Thai Travel Clinic

FAQ about the cost of the vaccine in Thailand

Many foreign visitors often wonder why the cost of vaccines in Thailand is much lower than in their home countries.  Such as rabies vaccine may cost up to US$200 per shot in the US, but in our clinic, it is just US$11 per shot. What makes this big difference? Is it really the same vaccine? From the same manufacturer? These are commonly asked questions in our clinic.

Here are some facts and explanations;

1. Some "travel" vaccines in Western countries are actually the routine ones in Thailand. Such as the Hepatitis B vaccine and the JE vaccine; these two vaccines have been included in our national immunization program for many years. We give it to every person in Thailand in their childhood. So we have to spend a huge amount of vaccines per year when compared to Western countries.  Therefore, we could get a lower price due to economies of scale.

2. Moreover, like many medications, the pharmaceutical company usually sets the price structure differently from country to country. The GDP and the purchasing power of people in each country are usually the factors that they consider.

3. So, according to #2,#3, we could buy most vaccines much cheaper than in Western countries. And in our clinic, to clarify,  we use only vaccines from reputable pharmaceutical manufacturers such as GSK, Sanofi Pasteur, Crucell, Berna Biotech, etc. All vaccines have to be approved by our FDA also.

4. Apart from that, our clinic and our hospital are not-for-profit organizations. Our mission is to provide excellent medical services to all, regardless of whether they are Thai or foreigners. So we do not set another vaccine/medication pricing for foreigners. Everyone who attends our clinic will pay the same price for the vaccine.  (You may visit our vaccine price list in Thai here and compare it to the  English page.

However, we do not recommend travelers to get their vaccine in the destination. Ideally, every traveler should get all vaccines before arrival. Since all vaccines will not work immediately, they need time to make our body develop the immunity against specific diseases. So, completing the shot as early as possible is the best way to ensure maximum protection.