary depending on exactly where you go, how long you stay and what you plan to do. A resort break in Phuket carries different risks from trekking near the Myanmar border or volunteering in a rural village.
We recommend booking your travel health appointment ideally six to eight weeks before you fly, as some vaccines are given as a course over several weeks and a little forward planning gives them time to take effect. That said, it is always worth contacting us even at shorter notice, as there is usually still something useful we can do. At Crewe Travel Clinic our nurse will review your itinerary, planned activities, vaccination history and general health, then talk you through a tailored, non-individualised list that follows current TravelHealthPro (NaTHNaC) and NHS guidance for Thailand.
Spread through contaminated food and water, which is a genuine risk across Thailand, so this is advised for almost all travellers.
A combined booster is recommended if it has been ten years or more since your last dose, keeping your routine UK protection current.
Recommended for most travellers given the standard of food and water hygiene, especially on longer trips, street-food adventures and travel outside the main resorts.
Considered for longer stays, healthcare or aid work, adventure activities, tattoos or piercings, or anyone who may need medical or dental care while away.
Worth considering as rabies is present in dogs, monkeys and bats; pre-travel doses simplify treatment if you are bitten or scratched far from a clinic.
Considered for stays of a month or more, or shorter rural and rice-growing trips during the transmission season, where mosquitoes spread the virus.
Only occasionally advised for higher-risk travellers, such as those visiting areas affected by outbreaks, with poor sanitation or limited access to safe water.
Malaria risk in Thailand is low overall and depends heavily on where you go. The main tourist destinations, including Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phuket, Pattaya, Koh Samui and Koh Phangan, are considered to have no malaria risk, where mosquito-bite avoidance alone is recommended. There is a low risk in the rural, forested areas bordering Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, and a very low risk in most remaining rural areas including Kanchanaburi. For the low-risk border areas, antimalarial tablets such as atovaquone/proguanil or doxycycline may be recommended in addition to bite avoidance. Because the right approach depends on exactly which areas you visit, we will confirm whether you need antimalarials at your consultation.
There is no risk of yellow fever in Thailand, so the vaccine is not recommended for health reasons. However, there is a certificate requirement under the International Health Regulations: a yellow fever vaccination certificate is required for travellers aged 9 months or over arriving from countries with a risk of yellow fever transmission, and for travellers who have transited more than 12 hours through an airport in a country with a risk of transmission. If you are flying directly from the UK this will not normally apply, but it matters if your trip includes parts of Africa or South America. We can advise on certificates and provide yellow fever vaccination where a registered centre is required.
Check yellow fever certificate requirementsFood and water hygiene is the most common cause of illness in Thailand, so drink bottled or properly treated water, avoid ice of unknown origin, choose freshly cooked hot food and be cautious with salads, peeled fruit and shellfish; street food can be excellent but pick busy stalls with a high turnover. Pack a simple travellers' diarrhoea kit and keep up good hand hygiene. Mosquito-borne illnesses including dengue, chikungunya and Zika are common, particularly in towns and during the wet season, and dengue mosquitoes bite during the day, so insect-bite avoidance is essential at all hours: use a DEET-based repellent, cover up, and consider a treated net. There is no routine vaccine for dengue or Zika here, and pregnant travellers should take particular care over Zika. Avoid contact with dogs, monkeys and other animals because of rabies, which remains a real risk in Thailand; if you are bitten, scratched or licked on broken skin, wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water and seek medical advice urgently, whether or not you have had pre-travel rabies vaccines. If your trip includes higher-altitude trekking in the north, ascend gradually and be aware of altitude sickness above around 2,500 metres. Take care with road safety and scooter hire, which cause many injuries, and arrange comprehensive travel insurance that covers your planned activities, including any diving.