Benzodiazepines such as diazepam, alprazolam and lorazepam, and the z-drugs zolpidem and zopiclone, are controlled psychotropic substances in Thailand. Up to 30 days' supply may come with you if you carry your doctor's certificate or prescription; 31 to 90 days needs a Thai FDA permit, and more than 90 days is not allowed (as of October 2026).
The good news for most travelers is that a normal holiday supply does not need a permit. What it does need is paperwork. A strip of tablets in a washbag, without the box or a doctor's document, is exactly the situation the Thai rules are designed to catch.
This page explains where sleeping and anxiety medicines sit in the Thai FDA's tables of September 2025 and what that means at the border. We describe rules, not treatment: some of these medicines can be harmful to stop suddenly, so any change belongs with your doctor, not your packing list. The overview of all medicine groups is in our article on bringing prescription medicine to Thailand.
Sleeping and anxiety medicines (October 2026)
- Legal class
- Psychotropic substances, Category II or IV
- Up to 30 days' supply
- Doctor's certificate or prescription; no permit
- 31 to 90 days' supply
- Thai FDA permit, applied for 15+ days ahead
- Over 90 days
- Not allowed on one trip
- Buying in Thailand
- Not from ordinary pharmacies; see a doctor
- Melatonin
- A medicine in Thailand, not a supplement
Benzodiazepines and z-drugs in the Thai tables
Thailand lists psychotropic substances in four categories. Category I covers substances with no medical use. Categories II to IV are medicines with medical uses and different levels of abuse risk. Sleeping pills and anxiety medicines are spread across Categories II and IV, but for a traveler the rule is the same for both.
| Active ingredient | Common brand examples | Thai category |
|---|---|---|
| Alprazolam | Xanax | Psychotropic II |
| Zolpidem | Ambien | Psychotropic II |
| Zopiclone, zaleplon | Various | Psychotropic II |
| Temazepam, nitrazepam, triazolam, estazolam | Various | Psychotropic II |
| Midazolam, flunitrazepam | Various | Psychotropic II |
| Diazepam | Valium | Psychotropic IV |
| Clonazepam | Rivotril, Klonopin | Psychotropic IV |
| Lorazepam, oxazepam, bromazepam | Ativan (lorazepam) | Psychotropic IV |
| Clobazam, chlordiazepoxide, etizolam | Various | Psychotropic IV |
| Phenobarbital | Various | Psychotropic IV |
The table comes from the FDA's psychotropics list (updated 18 September 2025). Brand names vary between countries, so always go by the active ingredient on your label, and look at the latest version of the list, linked from the Thai FDA's controlled-substances page, in the month you fly.
Up to 30 days: what the doctor's certificate must show
For psychotropics in Categories II, III and IV, the FDA lets travelers bring up to 30 days' supply, counted as prescribed, on one condition: a certificate or prescription from the doctor who prescribed it travels with the medicine. There is nothing to apply for in advance.
The 30 days are counted by how the medicine is prescribed, not by the number of tablets. That causes problems with sleeping pills prescribed "as needed". If your prescription says one tablet at night when required, 30 tablets could be read as 30 days or as much longer. Ask your doctor to write in the certificate how many days the supply you are carrying covers, so an officer does not have to guess.
A useful certificate, in English, gives:
- your full name exactly as in your passport;
- each medicine by active ingredient and strength, not only the brand;
- the prescribed daily amount and the number of days the supply covers;
- the doctor's name, signature, contact details and the date.
Keep the tablets in their original pharmacy packaging with the label, in your hand luggage, together with the certificate. The amount on your certificate is your doctor's decision; do not adjust it to fit the trip.
Loose sleeping tablets in a pill organizer are hard to explain at customs. Benzodiazepines and z-drugs are controlled substances in Thailand, and an officer cannot identify an unlabeled white tablet. Bring the original box, even if it is half empty, and fill the pill organizer after you arrive.
31 to 90 days: when you need the permit
For a supply of 31 to 90 days, the FDA requires a permit, applied for online at least 15 days before you arrive. The application steps are explained in our guide to the Thai FDA medicine permit.
