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Southeast Asia

🇹🇭 Vaccines for Thailand

Entry requirements & recommendations for travel to Thailand

Forty million tourists a year and most of them underprepared. The street food is the stuff of legends — it's also a reliable route to Hepatitis A or Typhoid if you're not vaccinated. Rabies is the one that genuinely surprises people. Temple monkeys in Chiang Mai and Lopburi look photogenic right up until they bite you, and a bite without pre-exposure vaccination means an urgent hunt for immunoglobulin that may not be available outside Bangkok. Malaria risk is low in main tourist areas but exists in border regions near Myanmar and Cambodia.

Medical disclaimer: This is general information only — not personal medical advice. Requirements and risks change. Always consult a qualified travel health clinic before departure.
Required for entry

No vaccines required for entry to this destination.

Recommended by WHO & CDC
Hepatitis A
Food & water-borne. Very common risk for travellers.
💉 2 doses
📅 Book at least 4 weeks before travel
⚡ Effective: 2 weeks after 1st dose. Full protection after 2nd dose (6–12 months later).
🛡 Protects for: 1st dose ~1 yr. 2nd dose: lifetime.
Recommended
Typhoid
Contaminated food and water, especially street food.
💉 1 dose
📅 Book at least 3 weeks before travel
⚡ Effective: 2 weeks after vaccination.
🛡 Protects for: 3–5 years. Booster recommended if re-exposure.
Recommended
Hepatitis B
Blood and sexual contact.
💉 3 doses
📅 Book at least 26 weeks before travel
⚡ Effective: After full 3-dose course. Accelerated 3-week schedule available — ask your clinic.
🛡 Protects for: Lifetime after full course.
Recommended
Japanese Encephalitis
Risk in rural areas and during/after monsoon. Lower risk in cities and short beach holidays.
💉 2 doses
📅 Book at least 7 weeks before travel
⚡ Effective: After 2nd dose (28 days after the 1st).
🛡 Protects for: Booster after 1 year if ongoing exposure.
Recommended
Rabies
Dog, cat and monkey bites. Common in tourist areas — monkeys at temples can bite.
💉 3 doses
📅 Book at least 5 weeks before travel
⚡ Effective: After 3rd dose. 2nd dose 7 days after 1st, 3rd dose 21 days after 1st.
🛡 Protects for: Pre-exposure reduces post-bite treatment needed. Boosters based on blood tests.
Recommended
Disease risks
  • ⚠Malaria (limited risk — border areas with Myanmar and Cambodia only, not in Bangkok/Chiang Mai/beaches)
  • ⚠Dengue (endemic — urban and resort areas)
  • ⚠Zika (limited)
  • ⚠Japanese Encephalitis (rural/monsoon)
  • ⚠Hand Foot and Mouth Disease
Notes: Hepatitis A and Typhoid strongly recommended. Rabies pre-exposure recommended — monkey and dog bites are common tourist incidents. No malaria risk in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Ko Samui or most tourist areas. Malaria prophylaxis only for border areas with Myanmar/Cambodia.
Approximate cost per person
Required vaccines
—
None required for entry
Recommended vaccines
~€975
(~$1063)
per person · full courses
Hepatitis A (2 doses)€140 ($152)
Typhoid (1 dose)€45 ($49)
Hepatitis B (3 doses)€189 ($207)
Japanese Encephalitis (2 doses)€264 ($288)
Rabies (3 doses)€273 ($297)
Malaria tablets (4 weeks) (1 dose)€64 ($70)

💡 Approximate figures based on private European travel clinic rates (April 2026). Actual costs vary by clinic and country. Not all recommended vaccines will apply to every trip — discuss your specific itinerary with a travel health clinic.

Often combined with
VietnamCambodiaMalaysiaIndonesia
When to book

Book your travel clinic appointment at least 6–8 weeks before departure. Rabies requires 3 doses over 5 weeks, so it needs the most lead time. Hepatitis A and Typhoid can be done 2–4 weeks before travel. If you're cutting it close, most clinics offer accelerated schedules — call ahead.

Common questions
Do I need a Yellow Fever vaccine for Thailand?
No. Thailand does not require Yellow Fever vaccination for most travellers. The exception is if you are arriving from a Yellow Fever endemic country in Africa or South America — in that case you must show proof of vaccination on arrival.
Is there malaria in Thailand?
Malaria risk in Thailand is low in the main tourist areas including Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, and Ko Samui. Risk exists in rural and forested border areas near Myanmar and Cambodia. Antimalarials are not routinely recommended for most tourist itineraries but should be discussed with a clinic if you are visiting remote border regions.
Do I need Rabies vaccine for Thailand?
Pre-exposure Rabies vaccination is strongly recommended for Thailand. Dog and monkey bites are a real risk for tourists — temple monkeys in Chiang Mai and Lopburi are a common source of bites. Without pre-exposure vaccination, a bite requires urgent immunoglobulin treatment which is expensive and not always available outside Bangkok.
How much do travel vaccines for Thailand cost?
A full course of recommended vaccines for Thailand — Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Hepatitis B, Japanese Encephalitis, and Rabies — costs approximately €975 per person at a European private travel clinic. You don't necessarily need all of them depending on your itinerary. Hepatitis A and Typhoid alone cost around €185.

Data based on WHO International Travel and Health and CDC Yellow Book 2026. Last verified: April 2026. Always verify current requirements with a travel health clinic before departure.