If you bring a medicine that Thailand classes as a narcotic (such as codeine, morphine or lisdexamfetamine), or more than 30 days' supply of a controlled psychotropic, you need a permit from the Thai Food and Drug Administration. You apply online at least 15 days before you arrive, the FDA says it issues the permit in about three working days, and the permit covers at most 90 days' supply (as of October 2026).
Most travelers never need this permit. Ordinary prescription medicines, such as blood pressure tablets or antibiotics, only need their original packaging and a prescription or doctor's letter. The permit is for the smaller group whose medicine appears on the Thai FDA's lists of narcotics and psychotropic substances.
Which medicines are on those lists, and in which category, is explained in our main guide to taking prescription medicine into Thailand. This page is about the application itself. It describes the official rules; it is not medical advice, and you should never stop, reduce or change a medicine because of a trip without talking to your doctor.
The Thai FDA traveler permit (October 2026)
- Issued by
- Narcotics Control Division, Thai FDA, Ministry of Public Health
- Legal basis
- Ministerial Regulation B.E. 2567 (2024), in force since 21 September 2024
- Apply
- Online, at least 15 days before arrival or departure
- Processing
- About 3 working days after a complete application (FDA)
- Maximum supply
- 90 days, as prescribed
- Portal
- permitfortraveler.fda.moph.go.th
- Contact
- +66 2590 7346, tnarcotics@fda.moph.go.th
Who needs the permit, and who does not
The FDA's guidance for travelers under treatment sorts medicines into a few groups. Find the active ingredient on your medicine's label, check its category in our hub article or in the FDA's own tables, and then read across.
| Your medicine | Up to 30 days' supply | 31 to 90 days' supply |
|---|---|---|
| Narcotic, Category II or III | Permit | Permit |
| Psychotropic, Category II, III or IV | Doctor's certificate or prescription, no permit | Permit |
| Ordinary prescription medicine (not on either list) | Original packaging and prescription or letter | No permit route described; ask the FDA's Bureau of Drug Control |
| Narcotic Category I, psychotropic Category I | No permit route in the traveler guidance | |
Two points in this table catch people out. First, a narcotic needs a permit for any amount, even a few days' supply. Second, the 90-day ceiling is absolute: the regulation does not allow more on one trip, with or without a permit.
The rules also cover travelers carrying medicine for an animal under treatment, for the psychotropic groups. If you are unsure which group your medicine is in, e-mail the permit office (contact details below) while your plans can still change.
Step 1: confirm the ingredient and count your days
The permit is about the active ingredient, not the brand. A medicine sold under one name at home may be sold under another elsewhere, and combination products contain more than one ingredient. Read the label or the leaflet and write down each active ingredient and its strength.
Then count the supply in days of use "as prescribed", which is the FDA's wording. The number of tablets alone does not decide it: 60 tablets taken twice a day is a 30-day supply, while 60 taken once a day is 60 days. If you are close to a limit, ask your doctor to confirm the figure in writing.
Step 2: get the medical documents from your doctor
On the permit-free 30-day route for psychotropics, the FDA only asks you to carry a certificate or prescription signed by the doctor who prescribed the medicine. For a permit application you will also need medical documents from your doctor. The application portal is a web application whose form we could not read without logging in, so we cannot list its exact fields or required uploads. Until you see the form, have these ready:
- a medical certificate or letter from your doctor, in English, naming you, your condition in general terms and each medicine by active ingredient;
- the prescription, or a copy of it;
- your passport details;
- your travel dates and the airport where you arrive.
Ask the doctor to state the daily amount and how many days the supply covers, so the officer reviewing your application can check it against the 30- or 90-day limit. Make sure the name on every document matches your passport exactly. The dosage itself is your doctor's decision, not something to adjust for the trip.
Ask for one letter that covers every controlled medicine you take. If you take two controlled medicines, one certificate listing both by active ingredient is easier to check than two separate letters, and it avoids a second round of questions.
Step 3: apply online at least 15 days before you travel
Applications go through the FDA's traveler portal, permitfortraveler.fda.moph.go.th. The steps below follow the Royal Thai Embassy in London's description:
- Open the portal on a computer or laptop. The embassy says the application cannot be done on a mobile phone.
- Click "Permit Request" in the top right corner.
- Choose "Application for Carry-In".
- Fill in the form and upload your documents.
The London page was last updated in March 2024, and the portal has since been rebuilt, so the button names may now differ. The Thai embassy in Tel Aviv also links a paper form called IC-1 for Category 2 narcotics, on a page last updated in 2022; the FDA itself now says applications are made online.
