Medically reviewed by Dr. Ponlawat Pitsuwan, Physician, Takecare Clinic Phuket. Last reviewed: September 2026.
Rabies is present in Thailand, and every week I see travellers after bites or scratches from dogs, cats and monkeys. Many assumed a small scratch did not matter. Prompt wound washing and the correct vaccine schedule are extremely effective, so I would always rather see a minor wound than miss one.
Rabies is present in Thailand’s animal population, and in Phuket the encounters we hear about follow a familiar pattern: a street dog nipping an ankle on an evening walk home, a temple cat scratching a child who tried to stroke it, or a macaque snatching a drink bottle at a viewpoint and leaving a graze. Many people come in a day or two later, unsure whether a small mark counts. Others arrive from another island or country partway through a course and need the next dose on time. Rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms begin, yet it is preventable with prompt vaccination, which is why we treat every question about it as urgent.
Two ways the vaccine is used
Post-exposure prophylaxis, often shortened to PEP, is the course given after a possible exposure. It teaches your immune system to neutralise the virus before it reaches the nervous system, and for more serious exposures it is combined with rabies immunoglobulin, a ready-made antibody injection that gives protection in the days before the vaccine takes effect. Pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, is a shorter course given in advance. It does not remove the need for treatment after a bite, but it makes that treatment much simpler: fewer injections and no immunoglobulin.
The injection schedule is only one part of care after an animal injury. Cleaning, tetanus protection and antibiotics come first, and our page on animal bite treatment covers those steps. This page focuses on the vaccine itself.
How the WHO grades an exposure
The World Health Organization sorts contact with a possibly rabid animal into three categories, and the category decides what you need. Category I means touching or feeding an animal, or a lick on intact skin; this is not an exposure and needs no vaccine. Category II means nibbling of uncovered skin, or minor scratches or grazes that do not bleed; this needs the vaccine course. Category III means one or more bites or scratches that break through the skin, a lick on broken skin, saliva in the eyes, mouth or nose, or any contact with a bat; this needs the vaccine and, if you have never been vaccinated before, rabies immunoglobulin.
| Your situation | What you receive | Vaccine days |
|---|---|---|
| Planning ahead (PrEP) | Pre-exposure course | Days 0 and 7, either intradermal at 2 sites or intramuscular at 1 site |
| Category I, never vaccinated | Wash the skin; no vaccine | None |
| Category II, never vaccinated | Full post-exposure vaccine course | 1-week intradermal: days 0, 3 and 7 at 2 sites; or intramuscular: days 0, 3, 7 and one dose between days 14 and 28 |
| Category III, never vaccinated | Full vaccine course plus rabies immunoglobulin into and around the wound | As for category II; immunoglobulin on day 0, and no later than day 7 |
| Category II or III, previously completed PrEP or PEP | Two booster doses; no immunoglobulin | Days 0 and 3 |
Day 0 is the day of your first injection, not the day of the bite. The intradermal route injects a small amount into the skin rather than the muscle and is the WHO’s preferred shortened schedule; both routes work when given correctly. People with weakened immunity may need an extra dose and are often given immunoglobulin for category II exposures too.
Is it ever too late to start?
No. The time between a bite and symptoms is typically two to three months, though it can be as short as a week, especially after bites on the face or hands, and occasionally a year or longer. If you were bitten or scratched days or even weeks ago and did not have vaccination, start now. Immunoglobulin is only useful within 7 days of the first vaccine dose, so if you have already started the vaccine elsewhere, bring the date. Where a biting dog or cat can be observed and stays healthy for 10 days, WHO guidance allows the course to be stopped, but for visitors bitten by a stray this is rarely possible, so we continue the full schedule.
Starting here, finishing somewhere else
Travellers often begin a course in Phuket and fly home before it ends, or arrive here midway from Bali, Bangkok or Koh Samui. The schedules are international, so continuing is straightforward if you carry an accurate record: the dates of each dose, whether it was intradermal or intramuscular, and the name printed on the vaccine box. Different brands of cell-culture rabies vaccine can be swapped when necessary, and the WHO accepts a change of route if the original cannot be continued. Try to keep each dose on its scheduled day; a delay of a day or two is not a reason to restart, but longer gaps should be discussed with a doctor.
Should you have the vaccine before your trip?
Pre-exposure vaccination makes most sense for children, who tend to hide bites and are often bitten on the face, for stays longer than about a month, for runners and cyclists who meet dogs on quiet roads, for volunteers with animal shelters, and for anyone heading to remote islands where immunoglobulin may be hard to find. Rabies immunoglobulin is in limited supply in parts of Asia, and PrEP removes the need for it. Under WHO guidance, healthy travellers who complete PrEP do not need routine boosters. People at ongoing occupational risk may have antibody checks. For wider trip planning, a travel medicine in Phuket consultation covers rabies alongside other risks, and our vaccinations in Phuket hub lists the other jabs relevant to Thailand.
