Endemic Diseases in Thailand

All but the most remote areas of Thailand have competent medical care available in clinics and hospitals. Some areas have world class hospitals rivaling luxury hotels.

Medical care is extremely cheap by western comparisons. Many people travel to Thailand for surgery and complex dental procedures.

Vaccinations Rcommended for Thailand

• Hepatitis A or immune globulin (IG)
• Hepatitis B, if you might be exposed to blood (for example, health care workers), have sexual contact with the local population, stay longer than 6 months in the region, or be exposed through medical treatment
• Japanese encephalitis if you plan to visit rural areas for 4 weeks or more, except under special circumstances, such as a known outbreak of Japanese encephalitis
• Rabies, if you might be exposed to wild or domestic animals through your work or recreation
• Typhoid because of the presence of S. typhi strains resistant to multiple antibiotics in this region
• Tetanus-diphtheria and measles booster and a one-time dose of polio for adults.

Mosquito borne diseases endemic to Thailand and Southeast Asia.

• Malaria is more of a danger in the areas bordering Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar
• Dengue and Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever are endemic throughout the region
• Japanese Encephalitis is hyper-endemic with annual outbreaks in the Chiangmai Valley and sporadic outbreaks in the South

Avoiding mosquito bites by sleeping under insect netting and using effective repellent is an excellent first step in avoiding mosquito borne diseases.

Repellents such as those containing Permethrin (such as Permanone) are recommended for use on clothing, shoes, bed nets, and camping gear. Permethrin is highly effective as an insecticide and acaricide and as a repellent. Permethrin-treated clothing repels and kills ticks, mosquitoes, and other arthropods, and retains this effect after repeated laundering. Skin contact repellents containing DEET (diethylmethyltoluamide), in 30% - 35% strength for adults and 6% to 10% for children are also reccommended.

Contact your physician several weeks in advance of your travel for advice on prescription anti-malarial drugs such as Mefloquine, Doxycycline, Malarone, Chloroquine, or Hydroxychloroquine sulfate.

Other diseases endemic in Thailand

• Cholera
• Tuberculosis
• Pertussis

Diseases carried in food or water

• Cholera
• Escherichia coli diarrhea
• Hepatitis A
• Schistosomiasis
• Typhoid fever

Diseases from personal contact

• Hepatitis B
• HIV/AIDS