Rabies Vaccine in Phuket: Post-Exposure and Pre-Travel Vaccination, 24/7
Clinically reviewed by Dr. Ponlawat Pitsuwan, Physician, Takecare Clinic Phuket. Last reviewed: September 2026.
“Most of the rabies consultations we do in Kata and Patong start the same way: someone was nipped by a soi dog on the walk home, or a monkey at a viewpoint grabbed a bag of snacks and scratched a hand. Many people nearly skip coming in because the wound looks trivial. With rabies, the size of the wound matters much less than the fact that the skin was broken, and the vaccine only works if it is started before symptoms appear.” Dr. Ponlawat Pitsuwan
Why rabies matters in Thailand
Rabies is a viral infection of the brain and nerves, spread in the saliva of infected mammals through bites, scratches or licks on broken skin and mucous membranes such as the eyes and mouth. Once symptoms begin it is almost always fatal, which is why doctors treat every possible exposure seriously. The good news is that rabies is almost completely preventable when a vaccine series is started promptly after exposure.
Thailand is a rabies-endemic country, meaning the virus circulates in local animals. The Thai Department of Disease Control runs dog vaccination campaigns, yet stray dogs, cats and unvaccinated pets remain a risk, and monkeys around temples and viewpoints add to it. In Phuket we see exposures from stray dogs on beach roads, cats in guesthouses and markets, and macaques at places such as Monkey Hill and around Promthep Cape. Travelers cannot tell by looking whether an animal is infected, so the decision to vaccinate is based on the type of contact, not on how healthy the animal seemed.
WHO exposure categories: who needs what
The World Health Organization groups contact with a possibly rabid animal into three categories. The category, together with your vaccination history, decides whether you need the vaccine alone or the vaccine plus rabies immunoglobulin (RIG), a preparation of ready-made antibodies that is injected into and around the wound to protect you during the first days before your own immune response builds.
| WHO category | Type of contact | Recommended action (never vaccinated) |
|---|---|---|
| Category I | Touching or feeding an animal, licks on intact skin | Wash the skin; no vaccine needed |
| Category II | Nibbling of uncovered skin, minor scratches or grazes without bleeding | Wound washing and rabies vaccine started immediately |
| Category III | Bites or scratches that break the skin and draw blood, licks on broken skin, saliva in the eyes or mouth, any contact with bats | Wound washing, rabies vaccine and rabies immunoglobulin |
| Any category, previously vaccinated | Completed pre-exposure or post-exposure course in the past | Two booster doses on days 0 and 3; immunoglobulin not needed |
What happens at your rabies vaccine visit
The doctor first asks what animal was involved, where on your body the contact happened, whether the skin bled, and whether you have ever had a rabies vaccine. We re-clean the wound thoroughly, check whether your tetanus protection is up to date, and decide whether antibiotics are needed, because bite wounds carry bacteria as well as the rabies risk. Our page on treating dog, cat and monkey bites explains that side of care in more detail, and deeper wounds are dressed as part of our wound care service.
We then give the first dose of rabies vaccine at the same visit. Current WHO schedules for people who have never been vaccinated include the one-week intradermal regimen, with two small injections into the skin on days 0, 3 and 7, and the intramuscular Essen regimen, with one injection into the upper arm on days 0, 3, 7 and a final dose between day 14 and 28. The doctor chooses the schedule with you and writes the dates on an English vaccination record, so you can finish the course here, at another clinic in Thailand, or at home.
Rabies immunoglobulin
If you have a category III exposure and have never been vaccinated, WHO recommends rabies immunoglobulin as well as the vaccine, ideally on day 0 and no later than day 7 after the first vaccine dose. Immunoglobulin supply varies, so we do not promise that it is available at the clinic. If you need it, we arrange it or refer you directly to a hospital that has it, and we continue your vaccine schedule afterwards.
Pre-exposure vaccination for long stays
Pre-exposure prophylaxis means having rabies vaccine before any bite. WHO recommends two doses given 7 days apart, and some national guidelines, such as those used in the UK, use a three-dose course. We suggest it for long-stay travellers and expats, people who ride a motorbike daily and may be far from a clinic, runners, cyclists, children who play with animals, and anyone heading to rural areas of Southeast Asia. It does not remove the need for care after a bite, but it simplifies it: you only need two booster doses and never need immunoglobulin, which can be hard to find in remote places.
When to see a doctor
Come in the same day after any bite, scratch or lick on broken skin from a dog, cat, monkey or other mammal in Thailand, even if the animal looked well or belonged to someone. Bites on the head, neck, face and hands carry a higher risk because these areas are rich in nerves. If you were bitten several days ago and did nothing, come in now.
Rabies symptoms, which can include tingling or pain at the old bite site, fever, agitation, fear of water and difficulty swallowing, mean the disease has already started and need hospital care immediately: go to a hospital emergency department or call 1669. Heavy bleeding, a deep facial wound or a severe mauling also belong in hospital, where our emergency doctor service can help coordinate a transfer.