Side effects and special groups
Modern cell-culture rabies vaccines are well tolerated. A sore, red or itchy injection site, a mild headache or tiredness for a day are common. Immunoglobulin can make the wound area ache. Serious allergic reactions are rare, and we observe you for about 15 minutes after each injection. Pregnancy and breastfeeding are not reasons to delay post-exposure vaccination, and babies and children receive the same number of doses as adults.
When to see a doctor
Any break in the skin from a mammal in Thailand, any lick on a cut, and any saliva in the eyes or mouth needs a doctor the same day. So does a bat encounter, even if you see no mark. If you are partway through a course, come back if the injection site becomes very swollen, hot and spreading, or if you feel unwell.
Prevention and early detection
Avoid touching, feeding or photographing animals up close, including puppies, kittens and monkeys that seem tame. Keep food and drink out of sight at monkey viewpoints, and do not run from a barking dog. If a bite or scratch does happen, the first 15 minutes matter: wash the wound with soap and running water for a full 15 minutes, then apply an antiseptic such as povidone-iodine or alcohol, before heading to a clinic. Our guide to wound care in Phuket explains how bite wounds are dressed and followed up afterwards.
Getting your rabies doses with us
All three Takecare clinics are open 24 hours, so a bite at midnight can be treated at midnight. Walk in to our Bangtao (Cherngtalay) clinic, the Kata-Karon clinic or the Patong clinic; follow-up doses on days 3, 7 and later can be given at whichever is nearest. Ask us on WhatsApp whether the vaccine and immunoglobulin are in stock today, and we confirm the price before your visit. You can also call +66 81 718 9080. If immunoglobulin is needed and not available, we arrange a hospital referral the same day.
If a family member is too distressed or unwell to travel, a doctor hotel visit in Phuket is available at any hour; mention the vaccine when you message so we can check it can be given during the visit. Post-exposure treatment is usually claimable on travel insurance as accident care, while pre-travel vaccination often is not. We provide receipts, a medical report and an itemised invoice, and offer direct billing with most travel insurers.
Related services and treatments
If you simply want a doctor to look at a small scratch and decide whether it counts, our walk-in doctor in Phuket service is the quickest route. You can find the full range of care under all our medical services.
Summary
The rabies vaccine is used before travel, as a two-visit course on days 0 and 7, and after an exposure, where the WHO category decides whether you need the vaccine alone or the vaccine plus immunoglobulin. Previously vaccinated people need just two doses on days 0 and 3. It is never too late to start after a bite, the doses can be continued in another country with a good record, and the vaccine is safe in pregnancy and for children. Wash any wound for 15 minutes, then see a doctor the same day.
“Wash any bite or scratch with soap and running water for 15 minutes, then come in the same day. Rabies is preventable, but only if treatment starts in time.”
Dr. Ponlawat Pitsuwan, Physician, Takecare Clinic Phuket
Frequently asked questions
Will travel insurance pay for rabies shots after a bite?
Post-exposure rabies treatment is part of accident care, so most travel insurance policies cover it, including follow-up doses, subject to their terms and excess. Pre-exposure vaccination before or during a trip is usually treated as routine and not covered. We offer direct billing with most travel insurers, provide receipts and an itemised invoice, and confirm the price on WhatsApp before your visit.
How long after a bite can I still start the vaccine?
There is no cut-off. Start as soon as possible, ideally the same day, but if days or weeks have passed without treatment, you should still begin the course now, because symptoms can take months to appear. Immunoglobulin, when needed, is given with the first dose or within 7 days of it. Once symptoms of rabies start, no treatment reliably works.
Do I have to book my day 3 and day 7 doses?
No booking is needed. You can walk in to any of our three clinics on the scheduled day at any hour, and most people are seen within minutes. It helps to bring your vaccine record each time. If you are moving between beaches during the course, simply use whichever clinic is closest on the day the dose falls due.
Can the doctor bring my follow-up rabies dose to the hotel?
Our doctors visit hotels and villas anywhere in Phuket around the clock. Whether a rabies dose can be given during that visit depends on vaccine storage and stock on the day, so send us a WhatsApp message with your dose number and date. For a fresh bite, the clinic is usually faster because the wound can be cleaned and assessed fully there.
What happens if I fly home before my course is finished?
You continue it at home. We give you a written record with the vaccine name, route and date of each dose, and the dates of the remaining doses. Contact a doctor or travel clinic in your home country before you land so the next injection is available on time. Most countries use the same WHO-based schedules, and brands can be swapped when necessary.
Is the rabies vaccine safe in pregnancy and for young children?
Yes. Because untreated rabies is almost always fatal, pregnancy and breastfeeding are not reasons to delay post-exposure vaccination, and modern vaccines have a good safety record. Children receive the same doses as adults. Young children are also a priority group for pre-exposure vaccination during longer stays, because they are more likely to be bitten on the face and may not tell anyone.
Sources
The World Health Organization rabies fact sheet sets out the exposure categories and post-exposure schedules. The CDC rabies information pages explain pre-exposure vaccination for travellers. The NHS guide to rabies after a bite abroad covers what to do next.
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This page is general health information and not a substitute for a medical consultation.