Pink Eye Treatment in Phuket: Viral, Bacterial or Allergic, Treated Correctly
Clinically reviewed by Dr. Ponlawat Pitsuwan, Physician, Takecare Clinic Phuket. Last reviewed: September 2026.
“Red eyes on a Phuket holiday come from a handful of sources: a cold virus going round the family, hours in a heavily chlorinated hotel pool, sand and sea spray on a windy day, and contact lenses worn for swimming or slept in after a late night. Most of these settle quickly. The ones I never want to miss are lens wearers with a painful eye, because a corneal infection can threaten sight within a day or two.” Dr. Ponlawat Pitsuwan
What is pink eye?
Pink eye is the everyday name for conjunctivitis, inflammation of the conjunctiva. The conjunctiva is the thin, clear membrane that covers the white of the eye and lines the inside of the eyelids. When it is inflamed, its small blood vessels widen and the eye looks pink or red. It is one of the commonest eye problems in general practice, and usually harmless. There are three main types, plus irritation, and they are treated differently.
Viral conjunctivitis
This is the most common type, usually caused by adenovirus, the same family of viruses behind many colds. It produces a watery discharge and a gritty, burning feeling, often starts in one eye and spreads to the other within a day or two, and may come with a sore throat, runny nose or a tender lump in front of the ear. It is highly contagious and usually lasts one to two weeks, sometimes up to three. Antibiotic drops do not help.
Bacterial conjunctivitis
Bacteria such as Staphylococcus, Streptococcus and Haemophilus cause a thicker yellow or green discharge, and the eyelids are often stuck together on waking. It is also contagious. Most cases clear within a week without treatment, but antibiotic drops or ointment such as chloramphenicol can shorten it, and are recommended for more severe cases and for contact lens wearers. A very heavy, fast-returning discharge can be caused by gonorrhoea or chlamydia and needs urgent treatment and sexual health testing.
Allergic conjunctivitis
Here itching is the main feature. Both eyes are usually affected, with watering, puffy eyelids and often sneezing or a runny nose. Pollen, dust mites, pet dander and mould in air-conditioned rooms are common triggers. It is not contagious.
Chlorine, sun and sand
Pool chlorine and the chemicals it forms with sweat and sunscreen irritate the conjunctiva, causing redness and stinging after swimming that usually fades within hours. Sand, salt water and wind can do the same, and a speck of grit under the eyelid can scratch the cornea, the clear window at the front of the eye.
| Type | Key features | Contagious? | Treatment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viral | Watery, gritty, one eye then both, cold symptoms | Yes, very | Cool compresses, lubricating drops, hygiene; no antibiotics |
| Bacterial | Thick yellow or green discharge, lids stuck in the morning | Yes | Often settles alone; antibiotic drops if severe or lens wearer |
| Allergic | Itching, both eyes, puffy lids, sneezing | No | Antihistamine or mast-cell stabiliser drops, cold compresses |
| Chlorine or irritant | Stinging and redness after swimming | No | Rinse with clean water, lubricating drops, goggles |
| Contact lens related | Pain, light sensitivity, blurred vision, white spot on the cornea | No, but sight-threatening | Remove lenses, same-day examination, often eye specialist referral |
Contact lens wearers: why same-day review matters
A red, painful eye in someone who wears contact lenses is not assumed to be simple pink eye. Lenses reduce the oxygen reaching the cornea and can trap germs against it, leading to keratitis, an infection of the cornea itself. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterium that thrives in water, can cause a corneal ulcer that worsens within 24 hours. Acanthamoeba, a microscopic organism found in tap water, swimming pools, hot tubs and the sea, causes a rarer infection that is very painful, hard to treat and can permanently damage vision. Swimming, showering or sleeping in lenses, and rinsing lenses or cases in tap water, are the main risks.
If you wear lenses and your eye becomes red and painful, take the lenses out immediately, do not put them back in, and keep the lenses and case to show the doctor. Wear glasses until the eye has fully settled.
How we diagnose and treat pink eye at Takecare
The doctor asks about the type of discharge, itching, pain, light sensitivity, blurred vision, contact lens use, swimming, any injury or chemical splash, and whether others around you have red eyes. We check your vision with a chart, examine the eyelids and conjunctiva, and look at the pupil. Fluorescein, an orange dye that glows under blue light, shows scratches or ulcers on the cornea.
Treatment follows the cause. For viral conjunctivitis, the plan is cool compresses, lubricating eye drops (artificial tears) and good hygiene while it runs its course. For bacterial conjunctivitis, we may give antibiotic drops or ointment such as chloramphenicol, or a stronger antibiotic covering Pseudomonas for contact lens wearers. Allergic conjunctivitis responds to antihistamine drops, such as olopatadine or ketotifen, and to treating the wider allergy. For pool irritation, rinsing with clean water and lubricating drops usually suffice. Any sign of keratitis, reduced vision or a deeper eye problem means same-day referral to a hospital eye specialist (ophthalmologist), which we arrange.
When to see a doctor
See a doctor if pink eye has not improved after a week, if you wear contact lenses, if a newborn baby has red or sticky eyes, if there is heavy discharge that returns quickly after wiping, or if you have a weakened immune system. We also want to see anyone whose eyelids and the skin around the eye become red, swollen and tender, which can be a spreading infection called periorbital cellulitis.
