HIV Test in Bangkok and Sexual Health in Thailand

Go to the Thai Red Cross Anonymous Clinic, a private sexual health clinic or a hospital emergency department, which is open around the clock. PEP is a 28-day course of HIV medication that must start within 72 hours of exposure, ideally within 24. The doctor will test you for HIV first, prescribe the course and arrange follow-up tests. Take every dose, finish the course and use condoms until your final test is clear.

It depends on the infection. Modern lab HIV tests detect most infections within two to six weeks of exposure, and many clinics suggest a repeat test at around three months for certainty. Chlamydia and gonorrhoea can usually be tested from about two weeks, and syphilis blood tests are more reliable from around six weeks. If you have symptoms, don't wait: see a doctor straight away and they will advise on timing.

A full STI panel usually covers HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B and C by blood test, plus chlamydia and gonorrhoea by urine test or swab. If you've given oral sex, ask for a throat swab too, because a urine test misses throat infections and oral gonorrhoea is common. Clinics in Bangkok typically charge roughly 1,500 to 6,000 baht, depending on the panel, and government and Red Cross clinics cost less than private hospitals.

Yes. PrEP, a daily or event-based HIV prevention pill, is available at the Thai Red Cross Anonymous Clinic, sexual health clinics and some hospitals after a consultation, an HIV test and a kidney check. Expect roughly 1,000 to 2,500 baht a month at clinics. It takes several days of pills to reach full protection, so start before your trip if you can and follow the doctor's dosing advice. PrEP protects against HIV only.

You can, because many antibiotics are sold without a prescription, but self-treating an STI is a bad idea. The wrong drug or dose can hide symptoms without curing the infection, and gonorrhoea is increasingly resistant to common antibiotics, which is why clinics treat it with an injection. You also won't know whether you've caught something else. Get tested first: clinics in Bangkok and Pattaya are quick, discreet and inexpensive.

Hepatitis B is the key one, because it spreads through sex and is common in the region. The standard course takes months, though faster schedules exist, so talk to your doctor well before you travel. The HPV vaccine protects men against genital warts and several cancers, including throat cancer. Hepatitis A, typhoid and tetanus are also routinely recommended for Thailand, and Bangkok clinics offer them for less than most Western countries.

Often because they're the wrong size. Standard Thai condoms run small, around 49 to 52 mm nominal width compared with 52 to 56 mm for Western standard sizes, and a condom that's too tight is more likely to split. Bigger pharmacies sell larger Durex and OneTouch sizes, or bring your own. Use water- or silicone-based lube, never massage oil or lotion, which weakens latex, and keep condoms out of the heat.

Private sexual health clinics, including the Pulse Clinic chain, have branches in Pattaya and Phuket offering English-speaking STI testing, PrEP and PEP, often with same-day results. Bangkok Hospital's sister hospitals in both cities handle testing and emergencies, and government hospitals are cheaper but slower, with less English. Small private clinics can test too, but ask which infections the panel covers and the full price before any samples are taken. Bring your passport.