What you need to know about vaccinations and health risks in Thailand...
If you haven't previously been to Thailand, or elsewhere in South East Asia, then there may be a few extra steps you will want to take before leaving the UK to make sure you're covered in the case of a medical emergency.
#1 - Vaccinations
There are several vaccines that are recommended for travel to Thailand, and one that is (at least currently) necessary.
Covid-19: As with many countries, Thailand has a vaccine requirement for Covid-19. Without the vaccine, entry is subject to a stay in quarantine (currently 5 days, though it has been as long as 16 in the past). With it, you can enter Thailand with minimal fuss (I'll give more details of the precise entry requirements closer to your travel dates). If you haven't been vaccinated against Covid yet, or are due a booster shot, then you will need to arrange one in the UK prior to travelling.
Tetanus: Although you've likely had a Tetanus shot at some point in your life, boosters are recommended every 10 years. I've no idea how many people do that, but if my own example is anything to judge by, then very few! I had to have a booster here in Thailand, however, because I managed to get a pretty nasty cut which required stitches, and they boosted me at the same time. Worth looking into if you can't remember having had a booster as an adult.
Hepatitis A: This is a liver infection that can be spread through contaminated water and food. The jab is a single dose, and recommended for travel in the SEA region.
Yellow Fever: A mandatory vaccination if you're coming from a country with a risk of Yellow Fever. If you're travelling from the UK, you should be fine. However, if you're travelling from elsewhere, or transiting through such a country for more than 12 hours.
Some travel vaccines are free on the NHS, and you can find out more information about that here.
#2 - Mosquitos
Mosquitos are common throughout the region, and Thailand is no exception. They can spread Malaria, Dengue Fever, the Zika virus, and are generally a cause of much irritation. Getting bitten is common, but actually contracting an illness is very rare.
Given the above, you might want to invest in some mosquito repellent, which is easy to pick up here if you forget to buy some before you travel. However, the best preventative measure is through your clothing choices. Mosquitos will typically strike when you're sitting outside at a restaurant or bar, and usually they go for your feet and ankles, where they're out of sight (and close to pools of water on the ground left over from rainstorms). It's therefore better to avoid wearing shorts and/or flip flops (or other open shoe types) when you know you're going to be sitting outside for any length of time. Most outdoor eating/drinking spaces will have fans to help keep you cool, so they're not that much of a miss, and the camp is taking place during the cool season - where temperatures will only be in the high twenties and low thirties!
#3 - Insurance
Since the Covid pandemic, insurance requirements and policies have changed considerably. If you haven't travelled over the last couple of years, you may need to check any existing policies are valid and up-to-date.
Thailand currently has an insurance requirement in place to ensure you have a policy which covers you for Covid-19 treatment. As of May 2022, this requirement was for $10,000 USD worth of medical expenses relating to Covid. However, in the past this amount has been set at $20,000 USD and $200,000 USD. Prior to purchasing your insurance, please check the latest information to make sure you have adequate cover.
Some travel insurers will not include cover for Covid, so if you're buying travel insurance which includes health insurance, you'll need to specifically ask if you meet the requirements for entry to Thailand.
Where to find more UK-Thailand health information...
Travel advice from the UK government changes frequently, so I recommend that you check their health advice page at least 6 weeks prior to travel. Some vaccinations may require more than 1 shot, so it's best to leave plenty of time to arrange these. Covid, of course, needs even longer, so you need to move on those jabs a lot earlier.
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