Some red eyes are emergencies. Moderate or severe eye pain, sensitivity to light, reduced or blurred vision that does not clear with blinking, seeing halos around lights, a pupil that looks different from the other, or redness concentrated in a ring around the coloured part of the eye can signal keratitis, iritis or acute glaucoma. After a chemical splash, including concentrated pool chemicals, rinse the eye continuously with clean water for at least 15 minutes and then get urgent care. For a penetrating injury, a chemical burn or sudden loss of vision, go to a hospital emergency department or call 1669.
Prevention and early detection
Viral and bacterial pink eye spread through hands, towels and pillows. Wash your hands often, avoid touching or rubbing your eyes, use your own towel and face cloth, and change pillowcases. Stay out of swimming pools and avoid sharing make-up until the discharge has stopped. Wear well-fitting goggles in chlorinated pools and sunglasses on bright, windy beach days.
For lens wearers, prevention is specific: never swim, shower or sleep in lenses, never rinse lenses or cases with tap water, replace cases regularly, and pack daily disposables and a pair of glasses for a beach holiday. Early detection means acting on pain, not just redness.
Visiting Takecare Clinic in Phuket
All three branches are open 24/7, and you can walk in without an appointment at Takecare Clinic Bangtao (Cherngtalay), Takecare Clinic Kata-Karon or Takecare Clinic Patong. A walk-in doctor in Phuket can examine your eye and dispense drops from our pharmacy in one visit.
If several family members have red eyes, or you would rather not bring a contagious child through a waiting room, a doctor hotel visit in Phuket lets us examine everyone at your hotel or villa.
Send us a WhatsApp message, with a photo of the eye if you like, or call 081-718-9080. We confirm the price on WhatsApp before your visit, offer direct billing with most travel insurers, and provide a medical report and itemised receipt for claims.
Related services and treatments
Many visitors who come in with a red eye have another holiday health problem to sort out at the same time. We also provide UTI treatment with a same-visit urine test, migraine treatment when glare and heat bring on a severe headache, and gout treatment for a sudden, painful joint.
Summary
Pink eye is usually viral, contagious and self-limiting, and antibiotic drops will not help it. Bacterial pink eye causes sticky discharge and sometimes benefits from antibiotic drops, while allergic pink eye itches and responds to antihistamine drops. In Phuket, pool chlorine and sand add irritant causes. A painful red eye, light sensitivity or reduced vision is not simple pink eye, and contact lens wearers with a painful eye need to remove their lenses and be examined the same day.
“Redness with grittiness and discharge is usually pink eye and will settle. Redness with real pain, light sensitivity or blurred vision is a different problem. If you wear contact lenses, take them out and come in today; that single step protects your sight.” Dr. Ponlawat Pitsuwan
Frequently asked questions
How long is pink eye contagious?
Viral pink eye is contagious while the eye is red and watering, usually for up to two weeks. Bacterial pink eye is contagious until the discharge stops, or about 24 hours after starting antibiotic drops. Allergic and chlorine-related pink eye are not contagious. Wash your hands often and do not share towels, pillows or eye make-up.
Do I need antibiotic eye drops?
Often not. Viral pink eye, the most common type, does not respond to antibiotics, and many bacterial cases clear within a week without them. Antibiotic drops are useful for severe bacterial conjunctivitis, for contact lens wearers and for some children. A quick examination tells us which type you have, so you only use drops that work.
Can I swim with pink eye?
It is best to stay out of pools and the sea until the redness and discharge have cleared. Swimming can spread infectious conjunctivitis to others, and chlorine and salt water irritate an already inflamed eye. Never swim in contact lenses, especially while your eye is recovering, because of the risk of Acanthamoeba and other corneal infections.
Can I walk in without an appointment?
Yes. Our Bangtao, Kata and Patong branches accept walk-ins 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and an English-speaking doctor usually sees you within minutes. Most eye checks, including any drops from our pharmacy, take under half an hour. You can send us a WhatsApp message first if you prefer.
Can a doctor check my child’s eyes at the hotel?
Yes. Our doctor can visit your hotel or villa anywhere in Phuket, day or night, and examine everyone in the family with red eyes in one visit. This avoids bringing a contagious child through the clinic. Babies under one month old with red or sticky eyes should always be seen promptly.
Will my travel insurance cover pink eye treatment?
Most travel insurance policies cover a consultation and eye drops for conjunctivitis that starts during your trip. We offer direct billing with most travel insurers, and if yours reimburses you instead, we provide a medical report and itemised receipt. Message us your insurer’s details on WhatsApp and we will confirm before your visit.
Sources
NHS: Conjunctivitis. CDC: About pink eye (conjunctivitis). CDC: Healthy contact lens wear and care.
Pink eye, conjunctivitis, viral conjunctivitis, adenovirus, bacterial conjunctivitis, allergic conjunctivitis, conjunctiva, cornea, keratitis, contact lens keratitis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acanthamoeba keratitis, corneal ulcer, iritis, acute glaucoma, periorbital cellulitis, chlorine irritation, fluorescein staining, chloramphenicol, olopatadine, ketotifen, artificial tears, ophthalmologist, NHS, CDC, Bangtao, Cherngtalay, Kata, Karon, Patong, Phuket, Dr. Ponlawat Pitsuwan, Takecare Clinic Phuket.
This page is general health information and not a substitute for a medical consultation.