Prevention and early detection
Most exposures in Phuket are avoidable. Do not feed or pet stray dogs and cats, keep food out of sight around monkeys, and do not try to take something back from a monkey that has grabbed it. Keep children close at temples and viewpoints. Wear closed shoes when walking at night, when many soi dogs are most territorial.
First aid is the most important early step. Wash the wound with soap and running water for a full 15 minutes, then apply an antiseptic such as povidone-iodine or alcohol if you have it. Plain soap and water, used thoroughly, removes and inactivates much of the virus, so do not skip it while you look for a clinic. Do not close the wound yourself. Keep your vaccination record safe and take it to every follow-up.
Visiting Takecare Clinic in Phuket
You do not need an appointment. Walk in any time to Takecare Clinic Bangtao (Cherngtalay) on Bandon Road, Takecare Clinic Kata-Karon on Kedkwan Road, or Takecare Clinic Patong on Prachanukroh Road. All three are open 24/7, and follow-up doses on days 3, 7 and later can be given at whichever branch is nearest to you that day.
If you are with children or cannot travel, ask about a doctor visit to your hotel or villa. You can send us a WhatsApp message with a photo of the wound, or call 081-718-9080. We confirm the price on WhatsApp before your visit, offer direct billing with most travel insurers, and give you a medical report, itemised receipt and English vaccination record for your claim and your home doctor.
Related services and treatments
A bite is often a traveller’s first contact with a clinic in Thailand, and we find it helps to review the rest of your trip at the same time. Our travel health consultations in Phuket cover onward destinations and malaria advice. For anything unrelated, such as a fever or an ear problem, a walk-in GP in Phuket can see you the same day.
Summary
Thailand has rabies in dogs, cats and monkeys, and any bite, scratch or lick on broken skin should be washed for 15 minutes and assessed by a doctor the same day. Treatment depends on the WHO exposure category and your vaccination history: a vaccine series for most exposures, plus immunoglobulin for severe exposures in people who have never been vaccinated. Pre-exposure vaccination is worth considering for long stays. Takecare Clinic Phuket stocks the rabies vaccine and starts the course at any of our three branches, day or night.
“Wash it, then come in. Those two steps, done on the day of the bite, are what make rabies a preventable disease. Keep your vaccine card with your passport, because every future doctor will want to see it.” Dr. Ponlawat Pitsuwan
Frequently asked questions
I was bitten days ago. Is it too late for the rabies vaccine?
No. Start as soon as possible, but post-exposure vaccination is still recommended days or even weeks after an exposure as long as no rabies symptoms have appeared. The incubation period is usually one to three months. Come in today with any details you remember about the animal and the wound, and we will start the course at the same visit.
How many rabies vaccine doses will I need?
If you have never been vaccinated, a WHO schedule is either two small intradermal injections on days 0, 3 and 7, or one intramuscular dose on days 0, 3, 7 and between day 14 and 28. If you have had a full course before, you need only two doses on days 0 and 3. We record every date in English for you.
Do I need rabies immunoglobulin?
Immunoglobulin is recommended for category III exposures, such as bites that draw blood or saliva on broken skin, in people who have never had a rabies vaccine. Previously vaccinated people do not need it. If you need it, we arrange it or refer you directly to a hospital that has it, and we keep managing your vaccine schedule.
Do I need an appointment for a rabies vaccine in Phuket?
No. All three Takecare branches in Bangtao, Kata and Patong accept walk-ins 24 hours a day, and the rabies vaccine is kept at each branch. You can also message us on WhatsApp so we expect you. Follow-up doses can be given at any branch, so you can fit them around your travel plans on the island.
Will my travel insurance cover rabies vaccination?
Most travel insurance policies cover post-exposure treatment after a bite during your trip, while pre-exposure vaccination is usually treated as optional and not covered. We offer direct billing with most travel insurers and provide a medical report and itemised receipt. Send us your insurer’s name on WhatsApp and we will confirm before your visit.
Can I finish my rabies vaccine course at home?
Yes. Rabies vaccines used in Thailand follow WHO schedules, and your doctor at home can give the remaining doses using the English vaccination record we provide, which lists the vaccine, the route and the dates. Try to keep to the schedule, and tell your home clinic before you land so they can plan the next dose.
Sources
WHO: Rabies fact sheet. CDC: Rabies. NHS: Rabies.
Rabies, rabies vaccine, post-exposure prophylaxis, PEP, pre-exposure prophylaxis, PrEP, rabies immunoglobulin, RIG, WHO exposure categories, intradermal regimen, Essen regimen, dog bite, cat scratch, monkey bite, macaque, tetanus, Thai Department of Disease Control, WHO, CDC, NHS, Monkey Hill, Promthep Cape, 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.