Malaria
 

Not looking for medical advice, but would simply like to know whether or not you took anti-malarial drugs when you travelled in Thailand and regardless of whether or not you did, which regions did you travel in?

Sometimes I have taken malaria prophylactics, sometimes not. I have travelled to pretty much every region of Thailand over the years. Just out of curiosity, why do you want to know this?

We take it ONLY if we are in a region that the CDC has deemed a malaria zone.

I take anti-malarials only where indicated. In Thailand, that is the Golden Triangle and the immediate border regions with Burma and Cambodia. I've traveled elsewhere in Thailand, Bangkok, Chiang Mai and surrounding areas and to the greater Phuket area and have not taken them for those areas.

Laos, Cambodia and Burma all have areas that are malarial risk, and I have taken them in all three countries. The cdcd website has the best information about anti-malarials, the Fit for Travel website has the best malarial risk maps.

Never taken antimalarials in a decade of living in/traveling in Thailand, Laos, Burma, Cambodia because you just can't take them every day for a decade and still have a functioning liver. I always take every other precaution though and have never had any trouble, knock wood.

Lori is so right - the issues for malarial preventions for travelers are different than for those living in a malarial risk area. Lori has been living in Siem Reap and traveling all over SE Asia. Constant use of antimalarials is not a good option.

But if you are traveling to a malarial risk area for a few weeks, that is a different issue. In any case, one should always try to prevent mosquito bites - mosquitos can carry more than just malaria.

Peace Corps workers in the highest risk malarial areas (in central Africa) are usually prescribed antimalarials for their full two year stint. But, again, this is a different set of circumstances.

There is no "one size fits all" answer to the question of whether to take anti-malarials and which one to take. Read the cdc webpages, examine the Fit for Travel maps, and talk with a travel medicine doctor about the issues.

I did not and went to Bangkok and Chiang Mai and did not. Also went to the Mpumalanga region of South Africa and did not. I have had a yellow fever vaccination, however.

Thank you everyone, this is very helpful advice! The reason why I inquiries was bc my travel doc gave me an rx "just in case" I entered a malaria zone... We are staying in Bangkok, Chiang Mai (volunteering at Elephant Nature Park), then headed to Koh Samui. I know these areas are not high risk but I still wanted to see what other travelers gave done! I don't like putting harsh drugs in my body, esp these malaria drugs who have been proven to have very harsh side effects.

Thank you everyone, this is very helpful advice! The reason why I inquiried was bc my travel doc gave me an rx "just in case" I entered a malaria zone... We are staying in Bangkok, Chiang Mai (volunteering at Elephant Nature Park), then headed to Koh Samui. I know these areas are not high risk but I still wanted to see what other travelers have done! I don't like putting harsh drugs in my body, esp these malaria drugs that have been proven to have very harsh side effects.

Not all anti-malarials have "harsh" side effects. One is renowned for side effects (larium) two others have minimal side effects (malarone, doxycycline).

But there is no reason to take anti-malarials in places where the risk is minimal.

Do use repellant, especially at the Elephant Nature Park. If you are staying over night there, make sure they have mosquito nets over the beds.