In this article
Pharma marketing is the work of helping healthcare providers and patients know about, access and appropriately use medicines and medical supplies. In Thailand it operates under the Drug Act B.E. 2510 (1967), which bans advertising the properties of dangerous and specially controlled drugs to the general public and requires drug advertising to be approved before publication.
That makes pharma marketing different from almost any consumer category. Prescription medicines cannot be advertised to the public, so teams work through three main routes: the providers who prescribe or dispense, unbranded disease awareness, and supporting patients who have started treatment to continue. This guide covers both the legal boundaries and the channels that work in practice.
What each type of medicine may advertise
| Type | Advertising to the public | To healthcare professionals | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dangerous drugs and specially controlled drugs | Properties may not be advertised, under section 88 (6) | Allowed, within codes | Includes influencer reviews and social media ads |
| Non-dangerous drugs, such as household remedies | Allowed with prior approval | Allowed | Must show the approval number (ฆท.) and not exaggerate |
| Medical devices | Allowed under conditions, with approval under the Medical Device Act | Allowed | Check classification and conditions with the Thai FDA |
| Vaccines | Usually in classes whose properties cannot be advertised to the public; check each product | Allowed | Use disease awareness and prevention campaigns instead |
Section 88 also requires that drug advertising does not exaggerate, does not suggest it can treat certain diseases such as diabetes, cancer and tuberculosis, does not use endorsements, and does not use giveaways or lotteries. Breaches carry fines of up to THB 100,000 under section 124, and the Thai FDA secretary-general can order ads stopped.
When the ad is for a healthcare facility, such as a clinic’s vaccination programme, the hospital advertising law administered by DHSS also applies, and it too bans naming dangerous or specially controlled drugs in facility ads. See our healthcare advertising guide.
A planning summary, not legal advice. Every campaign should go through your medical and regulatory teams and be checked against the latest Thai FDA guidance.
Five channels that work
1. Healthcare professionals who prescribe and recommend
Doctors, pharmacists and nurses decide or recommend treatment. Traditional channels are medical representatives, scientific meetings and key opinion leaders; faster-growing are digital channels for professionals, such as scientific content, webinars and on-demand product information. All of it must follow the code of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association (PReMA) and the Medical Council’s rules on benefits from pharma companies.
2. Clinics and hospitals outside the big cities
Large hospitals usually have sales coverage. But thousands of medical, aesthetic and dental clinics and health check centres across the country, especially outside Bangkok, are rarely visited regularly. They order in small quantities, get poor prices and do not hear about new products. Reaching them cost-effectively takes a system that pools orders from many clinics and puts product information inside the system clinics use every day.
3. Unbranded disease awareness
Disease awareness campaigns explain risks, symptoms and prevention, then encourage people to see a doctor, for example on cervical cancer, dengue or diabetes screening. They are not drug ads, so there is more room, but they must not point to any product: no product names or images, and no colours or symbols that suggest a brand. The measure that matters is not reach but action: appointments, screening bookings or vaccination bookings with providers ready to help.
4. Patient support programmes
Many medicines, such as chronic disease treatments, multi-dose vaccines and long courses, share one problem: patients stop part way. Patient support programmes (reminders for the next dose, symptom follow-up, information on use) help patients complete treatment, which is good for outcomes and for sales. Plan data handling from the start: health data is sensitive under PDPA and needs explicit consent, and it is safer for providers to contact patients than for the company to hold patient data.
5. Real demand data from patients and providers
Quarterly market reports and small-sample surveys show the past, not which province is looking for which treatment this month. Data from platforms where patients search and book, and from clinic orders, helps plan stock, deploy sales teams and choose campaign areas more precisely. See how this works in direct-to-patient pharma in Thailand.
KPIs for pharma marketing
| KPI | What it measures | Informs |
|---|---|---|
| Providers ordering for the first time | Clinics and hospitals starting to order | Expansion by area and channel |
| Provider reorder rate | Providers reordering within 3 or 6 months | Quality of provider support |
| Share of patients completing treatment | Such as all vaccine doses, or the full course | Effect of patient support |
| Actions from awareness campaigns | Appointments, screening or vaccine bookings | Effect of disease awareness |
| Demand by province | Patient interest and provider orders by area | Stock and sales planning |
Frequently asked questions
Can medicines be advertised to the public in Thailand?
It depends on the type. The properties of dangerous and specially controlled drugs may not be advertised to the public under section 88 (6) of the Drug Act. Non-dangerous medicines, such as household remedies, may be advertised once the Thai FDA approves the text, images and sound, and must not exaggerate.
What are the penalties for unlawful drug advertising?
Advertising that breaches sections 88, 88 bis, 89 or 90 carries fines of up to THB 100,000 under section 124, and the Thai FDA secretary-general can order ads stopped. People who review or post dangerous drug properties on a company’s behalf may also be liable.
How is disease awareness different from drug advertising?
Disease awareness covers risk, symptoms and prevention and encourages people to see a doctor without naming or pointing to any product. Drug advertising is about the product. Awareness campaigns have more room, but names, images or symbols that suggest a product can make them count as drug ads.
Can pharma companies reach doctors online?
Yes. Direct communication with healthcare professionals has wider scope than public advertising, but access must be limited to real professionals and follow industry and professional codes.
How can we reach small clinics nationwide without a bigger sales team?
Use a channel that pools orders from many clinics and provides product information inside the system clinics already use. Clinics get better prices on small orders, and the company serves many small providers without visiting each one.
What should patient support programmes watch for under PDPA?
Health data is sensitive and needs explicit consent before collection and use. It is safer for providers to contact and follow up patients, with the company seeing only anonymised aggregate data.
Sources
- Thai FDA Drug Control Division, FAQ on drug advertising (in Thai)
- Pharmacy Council of Thailand, drug categories and related legal requirements (in Thai)
- Thai Drug Watch, laws for monitoring health product advertising (in Thai)
- Post Today, Weight-loss pens are specially controlled drugs (in Thai)
