Vaccinations for Koh Tao - Thailand
Discussion
Hi
I'm going travelling soon to Koah Tao in Thailand. It will involve one night in Bangkok before travelling to Koh Tao where i'll be for 12 weeks.
I've been to the doctor today and had Hep A + B and Typhoid, already covered against others you can think of. From her research she also recommended Malaria (although this was because she didn't know where the Island was), Rabies, Japanese Encephalitis and Cholera.
Now it seems that Malaria is not required for Koh Tao or the surrounding Islands. Rabies costs £120 and Jap Enceph £135. Are these two really necessary? I've read that Rabies jab only saves 24 hours and you still need another vaccination once bitten anyway. Also told when I phoned the company i'm travelling with that not many have the Jap Enceph due to the price and chance of contraction.
Cheers for any help. Wasn't sure whether to put in here or in travel section
I'm going travelling soon to Koah Tao in Thailand. It will involve one night in Bangkok before travelling to Koh Tao where i'll be for 12 weeks.
I've been to the doctor today and had Hep A + B and Typhoid, already covered against others you can think of. From her research she also recommended Malaria (although this was because she didn't know where the Island was), Rabies, Japanese Encephalitis and Cholera.
Now it seems that Malaria is not required for Koh Tao or the surrounding Islands. Rabies costs £120 and Jap Enceph £135. Are these two really necessary? I've read that Rabies jab only saves 24 hours and you still need another vaccination once bitten anyway. Also told when I phoned the company i'm travelling with that not many have the Jap Enceph due to the price and chance of contraction.
Cheers for any help. Wasn't sure whether to put in here or in travel section
I would take a careful look at your travel insurance.
Failure to get the suggested innoculations may be considered negligence, should you try to claim for that very problem.
You are right about the Rabies jab. It buys you time. Remote a possibility as it may be, it might be money well spent. There are many a stray, manky looking dog on Samui, so I'm quite sure some of the flea bitten bags of virus, will have got to Toa some how.
£250 doesn't seem like much for 12 weeks peace of mind to me.
Have a great time!
Failure to get the suggested innoculations may be considered negligence, should you try to claim for that very problem.
You are right about the Rabies jab. It buys you time. Remote a possibility as it may be, it might be money well spent. There are many a stray, manky looking dog on Samui, so I'm quite sure some of the flea bitten bags of virus, will have got to Toa some how.
£250 doesn't seem like much for 12 weeks peace of mind to me.
Have a great time!
Nobby Diesel said:
I would take a careful look at your travel insurance.
Failure to get the suggested innoculations may be considered negligence, should you try to claim for that very problem.
You are right about the Rabies jab. It buys you time. Remote a possibility as it may be, it might be money well spent. There are many a stray, manky looking dog on Samui, so I'm quite sure some of the flea bitten bags of virus, will have got to Toa some how.
£250 doesn't seem like much for 12 weeks peace of mind to me.
Have a great time!
Interestingly enough I visited the dog sanctuary on Samui. Apparently they have had an extensive vaccination programme of the strays and the island has been rabies-free for years. The vaccination for humans tends to only be indicated where you're likely to have more than passing contact with animals. Wouldn't personally bother, having spent 8 months in Africa without it. Failure to get the suggested innoculations may be considered negligence, should you try to claim for that very problem.
You are right about the Rabies jab. It buys you time. Remote a possibility as it may be, it might be money well spent. There are many a stray, manky looking dog on Samui, so I'm quite sure some of the flea bitten bags of virus, will have got to Toa some how.
£250 doesn't seem like much for 12 weeks peace of mind to me.
Have a great time!
Having said that, did have a reasonably fruity encounter with a pack of stray dogs in the middle of Bangkok though, which was a little un-nerving!
1 night in Bangkok, come on! You ought to spend at least 4 days at the end, there's a lot to see. Tourist sites, not other, ahem, sights.
speed_monkey said:
Ive not long got back from 8 months on Koh Tao, all dogs are rabies vaccinated and malaria is virtually non-existant. There was a rising amount of cases of dengue fever though....
Feel free to ask any questions.... where are you staying?
I'm staying in one of the beach side bungalows. Doing a diving course with Davy Jones Locker diving school. Feel free to ask any questions.... where are you staying?
Dengue Fever...nice. What's the best preventative for that, repellent at all times of the day?
