Clinically reviewed by Dr. Ponlawat Pitsuwan, Physician, Takecare Clinic Phuket. Last reviewed: September 2026.
“Many people only think about vaccines once they have already landed. That is fine, and it is not too late: a lot of the protection travellers need in Phuket can still be given here. What I see most often is a tetanus booster that is years overdue, discovered after a scooter graze or a coral cut, and long-stay visitors who never had rabies or hepatitis vaccines because their first trip was only meant to last two weeks.” Dr. Ponlawat Pitsuwan
Who needs vaccinations in Phuket
This service is for short-stay tourists who want to check they are covered, long-stay visitors and digital nomads, expats living on the island, families with children who have missed a scheduled dose at home, and anyone continuing on to other parts of Asia. It is also for people who need a single catch-up dose, such as a second hepatitis A injection or an annual flu vaccine, without waiting to get home.
Which vaccines you need depends on four things: how long you are staying, where you are going next, what you plan to do (diving, trekking, working with animals, rural travel), and what you have already had. A short consultation with the doctor turns those four answers into a plan. Planning ahead helps, because some vaccines need two or three doses spread over weeks, and if you are continuing to another country we give country-specific advice for that leg of the trip as well as for Thailand.
Recommended vaccines for Thailand
International travel health bodies such as the CDC and the UK’s travel health services group Thailand’s vaccine advice into routine vaccines everyone should have, vaccines most travellers should consider, and vaccines for some travellers depending on their plans. The table below summarises this in plain language.
| Vaccine | How it spreads | Who needs it | Usual schedule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hepatitis A | Contaminated food and water | Most travellers, especially if eating street food | One dose protects for the trip; second dose 6 to 12 months later for long-term protection |
| Typhoid | Contaminated food and water | Longer stays, rural travel, adventurous eaters | Single injection, repeated about every 3 years if still at risk |
| Tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough (Tdap) | Tetanus through dirty wounds | Everyone; booster if more than 10 years since the last dose | Single booster dose |
| Rabies (pre-exposure) | Bites and scratches from dogs, cats and monkeys | Long stays, daily motorbike riders, runners, cyclists, children, rural travel | WHO: 2 doses on days 0 and 7 |
| Hepatitis B | Blood and body fluids, sex, tattoos, medical care | Long stays, expats, new sexual partners, anyone likely to need medical treatment | 3 doses over 6 months; faster schedules exist |
| Japanese encephalitis | Mosquitoes in rice-farming and rural areas | Stays of a month or more, or rural travel especially in the rainy season | 2 doses, usually 28 days apart; a faster schedule suits some adults |
| Influenza | Coughs and sneezes; circulates in Thailand all year | Everyone from 6 months, especially over 65s, pregnancy, chronic illness | One dose each year |
| Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) | Airborne | Anyone without two documented doses or past infection | 2 doses at least 4 weeks apart |
Two points often surprise people. First, Phuket’s main tourist areas have a low Japanese encephalitis risk, so a two-week beach holiday rarely needs it, while a long stay with trips inland may. Second, there is no single vaccine that protects against the most common holiday illnesses in Thailand, such as dengue and traveller’s diarrhoea (diarrhea), so insect and food precautions still matter.
What happens at a vaccination visit, step by step
You can walk in or message us first. The doctor asks about your travel dates, onward plans, health conditions, pregnancy, allergies and medicines, and reviews any vaccine record you have. A photo of your record or your home clinic’s app is fine. If you have no record, we can usually plan from what you remember, and for some vaccines a blood test can check immunity, for example to hepatitis B or measles.
We then agree which vaccines make sense now and which can wait, give the injections, and watch you for 15 minutes afterwards in case of a rare allergic reaction. Several vaccines can safely be given on the same day. You leave with an English vaccination record listing each vaccine, batch number, date and the dates of any further doses.
Availability of individual vaccines can change from week to week. The rabies vaccine is kept at all three branches. For other vaccines, ask us on WhatsApp which vaccines are available today before you travel to the clinic, so that you are not disappointed.
When to see a doctor
See a doctor straight away, rather than waiting for a planned vaccination, if an animal has bitten or scratched you: that needs same-day animal bite treatment and a post-exposure assessment on our rabies vaccine in Phuket page, not routine pre-travel vaccines. The same applies to a dirty wound if you are not sure when you last had a tetanus injection.
After a vaccine, a sore arm, mild fever or tiredness for a day or two is common and harmless. Call 1669 or go to a hospital emergency department for swelling of the face or throat, difficulty breathing, or collapse, which could signal anaphylaxis, a rare severe allergic reaction.