The deadline is the part to plan around. The FDA asks for the application "at least 15 days before your arrival or departure date". Count back from the day you land, not the day you leave home, and if you cross time zones, count from the Thai date.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 6 to 8 weeks before arrival | Check the ingredient's category; book a doctor's appointment for the certificate |
| 4 weeks before | Apply on the portal, leaving time to fix a missing document |
| 15 days before | The FDA's latest application date |
| Day of travel | Printed permit in your hand luggage, with the medicine and the doctor's letter |
Step 4: wait for the permit and print it
The FDA's current guidance says it will "process it and issue the permit within approximately 3 working days" once it has a complete application. The London embassy's older page says three to five working days. Thai public holidays are not working days, so a long weekend can add to the wait.
The permit is sent by e-mail. The London embassy tells applicants to print it and bring it with them through customs at the airport. Keep a copy on your phone as well, and a second paper copy in a different bag.
We found no official fast-track for applications made later than 15 days ahead. If you are short of time, contact the Narcotics Control Division directly and ask; do not travel with the medicine on the assumption that a late application will be accepted.
Step 5: what to show when you land
Carry the medicine in its original packaging, in your hand luggage, together with the printed permit and your doctor's letter. Use the red "goods to declare" channel: that is the instruction on the Thai embassy in Tel Aviv's guidance for narcotic medicines, a page last updated in 2022, so confirm with the FDA if in doubt.
At airport security, medicinal liquids are exempt from the 100 ml limit in amounts suited to the journey, if they carry a label or documents in your name; our guide to airport security in Thailand covers the screening side. The customs rules for everything else in your bag are on our page about Thai customs allowances.
The permit is for you, and the medicine must travel with you. It is issued to the patient named on it. Do not let a friend or relative carry a controlled medicine for you, and do not post it to Thailand to collect later.
Leaving Thailand, long stays and transit
The FDA's rule covers carrying controlled medicines "into/out of Thailand", and its deadline refers to "arrival or departure". If you leave Thailand with a controlled medicine, for example one prescribed by a Thai doctor during your stay, the same permit system applies. Whether one permit can cover both directions is not stated, so ask when you apply.
With a 90-day ceiling per trip, anyone wintering in Thailand for longer needs a plan for the months after that, usually a consultation with a Thai doctor. Our guide to hospitals in Thailand explains the options. Read what your travel insurance says about lost or stolen medicine before you rely on it.
Changing planes in Bangkok is a grey area: the FDA text talks only of carrying medicine into or out of the country and says nothing about transfer passengers. Get a written answer from the permit office if your route goes through a Thai airport. Your home country will have its own limits when you return; see taking medicine home from Thailand.
Medicine-specific guides: ADHD medication, codeine and strong painkillers and sleeping pills and anxiety medicine.
Who to contact
For controlled medicines, the contact is the Narcotics Control Division, Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi 11000, telephone +66 2590 7346, e-mail tnarcotics@fda.moph.go.th. Questions about medicines outside the controlled lists go to a different unit, the Bureau of Drug Control (drug@fda.moph.go.th), according to the London embassy. Write in English, give the active ingredient, the strength, the number of days and your travel dates, and keep the reply with your documents.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a Thai FDA medicine permit take?
Around three working days once your online application is complete, according to the FDA (the London embassy's older page says three to five). The hard limit is the 15-day application deadline before arrival or departure, so plan from that date.
Do I need a permit for 30 days of a psychotropic medicine?
No. For psychotropic Categories II to IV, a supply of up to 30 days is allowed if you carry your prescribing doctor's certificate or the prescription itself. A permit is needed for 31 to 90 days. Narcotics in Category II or III always need a permit, whatever the amount.
Can I apply for the Thai FDA permit on my phone?
The Royal Thai Embassy in London says the application cannot be done on a mobile phone and recommends a computer or laptop. The portal has been rebuilt since that advice was written, but a computer remains the safer choice for uploading documents.
Can I bring more than 90 days of medicine with a permit?
No. The 2024 regulation caps a controlled medicine at a 90-day supply as prescribed, even with a permit. For longer stays, talk to your doctor before you go and plan to see a doctor in Thailand.
Does the permit cost anything?
The FDA's English guidance does not mention a fee, and we could not read the portal's current form. Check the portal when you apply, and treat any third-party website that charges to "process" your permit with suspicion.
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)
- Royal Thai Embassy London – Bringing medications to Thailand (checked October 2026)
- Royal Thai Embassy Tel Aviv – Guidance for travelers carrying personal medications (checked October 2026)
- Airports of Thailand – Suvarnabhumi Airport guide (liquids and medicines at security) (checked October 2026)