What is the island like for clothes shops? Was going to buy things before going out there but if there are some decent but cheap shops on the island, then I might pack light and buy out there.
With regards to clothing, is it really necessary to wear trousers and long sleeve shirts on a night? I'm more a 3/4 length smart shorts and smart shirt kind of person and I'd of thought mosquito repellent on exposed skin would be adequate?
What months were you there from? If there during October/November time, what was the weather like?
Sorry for all the questions
lord-of-creation said:
speed_monkey said:
Ive not long got back from 8 months on Koh Tao, all dogs are rabies vaccinated and malaria is virtually non-existant. There was a rising amount of cases of dengue fever though....
Feel free to ask any questions.... where are you staying?
I'm staying in one of the beach side bungalows. Doing a diving course with Davy Jones Locker diving school. - meh - have you booked and paid already? What course are you doing? I was a DM for a rival company and would HIGHLY recommend them Feel free to ask any questions.... where are you staying?
Dengue Fever...nice. What's the best preventative for that, repellent at all times of the day? - yes.... get the local stuff its the best and much cheaper
What is the island like for clothes shops? Was going to buy things before going out there but if there are some decent but cheap shops on the island, then I might pack light and buy out there. - its pretty expensive in comparison to BKK i took 3 t-shirts and rotated them..... you will find you will ONLY wear boardies, you'll forget what T-shirts are for
With regards to clothing, is it really necessary to wear trousers and long sleeve shirts on a night? I'm more a 3/4 length smart shorts and smart shirt kind of person and I'd of thought mosquito repellent on exposed skin would be adequate? - I bought a lot of pairs of fisherman pants (basically baggy 3/4 lengths that the locals wear) they are fantastic in the heat and usually a vest.... T-shirts are ok.... you WILL sweat like a pig as you will be dancing like a cock
What months were you there from? If there during October/November time, what was the weather like?- September to March, rainy season in October, which means an hour MAXIMUM of rain and you will become to welcome it..... its bloody hot..... and i mean HOT!!
Sorry for all the questions
Cheers mate
The other thing, is sun cream a lot cheaper out there? Was looking online on boots website and it is going to cost a small fortune if I buy it all before hand. Do they have the same brands out there as here but for cheaper?
Edit - Also, got a question about Visa's. What visa did you go out there on, 90 day? Did you keep having to head back to the mainland to renew it? I'm going to be there for about 93/94 days so was just wondering how difficult it is to renew
The other thing, is sun cream a lot cheaper out there? Was looking online on boots website and it is going to cost a small fortune if I buy it all before hand. Do they have the same brands out there as here but for cheaper?
Edit - Also, got a question about Visa's. What visa did you go out there on, 90 day? Did you keep having to head back to the mainland to renew it? I'm going to be there for about 93/94 days so was just wondering how difficult it is to renew
Edited by lord-of-creation on Tuesday 20th July 10:34
I've never found sun screen to be that much cheaper there.
Consider the weight saving though, in you luggage. Remember, it'll have to come out of your 20 KG. Maybe Duty Free is a solution, on the way out?
Ref visas, if you go with a 1 Year Multi Entry Visa, this will allow you up to a cumulative 90 days in any 6 month period. Outside that, the Visa run is your friend. Visa run trips are available from travel shops and desks all over KT and KS.
Consider the weight saving though, in you luggage. Remember, it'll have to come out of your 20 KG. Maybe Duty Free is a solution, on the way out?
Ref visas, if you go with a 1 Year Multi Entry Visa, this will allow you up to a cumulative 90 days in any 6 month period. Outside that, the Visa run is your friend. Visa run trips are available from travel shops and desks all over KT and KS.
