Is Methadone legal in Thailand?
- Legal status
- Methadone is a Category 2 narcotic under the Narcotics Code — and is the OST medicine available in Thailand (approved for opioid-substitution treatment since 2000, within universal health coverage).
- Consequences if caught
- Unlawful possession or import of a Category 2 narcotic carries imprisonment and heavy fines.
- If prescribed or medical
- Prescribed for methadone-based OST via public health centres/clinics (buprenorphine is not domestically dispensed, so methadone is the available agonist).
- Documentation
- Carrying methadone requires prior Thai FDA import approval (Form IC-2, apply ≥15 days ahead); a foreign prescription alone will not clear it into Thailand.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Thailand’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.
Before you travel
Verify current rules with the destination country’s official drug authority and your own country’s embassy before traveling. Find the destination’s U.S. embassy & official country guidance →
Non-U.S. travelers: check your own government’s travel advisory and embassy.
If you’re detained or arrested abroad
Contact your own country’s embassy or consulate in the destination immediately — not the destination’s authorities. U.S. citizens: contact the nearest U.S. embassy/consulate and the U.S. State Department at +1-202-501-4444 (from abroad). If a U.S. citizen is arrested or detained abroad →