Prevention and early detection
Vaccines work best alongside simple precautions. Choose freshly cooked, hot food and bottled or treated water to reduce the risk of hepatitis A, typhoid and other gut infections. Use a repellent containing DEET, picaridin or IR3535 and cover up at dawn and dusk, because mosquitoes spread dengue and Japanese encephalitis. Stay away from street animals to avoid bites. Use condoms with new partners to reduce the risk of hepatitis B.
Early detection means keeping your records in order. Store a photo of your vaccination record on your phone, note the due date of your next booster, and bring it to any doctor visit abroad.
Visiting Takecare Clinic in Phuket
All three branches are open 24 hours a day, and you do not need an appointment. Choose Takecare Clinic Bangtao (Cherngtalay) near Laguna, our Kata-Karon clinic on Kedkwan Road, or Takecare Clinic Patong on Prachanukroh Road. Bring your passport and any vaccine record.
For families or groups staying in a villa, a doctor hotel visit in Phuket can vaccinate everyone in one visit, subject to vaccine availability. Message us on WhatsApp to check which vaccines are in the clinic today, or call 081-718-9080. We confirm the price on WhatsApp before your visit. Travel insurance usually does not cover planned vaccines, but it usually does cover vaccines needed after an injury, and we provide an itemised receipt and medical report either way.
Related services and treatments
If you are heading on to Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia or further afield, book a consultation on travel medicine in Phuket for destination-specific advice, malaria tablets and a travel kit. If you need a doctor for something else during your stay, a walk-in doctor in Phuket can see you at any branch without booking.
Summary
Most travellers to Phuket need routine vaccines, a tetanus booster within the last 10 years, and hepatitis A, with typhoid for longer or more adventurous trips. Long stays, expats and onward rural travel add rabies pre-exposure, hepatitis B and sometimes Japanese encephalitis, and an annual flu vaccine suits almost everyone. It is rarely too late to start. Takecare Clinic Phuket reviews your record, vaccinates and gives you an English record at any of our three branches, day or night.
“Bring your vaccine record, or even just a photo of it. With that and your travel dates, we can usually sort out exactly what you need in one short visit, and you leave with a record your doctor at home will understand.” Dr. Ponlawat Pitsuwan
Frequently asked questions
Which vaccines do I need for Phuket?
Most short-stay visitors need their routine vaccines, a tetanus booster if the last dose was over 10 years ago, and hepatitis A. Typhoid is worth considering for longer or rural trips. Long stays add rabies pre-exposure vaccination and hepatitis B, and Japanese encephalitis is for stays of a month or more or rural travel. The doctor tailors this to your plans.
Is it too late to get vaccinated once I am in Phuket?
Usually not. Hepatitis A, typhoid, tetanus and flu vaccines can all be given during your stay and start protecting within about two weeks, and hepatitis A often sooner. Rabies pre-exposure needs 7 days to complete. Some multi-dose courses can be started here and finished at home using the English record we provide.
Do I need an appointment for vaccination in Phuket?
No. All three Takecare branches in Bangtao, Kata and Patong accept walk-ins 24 hours a day. Because vaccine availability can change, we suggest you message us on WhatsApp first to check that the vaccine you want is available today. Bring your passport and any record of past vaccines.
Does travel insurance pay for vaccines?
Planned travel vaccines are usually not covered by travel insurance, because they are preventive. Vaccines needed after an injury, such as a tetanus booster after a wound or rabies vaccine after a bite, are usually covered as part of treatment. We confirm the price on WhatsApp before your visit and provide an itemised receipt.
Can I have several vaccines on the same day?
Yes. Most inactivated travel vaccines, such as hepatitis A, typhoid, tetanus and flu, can safely be given at the same visit, usually in different arms. Live vaccines such as MMR follow specific spacing rules with some other live vaccines. The doctor checks the combination and your health before giving anything.
Can a doctor vaccinate my family at our hotel?
Yes. A doctor can visit your hotel or villa anywhere in Phuket to review records and vaccinate adults and children, provided the vaccines you need are available that day. It is a practical option for families and groups. Message us on WhatsApp with names, ages and the vaccines you are asking about.
Sources
CDC: Thailand traveler health information. NHS: Travel vaccinations. WHO: Japanese encephalitis fact sheet.
Vaccination, travel vaccines, immunisation, hepatitis A vaccine, typhoid vaccine, Tdap, tetanus booster, diphtheria, pertussis, rabies pre-exposure prophylaxis, hepatitis B vaccine, Japanese encephalitis vaccine, influenza vaccine, MMR, anaphylaxis, vaccination record, CDC, NHS, WHO, Bangtao, Cherngtalay, Laguna, Kata, Karon, Patong, Phuket, Dr. Ponlawat Pitsuwan, Takecare Clinic Phuket.
This page is general health information and not a substitute for a medical consultation.