What you can bring into Thailand duty-free

Thailand’s customs rules come from three bodies: the Customs Department (customs.go.th), the Bank of Thailand for cash, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for medicines. Below are the limits for a tourist arriving with personal luggage, as of 17 October 2026.

Duty-free allowances

Excess cigarettes, tobacco and alcohol must be dropped in the box provided by customs, otherwise you risk prosecution (customs.go.th passenger rules, as of 18 October 2026). The red channel is not a way round this: the customs page does not describe paying duty on cigarettes or alcohol above the allowance. The UK Foreign Office also says it is illegal to take more than 200 cigarettes per person into Thailand, that they are likely to be confiscated and that the fine can be ten times their value (gov.uk, 18 October 2026). If in doubt, leave the extra at home or in the box.

Green and red channels

The green channel (Nothing to Declare) is for travellers with no dutiable, prohibited or restricted goods. Everyone else uses the red channel (Goods to Declare), for items that are dutiable or must be declared and can legally be brought in, such as valuables, expensive electronics or goods not for personal use. Excess cigarettes and alcohol do not belong there: they go in the box. In the red channel you show your passport and receipts. Non-commercial belongings worth up to 200,000 baht are charged a flat rate, payable in cash or by card. At Phuket Airport customs comes right after baggage claim; see our Phuket Airport guide.

Cash in and out

• Bringing baht or foreign currency in: no limit
• Declaration on arrival and departure: above USD 15,000 (or equivalent) in foreign banknotes or above 450,000 baht
• Taking baht out: up to 50,000 baht, or up to 2 million baht to neighbouring countries, Vietnam and Yunnan
• Taking foreign currency out: up to the amount bought from banks or money changers

These are the Bank of Thailand rules. An older customs page cites USD 20,000, which is why both figures circulate online; the lower one is the safer guide.

Medication

• Ordinary medicines without controlled substances: up to 30 days’ supply, original labelled packaging, doctor’s letter or prescription
• Schedule II and III narcotic drugs (including common codeine medicines): up to 90 days’ supply, only with a Thai FDA permit applied for online at permitfortraveler.fda.moph.go.th at least 15 days before travel. Print it and show it at customs
• Schedule II-IV psychotropic substances: up to 30 days with a prescription or medical certificate, 31-90 days only with an FDA permit
• Schedule I narcotics (heroin and similar): prohibited

The controlled-drug rules come from the Thai FDA traveller guidance as amended by the 2024 ministerial regulation (in force since 21 September 2024). Some Thai embassy pages still summarise the pre-2024 rules, which is where the old “30 days” and “two weeks” figures come from. Check the active ingredient before you travel. For buying medicine locally, see pharmacies in Thailand.

Vapes and e-cigarettes

E-cigarettes have been banned in Thailand since 2014. TAT asks visitors not to bring devices or liquid; penalties include arrest or a fine of several times the item’s value. Details in can you bring a vape to Thailand.

Other prohibited and restricted items

Prohibited: narcotics, pornography, counterfeit goods, fake currency, CITES-listed wildlife. Restricted, needing a permit: Buddha images and antiques (Fine Arts Department), firearms (Ministry of Interior), plants (Department of Agriculture), animals (Department of Livestock Development), food, medicine, cosmetics and supplements (FDA), radios and telecoms equipment (NBTC).

Also worth checking before you fly: do you need a return ticket for Thailand.

Found an error or outdated fact? Tell the editors, we will fix it and update the check date.