lord-of-creation said:
Cheers mate
The other thing, is sun cream a lot cheaper out there? Was looking online on boots website and it is going to cost a small fortune if I buy it all before hand. Do they have the same brands out there as here but for cheaper? - after 3 or 4 weeks you wont use it.... I didn't! but you can get it out there and prices are comparable
Edit - Also, got a question about Visa's. What visa did you go out there on, 90 day? Did you keep having to head back to the mainland to renew it? I'm going to be there for about 93/94 days so was just wondering how difficult it is to renew - I had a 12 month multi entry visa, basically every months go on a "visa run" all the travel agents are geared up for this and is well organised. you get the forms for your visa from the Tha Consul website in Hull .. http://www.thaiconsul-uk.com/
The other thing, is sun cream a lot cheaper out there? Was looking online on boots website and it is going to cost a small fortune if I buy it all before hand. Do they have the same brands out there as here but for cheaper? - after 3 or 4 weeks you wont use it.... I didn't! but you can get it out there and prices are comparable
Edit - Also, got a question about Visa's. What visa did you go out there on, 90 day? Did you keep having to head back to the mainland to renew it? I'm going to be there for about 93/94 days so was just wondering how difficult it is to renew - I had a 12 month multi entry visa, basically every months go on a "visa run" all the travel agents are geared up for this and is well organised. you get the forms for your visa from the Tha Consul website in Hull .. http://www.thaiconsul-uk.com/
Edited by lord-of-creation on Tuesday 20th July 10:34
Cheers again
I'd been advised to get a 90 day visa and then do one visa run (although I wasn't sure what was meant by visa run at the time)
How long did it take them to sort your visa out. I don't want to send everything off too soon as I've been told it is active as soon as it is granted and not from the day of entry which seems strange
I'd been advised to get a 90 day visa and then do one visa run (although I wasn't sure what was meant by visa run at the time)
How long did it take them to sort your visa out. I don't want to send everything off too soon as I've been told it is active as soon as it is granted and not from the day of entry which seems strange
lord-of-creation said:
Cheers again
I'd been advised to get a 90 day visa and then do one visa run (although I wasn't sure what was meant by visa run at the time)
How long did it take them to sort your visa out. I don't want to send everything off too soon as I've been told it is active as soon as it is granted and not from the day of entry which seems strange
90 days will be a good bet..... What if you want to stay longer though? I'd been advised to get a 90 day visa and then do one visa run (although I wasn't sure what was meant by visa run at the time)
How long did it take them to sort your visa out. I don't want to send everything off too soon as I've been told it is active as soon as it is granted and not from the day of entry which seems strange
I had mine within 3 days..... absolutely amazing service. I was very impressed to say the least but to be on the safe side id give a week buffer space
speed_monkey said:
Nicholas Blair said:
Was there for a month a few years back - nothing to worry about really, but would sort out the malaria side of things.
Absolute b
ks, malaria is non-existant on Tao!Your only concern is if you go north Thailand near the borders for more than a few days.
Nicholas Blair said:
speed_monkey said:
Nicholas Blair said:
Was there for a month a few years back - nothing to worry about really, but would sort out the malaria side of things.
Absolute bks, malaria is non-existant on Tao!Your only concern is if you go north Thailand near the borders for more than a few days.
speed_monkey said:
Nicholas Blair said:
speed_monkey said:
Nicholas Blair said:
Was there for a month a few years back - nothing to worry about really, but would sort out the malaria side of things.
Absolute bks, malaria is non-existant on Tao!Your only concern is if you go north Thailand near the borders for more than a few days.
Cheers
Re: Visa's - It might have changed again now, but when I was in Thailand/Malaysia in Feb last year, they were limiting re-entry visa's to 14 days when doing visa runs over land or sea, and you could only get the full length visa by using an airport.
That was for a visa-on-arrival jobbie though, not sure what the score is if you arrange it beforehand - guessing better than that if you can get them for up to 90 days to start with. Thought I should let you know just in case anyway..!
That was for a visa-on-arrival jobbie though, not sure what the score is if you arrange it beforehand - guessing better than that if you can get them for up to 90 days to start with. Thought I should let you know just in case anyway..!
ccr32 said:
Re: Visa's - It might have changed again now, but when I was in Thailand/Malaysia in Feb last year, they were limiting re-entry visa's to 14 days when doing visa runs over land or sea, and you could only get the full length visa by using an airport.
That was for a visa-on-arrival jobbie though, not sure what the score is if you arrange it beforehand - guessing better than that if you can get them for up to 90 days to start with. Thought I should let you know just in case anyway..!
Its dead easy, print the form off from the Thai Consul in Hull and fill it out.That was for a visa-on-arrival jobbie though, not sure what the score is if you arrange it beforehand - guessing better than that if you can get them for up to 90 days to start with. Thought I should let you know just in case anyway..!
2 days later your passport arrives with your chosen visa (up to 12 months multi entry)
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