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ThailandTravelling with ADHD medication: rules, permits and documents

Asia

Last checked 14 Sep 2026High confidenceHow we rate a record

Thailand treats these medications differently. Of the 7 we track, 2 are not allowed in at all, 1 needs approval before you arrive and 4 come in on paperwork with a supply cap.

Serious penalties: Narcotics/psychotropics import is generally prohibited except within schedule/quantity rules; offences involving Category I substances are the most serious.

ActionThai FDA: Narcotics Control Division approval, applied for at least 15 days before you arrive
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By medication

Brand names first, generic in brackets. Each line resolves the drug class rule below, plus anything Thailand records specifically for that medication.

  • Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)Permit requiredmax 90 days' supplyreclassified here as narcotic

    Category II narcotic since 21 Feb 2025 (Ministry of Public Health notification, Category II No. 2, B.E. 2568, item 104). Needs the narcotic IC-2 permit.

  • Ritalin, Concerta (methylphenidate)Restrictedmax 30 days' supply

    Schedule II psychotropic substance: class default explicit

  • Dexedrine (dexamfetamine)Bannedreclassified here as narcotic

    Category I narcotic. Prohibited.

  • Strattera (atomoxetine)Restrictedmax 30 days' supply

    Atomoxetine, guanfacine and viloxazine are not controlled medicines in Thailand. Thai law lets you bring in the amount you need for your own use for up to 30 days without an import licence (Drug Act B.E. 2510, s 13(4)). Carry your prescription or a certificate from your doctor and keep it with you for your whole stay. With those, you do not need to declare the medicine at customs. Thailand's Food and Drug Administration also says to keep the medicine in its original labelled container.

  • Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts)Bannedreclassified here as narcotic

    Category I narcotic. Prohibited, no medical use.

  • Intuniv (guanfacine)Restrictedmax 30 days' supply

    The same rule as Strattera above.

  • Qelbree (viloxazine)Restrictedmax 30 days' supply

    The same rule as Strattera above.

Rules by drug class

Narcotic (opioids)

Permit required
Quantity
90 days. Category II and III narcotics: up to 90 days' supply with the IC-2 permit. Category I narcotics are prohibited, so there is no allowance for them.
Permit
Required. Apply at least 15 days ahead. Form IC-2; apply ≥15 days before arrival (~3-day processing).
Documents
prescription, doctor letter, import permit

Psychotropic (ADHD stimulants, benzodiazepines, sleep)

Restricted
Quantity
30 days. ≤30 days no permit; 31 to 90 days needs IC-2 permit
Permit
Not required up to 30 days' supply. Above that, it is. Apply at least 15 days ahead. Permit only for a 31 to 90 day supply.
Documents
  • Medical certificate
    For methylphenidate and lisdexamfetamine only.
    • Signed by your treating doctor, and it must carry the doctor's licence number as well as your diagnosis, each medicine with its strength, the instructions and the total amount prescribed. Keep the original with you.
    • Must state: your diagnosis, the generic (INN) name of each medicine, not just the brand, the strength of each medicine, the total quantity you are carrying, the prescriber's licence or registration number.
  • Import permit: Apply online in the FDA's permit system at least 15 days before travel; the permit issued is Form IC-2
    For lisdexamfetamine only.
    • Needed for any quantity of lisdexamfetamine, because narcotics get no small-quantity exemption. You give your passport number, arrival and departure dates, port of entry and flight numbers.
    • Must be issued or approved by the destination's health authority before you travel.
    • Must state: the generic (INN) name of each medicine, not just the brand, the total quantity you are carrying, the prescriber's licence or registration number, your passport number, your travel dates.
  • Import permit: Apply online in the FDA's permit system at least 15 days before travel; the permit issued is Form IC-2
    For methylphenidate only.
    • Only if you carry between 31 and 90 days' supply. At 30 days or less you need no permit.
    • Must be issued or approved by the destination's health authority before you travel.
  • Original packaging
    • Medication stays in its original prescription bottles with the contents clearly labelled.

Not internationally controlled

Restricted
Quantity
30 days. No more than the amount you need for 30 days of your own use.
Permit
Not required. No import licence is needed for up to 30 days' supply for your own use. Thailand publishes no procedure for a traveller to bring in more than that of a medicine that is not controlled.
Documents
prescription

Connecting through Thailand

Under Thailand's Narcotics Code 2021, controlled medicines that stay on the aircraft are outside 'transit' (section 1). Otherwise, narcotic drugs in transit (amphetamine, dexamfetamine, mixed amphetamine salts, lisdexamfetamine) need a licence from the exporting country and customs custody (section 60), and psychotropic substances in transit (methylphenidate) need a Thai transit licence (sections 35(5), 41 and 42). These are trade-shipment rules with no stated traveller route. Atomoxetine, guanfacine and viloxazine are not controlled.

If you clear immigration: Landside transit (clearing Thai immigration for a connection or overnight) counts as full entry. Per the Thai FDA's own guidance: methylphenidate (a Category 2 psychotropic substance) can be carried for up to 30 days' supply with only a prescription or medical certificate, no advance permit needed. Lisdexamfetamine, now a Category 2 narcotic drug (reclassified Feb 2025), requires an advance Thai FDA permit (Form IC-2, applied for at least 15 days before arrival, though an older FDA guidance PDF said 2 weeks) for up to 90 days' supply, and must be presented at the red/declare channel. Amphetamine/dextroamphetamine (Category 1 narcotic) is prohibited outright with no personal-use exception, even for entry.

Staying airside, never clearing immigration:
no official guidance found, so assume the full entry rules apply. Medicines that stay on the aircraft are outside 'transit' under the Narcotics Code 2021 (section 1). For a passenger who leaves the aircraft, the Code's transit rules (sections 35(5) and 60) are trade-shipment rules with no stated traveller route.
Clearing immigration for a layover:
the full entry rules apply. Clearing immigration means entering Thailand, so you need the permit before a landside layover.
Changing airports:
the full entry rules apply. Moving between Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang forces a full clearance, so the entry rules apply.
Overnight layover, leaving the airport:
the full entry rules apply. Leaving the airport means clearing immigration and customs.
Checked bag travelling without you:
no official guidance found, so assume the full entry rules apply. Not addressed. The traveller concessions are written only for medicines carried in person; the guidance prohibits non-exempt narcotics and psychotropics by any route including post, and says nothing about a traveller's own medicine moving without them.

Responsible authority

Thai FDA: Narcotics Control Division

tnarcotics@fda.moph.go.th; +66 2590 7346

Sources

The sources behind everything above, so you can check it yourself rather than take our word for it. Always confirm the current rule with the source before you travel.

Application forms and portals

2 forms for Thailand, found and organised with your apply-by date in the trip pack.

A$59

Plus a doctor's letter pre-filled with your medications and every stop, the deadline counted back from the day you fly, and a checklist in travel order.

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Common questions

This page organises publicly available government information and links. It is not legal or medical advice. Rules change and enforcement varies, so always confirm with the official sources above or the Thailand embassy or consulate before travelling.