Long-stay visitors are the ones most affected. If you are spending the winter in Thailand on two or three months of sleeping or anxiety medicine, you need the permit, and anything beyond 90 days means seeing a doctor in Thailand. Our guide to hospitals in Thailand explains the options. Do not split a long supply between two family members' bags; the medicine must travel with the person it was prescribed for.
Buying sleeping pills in Thailand
You may hear that Thai pharmacies sell anything. For sleeping pills that is not true. Pharmacists at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences wrote in November 2024 that, by law, sleeping pills cannot be bought in ordinary pharmacies and that users must see a doctor and get them from a hospital. The medicines that are freely available are listed in our older article on buying medicine at Thai pharmacies.
Buying a benzodiazepine without a prescription leaves you carrying a controlled substance with no paperwork, which is the very thing to avoid. Tablets sold on the street or by unofficial sellers may also not be what they claim; the UK Foreign Office warns that medicine sold this way may not be genuine. If you run out, see a doctor at a clinic or hospital and keep the Thai prescription with the medicine.
Count your tablets before you fly, not on the last night. Because a pharmacy cannot legally sell you a replacement, running short means a doctor's appointment. Bring the supply you need for the trip, within the 30-day limit or under a permit.
Melatonin, antihistamines and other sleep aids
Melatonin is sold as a supplement in some countries, but Thailand classes it as a medicine, not a food supplement, according to the Thai FDA and the Chulalongkorn pharmacists. It is not on the psychotropic list, so a personal supply falls under the ordinary rule for medicines. Our guide to melatonin and Thailand covers the details, including gummies.
Other medicines prescribed for sleep or anxiety, such as some antidepressants or pregabalin, are not benzodiazepines. Pregabalin is on neither Thai list. For any other ingredient, check the FDA tables yourself rather than assuming. Ketamine and esketamine nasal spray are Category II psychotropics, so the 30-day certificate rule applies to them too.
Combining with other controlled medicines
Each active ingredient follows its own rule. If you take a sleeping pill and also an opioid painkiller or an ADHD medicine, you may need a certificate for one and a permit for the other. Ask your doctor for one certificate that lists every controlled medicine, and read our pages on codeine and strong painkillers and ADHD medication for those rules.
Your home country also has rules for the return journey, and some, such as Norway and Denmark, limit how many days of certain controlled medicines you may bring back. See taking medicine home from Thailand.
Frequently asked questions
Can I bring Xanax or Valium to Thailand?
Yes, for a supply of up to 30 days backed by your doctor's certificate or prescription. Alprazolam (Xanax) is a Category II and diazepam (Valium) a Category IV psychotropic in Thailand. For 31 to 90 days you need a Thai FDA permit, applied for at least 15 days ahead.
Do I need a permit for zolpidem in Thailand?
Not for up to 30 days' supply. Zolpidem is a Category II psychotropic, so a doctor's certificate or prescription is enough for that amount. A supply of 31 to 90 days needs a Thai FDA permit, and more than 90 days cannot be brought in on one trip.
Can I buy sleeping pills at a Thai pharmacy?
Not legally. Pharmacists at Chulalongkorn University note that sleeping pills cannot be bought in ordinary pharmacies under Thai law; you need to see a doctor and get them from a hospital. Buying without a prescription leaves you holding a controlled medicine without paperwork.
Is melatonin legal in Thailand?
Melatonin is treated as a medicine in Thailand, not as a food supplement. It is not on the psychotropic list, so a personal supply in its original packaging falls under the ordinary rule for medicines. Bring a prescription or doctor's letter if you have one.
Sources
- Thai FDA – Guidance for travelers under treatment carrying personal medications into/out of Thailand (checked October 2026)
- Thai FDA – Control of narcotics, psychotropic substances and volatile substances (checked October 2026)
- Thai FDA – Table of controlled psychotropic substances (update 18 September 2025) (checked October 2026)
- Royal Thai Embassy London – Bringing medications to Thailand (checked October 2026)
- Chulalongkorn University, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences – Dietary supplements should be free of melatonin (November 2024) (checked October 2026)
- UK FCDO – Thailand travel advice: health (checked October 2026)