Does one need a prescription for medicine (anti biotics etc) in Bangkok or is it like Mexico you can just buy it without one in a drugstore. Are drugs cheaper there than in the U. S. Thanks

Things we normally need a prescription for here in Australia are supplied over the counter in the drugstores of Thailand. I don't know if this applies to everything but antibiotics etc are fine. Most of the things we have wanted are cheaper in Thailand. Occasionally though its the reverse - probably depends where they are made. Lots of drugs are made in Thailand so cheap. Make sure you check the expiry dates and sometimes there are different qualities of the same drug - especially antibiotics - named verses generic.

I recommend that you buy brand name antibiotics instead of generics like MaryW have said. I am long time sufferer of sinusitis and I buy a lot of antibiotics so I can give you some prices for comparison:

Zithromax(Pfizer)500 mg pack of 5 capsules cost 475 Baht.
Cravit 500 mg pack of 5 caplets cost 450 Baht.
Klacid 500 mg pack of 5 caplets cost 450 Baht.

You can purchase just about anything over the counter. Drugs are price controlled, so general cheaper, as noted. The more expensive items are non-drug supplements, such as vitamins. These tend to be astronomical in price, so do not plan on buying them here.

If you're looking for something specific, and can't find it in regular drug stores, you can try the one in Amarin Plaza (across from the Intercontinental). They often have things you can't find at other drug stores.

Thanks everyone especially Hanuman I'm a fellow sinus sufferer so you know how many drugs we use. I was hoping everything was cheaper over there. My latest nasal sprays are $160 for the morning one and $140 for the evening one so you can guess I was hoping to hear positive feedback. Thanks for reminding me about checking the experiation , strength etc. I remember in Mexico it took be about 10 drugstores before I found my steroid (for asthma) but it was worth it to save $100. Does any one know how much of a certain drug one can bring back to the U.S. Thanks again.

marieb,

FYI - Nasacort AQ cost 1,400 Baht a bottle.

Oh and Seretide Accuhaler around 2,000 Baht I think.

According the US Customs website, you cannot bring in more than 50 doses of any drug that would require a doctor’s prescription in the US, see http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/va...xml#Medication. You cannot bring in any medication that is not legal to be prescribed in the US (i.e. the FDA has approved it for sale). You would also have to declare the value of the value of medication as part of your overall US$800 per person allowance and would have to pay duty on anything above that amount.

I would just note, as I think you have, that often in Thailand and elsewhere in Asia the strength of over-the-counter meds are often less than the prescription strength in the US. So you may need to buy more or take more, and the savings may not be as much as you think as you need to purchase more to get to the prescription strength. The chance of counterfeit medications is also a risk as well.

Cice,

Are you saying that a 100mg Viagra pill in Thailand made by Pfizer is only equal to a 50mg Viagra in the USA?

That explains a lot!

LOL, Hanuman!

I think what Cicerone is trying to say is that you might ask for medication X, which generally you get as 100 mg tabs in the US, but the ones available in Thailand over the counter are 50 mg, so you would need two tabs for the correct dosage. The strength would be noted on the label.

I haven't personally seen this, but then the only meds I've purchased over the counter in Thailand are antibiotics.

It's more a matter of what's common. Lipitor seems to be commonly prescribed here in 10 mg doses, so that's what most drug stores carry, but 20 mg seems more common in the US [insert fat American joke here].

I always buy antibiotics at Boots. I have been warned about about fake drugs by a doctor in Thailand, so I buy name brands from name brand pharmacies.

Thailand has wierd drug laws, for example you can not buy medicine with more than two different drugs in it.

Excedrin has aspirin, acitaminophen, and caffeine, so it is illegal.

That's not exactly true. There are some cold medicines - not nearly as many as there are in the US - that have acetaminophen, psedophedrene Hcl and one or two other ingredients on sale here.